George Sisler was born on Friday, March 24, 1893, in Manchester, Ohio. Sisler was 22 years old when he broke into the big leagues on June 28, 1915, with the St. Louis Browns. His biographical data, year-by-year hitting stats, fielding stats, pitching stats (where applicable), career totals, uniform numbers, salary data and miscellaneous items-of-interest are presented by Baseball Almanac on this comprehensive George Sisler baseball stats page.
"He (George Sisler) is probably the only player other than (Lou) Gehrig who can reasonably be considered the greatest first baseman ever in terms of peak value. The reason I say that is that the other top contenders, most notably (Jimmie) Foxx and (Willie) McCovey, were the same type of players that Gehrig was, and thus they can be directly compared to him, a comparison that they clearly lose. But the man I'm referring to was a different type of player, he didn't have the home run pop, but he hit for a higher average, was faster and a better defensive player than Gehrig, and the comparison between the two is not easy." - James, Bill. Baseball Historian. The Sizzler: George Sisler, Baseball's Forgotten Great. Huhn, Rick. Author. University of Missouri Publishing. 22 November 2004. Page 286.
George SislerGeorge 'The Sizzler' Sisler Autograph on a 1960 Fleer Greats Baseball Card (#13) |
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George SislerGeorge Sisler Pitching Stats |
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Year | Age | Team | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD |
1915 | 22 | Browns | 15 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 4 | .500 | 2.83 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 70.0 | 293 | 62 | 22 | 26 | 0 | 38 | - | 41 | 1 | 4 | 1 | - |
1916 | 23 | Browns | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .333 | 1.00 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 27.0 | 98 | 18 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 6 | - | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
1918 | 25 | Browns | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 4.50 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8.0 | 41 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 4 | - | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - |
1920 | 27 | Browns | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
1925 | 32 | Browns | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
1926 | 33 | Browns | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2.0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | - | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
1928 | 35 | Braves | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
Career | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD | ||
7 Years | 24 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 6 | .455 | 2.35 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 111.0 | 453 | 91 | 29 | 36 | 0 | 52 | 0 | 63 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
George SislerGeorge Sisler Hitting Stats |
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Year | Age | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG |
1915 | 22 | Browns | 81 | 274 | 28 | 78 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 29 | 7 | - | 27 | 12 | - | 2 | - | .285 | .307 | .369 |
1916 | 23 | Browns | 151 | 580 | 83 | 177 | 21 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 76 | 40 | - | 37 | 19 | - | 5 | - | .305 | .355 | .400 |
1917 | 24 | Browns | 135 | 539 | 60 | 190 | 30 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 52 | 30 | - | 19 | 15 | - | 3 | - | .353 | .390 | .453 |
1918 | 25 | Browns | 114 | 452 | 69 | 154 | 21 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 40 | - | 17 | 9 | - | 5 | - | .341 | .400 | .440 |
1919 | 26 | Browns | 132 | 511 | 96 | 180 | 31 | 15 | 10 | 0 | 83 | 27 | - | 20 | 18 | - | 5 | - | .352 | .390 | .530 |
1920 | 27 | Browns | 154 | 631 | 137 | 257 | 49 | 18 | 19 | 0 | 122 | 46 | - | 19 | 13 | - | 2 | - | .407 | .449 | .632 |
1921 | 28 | Browns | 138 | 582 | 125 | 216 | 38 | 18 | 12 | 1 | 104 | 34 | - | 27 | 14 | - | 5 | - | .371 | .411 | .560 |
1922 | 29 | Browns | 142 | 586 | 134 | 246 | 42 | 18 | 8 | 1 | 105 | 49 | - | 14 | 16 | - | 3 | - | .420 | .467 | .594 |
