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The Sizzler: George Sisler, Baseball's Forgotten Great
“Gorgeous George” Sisler, a left-handed first baseman, began his major-league baseball career in 1915 with the St. Louis Browns. During his sixteen years in the majors, he played with such baseball luminaries as Ty Cobb (who once called Sisler “the nearest thing to a perfect ballplayer”), Babe Ruth, and Rogers Hornsby. He was considered by these stars of the sport to be their equal, and Branch Rickey, one of baseball’s foremost innovators and talent scouts, once said that in 1922 Sisler was “the greatest player that ever lived.”
During his illustrious career he was a .340 hitter, twice achieving the rare feat of hitting more than .400. His 257 hits in 1920 is still the record for the “modern” era. Considered by many to be one of the game’s most skillful first basemen, he was the first at his position to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Yet unlike many of his peers who became household names, Sisler has faded from baseball’s collective consciousness.
Now in The Sizzler, this “legendary player without a legend” gets the treatment he deserves. Rick Huhn presents the story of one of baseball’s least appreciated players and studies why his status became so diminished. Huhn argues that the answer lies somewhere amid the tenor of Sisler’s times, his own character and demeanor, the kinds of individuals who are chosen as our sports heroes, and the complex definition of fame itself.
In a society obsessed with exposing the underbellies of its heroes, Sisler’s lack of a dark side may explain why less has been written about him than others. Although Sisler was a shy, serious sort who often shunned publicity, his story is filled with its own share of controversy and drama, from a lengthy struggle among major-league moguls for his contractual rights—a battle that helped change the structure of organized baseball forever—to a job-threatening eye disorder he developed during the peak of his career and popularity.
By including excerpts from Sisler’s unpublished memoir, as well as references to the national and international events that took place during his heyday, Huhn reveals the full picture of this family man who overcame great obstacles, stood on high principles, and left his mark on a game he affected in a positive way for fifty-eight years.
During his illustrious career he was a .340 hitter, twice achieving the rare feat of hitting more than .400. His 257 hits in 1920 is still the record for the “modern” era. Considered by many to be one of the game’s most skillful first basemen, he was the first at his position to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Yet unlike many of his peers who became household names, Sisler has faded from baseball’s collective consciousness.
Now in The Sizzler, this “legendary player without a legend” gets the treatment he deserves. Rick Huhn presents the story of one of baseball’s least appreciated players and studies why his status became so diminished. Huhn argues that the answer lies somewhere amid the tenor of Sisler’s times, his own character and demeanor, the kinds of individuals who are chosen as our sports heroes, and the complex definition of fame itself.
In a society obsessed with exposing the underbellies of its heroes, Sisler’s lack of a dark side may explain why less has been written about him than others. Although Sisler was a shy, serious sort who often shunned publicity, his story is filled with its own share of controversy and drama, from a lengthy struggle among major-league moguls for his contractual rights—a battle that helped change the structure of organized baseball forever—to a job-threatening eye disorder he developed during the peak of his career and popularity.
By including excerpts from Sisler’s unpublished memoir, as well as references to the national and international events that took place during his heyday, Huhn reveals the full picture of this family man who overcame great obstacles, stood on high principles, and left his mark on a game he affected in a positive way for fifty-eight years.
- GenresBaseball
336 pages, Hardcover
First published October 31, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 10, 2023
In the introduction, author and attorney Rick Huhn says that he believes George Sisler deserves greater fame for his baseball achievements and classy demeanor, and that it's unfair that he has been so significantly eclipsed in memory by contemporaries Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, and even Tris Speaker. All this might be true, but unfortunately this book doesn't solve the problem. It's dull, pedestrian, and doesn't give the reader much grasp of Sisler on the field and even less about the many dramas that occurred during his career. In short, it's a missed opportunity, a bunt popped up, a called third strike.
Was George Sisler a great player. Yes, without a doubt. He batted .340 for his career, twice hit over .400 for a season, and had more than 2,800 hits. He was a fantastic baserunner (stolen base leader 4 times) and considered one of the great defensive first basemen of his day. On top of that, he was respected enough to be asked even while still in his 20s to manage the St. Louis Browns for which he played. This guy was one of the stars of baseball in the late 1910s and 20s.
And he has been forgotten. This is because he wasn't much of a home runner hitter, but the game radically changed a few years into his career when the new swing style of Babe Ruth and more tightly wound baseballs created the first home run era. Sisler's forte of singles, doubles, and triples seemed a little quaint and old-fashioned just when he reached his prime, and his 10, 12 homers a year didn't move the excitement needle. It didn't help that he played for second-tier teams during his career and didn't have a World Series moment that cemented his memory. Also, he was a manager for about four seasons with a losing record.
