George Winter (baseball)

George Lovington Winter ["Sassafrass"] (April 27, 1878 - May 26, 1951) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1901 through 1908 for the Boston Americans (1901-07)/Red Sox (1908) and the Detroit Tigers (1908). Listed at 5' 8", 155 lb., Winter batted and threw right-handed. A native of New Providence, Pennsylvania, he attended Gettysburg College.

Winter was a member of the original Boston American League team. From 1901 to 1908 averaged 11 wins, with a career-high 16 wins in his rookie season as well as in 1905. He also pitched 200 or more innings five times, and was a member of two Boston AL champions, although he did not play in the 1903 World Series as Boston used only its three 20-game winners Cy Young, Bill Dineen and Long Tom Hughes. His only Series appearance came in 1908 with Detroit, when he pitched one scoreless inning of relief in Game Four.

In an eight-season career, Winter posted a 83-102 record with 568 strikeouts and a 2.87 ERA in 220 appearances, including 182 starts, 146 complete games, nine shutouts, 36 games finished, four saves, and 1656.0 innings of work. He helped himself with the bat, hitting 1.93 with one home run and 20 RBI.

Winter died in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey at age 73.

Facts

*Is the only member both of the 1901 Americans and 1908 Red Sox original teams.
*Was the starting pitcher in the Opening Game of the 1903 Boston season, defeating Rube Waddell and the Philadelphia Athletics, 9–4, at Huntington Avenue Grounds.
*Was the winning pitcher in the 1903 American League pennant clinching game.
*Pitched a one-hitter against the Washington Senators in 1905, but lose the game, 1–0. A single by his pitching rival George Mullin was the only hit.
*Was not signed by the Athletics because Connie Mack believed he was too small to pitch in the major leagues.
*Ranks #94 in a Top 100 Red Sox all-time list.
*He and Eddie Plank were college teammates.

External links

* [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=George_Winter_1878 Baseball Library]
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/w/wintege01.shtml Baseball Reference]
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/George_Winter BR Bullpen]
* [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/W/Pwintg101.htm Retrosheet]
* [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/teams/byyear.php?team=Boston_Red_Sox&year=1903 1903 Boston Americans season log]
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/DET/DET190810130.shtmlm 1908 WS - Game 4 Box Score]
* [http://www.top100redsox.blogspot.com/2007/02/100-greatest-red-sox-94-george-winter.html 100 Greatest Red Sox]
* [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=George_Winter_1878&page=chronology Career chronology]