Harry Rosenberg
Encyclopedia
Harry Rosenberg was a Jewish American professional baseball
player whose career spanned 13 seasons, one of which was spent in Major League Baseball
(MLB) with the New York Giants
(1930). In the majors, he played nine games, getting five at-bats, one run scored, one base on balls
, and four strikeout
s. The majority of his baseball career was spent as an outfielder
in the minor leagues
.
In the minors, Rosenberg played with the Mission Reds
(1930, 1936–37), Bridgeport Bears (1931), Newark Bears
(1931), Indianapolis Indians
(1931–34), Fort Worth Cats
(1933), Sacramento Senators
(1935), Portland Beavers
(1938–1940), Hollywood Stars
(1941), and San Francisco Seals (1943). Over his minor league career, he compiled a .326 batting average with 2,062 hits
, 356 doubles
, 103 triples
, and 68 home run
s in 1,720 games played
. During his playing career, he stood at 5 in 10 in (177.8 cm) and weighed in at 180 pounds (81.6 kg). His brother, Lou Rosenberg
, was also an MLB player.
to Benjamin and Dora Rosenberg, both of Russia
. Harry Rosenberg had seven siblings; sisters Charlotte, Dora, and Lottie; and brothers Louis
, Max, Meyer, and Samuel. Their father worked as a contractor
in the San Francisco Bay Area
. Harry Rosenberg's brother, Louis, was a Major League Baseball
(MLB) player with the Chicago White Sox
. Before his baseball career, Harry Rosenberg was a shovel operator for a San Francisco construction company.
. Rosenberg signed with the Double-A Mission Reds
of the Pacific Coast League
(PCL) in 1930. The Deming Headlight described Rosenberg's play in the PCL as "the quickest rise to fame of any player in the Pacific Coast League in years". After 32 games with the Reds, he batted
.500. His complete batting average with the Reds was .368 with 88 hits
, 19 doubles
, two triples
, and 11 home run
s in 70 games played
. In June, Dick Kinsella, a scout for the New York Giants
, advised manager
John McGraw
to sign Rosenberg, which he did for a price of US$25,000–US$40,000. Mission also received two players from the Giants as compensation. Rosenberg held-out when the Giants called for him to report because he claimed the team owed him a US$5,000 bonus. The Giants eventually plaid him and he reported. On July 15, 1930, Rosenberg made his MLB debut with the Giants against the Cincinnati Reds
. In that game, he made two plate appearance
s, getting one walk
. In nine games with the Giants, he never got a hit. In those games, he had five at-bats, striking out
four times. Defensively, he played two games in center field, and one game in right field. His last MLB game would prove to be on September 20, 1930, against Cincinnati.
Before the 1931 season, the New York Giants gave Rosenberg a US$250 a month raise to go with his US$750 a month salary. The reason for the salary increase, it was announced, was due to Rosenberg's appeal to the Jewish community in New York City
. He attended spring training
with the Giants that year. However, he spent the entire season in the minor leagues. With the Class-A Bridgeport Bears of the Eastern League, he batted .329 with 91 hits, 17 doubles, nine triples, and two home runs in 71 games played. From there, Rosenberg was promoted to the Double-A Newark Bears
of the International League
, where he batted .284 with 19 hits, three doubles, and one triple in 21 games played. The Giants also farmed Rosenberg to the Double-A Indianapolis Indians
of the American Association
. With the Indians, he batted .330 with 37 hits, 10 doubles, and one triple in 35 games played. Between the three teams, he made 12 errors
in the outfield.
, Johnny Cooney
, and Joe Heving
to the Double-A Indianapolis Indians in exchange for Len Koenecke
. Rosenberg spent the entire 1932 season with the Indians. He batted .318 with 164 hits, 27 doubles, six triples, and seven home runs in 144 games played. In the field, he committed seven errors in 309 total chances. In 1933, he split the season with the Indians and the Class-A Fort Worth Cats
of the Texas League
. With Indianapolis, he batted .281 with 41 hits, eight doubles, two triples, and two home runs in 44 games played. In 75 games with Fort Worth, he batted .325 with 89 hits, 17 doubles, seven triples, and four home runs. Combined between the two clubs that year, Rosenberg committed eight errors in 240 total chances. In 1934, Rosenberg spent his final season with the Indians. He batted .329 with 148 hits, 18 doubles, 11 triples, and two home runs in 126 games played. He committed 11 errors in 269 total chances as an outfielder that year.
of the PCL. Sacramento were affiliated with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1935, making Rosenberg a member of their minor league organization. That season, he batted .354 with 201 hits, 27 doubles, 16 triples, and 10 home runs in 151 games played. He was tied for third in the PCL that season in triples, and was eighth in batting average. In the field, he had a .981 fielding percentage
. The Sacramento Senators sold Rosenberg to the Mission Reds in November 1935 due to financial restrictions. Before the 1936 season, Rosenberg played a charity game in San Francisco, which benefited semi-professional
baseball players who sustained injuries on the field. In his first season with the Reds, he batted .334 with 223 hits, 33 doubles, 15 triples, and three home runs in 172 games played. Rosenberg was second in the PCL in triples that season. He was also fourth in hits, and ninth in otal base]------WebKitFormBoundary5G In the field, he compiled a .983 fielding percentage. During the 1937 season, Rosenberg batted .330 with 202 hits, 32 doubles, 11 triples, and 10 home runs in 162 games played. He was tied for fourth in the PCL in batting average, and ninth in hits. Defensively, he compiled a .969 fielding percentage in the outfield.
Rosenberg was traded to the Portland Beavers
PCL franchise before the 1938 season by the Hollywood Stars
, formerly the Mission Reds, in exchange for Tommy Thompson
. In his first season with Portland, he batted .320 with 184 hits, 37 doubles, eight doubles, and four home runs in 154 games played. Rosenberg had a .286 fielding percentage that season, which would later prove to be a career high. Before the start of the 1939 season, he was dubbed a holdout for not signing his contract with Portland. Rosenberg eventually signed with the Beavers, and compiled a batting average .331 with 214 hits, 45 doubles, five triples, and eight home runs in 172 games played. He was fourth in the PCL in hits, fifth in doubles, and tenth in total bases. Rosenberg spent his final season with the Beavers in 1940. He batted .314 with 207 hits, 28 doubles, six triples, and four home runs in 177 games played on the season. He was sixth in the league that year in hits. He a .976 fielding percentage.
In 1941, the Hollywood Stars purchased Rosenberg from the Portland Beavers. He was selected to the 1941 PCL All-Star Game
. That season, he batted .286 with 58 runs scored, 120 hits, 31 doubles, two triples, one home run, 55 runs batted in (RBIs), and nine stolen base
s in 120 games played. As an outfielder, he committed six errors in 124 total chances. He did not play professional baseball in 1942. Before the 1943 season, Rosenberg signed with the Double-A San Francisco Seals of the PCL. On the year, he batted .362 with 11 runs scored, 34 hits, four doubles, one triple, and 18 RBIs in 26 games played. In 1944, he was diagnosed with what was reported as being a "minor chronic disorder" which caused him to need surgery. Later that year, Rosenberg announced that due to the time consuming day-to-day operations of his trucking
business, he would not be able return to the Seals, although he wished to.
. After his baseball career, he continued to live in San Francisco with his wife. Rosenberg served in the United States Army
from 1944 to 1945 in the latter part of World War II
. He died on April 13, 1997 in San Francisco. He was buried at Hills of Eternity Memorial in San Francisco.
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
player whose career spanned 13 seasons, one of which was spent 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...
(MLB) with the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
(1930). In the majors, he played nine games, getting five at-bats, one run scored, one base on balls
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
, and four strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s. The majority of his baseball career was spent as an outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
in the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
.
In the minors, Rosenberg played with the Mission Reds
Mission Reds
The Mission Reds were a minor league baseball team located in San Francisco, California, that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1926 through 1937.-Original Missions:...
(1930, 1936–37), Bridgeport Bears (1931), Newark Bears
Newark Bears
The Newark Bears are an American professional baseball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are a member of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since the 1999 season, the Bears have played their home games at Bears &...
(1931), Indianapolis Indians
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
(1931–34), Fort Worth Cats
Fort Worth Cats
The Fort Worth Cats are a professional baseball team based in Fort Worth, Texas, in the United States. The Cats are a member of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since the 2002 season the Cats...
(1933), Sacramento Senators
Sacramento Solons
The Sacramento Solons were a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Pacific Coast League during several periods . The current Sacramento River Cats began play in 2000...
(1935), Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
(1938–1940), Hollywood Stars
Hollywood Stars
The Hollywood Stars were a minor league baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League during the early and mid 20th century. They were the arch-rivals of the other Los Angeles based PCL team, the Los Angeles Angels.-Hollywood Stars :...
(1941), and San Francisco Seals (1943). Over his minor league career, he compiled a .326 batting average with 2,062 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, 356 doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, 103 triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, and 68 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 in 1,720 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,...
. During his playing career, he stood at 5 in 10 in (177.8 cm) and weighed in at 180 pounds (81.6 kg). His brother, Lou Rosenberg
Lou Rosenberg
Louis "Lou" Rosenberg was a Jewish American professional baseball player whose career spanned three season, one of which was spent in Major League Baseball with the Chicago White Sox . During his time in the majors, he played second base and batted .250 with one hit, and one strikeout in for...
, was also an MLB player.
Early life
Rosenberg was born on June 22, 1908 in San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
to Benjamin and Dora Rosenberg, both of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Harry Rosenberg had seven siblings; sisters Charlotte, Dora, and Lottie; and brothers Louis
Lou Rosenberg
Louis "Lou" Rosenberg was a Jewish American professional baseball player whose career spanned three season, one of which was spent in Major League Baseball with the Chicago White Sox . During his time in the majors, he played second base and batted .250 with one hit, and one strikeout in for...
, Max, Meyer, and Samuel. Their father worked as a contractor
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. Harry Rosenberg's brother, Louis, was a 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...
(MLB) player with the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
. Before his baseball career, Harry Rosenberg was a shovel operator for a San Francisco construction company.
Early career and New York Giants
In 1929, Rosenberg played for in the California Winter LeagueCalifornia Winter League
California Winter League is a former baseball Winter League. It is the first integrated league in the 20th century as players from Major League Baseball and Negro League Baseball played each other in training games. The league existed for almost 50 years during the first half of the 20th century...
. Rosenberg signed with the Double-A Mission Reds
Mission Reds
The Mission Reds were a minor league baseball team located in San Francisco, California, that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1926 through 1937.-Original Missions:...
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
(PCL) in 1930. The Deming Headlight described Rosenberg's play in the PCL as "the quickest rise to fame of any player in the Pacific Coast League in years". After 32 games with the Reds, he batted
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 :...
.500. His complete batting average with the Reds was .368 with 88 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, 19 doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, two triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, and 11 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 in 70 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,...
. In June, Dick Kinsella, a scout for the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, advised manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
John McGraw
John McGraw
John McGraw may refer to:* John McGraw , , New York lumber tycoon, and one of the founding trustees of Cornell University* John McGraw , , Governor of Washington state from 1893–1897...
to sign Rosenberg, which he did for a price of US$25,000–US$40,000. Mission also received two players from the Giants as compensation. Rosenberg held-out when the Giants called for him to report because he claimed the team owed him a US$5,000 bonus. The Giants eventually plaid him and he reported. On July 15, 1930, Rosenberg made his MLB debut with the Giants against the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. In that game, he made two plate appearance
Plate appearance
In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance each time he completes a turn batting. A player completes a turn batting when: He strikes out or is declared out before reaching first base; or He reaches first base safely or is awarded first base ; or He hits a fair ball which...
s, getting one walk
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
. In nine games with the Giants, he never got a hit. In those games, he had five at-bats, striking out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
four times. Defensively, he played two games in center field, and one game in right field. His last MLB game would prove to be on September 20, 1930, against Cincinnati.
Before the 1931 season, the New York Giants gave Rosenberg a US$250 a month raise to go with his US$750 a month salary. The reason for the salary increase, it was announced, was due to Rosenberg's appeal to the Jewish community in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He attended spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
with the Giants that year. However, he spent the entire season in the minor leagues. With the Class-A Bridgeport Bears of the Eastern League, he batted .329 with 91 hits, 17 doubles, nine triples, and two home runs in 71 games played. From there, Rosenberg was promoted to the Double-A Newark Bears
Newark Bears
The Newark Bears are an American professional baseball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are a member of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since the 1999 season, the Bears have played their home games at Bears &...
of the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
, where he batted .284 with 19 hits, three doubles, and one triple in 21 games played. The Giants also farmed Rosenberg to the Double-A Indianapolis Indians
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
of 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 the Indians, he batted .330 with 37 hits, 10 doubles, and one triple in 35 games played. Between the three teams, he made 12 errors
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
in the outfield.
Indianapolis Indians
After the 1931 season, the Giants traded Rosenberg, along with Jack BerlyJack Berly
John Chambers "Jack" Berly was a Major League Baseball pitcher.Berly was born in Natchitoches, Louisiana. He made his major league debut for the St. Louis Cardinals on April 22, 1924. Making four appearances, all in late relief, he gave up five runs over eight innings pitched...
, Johnny Cooney
Johnny Cooney
John Walter Cooney was a pitcher, outfielder and first baseman, then a longtime coach, in American Major League Baseball. Listed at 5' 10" and 165 pounds , Cooney batted right-handed but threw left-handed...
, and Joe Heving
Joe Heving
Joseph William Heving was a professional baseball player. Heving played as a pitcher for the New York Giants, Chicago White Sox , Cleveland Indians , Boston Red Sox and Boston Braves .In 1944, Heving led all American League pitchers in appearances with 63, despite being the only grandfather...
to the Double-A Indianapolis Indians in exchange for Len Koenecke
Len Koenecke
Leonard George "Len" Koenecke was an American baseball player who played Major League Baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants...
. Rosenberg spent the entire 1932 season with the Indians. He batted .318 with 164 hits, 27 doubles, six triples, and seven home runs in 144 games played. In the field, he committed seven errors in 309 total chances. In 1933, he split the season with the Indians and the Class-A Fort Worth Cats
Fort Worth Cats
The Fort Worth Cats are a professional baseball team based in Fort Worth, Texas, in the United States. The Cats are a member of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since the 2002 season the Cats...
of the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
. With Indianapolis, he batted .281 with 41 hits, eight doubles, two triples, and two home runs in 44 games played. In 75 games with Fort Worth, he batted .325 with 89 hits, 17 doubles, seven triples, and four home runs. Combined between the two clubs that year, Rosenberg committed eight errors in 240 total chances. In 1934, Rosenberg spent his final season with the Indians. He batted .329 with 148 hits, 18 doubles, 11 triples, and two home runs in 126 games played. He committed 11 errors in 269 total chances as an outfielder that year.
Return to the Pacific Coast League
In December 1934, the Indians sold Rosenberg to the Double-A Sacramento SenatorsSacramento Solons
The Sacramento Solons were a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Pacific Coast League during several periods . The current Sacramento River Cats began play in 2000...
of the PCL. Sacramento were affiliated with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1935, making Rosenberg a member of their minor league organization. That season, he batted .354 with 201 hits, 27 doubles, 16 triples, and 10 home runs in 151 games played. He was tied for third in the PCL that season in triples, and was eighth in batting average. In the field, he had a .981 fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
. The Sacramento Senators sold Rosenberg to the Mission Reds in November 1935 due to financial restrictions. Before the 1936 season, Rosenberg played a charity game in San Francisco, which benefited semi-professional
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
baseball players who sustained injuries on the field. In his first season with the Reds, he batted .334 with 223 hits, 33 doubles, 15 triples, and three home runs in 172 games played. Rosenberg was second in the PCL in triples that season. He was also fourth in hits, and ninth in otal base]------WebKitFormBoundary5G In the field, he compiled a .983 fielding percentage. During the 1937 season, Rosenberg batted .330 with 202 hits, 32 doubles, 11 triples, and 10 home runs in 162 games played. He was tied for fourth in the PCL in batting average, and ninth in hits. Defensively, he compiled a .969 fielding percentage in the outfield.
Rosenberg was traded to the Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
PCL franchise before the 1938 season by the Hollywood Stars
Hollywood Stars
The Hollywood Stars were a minor league baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League during the early and mid 20th century. They were the arch-rivals of the other Los Angeles based PCL team, the Los Angeles Angels.-Hollywood Stars :...
, formerly the Mission Reds, in exchange for Tommy Thompson
Tommy Thompson
Thomas George "Tommy" Thompson , a United States Republican politician, was the 42nd Governor of Wisconsin, after which he served as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. Thompson was a candidate for the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election, but dropped out early after a poor performance in polls...
. In his first season with Portland, he batted .320 with 184 hits, 37 doubles, eight doubles, and four home runs in 154 games played. Rosenberg had a .286 fielding percentage that season, which would later prove to be a career high. Before the start of the 1939 season, he was dubbed a holdout for not signing his contract with Portland. Rosenberg eventually signed with the Beavers, and compiled a batting average .331 with 214 hits, 45 doubles, five triples, and eight home runs in 172 games played. He was fourth in the PCL in hits, fifth in doubles, and tenth in total bases. Rosenberg spent his final season with the Beavers in 1940. He batted .314 with 207 hits, 28 doubles, six triples, and four home runs in 177 games played on the season. He was sixth in the league that year in hits. He a .976 fielding percentage.
In 1941, the Hollywood Stars purchased Rosenberg from the Portland Beavers. He was selected to the 1941 PCL All-Star Game
Triple-A All-Star Game
The Triple-A All-Star Game is a single baseball game held between the two Triple-A leagues in minor league baseball—the International League and the Pacific Coast League...
. That season, he batted .286 with 58 runs scored, 120 hits, 31 doubles, two triples, one home run, 55 runs batted in (RBIs), and nine stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s in 120 games played. As an outfielder, he committed six errors in 124 total chances. He did not play professional baseball in 1942. Before the 1943 season, Rosenberg signed with the Double-A San Francisco Seals of the PCL. On the year, he batted .362 with 11 runs scored, 34 hits, four doubles, one triple, and 18 RBIs in 26 games played. In 1944, he was diagnosed with what was reported as being a "minor chronic disorder" which caused him to need surgery. Later that year, Rosenberg announced that due to the time consuming day-to-day operations of his trucking
Truck driver
A truck driver , is a person who earns a living as the driver of a truck, usually a semi truck, box truck, or dump truck.Truck drivers provide an essential service to...
business, he would not be able return to the Seals, although he wished to.
Later life
Other than playing professional baseball, Rosenberg was a union hoisting engineerEngineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
. After his baseball career, he continued to live in San Francisco with his wife. Rosenberg served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
from 1944 to 1945 in the latter part of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He died on April 13, 1997 in San Francisco. He was buried at Hills of Eternity Memorial in San Francisco.