Stirnweiss, a star college football halfback at North Carolina, was the outstanding
AL second baseman during WWII when gastric ulcers and hay fever kept him out of the
service. He led the league in hits, doubles, and runs in both 1944 and 1945. On the
morning of the last day of the 1945 season, Chicago's Tony Cuccinello led the AL
with a .308 BA; Stirnweiss was at .306. The White Sox were rained out. Stirnweiss
had two hits and was given a third when the New York official scorer reversed an
error ruling, to win the batting title at .3085 to Cuccinello's .3077. Stirnweiss's
legs gave out when he was 30 and he retired at 33.
(NLM)
FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
»March 8, 1947: In Havana's new Stadium del Cerro, the Dodgers, behind three pitchers, beat the Yankees in 10 innings 1–0. Carl Furillo scores on Pete Reiser's double, and Snuffy Stirnweiss's 10th-inning single is the only Yankee hit. On hand to watch is Connie Zimmerman, an associate of mobster Lucky Luciano, and a racing handicapper, Memphis Engelberg. As Burt Solomon writes, Leo Durocher points out the men to sports writers Dick Young and Milt Gross, saying, "Look at that. If I had those guys in my box, I'd be kicked out of baseball. Are there two sets of rules? One applying to managers and one applying to club owners. When asked about if the me are his guests, Dodger GM Larry MacPhail snaps, "What are you. The goddam FBI?" MacPhail calls Durocher a liar, and in a bizarre turn, later files charges against the manager with the commissioner's office.
»May 24, 1947: The Yankees edge into 3rd place ahead of the Red Sox, whipping Boston, 17–2. George Stirnweiss scores five runs and King Kong Keller four runs in the 17 hit attack. Joe DiMaggio has four hits and three runs.
»June 15, 1950:
The Yankees, frustrated in late April in their aborted trade for Joe Ostrowski with the Browns, finally get the pitcher, along with pitchers Tom Ferrick and Sid Schacht, and 3B Leo Thomas. New York sends infielder Snuffy Stirnweiss, OF Jim Delsing, pitchers Duane Pillette and Don Johnson, and $50,000. Both Ferrick and Ostrowski will prove their worth in the 1950 pennant drive. Tomorrow, the Yanks beat the Browns, 7–5, with Ferrick and Ostrowski starring in relief.
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