George Sisler, an elite hitter who spent his prime years with the St. Louis Browns, chose to wind down his playing career in the Cardinals’ organization.
On Dec. 13, 1930, Sisler signed with the Rochester Red Wings, a Cardinals farm club, to be their first baseman after 15 seasons in the majors with the Browns, Senators and Braves.
Though Sisler, 37, had hoped to continue in the majors in 1931 rather than go to the minors, the move proved beneficial because it gave him the chance to play for a championship club for the only time in his Hall of Fame career.
.400 hitter
Sisler’s baseball career soared when he enrolled at the University of Michigan. Branch Rickey was head baseball coach when Sisler arrived there. Rickey left Michigan to join the Browns after Sisler’s sophomore season. Two years later, in 1915, Sisler, 22, signed with the Browns, who were managed by Rickey, and pitched and played outfield and first base his rookie season.
Settled in at first base in 1916, Sisler went on to become a special player. “At his peak, Sisler was a striking figure _ supple, rhythmic and graceful in action,” Joe Williams wrote in the New York World-Telegram. “The hits flew off his bat with a whistling hum _ sharp, clean and powerful.”
A left-handed batter, Sisler hit .344 in 12 seasons with the Browns. He led the American League in batting in 1920 (.407) and 1922 (.420), joining Ty Cobb as the only American League players to twice hit .400 in a season. Sisler had 2,295 hits for the Browns in 1,647 games.
“For 12 years, he was the baseball idol of St. Louis boydom as no other player has been,” the St. Louis Post-Dispatch declared.
Sisler received the American League Most Valuable Player Award in 1922, but he sat out the 1923 season because a sinus infection impaired his vision. He returned in 1924 as player-manager and served in that role for three years. The 1927 season, when he played but didn’t manage, was Sisler’s last with the Browns. In December 1927, they sold his contract to the Senators. Five months later, the Senators sent him to the Braves.
Free agent
In three seasons (1928-30) with the Braves, Sisler hit .326. In 1930, Sisler batted .309, had 133 hits in 116 games, and was second on the club in RBI (67), but after the season the Braves informed him he wasn’t in their plans for 1931.
“Sisler’s main difficulty last season was his legs,” the Post-Dispatch reported. “He slowed down badly. His fielding was not as good as in previous campaigns.”
The Braves told Sisler he could stay with them as a coach, but Sisler wanted to keep playing, the Boston Globe reported.
In response, the Braves gave Sisler “permission to make the best arrangements possible for his service,” the Associated Press reported. In effect, The Sporting News noted, Sisler “was made a free agent.”
According to the Boston Globe, “The club has promised not to stand in his way. There’s only one sure thing about Sisler, and that is he won’t drop back into the minors.”
Limited options
Sisler attended the baseball winter meetings at New York in December 1930, looking to convince a big-league team to sign him as a first baseman. In 15 seasons in the majors, Sisler batted .340 and had 2,812 hits and 1,178 RBI, but he never played with a championship club.
The American League Tigers and National League Dodgers showed interest. So did the International League Rochester Red Wings, a Cardinals farm club. Branch Rickey was running the Cardinals’ front office, and Rochester club president Warren Giles knew Rickey endorsed bringing Sisler into the organization.
Rochester needed a first baseman to replace Rip Collins, whose contract was purchased by the Cardinals after he batted .376 and hit 40 home runs for the Red Wings in 1930. The Cardinals, defending National League champions, would have future Hall of Famer Jim Bottomley and Collins at first base in 1931.
Giles told the Rochester Democrat-Chronicle, “George still feels he can play in the major leagues, but assured me if he decided to play in the minors that he would give Rochester first consideration.”
Sisler never had played in the minors, but when the Tigers and Dodgers failed to make offers, he agreed to sign with Rochester.
Sisler told the St. Louis Star-Times he was “sound and fit,” and could play for another five years.
“There are a number of clubs in the majors that could have used me,” Sisler said. “I’m still a good first baseman and can hit and field probably better than a number of the players who will be seen playing regularly in the American and National leagues next summer.”
Regarding going to the minors, Sisler said, “Baseball is baseball no matter where you play it. I probably will be just as happy over at Rochester as I might have been at Boston or some other places in the big leagues.”
Top of the heap
Sisler, 38, batted .303 for Rochester and was second on the club in hits (186) and doubles (37). Best of all, he got to play for a championship club. Rochester won the International League pennant for the fourth consecutive season.
In an editorial, the Post-Dispatch declared, “That such a pleasure has at last come to him as a member of the Rochester Red Wings will gladden the heart of many a St. Louis baseball fan who knew the work of the Browns’ former first baseman and held it in the highest esteem.”
