George Sislet – College All American Photo by The Library of Congress
On that particular day, however, Sisler got the better of Walter ”Big Train” Johnson – pitching a six-hit (two walks versus six strikeouts), complete-game shutout, as the Browns prevailed 1-0. The game was significant for a handful of reasons: 1) It was Sisler’s only complete-game shutout; 2) It was Sislet’s last ever major-league pitching victory (He finished his career 5-6, three saves, 2.35 ERA in 12 starts and a total of 24 appearances); 3) It was Sisler’s second victory over Johnson; he had topped the Big Train 2-1 as a rookie the previous season; 4) Sisler was batting third in the order; 5) Despite his losing career record on the mound, Sisler would earn his way into the Baseball Hall of Fame (after amassing 2,812 hits and a .340 batting average over 15 seasons).
At any rate, Sisler’s pitching performance of a century ago (he went zero-for-four at the plate), led BBRT to take a look at his remarkable career.
Sisler was a gifted athlete and, at least for his times, a scholar among baseball players. He was an exceptional student in high school, as well as an end on the football team, a forward on the basketball team and a pitcher on the baseball squad. He attended the University of Michigan and earned not only three letters in baseball (1913-14-15) and two-time All-American recognition, but also a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Sisler, who primarily pitched and played outfield for Michigan (where he was not only a quality pitcher, but a fleet defender and solid hitter – batting over .400 for his college career), joined the St. Louis Browns as a pitcher in 1915, going 4-4, 2.83 in 15 games; tossing six complete games in eight starts. The Browns also appreciated Sisler’s bat and athletic defense, and he saw considerable time at first base and in the outfield. He hit .285-3-29, with ten stolen bases in 81 games. And, the best was yet to come. Sisler, switching primarily to first base in 1916, went on to play 14 more seasons – earning praise for hit bat and his glove. In that time, he won two batting titles (.407 in 1920 and .420 in 1922). He also led the league in stolen bases four times (a high of 51 in 1922); triples twice; runs scored once; and base hits twice. (In fact, his 257 hits in 1920 stood as the MLB record until Ichiro Suzuki collected 262 safeties in 2004.) Sisler was also the American League MVP in 1922. Despite this stardom, Sisler was known as a modest individual and true gentleman on an off the field.
His final career stat line was .340-102-1,178, with 2,812 hits, 1,284 runs scored, 425 doubles, 164 triples and 375 stolen bases. AND, it might have been even better. Sisler missed the entire 1923 season with a severe sinus infection that resulted in chronic headaches and vision problems. Although he returned to action in 1924, his batting eye was never quite the same. (He went from his .420 average in 1922 to .305 in 1924; and hit .361 before the infection and .320 after). He still, however, managed to hit over .300 in all but one of his remaining seven seasons.
“Gentleman George” Sisler was truly one of the greats to play the game.
For those who track such things: Sisler also had two sons who played in the major leagues: Dave Sisler (RHP, 1956-62, Red Sox/Tigers/Senators/Reds) and Dick Sisler (1B/OF, 1946-53, Cardinals/Phillies/Reds).
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Member: Soceity for American Baseball Research (SABR); The Baseball Reliquary; Baseball Bloggers Alliance.
Photo by The Library of Congress
It’s September first and that means it’s time for Baseball Roundtable’s look at the month of August – winners, losers, streakers, pacesetters and more. Here’s just a few of the things we saw in MLB during the “Dog Days” of August:
We’ve all seen baseball fans reward a player (with a loud round of applause) for getting up, dusting himself off and trotting to first base after getting hit by a pitch.
If you are a baseball fan, you can’t afford to miss the Negro Leagues Museum, which gives you a look at some of the richest – and some of the most poignant – times of our baseball history. Located in the 18th and Vine district, the museum takes you through the history of the Negro Leagues – and individuals of color – across baseball history. The story is told with a wide range of films, audio visual exhibits, photographs and memorabilia of all kinds. It is indeed a history lesson. You’ll learn a lot not just about baseball, but also about American history, race relations and attitudes.
From the Negro Leagues Museum, we made our way to the American Jazz museum (housed in the same building) – where we were able to get and eyeful and earful of the greats from this unique American music genre. The museum included plenty of listening stations to enjoy the greats (and even separate the music into the parts that make up the whole) and visual impressions of the history of jazz (from photographs and films of jazz greats to album cover art to jazz club neon). If you are a fan of jazz, this visit is a must.
After our museum visit, we took the advice of the locals and headed to Danny’s Big Easy – practically across the street from the museums – for Cajun food. There were four of us in our group and the reaction was unanimous – WOW! Great, and we really mean great, Cajun food; as well as a server whose “life is a party and you are all invited” attitude made the experience even more enjoyable. Among the items we had: Crawfish Etouffee; Jambalaya; Catfish Po’ Boy; mac ‘n cheese; wings; specially seasoned house fries; and hush puppies. We washed it down with wine, but when one of our group asked about a beverage called “Living Easy,” they brought us a free one with four straws. (Also of interest was the fact that they had Kool-Aid on the menu for three dollars.)
An additional bit of information on Day Seven – for the full day, click 
Arriving at Kaufmann Stadium, you first notice the higher level of security (as opposed to all our minor league stops) … bag searches and metal detectors were the order of the day. Once inside the stadium, which opened in 1973 and underwent significant renovation in the late 2000’s, you notice the steep upper deck, massive “Crown Vision” scoreboard/video board in center field and the right field fountain area.
The Bloody Mary – $10 at the Boulevard Pub – was adequate: good pour; spicy, but not over bearing (it could have used a touch more tabasco and a bit of celery salt); it included a lime wedge, but I do like more substance in a Bloody Mary (maybe a celery stick, olives or a pickle spear.) Still at $10, it was a better bargain than the $11 beer. (One of our group reported paying $27 for two beers and a bag of peanuts.)
One popular concession item with our group was the “Berrie Kabob” – available for $7 at a nearby concession stand or from strolling vendors. They consisted of chocolate dipped strawberries, bananas and brownies (in various combinations) on a stick – and were delicious. If you are looking for dessert, this one is a hit.