On the other hand, this guy could hit. The author describes his style as rather free-swinging, despite the astonishing batting averages we usually associate with careful hitters. This guy didn't take a lot of walks, instead relying on amazing reflexes to smack the ball where fielders weren't positioned. In fact, he used one of the heavier bats of his era, which belies the idea that he was just tapping at the ball and squeezing out cheap hits. There are dozens of quotes from baseball stars and managers of the time about his beautiful swing and his blazing speed that put pressure on fielders. Credit to the author for digging that material up.
The author also covers some interesting controversies and challenges that Sisler had in his career. While he was still an amateur at age 17, he signed a contract for $100/month, which a) should have made him ineligible to go back to Univ. Michigan to play baseball, and b) tied him to the Pittsburgh Pirates, who bought his contract. Instead, it became a lawsuit and a huge negotiation within Major League Baseball at the time. Fascinating stuff that's covered here but not nearly as well as it could have been. This is a huge deal, precedent setting in some ways, and it apparently indirectly led to the appointment of the first commissioner, Kennesaw Mountain Landis, who promptly banned players for gambling. And this can be tied to George Sisler's decision as a 17-year-old. I'd like to know more, and also what Sisler thought of the White Sox who were banned and who he faced 15-20 times per year early in his career and up through the Black Sox scandal.
Same thing with an eye disease Sisler had at the height of his career that caused him to miss all of the 1923 season. It likely cost him 3,000 hits, given that he was averaging well over 200 per season at the time. The author covers that season --- an event totally unknown to me -- but off by saying Sisler was a private guy and there wasn't much known medically at the time. No doubt that's true, but he could have given us more.
One more comment. Several times we're told that Sisler was the perfect gentleman, didn't drink or smoke, apparently didn't fool around with women either. Married the love of his life and stayed with her. Again, I believe it. And yet, several times he was thrown out of games for hitting an umpire or some other significant offense. Seems to me this is a guy with a temper and a guy who got special treatment of light penalties for actions that were considered pretty serious at the time. Is there more here?
Anyway, if you're a hardcore baseball fan who likes to read about the games earlier decades, this is a useful addition to your library. But you can get a better flavor for how the game was played during the Sisler era from many other biographies and histories, and there just isn't that much about Sisler that's covered in detail. I feel like this could have been a chapter in a book, rather than a somewhat tedious season-by-season unfolding. I'm glad that someone put this together, especially since it includes interviews with his grandchildren who knew him directly, but it feels like a missed opportunity that a better writer and historian would have done more with.
Was George Sisler a great player. Yes, without a doubt. He batted .340 for his career, twice hit over .400 for a season, and had more than 2,800 hits. He was a fantastic baserunner (stolen base leader 4 times) and considered one of the great defensive first basemen of his day. On top of that, he was respected enough to be asked even while still in his 20s to manage the St. Louis Browns for which he played. This guy was one of the stars of baseball in the late 1910s and 20s.
And he has been forgotten. This is because he wasn't much of a home runner hitter, but the game radically changed a few years into his career when the new swing style of Babe Ruth and more tightly wound baseballs created the first home run era. Sisler's forte of singles, doubles, and triples seemed a little quaint and old-fashioned just when he reached his prime, and his 10, 12 homers a year didn't move the excitement needle. It didn't help that he played for second-tier teams during his career and didn't have a World Series moment that cemented his memory. Also, he was a manager for about four seasons with a losing record.
On the other hand, this guy could hit. The author describes his style as rather free-swinging, despite the astonishing batting averages we usually associate with careful hitters. This guy didn't take a lot of walks, instead relying on amazing reflexes to smack the ball where fielders weren't positioned. In fact, he used one of the heavier bats of his era, which belies the idea that he was just tapping at the ball and squeezing out cheap hits. There are dozens of quotes from baseball stars and managers of the time about his beautiful swing and his blazing speed that put pressure on fielders. Credit to the author for digging that material up.
The author also covers some interesting controversies and challenges that Sisler had in his career. While he was still an amateur at age 17, he signed a contract for $100/month, which a) should have made him ineligible to go back to Univ. Michigan to play baseball, and b) tied him to the Pittsburgh Pirates, who bought his contract. Instead, it became a lawsuit and a huge negotiation within Major League Baseball at the time. Fascinating stuff that's covered here but not nearly as well as it could have been. This is a huge deal, precedent setting in some ways, and it apparently indirectly led to the appointment of the first commissioner, Kennesaw Mountain Landis, who promptly banned players for gambling. And this can be tied to George Sisler's decision as a 17-year-old. I'd like to know more, and also what Sisler thought of the White Sox who were banned and who he faced 15-20 times per year early in his career and up through the Black Sox scandal.
