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Gus Zernial
Nickname(s): Ozark Ike
Born: 1923

OF-1B 1949-59 White Sox, A's , Tigers

Gus Zernial's Teammates

  • All-Star in 1953
  • Led League in hr 51
  • Led League in rbi 51

GamesAverageHRRBI
Career 1234.265237776

Books and articles about Gus Zernial

The 6'3" 210-lb, free-swinging Zernial trailed only Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and Larry Doby in American League home runs in the 1950s. Despite tying what was then a White Sox record with 29 home runs in 1950, he was sent to the Athletics in a blockbuster, three-way deal that brought Minnie Minoso to Chicago on April 30, 1951. Zernial went on to lead the league with 33 HR, 129 RBI, and 17 outfield assists that year, while leading AL hitters in strikeouts a second straight time. In 1953, he stroked 42 HR, one less than league leader Al Rosen.
RELATED LINKS
Book Excerpts
» Baseball, Chicago Style: A Tale of Two Teams, One City by Jerome Holtzman and George Vass

Corrections
» Bug #68

Around the Web
» Gus Zernial from baseball-reference.com

Jump directly to Library content from any website!

Zernial twice broke his collarbone chasing fly balls. Finishing with Detroit, he led the AL with 15 pinch hits in 1958. When Fred Haney broadcast Zernial's games with the Pacific Coast League Hollywood Stars, he nicknamed the brawny, blond Texan Ozark Ike after the popular comic strip character. (ME)
FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
» May 3, 1949: Taking advantage of the shortened fence installed by White Sox GM Frank Lane, the Senators belt seven homers—and need them all—in beating Chicago, 14–12 in 10 innings. This is only time a team has collected seven homers in an extra inning contest. Clyde Vollmer leads the hit parade with 2, followed by Mark Christman, Gil Coan, Al Evans, Eddie Robinson, and Bud Stewart. The Sox get homers from Joe Tipton and Gus Zernial.

» May 28, 1949: White Sox rookie LF Gus Zernial breaks his collarbone making a diving catch against Cleveland. He will be out of action for two months. The Indians push across a run in the 9th against Howie Judson to win for Early Wynn, 3–2.

» October 1, 1950: Gus Zernial of the White Sox hits one homer in a 4-3 first-game win over the visiting Browns. He adds three more in the nightcap, a 10-6 loss, to tie an AL record for a twinbill and set a club record with 29 homers, 10 of which came against St. Louis. Zeke Bonura held the Sox homer record with 27, set in 1934, and tied by Joe Kuhel in 1940.

» April 30, 1951: In a complex 3-way deal, the White Sox get OF/3B Minnie Minoso from the Indians and OF Paul Lehner from the Athletics. Philadelphia sends P Lou Brissie to Cleveland and gets OF Gus Zernial and Dave Philley from Chicago and P Sam Zoldak and C Ray Murray from Cleveland. Hard-luck lefty Lou Brissie is considered the plum in the proceedings. Rookie Minoso, who hit .339 at San Diego (PCL) last year is leading all Indian hitters with a .461 mark.

» May 17, 1951: Gus Zernial hits his 7th home run in four successive games to tie the major-league record set by Tony Lazzeri in 1936, as his A's beat the Browns 7–6.

» June 2, 1951: The seventh place A's hand the White Sox a 5–1 defeat, Chicago's first since May 13th. The first-place Sox had won 14 straight. Bob Hooper tops Joe Dobson, who made the mistake of serving up a grand slam to Gus Zernial.

» July 1, 1951: Elmer Valo belts three homers to help the A's sweep the Senators, 10–7 and 3–2. Two of his homers come in the first game, when teammate Gus Zernial hits his 18th homer. Irv Noren has a pair of doubles and a homer for the Nats.

» August 24, 1951: In another of Bill Veeck's legendary PR stunts, "Fans Managers' Night," the Browns defeat the Athletics 5–3. The Browns coaches hold up placards for 1115 fans, who vote "yes" or "no" on the options given them. Manager Zack Taylor sits in a box behind the dugout with two fans who monitor the voting. Adding to the festivities is Max Patkin, the clown prince of baseball, who coaches at 1B for several innings. Sherm Lollar voted in behind the plate instead of Matt Batts, has three hits including a homer, and Hank Arft, also voted in, knocks home two. Gus Zernial's 28th home run, off Garver, accounts for all the A's runs. When the stunt was announced on August 15th, A's GM Art Ehlers bitterly denounced it as "farcical."

» April 13, 1954: Rookie Spook Jacobs, in his first ML game, gets four hits while Bill Renna and Gus Zernial bang homers in the A's 6–4 victory over the Red Sox. Bobby Shantz is the winner, but leaves in the 6th because of a pulled muscle which will take several years to completely heal. He won't pitch again this year ending the season today at 1–0. Mel Parnell goes six innings for the loss.

» May 26, 1954: Slugger Gus Zernial hits the last grand slam in the history of the Philadelphia Athletics franchise, as the A's down the Red Sox 6–5.

» July 11, 1954: The Red Sox whip the lowly Athletics 18-0 for one of the worst shutouts in AL history. A's slugger Gus Zernial breaks his collarbone diving for a ball and is out of the lineup until late August.

» November 20, 1957: The KC Athletics trade infielder Billy Martin, outfielders Gus Zernial and Lou Skizas, pitchers Maury McDermott and Tom Morgan, and C Charlie Thompson to Detroit. In exchange, the Tigers send outfielders Bill Tuttle, Jim Small, pitchers Duane Maas and John Tsitouris, C Frank House, SS Kent Hadley, and a player to come later.

» May 25, 1960: George Crowe's ML-record 11th pinch-hit home run, off Don McMahon, gives the Cardinals a 5–3 win over the Braves. Crowe began the season tied with Smoky Burgess and Gus Zernial in career pinch home runs.

» September 17, 1998: Cleveland OF Manny Ramirez ties a major league record by hitting his 6th home run over a 3–game span. It's his 43rd on the year. The last American League player to do so was Gus Zernial in 1951. The Indians defeat the Minnesota Twins, 9–1.