George Sisler (1939)


Date of Birth: 3/24/1893
Date of Death: 3/26/1973
Birthplace: Manchester, Ohio
College: University of Michigan

George Sisler pitched at the University of Michigan while earning a degree in mechanical engineering. In 1911, he signed a minor league contract and he played in the minors until Branch Rickey, who had been Sisler's university coach, signed him in 1915, when Rickey was manager of the St. Louis Browns (modern day Baltimore Orioles).

St. Louis Browns

Sisler pitched part of the time in 1915, but he became a full-time first baseman the following season. As a pitcher in 1915, he pitched 70.0 innings, with a 4-4 record, 41 strikeouts to 38 walks, and a 2.83 ERA. He batted in 81 games that season with a .285 batting average, 78 hits, 10 doubles, 29 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases.

In 1916, Sisler played in 151 games and he batted .305. He had 155 hits, 21 doubles, and 34 stolen bases. The next year, he batted .353 in 135 games. He finished the 1917 season with 190 hits, 30 doubles, and 37 stolen bases. Defensively, he led all AL first basemen in double plays with 97.

Sisler led the AL in stolen bases in 1918 with 45. He batted .341 with 154 hits and 21 doubles in 114 games. The next year, he had an even higher batting average. He finished the 1919 season with 180 hits, 31 doubles, 15 triples, 28 stolen bases, and a .352 batting average in 132 games. He led all AL first basemen in assists with 120.

Sisler had one of his best seasons in 1920, when he led the AL in batting average and hits. He had career highs in games played (154), hits (257), doubles (49), home runs (19), RBIs (122), and stolen bases (42). He batted .407 that year. He played well defensively also, leading AL first basemen in assists with 140.

In 1921, Sisler led the AL in triples with 18 and in stolen bases with 35. He batted .371 with 216 hits, 38 doubles, 12 home runs, and 104 RBIs in 138 games.

Sisler was named the AL MVP in 1922, and he led the league in hits, triples, stolen bases, and batting average. He had career highs in stolen bases (51) and batting average (.420). He had 246 hits, 42 doubles, 18 triples, and 105 RBIs in 142 games. He again played well defensively, leading AL first basemen in assists with 125.

Sisler suffered from vision problems in 1923, and he didn't play at all that season. The following season he was made player-manager of the Browns, a position he held through the 1926 season. He finished the 1924 season with 194 hits, 27 doubles, 19 stolen bases, 74 RBIs, and a .305 batting average in 151 games. He led AL first basemen in assists with 112.

Sisler had another good season in 1925, batting .345 in 150 games. He had 224 hits, 21 doubles, 15 triples, and 105 RBIs. He once more led AL first basemen in assists with 131.

Sisler's batting average dropped to .290 in 1926. He had 178 hits, 21 doubles, 12 triples, and 71 RBIs in 150 games. He played well defensively, leading AL first basemen in double plays turned with 141.

In 1927, Sisler led the AL in stolen bases with 27. He also led first basemen in assists with 131 and in double plays turned with 138. He batted .327 with 201 hits, 32 doubles, and 97 RBIs in 149 games.

Boston Braves

Sisler's contract was sold to the Washington Senators prior to the 1928 season. After just a month with the Senators, they sold his contract to the Boston Braves in May, 1928. He finished the season with 179 hits, 27 doubles, 70 RBIs, and a .331 batting average in 20 games with the Senators and 118 games with the Braves.

Sisler played in a career high 154 games in 1929. He had 205 hits, 40 doubles, 79 RBIs, and a .326 batting average. The next season, he batted .309 in 116 games. He had 133 hits, 15 doubles, and 67 RBIs in 1930.

Sisler retired as a major league player after the 1930 season.

Awards and MLB Records

  • AL MVP
  • Led AL in batting average (2 times)
  • Led AL in hits (2 times)
  • Led AL in triples (2 times)
  • Led AL in stolen bases (4 times)

Career Statistics

Statistics for Sisler in 15 seasons (1915-1922, 1924-1930) in the major leagues include:

  • 13 seasons with over 150 hits, with a high of 257 in 1920
  • 7 seasons with 30 or more doubles, with a high of 49 in 1920
  • 8 seasons with 10 or more triples, with a high of 18 in 1920, 1921, and 1922
  • 4 seasons with over 100 RBIs, with a high of 122 in 1920
  • 8 seasons with over 20 stolen bases, with a high of 51 in 1922
  • 13 seasons with a batting average over .300, with a high of .420 in 1922

Career batting statistics for Sisler include:

  • 2,055 games played
  • 2,812 hits
  • 425 doubles
  • 164 triples
  • 375 stolen bases
  • 327 strikeouts to 472 walks
  • .340 batting average
  • .379 on-base percentage
  • .847 OPS

Career fielding statistics for Sisler at first base include:

  • 1,971 games played
  • 1,529 assists
  • 1,495 double plays
  • 18,837 putouts
  • 269 errors
  • .987 fielding percentage

Post Playing Career

After ending his major league career, Sisler played in the minor leagues. Later, he became a scout and front-office aide to Branch Rickey, working with Rickey at various times with the Cardinals, the Dodgers, and the Pirates.

Sisler was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1939 on the fourth ballot with 85.8% of the vote.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - George Sisler
ESPN - George Sisler
Baseball Reference - George Sisler

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