Snuffy Stirnweiss--1951
He Was a World Series Hero???
While he may not have been a World
Series hero, when grazing through the
World Series record book I came across
George "Snuffy" Stirnweiss' name.
Snuffy begged to be Googled.
The lead-off hitter for the eventual World
Champion Yankees of 1947, Stirnweiss
collected eight free passes off of
Brooklyn Dodger hurlers.
In 2002, San Francisco's Barry Bonds
was issued a record 13 free passes for a
single series. Yankee great, Babe Ruth
and Oakland's Gene Tenace followed
with 11 walks. Willie Randolph was fourth
with 10 base on balls in 1981.
Then came Snuffy Stirnweiss and a
gaggle of others with eight walks, the
likes which include Eddie Matthews
(1957), Mickey Mantle (1960), Gary
Sheffield (1997) and again, The
Bambino in 1923.
Who was Stirnweiss?
Well, twice he led the American League
in stolen bases and triples, as the
three-base hits helped him lead the AL in
slugging percentage with a .476 mark
during the war torn 1945 season. It was
also in '45 when he captured the AL
batting crown with a .309 average.
During '44 and '45 he garnered MVP
votes, ultimately finishing behind
Detroit's Hal Newhouser each year.
Stirnweiss would be an All-Star in 1946,
collecting a single in three at-bats at the
Mid-Summer Classic.
As for the '47 Series against the
Dodgers, Stirnweiss' walks were
inconsequential, as none of his free
passes matured into a run scored for the
Yanks.
A second baseman, who would also take
his place at third base; Stirnweiss would
play for New York eight seasons, before
being traded to the St. Louis Browns and
then to the Indians as his career came to
a sudden halt after nine years.
He would return to his native New Jersey
and enter the business world, meeting
his ultimate demise in a horrific manner,
when the commuter train he was riding
plunged into the Newark Bay on
September 15, 1958.
He was just 39 years old.
Editor's Note: Here is the link to Snuffy
Stirnweiss' obit at The Deadball Era web
site: Snuffy Stirnweiss Obit
While he may not have been a World
Series hero, when grazing through the
World Series record book I came across
George "Snuffy" Stirnweiss' name.
Snuffy begged to be Googled.
The lead-off hitter for the eventual World
Champion Yankees of 1947, Stirnweiss
collected eight free passes off of
Brooklyn Dodger hurlers.
In 2002, San Francisco's Barry Bonds
was issued a record 13 free passes for a
single series. Yankee great, Babe Ruth
and Oakland's Gene Tenace followed
with 11 walks. Willie Randolph was fourth
with 10 base on balls in 1981.
Then came Snuffy Stirnweiss and a
gaggle of others with eight walks, the
likes which include Eddie Matthews
(1957), Mickey Mantle (1960), Gary
Sheffield (1997) and again, The
Bambino in 1923.
Who was Stirnweiss?
Well, twice he led the American League
in stolen bases and triples, as the
three-base hits helped him lead the AL in
slugging percentage with a .476 mark
during the war torn 1945 season. It was
also in '45 when he captured the AL
batting crown with a .309 average.
During '44 and '45 he garnered MVP
votes, ultimately finishing behind
Detroit's Hal Newhouser each year.
Stirnweiss would be an All-Star in 1946,
collecting a single in three at-bats at the
Mid-Summer Classic.
As for the '47 Series against the
Dodgers, Stirnweiss' walks were
inconsequential, as none of his free
passes matured into a run scored for the
Yanks.
A second baseman, who would also take
his place at third base; Stirnweiss would
play for New York eight seasons, before
being traded to the St. Louis Browns and
then to the Indians as his career came to
a sudden halt after nine years.
He would return to his native New Jersey
and enter the business world, meeting
his ultimate demise in a horrific manner,
when the commuter train he was riding
plunged into the Newark Bay on
September 15, 1958.
He was just 39 years old.
Editor's Note: Here is the link to Snuffy
Stirnweiss' obit at The Deadball Era web
site: Snuffy Stirnweiss Obit