Sisler “had a great deal to do” with the Red Wings winning the pennant, the Rochester Democrat-Chronicle reported. The Sporting News added Sisler “was a prominent factor” and “a good influence on the players.”
Limited mobility, however, hampered his fielding. His lack of range resulted in “a slower brand of baseball” at first base, the Rochester Democrat-Chronicle observed.
The Sporting News reported, “He was slow, and many plays, completed with ease and grace when he was in his prime, entailed extra effort.”
End of the line
As International League champions, Rochester advanced to play the American Association pennant-winning St. Paul Saints in the 1931 Junior World Series. In Game 1, Sisler singled in his first at-bat, but left because of a groin injury. He sat out the rest of the series, though Rochester prevailed.
Afterward, on Oct. 14, 1931, Sisler requested and got his unconditional release after he learned the club was planning to develop a younger player at first base for 1932, The Sporting News reported.
“I had an understanding at Rochester that if I wanted my release I could have it,” Sisler said to the Post-Dispatch.
In March 1932, Sisler became player-manager of the Shreveport team in the Texas League. He hit .287 in 70 games, and, at 39, was done as a player.
RetroSimba 
Many years ago I wrote to George Sisler requesting his autograph. I asked him in my letter what his greatest thrill in baseball was. I expected him to describe some outstanding hitting feat. I was surprised that he responded that his greatest thrill in BB was defeating Walter Johnson in a 1-0 shutout when he just arrived in the majors out of the University of Michigan, AS A PITCHER!
Thank you for the wonderful anecdote you shared. It is so amazing. It says so much about George Sisler’s talents: He could win a pitching duel with Walter Johnson and he could hit .400 as an everyday first baseman. Astounding. Here is a box score from a game in Sisler’s rookie year when he pitched against Walter Johnson and beat him: https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1915/B08290SLA1915.htm
PS: Here is the box score from the 1916 game in which George Sisler beat Walter Johnson with a 1-0 shutout. Thanks again: https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1916/B09170SLA1916.htm
George Sisler played an important part in bringing along Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente. George Sisler’s career numbers are phenomenal just as they are. However, if not for his bouts with sinusitis, who knows what he might have accomplished. Certainly among the top ten players to never make it to a World Series.
Thanks for noting that George Sisler, who was brought into the Dodgers’ and Pirates’ organizations by Branch Rickey and given roles in scouting and player development, helped Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente.
Thanks for the link to the Sisler/Johnson boxscore. Interesting to see that Sisler batted third even though he was the starting pitcher. Apparently, even in his dawn of his career, his hitting skill was well recognized.
Good observation on George Sisler batting third in the game in which he pitched a shutout versus Walter Johnson and the Senators.
Walter Johnson probably would have quit baseball forever if Tris Speaker had pitched against him and won.
Thanks for bringing up Tris Speaker. It is amazing to me that Tris Speaker hit .344 in his career vs. Walter Johnson and his on-base percentage against him was .433. George Sisler hit Walter Johnson well, too. Sisler batted .327 vs. Johnson in his career, with an on-base percentage of .382.
As a kid, once I started reading and learning about the “old time” players, Sisler became one of my favorites. Him and the 1922 Browns. Sisler’s reputation has faded some in modern times. Bill James calls him one of the most over-rated players in history. He is only half right about that, if at all. Sisler was on his way to one of the great careers in baseball history, but the sinus trouble that held him out of the 1923 season derailed his career. Looking at his numbers in modern terms, he was a 6-7 WAR-per-year player in his first seven full seasons, 1916-1922. That is solid Hall-of-Fame production. His 1920 season was incredible, 257 hits, 49 doubles, 18 triples and 19 homers – a 1.082 OPS.
But the latter half of his career was pedestrian. About 80% of his career value was accumulated in those first seven seasons. He hung on for another 7 years, but was not the same player after the eye trouble. He was literally about 4 times as productive in the first half of his career as the last half.
On a side note, he was W.C. Fields favorite player. Supposedly Fields met Sisler, and invited him to join the great comedian for a drink. Sisler declined, saying he did not drink alcoholic beverages. Fields responded something to the effect of “Ah, even the perfect ball player cannot have everything.”
Thanks for all the good insights. I love the W.C. Fields story.
Thanks as well. That W.C. Fields story is from Bob Broeg’s book “Super Stars Of Baseball. He writes bio’s on 40 of the game’s greats, with the book being published in 1971. I double-checked my version as I have not read the Sisler bio in probably a good 30 years or more, and I relayed it remarkably close to the way Broeg puts it in the book.
Good tip about the 1971 Bob Broeg book. Thanks!