Same thing with an eye disease Sisler had at the height of his career that caused him to miss all of the 1923 season. It likely cost him 3,000 hits, given that he was averaging well over 200 per season at the time. The author covers that season --- an event totally unknown to me -- but off by saying Sisler was a private guy and there wasn't much known medically at the time. No doubt that's true, but he could have given us more.
One more comment. Several times we're told that Sisler was the perfect gentleman, didn't drink or smoke, apparently didn't fool around with women either. Married the love of his life and stayed with her. Again, I believe it. And yet, several times he was thrown out of games for hitting an umpire or some other significant offense. Seems to me this is a guy with a temper and a guy who got special treatment of light penalties for actions that were considered pretty serious at the time. Is there more here?
Anyway, if you're a hardcore baseball fan who likes to read about the games earlier decades, this is a useful addition to your library. But you can get a better flavor for how the game was played during the Sisler era from many other biographies and histories, and there just isn't that much about Sisler that's covered in detail. I feel like this could have been a chapter in a book, rather than a somewhat tedious season-by-season unfolding. I'm glad that someone put this together, especially since it includes interviews with his grandchildren who knew him directly, but it feels like a missed opportunity that a better writer and historian would have done more with.
April 24, 2021
Rick Huhn does a very good job humanizing this baseball legend and just bringing his story to modern day baseball fans. I find George Sisler to be a fascinating figure not just for his extraordinary athletic talents but also his character, intelligence, and his contributions to baseball long after he stopped playing.
Huhn takes a little different approach where he jumps time and addresses his family life almost separate. Sisler had two sons who also played in the big leagues and two other successful children and their upbringing and lives are discussed primarily in a later chapter.
His almost lifelong link to Branch Rickey and his role in making Rickey successful is also brought to bear. Sisler was a great scout and what we’d call an assistant GM today, plus an outstanding coach. He was a hitting coach who helped turn the careers of many including such Hall of Farmers like Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, and Roberto Clemente, all of whom gave Sisler much credit for becoming the hitters they were. Wes Parker credited Sis also with teaching him how to play first base.
As a player, I’d best describe Sisler as like Keith Hernandez but an even better hitter and a 5-time league-leading basestealer. He had a terrific all-around game in his prime.
I strongly recommend for like-minded readers. Because he played the bulk of his career for the St. Louis Browns and was so humble himself, Sisler’s legacy isn’t always tangible. But it’s there and I’m glad has Huhn rekindled it.
Huhn takes a little different approach where he jumps time and addresses his family life almost separate. Sisler had two sons who also played in the big leagues and two other successful children and their upbringing and lives are discussed primarily in a later chapter.
His almost lifelong link to Branch Rickey and his role in making Rickey successful is also brought to bear. Sisler was a great scout and what we’d call an assistant GM today, plus an outstanding coach. He was a hitting coach who helped turn the careers of many including such Hall of Farmers like Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, and Roberto Clemente, all of whom gave Sisler much credit for becoming the hitters they were. Wes Parker credited Sis also with teaching him how to play first base.
As a player, I’d best describe Sisler as like Keith Hernandez but an even better hitter and a 5-time league-leading basestealer. He had a terrific all-around game in his prime.
I strongly recommend for like-minded readers. Because he played the bulk of his career for the St. Louis Browns and was so humble himself, Sisler’s legacy isn’t always tangible. But it’s there and I’m glad has Huhn rekindled it.
September 8, 2012
Cudos to Huhn for making one of the least interesting characters in baseball's history seem, at least somewhat, interesting.
On the other hand, I have to question his disingenuous interpretation of Bill James' evaluation of Sisler. The fact that James changed his mind on Sisler's overall greatness doesn't invalidate his opinion, it just makes it apparent that, upon second (or more) look, Sisler's great numbers diminish somewhat in the cold, stark light of day. Hall of Famer, for sure, but probably not in the Top 10 of all time first basemen.
Also, judging upon the pictures, Sisler had the most horrifying smile of any baseball player, ever.
On the other hand, I have to question his disingenuous interpretation of Bill James' evaluation of Sisler. The fact that James changed his mind on Sisler's overall greatness doesn't invalidate his opinion, it just makes it apparent that, upon second (or more) look, Sisler's great numbers diminish somewhat in the cold, stark light of day. Hall of Famer, for sure, but probably not in the Top 10 of all time first basemen.
Also, judging upon the pictures, Sisler had the most horrifying smile of any baseball player, ever.
August 4, 2013
Excellent book that gives a clear picture of an excellent player.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews