Edward Terrance Kazak(July 18, 1920 – December 15, 1999) was an American professionalbaseballplayer.[1]He played inMajor League Baseballas athird basemanfrom 1948 to 1952, most prominently as a member of theSt. Louis Cardinals.
| Eddie Kazak | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Third baseman | |
| Born:July 18, 1920 Steubenville, Ohio,U.S. | |
| Died:December 15, 1999(aged 79) Austin, Texas,U.S. | |
Batted:Right Threw:Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 29, 1948, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 1, 1952, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .273 |
| Home runs | 11 |
| Runs batted in | 71 |
| StatsatBaseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
After suffering serious injuries during World War II, Kazak recovered to become a Major League Baseball player where, he played in the1949 All-Star Gameas a 28-year-old rookie. Injuries prematurely ended his playing career after just five seasons. He played his final season with theCincinnati Reds.
Baseball career
editBorn Edward Terrance Tkaczuk inSteubenville, Ohio,Kazak graduated fromCecil Township High Schoolin 1938, where he played both baseball andsoccer.[2]He played sandlot baseball and played in theGeorgia–Florida Leaguefor a few years, boasting a batting average of.378 in 1941 when with Albany, the team that won the Georgia-Floridapennant.[2]
After the end of the 1942 season on October 1, Kazak entered the military and enlisted with theUnited States Army.He was originally stationed inBrooks Field, Texas,then joined theparatroopersin 1943. In 1944, Kazak left the United States for Europe. After theInvasion of Normandy,Kazak sustained a bayonet wound to his left arm and had his right elbow shattered by shrapnel. As a result, he spent 18 months in hospitals recovering and enduring numerous operations, including one where a plastic patch was put in place of the missing bone in his elbow. By the time he was released in December 1945, his doctors has told him to forget about baseball.[2]
In 1946, Kazak spent the season in theSouth Atlantic League,playing for theColumbus Cardinals.In 1947, he played for theOmaha Cardinalsof theWestern Leagueand theRochester Red Wingsof theInternational League.Though he has been asecond basemanthroughout his career, he moved to third base while playing for Rochester in 1948. By the end of the season, Kazak was promoted to the major leagues.
Kazak made his major league debut on September 29, 1948, and played in six games with 22at batsduring the1948 season.[3]The1949 seasonwas Kazak's best statistical season. In 92 games, he had a career-high batting average of.304, 6home runs,3triples,and made his onlyAll-Star appearance.[3]In the1949 Major League Baseball All-Star Game,Kazak was the starting third baseman, and had two hits in two at-bats.[3]However, Kazak was later injured and lost his starting job toTommy Glaviano,becoming apinch hitterduring the 1950 season.[4]He had 207 at-bats in 93 games during the1950 season,and led the National League with 42 pinch hit at-bats.[4]Kazak only played 11 games the following season, and after playing three games in 1952, he was traded along withWally Westlakefrom theCardinalsto theRedsforDick SislerandVirgil Stallcupon May 13, 1952.[5]However, Kazak only had one hit in 13 games as a member of the Reds, which marked the end of his Major League career.
Kazak continued to play baseball after his major league career was over. He played his last professional game at the age of 40 in 1960 while playing for Austin in theTexas League.[2]He died in Austin, Texas on December 15, 1999.
References
edit- ^"Phil Masi statistics".Baseball Reference.RetrievedMarch 12,2011.
- ^abcdBedingfield, Gary."Baseball in Wartime – Eddie Kazak".Baseball in Wartime.RetrievedMay 31,2008.
- ^abc"Eddie Kazak Statistics".Baseball-Reference.RetrievedJune 4,2008.
- ^ab"The Ballplayers – Eddie Kazak".Baseball Library.RetrievedJune 4,2008.
- ^"Cards Trade Westlake to Reds for Stallcup, Sisler,"The Associated Press(AP), Wednesday, May 14, 1952.Retrieved February 18, 2023.
External links
edit- Career statistics fromBaseball Reference,orBaseball Reference (Minors)
- Eddie Kazak at Baseball Almanac