1924 | 31 | Browns | 151 | 636 | 94 | 194 | 27 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 74 | 31 | - | 29 | 14 | - | 3 | - | .305 | .340 | .421 |
1925 | 32 | Browns | 150 | 649 | 100 | 224 | 21 | 15 | 12 | 1 | 105 | 27 | - | 24 | 12 | - | 0 | - | .345 | .371 | .479 |
1926 | 33 | Browns | 150 | 613 | 78 | 178 | 21 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 71 | 30 | - | 30 | 16 | - | 3 | - | .290 | .327 | .398 |
1927 | 34 | Browns | 149 | 614 | 87 | 201 | 32 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 97 | 24 | - | 15 | 19 | - | 4 | - | .327 | .357 | .430 |
1928 | 35 | Senators | 20 | 49 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | - | 2 | 1 | - | 0 | - | .245 | .260 | .265 |
1928 | 35 | Braves | 118 | 491 | 71 | 167 | 26 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 68 | 30 | - | 15 | 14 | - | 2 | - | .340 | .380 | .434 |
1929 | 36 | Braves | 154 | 629 | 67 | 205 | 40 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 79 | 33 | - | 17 | 20 | - | 4 | - | .326 | .363 | .424 |
1930 | 37 | Braves | 116 | 431 | 54 | 133 | 15 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 67 | 23 | - | 15 | 14 | - | 2 | - | .309 | .346 | .397 |
Career | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG | ||
15 Years | 2,055 | 8,267 | 1,284 | 2,812 | 425 | 164 | 102 | 4 | 1,175 | 472 | - | 327 | 226 | - | 48 | - | .340 | .379 | .468 |
George SislerGeorge Sisler Fielding Stats |
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Team | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
1915 Browns | 1B | 36 | 33 | 870 | 379 | 10.5 | 375 | 357 | 18 | 4 | 20 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .989 | 11.64 |
1915 Browns | CF | 8 | 6 | 156 | 17 | 2.1 | 17 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 2.94 |
1915 Browns | LF | 6 | 6 | 168 | 12 | 2.0 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 1.93 |
1915 Browns | P | 15 | 8 | 210 | 23 | 1.5 | 23 | 5 | 18 | 0 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 2.96 |
1915 Browns | RF | 15 | 14 | 276 | 127 | 8.5 | 124 | 123 | 1 | 3 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .976 | 12.13 |
1916 Browns | 1B | 141 | 139 | 3,738 | 1,617 | 11.5 | 1,593 | 1,510 | 83 | 24 | 85 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .985 | 11.51 |
1916 Browns | 3B | 2 | 2 | 27 | 6 | 3.0 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 6.00 |
1916 Browns | CF | 2 | 2 | 69 | 7 | 3.5 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 2.74 |
1916 Browns | P | 3 | 3 | 81 | 12 | 4.0 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 4.00 |
1916 Browns | RF | 1 | 0 | - | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .000 | 0.00 |
1917 Browns | 1B | 133 | 133 | 3,534 | 1,507 | 11.3 | 1,485 | 1,384 | 101 | 22 | 97 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .985 | 11.35 |
1917 Browns | 2B | 2 | 2 | 51 | 9 | 4.5 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .778 | 3.71 |
1918 Browns | 1B | 114 | 113 | 3,033 | 1,352 | 11.9 | 1,339 | 1,244 | 95 | 13 | 64 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .990 | 11.92 |
1918 Browns | P | 2 | 1 | 24 | 2 | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 2.25 |
1919 Browns | 1B | 131 | 131 | 3,456 | 1,382 | 10.5 | 1,369 | 1,249 | 120 | 13 | 62 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .991 | 10.70 |
1920 Browns | 1B | 154 | 154 | 459 | 1,633 | 10.6 | 1,617 | 1,477 | 140 | 16 | 87 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .990 | 95.12 |
1920 Browns | P | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .000 | 0.00 |
1921 Browns | 1B | 138 | 138 | 3,651 | 1,385 | 10.0 | 1,375 | 1,267 | 108 | 10 | 86 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .993 | 10.17 |
1922 Browns | 1B | 141 | 141 | 3,792 | 1,435 | 10.2 | 1,418 | 1,293 | 125 | 17 | 116 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .988 | 10.10 |
1924 Browns | 1B | 151 | 151 | 3,951 | 1,461 | 9.7 | 1,438 | 1,326 | 112 | 23 | 115 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .984 | 9.83 |
1925 Browns | 1B | 150 | 150 | 3,951 | 1,500 | 10.0 | 1,474 | 1,343 | 131 | 26 | 120 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .983 | 10.07 |
1925 Browns | P | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 9.00 |
1926 Browns | 1B | 149 | 149 | 3,897 | 1,575 | 10.6 | 1,554 | 1,467 | 87 | 21 | 141 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .987 | 10.77 |
1926 Browns | P | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 4.50 |
1927 Browns | 1B | 149 | 149 | 3,894 | 1,529 | 10.3 | 1,505 | 1,374 | 131 | 24 | 138 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .984 | 10.44 |
1928 Senators | 1B | 5 | 4 | 78 | 45 | 9.0 | 45 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 15.58 |
1928 Senators | LF | 5 | 4 | 78 | 8 | 1.6 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 2.77 |
1928 Braves | 1B | 118 | 118 | 3,159 | 1,289 | 10.9 | 1,274 | 1,188 | 86 | 15 | 100 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .988 | 10.89 |
1928 Braves | P | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .000 | 0.00 |
1929 Braves | 1B | 154 | 154 | 462 | 1,537 | 10.0 | 1,509 | 1,398 | 111 | 28 | 131 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .982 | 88.19 |
1930 Braves | 1B | 107 | 104 | 2,634 | 1,009 | 9.4 | 996 | 915 | 81 | 13 | 103 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .987 | 10.21 |
Career | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
1B Totals | 1,971 | 1,961 | 44,559 | 20,635 | 10.5 | 20,366 | 18,837 | 1,529 | 269 | 1,468 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .987 | 12.34 | |
P Totals | 24 | 12 | 333 | 40 | 1.7 | 40 | 8 | 32 | 0 | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 3.24 | |
RF Totals | 16 | 14 | 276 | 127 | 7.9 | 124 | 123 | 1 | 3 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .976 | 12.13 | |
LF Totals | 11 | 10 | 246 | 20 | 1.8 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 2.20 | |
CF Totals | 10 | 8 | 225 | 24 | 2.4 | 24 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 2.88 | |
3B Totals | 2 | 2 | 27 | 6 | 3.0 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 6.00 | |
2B Totals | 2 | 2 | 51 | 9 | 4.5 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .778 | 3.71 | |
15 Years | 2,036 | 2,009 | 45,717 | 20,861 | 10.2 | 20,587 | 19,014 | 1,573 | 274 | 1,471 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .987 | 12.16 |
George SislerGeorge Sisler Miscellaneous Stats |
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Baserunning Statistics | Other Positions | Common Hitting Ratios | Common Pitching Ratios | |||||||||
Team | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
1915 Browns | 10 | 9 | .526 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 91.3 | 10.1 | 9.4 | 1.08 | 5.27 | 4.89 |
1916 Browns | 34 | 26 | .567 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 145.0 | 15.7 | 7.6 | 2.00 | 4.00 | 2.00 |
1917 Browns | 37 | - | - | 0 | 0 | n/a | 269.5 | 28.4 | 10.4 | - | - | - |
1918 Browns | 45 | - | - | 0 | 0 | n/a | 226.0 | 26.6 | 11.0 | 1.00 | 4.50 | 4.50 |
1919 Browns | 28 | - | - | 1 | 0 | n/a | 51.1 | 25.6 | 6.2 | - | - | - |
1920 Browns | 42 | 17 | .712 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 33.2 | 33.2 | 5.2 | 0.00 | 18.00 | 0.00 |
1921 Browns | 35 | 11 | .761 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 48.5 | 21.6 | 5.6 | - | - | - |
1922 Browns | 51 | 19 | .729 | 1 | 0 | n/a | 73.3 | 41.9 | 5.6 | - | - | - |
1924 Browns | 19 | 17 | .528 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 70.7 | 21.9 | 8.6 | - | - | - |
1925 Browns | 11 | 12 | .478 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 54.1 | 27.0 | 6.2 | 1.00 | 4.50 | 4.50 |
1926 Browns | 12 | 8 | .600 | 1 | 0 | n/a | 87.6 | 20.4 | 8.6 | 1.50 | 13.50 | 9.00 |
1927 Browns | 27 | 7 | .794 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 122.8 | 40.9 | 6.3 | - | - | - |
1928 Senators | 0 | 1 | .000 | 11 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 24.5 | 24.5 | - | - | - |
1928 Braves | 11 | - | - | 0 | 0 | n/a | 122.8 | 32.7 | 7.2 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 9.00 |
1929 Braves | 6 | - | - | 0 | 0 | n/a | 314.5 | 37.0 | 8.0 | - | - | - |
1930 Braves | 7 | - | - | 9 | 0 | n/a | 143.7 | 28.7 | 6.4 | - | - | - |
Career | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
15 Years | 375 | 127 | .747 | 23 | 0 | n/a | 81.0 | 25.3 | 7.0 | 1.21 | 5.11 | 4.22 |
George SislerGeorge Sisler Miscellaneous Items of Interest |
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Team | Roster | Uniform Numbers | Salary | All-Star | World Series |
1915 St. Louis Browns | n/a | $2,400.00 | n/a | - |
1916 St. Louis Browns | n/a | Undetermined | n/a | - |
1917 St. Louis Browns | n/a | Undetermined | n/a | - |
1918 St. Louis Browns | n/a | Undetermined | n/a | - |
1919 St. Louis Browns | n/a | $7,200.00 | n/a | - |
1920 St. Louis Browns | n/a | $10,000.00 | n/a | - |
1921 St. Louis Browns | n/a | $12,500.00 | n/a | - |
1922 St. Louis Browns | n/a | $12,500.00 | n/a | - |
1924 St. Louis Browns | n/a | $12,500.00 | n/a | - |
1925 St. Louis Browns | n/a | $20,000.00 | n/a | - |
1926 St. Louis Browns | n/a | $20,000.00 | n/a | - |
1927 St. Louis Browns | n/a | $15,000.00 | n/a | - |
1928 Washington Senators | n/a | $17,500.00 | n/a | - |
1928 Boston Braves | n/a | " " | n/a | - |
1929 Boston Braves | n/a | Undetermined | n/a | - |
1930 Boston Braves | n/a | Undetermined | n/a | - |
George Sisler Stats by Baseball Almanac |
Did you know that George Sisler's plaque (below) at the Baseball Hall of Fame has the following passage: CREDITED WITH BEING ONE OF BEST TWO FIELDING FIRST BASEMEN IN HISTORY OF GAME? The other? Hal Chase! Sisler had amazing fielding skills, was a superb baserunner, a fine pitcher, and one hell of a hitter. A brief look at some years of note:
1915: George Sisler entered the show as a southpaw pitcher for the St. Louis Browns before switching to first base the following season. He might have only had 5 wins and 6 losses on the mound during his pitching career, but he did finish with a 2.35 earned run average and twice he defeated Walter Johnson in complete-game victories (2-1 & 1-0).
1917: George Sisler led the American League in double plays turned at first base with 97, finished first twice more (1926 & 1927), and finished in the top five thirteen times over the course of his career.
1918: George Sisler swiped forty-five bases leading all American League base runners and earning the first of four single season stolen base crowns (1921, 1922 & 1927).
1920: George Sisler played every inning of every game, stole 42 bases, collected a record setting 257 hits (a mark which stood until Ichiro Suzuki broke the record with 262 hits in 2004), and won his first batting title (.407).
1922: George Sisler hit safely in 41 consecutive games, an American League record that stood until Joe DiMaggio broke it in 1941. He also led the American League in runs scored, hits, singles, triples and won his second batting title with a .420 batting average - the third-highest of the 20th century, surpassed only by Rogers Hornsby's .424 in 1924 and Nap Lajoie's .426 in 1901.
1923: George Sisler missed the entire season because a severe sinus infection produced double vision and in an interview Sisler said, "The doctors all said I'd never play again, but when you're fighting for something that actually keeps you alive - well, the human will is all you need." He insisted that his real career ended that year, but went on to hit .326, .327 and .345 then commented, "I didn't consider that real good hitting."
1925: George Sisler had his fourth and final 100+ RBI season. His previous three were all consecutive, 1920-1922.
1930: George Sisler finished his career with 8,267 at-bats and 2,812 hits, a lifetime career batting average of .340 that places him in the top 15 all-time batting averages in Major League history.
George Sisler | National Baseball Hall of Fame Plaque | Class of 1939 (HOF)
George Sisler was ranked thirty-third by The Sporting News when they released their list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players in the history of baseball. When the National Baseball Hall of Fame opened their doors in 1939, Sisler was in attendance at the first inauguration having been elected earlier that year with 85.8% of the votes - more than 1936 inductee Walter Johnson (83.6%); 1937 inductees Cy Young (76.1%), Tris Speaker (82.1%) & Nap Lajoie (83.6%); 1938 inductees Grover Alexander (80.9%); and fellow 1939 inductees Eddie Collins (77.7%) and Willie Keeler (75.5%).
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