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George Stone (baseball outfielder)
Encyclopedia
George Robert Stone, nicknamed Silent George, (September 3, 1876, Lost Nation, Iowa
-January 3, 1945) was a left fielder
in Major League Baseball
who played for the Boston Red Sox
(1903) and St. Louis Browns
(1905–10). Stone batted and threw left handed. He was the 1906 American League batting champion.
, to take a shot at pro ball with Omaha of the Western League
.
Stone had a unique batting style, for his day. He would crouch over the plate with the bat resting snugly on his shoulder and remain motionless. He was a line-drive hitter, and was fast. He was generally a fine defensive outfielder.
The Red Sox let him go to Milwaukee in 1903 after he pinch-hit twice for them without connecting. In Milwaukee he led the American Association
with a .405 average. Stone had a series at Toledo that was talked about for a long time. He reached base 17 times in a row—15 on hits, two on walks. Manager Joe Cantillon
liked him for reasons beyond his hitting and his speed on the bases. "He was a fine man to handle," said Cantillon. "He was in bed every night by 10 o'clock."
As to his fielding, it was written: "He wasn't noted for his fielding ability, but he sure could slam the pellet on the nose."
In December 1904 he was traded by the Boston Americans with cash to the St. Louis Browns for Jesse Burkett
.
In a seven-season career, Stone posted a .301 batting average
with 23 home run
s and 268 RBI
in 848 games played
.
Stone had another fling at baseball, but as an owner; he bought a controlling interest in the Lincoln Tigers of the Western League in 1916.
Stone died in Clinton, Iowa
, at the age of 68.
In 1970 he was inducted into The Des Moines Register
's Iowa Sports Hall of Fame
.
In a 1976 Esquire
magazine article, sportswriter Harry Stein published an "All Time All-Star Argument Starter," consisting of five ethnic baseball teams. Stone was the right fielder
on Stein's Jewish team.
Lost Nation, Iowa
Lost Nation is a city in Clinton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 497 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lost Nation is located at ....
-January 3, 1945) was a left fielder
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who played for the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
(1903) and St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
(1905–10). Stone batted and threw left handed. He was the 1906 American League batting champion.
Baseball career
Stone was Jewish.http://books.google.com/books?id=GN54aY1YVigC&pg=PA112&dq=George+Stone+jewish+baseball&hl=en&ei=x4dVToqEMYfTgQfBlYQa&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CFUQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=George%20Stone%20jewish%20baseball&f=false He was a late starter. It wasn't until he was 26 that he interrupted his employment as a banker in Coleridge, NebraskaColeridge, Nebraska
Coleridge is a village in Cedar County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 473 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Coleridge is located at ....
, to take a shot at pro ball with Omaha of the Western League
Western League (defunct minor league)
The Western League is a name given to several circuits in American minor league baseball. Its earliest progenitor, which existed from 1885 to 1899, was the predecessor of the American League...
.
Stone had a unique batting style, for his day. He would crouch over the plate with the bat resting snugly on his shoulder and remain motionless. He was a line-drive hitter, and was fast. He was generally a fine defensive outfielder.
The Red Sox let him go to Milwaukee in 1903 after he pinch-hit twice for them without connecting. In Milwaukee he led the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
with a .405 average. Stone had a series at Toledo that was talked about for a long time. He reached base 17 times in a row—15 on hits, two on walks. Manager Joe Cantillon
Joe Cantillon
Joseph D. Cantillon , nicknamed "Pongo Joe," was an American manager and umpire in Major League Baseball during the first decade of the 20th century. He also was a longtime manager in minor league baseball...
liked him for reasons beyond his hitting and his speed on the bases. "He was a fine man to handle," said Cantillon. "He was in bed every night by 10 o'clock."
As to his fielding, it was written: "He wasn't noted for his fielding ability, but he sure could slam the pellet on the nose."
In December 1904 he was traded by the Boston Americans with cash to the St. Louis Browns for Jesse Burkett
Jesse Burkett
Jesse Cail Burkett , nicknamed "The Crab", was a Major League Baseball player at the turn of the 20th century...
.
In a seven-season career, Stone posted a .301 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
with 23 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 268 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in 848 games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
.
Stone had another fling at baseball, but as an owner; he bought a controlling interest in the Lincoln Tigers of the Western League in 1916.
Stone died in Clinton, Iowa
Clinton, Iowa
Clinton is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 26231as of 2010. Clinton, along with DeWitt, Iowa , was named in honor of the seventh governor of New York, DeWitt Clinton. Clinton is the principal city of the Clinton Micropolitan Statistical...
, at the age of 68.
In 1970 he was inducted into The Des Moines Register
Des Moines Register
The Des Moines Register is the daily morning newspaper of Des Moines, Iowa, in the United States. A separate edition of the Register is sold throughout much of Iowa.-History:...
's Iowa Sports Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
.
In a 1976 Esquire
Esquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
magazine article, sportswriter Harry Stein published an "All Time All-Star Argument Starter," consisting of five ethnic baseball teams. Stone was the right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
on Stein's Jewish team.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball batting champions
- List of select Jewish baseball players