Al Unser (baseball)
| Al Unser | |
|---|---|
| Catcher | |
| Born: October 12, 1912 Morrisonville, Illinois, U.S. | |
| Died: July 7, 1995 (aged 82) Decatur, Illinois, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 14, 1942, for the Detroit Tigers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 5, 1945, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .251 |
| Home runs | 4 |
| Runs batted in | 30 |
| Teams | |
| |
Albert Bernard Unser (October 12, 1912 – July 7, 1995) was an American Major League Baseball catcher who played for the Detroit Tigers (1942–1944) and Cincinnati Reds (1945). He was a native of Morrisonville, Illinois and the father of MLB center fielder Del Unser.
Biography
Although Unser's major league career was short, he had a lengthy career in
minor league baseball. He began his professional career in 1933, playing for three different minor league teams that season. He was picked up by the St. Louis Cardinals organization in 1934, playing in their farm system until 1940. In 1939, he served as manager of the class-D Gastonia Cardinals of the Tar Heel League
, guiding them to the league championship.
In
Briggs Stadium
.
Over the next two seasons, Unser played sparingly for Detroit, spending part of each season in the minors with the
runs batted in (RBI). His career MLB totals for 120 games include a .251 batting average (85-for-338), 4 home runs, 30 RBI, 41 runs, .322 on-base percentage, and a slugging percentage
of .355.
In
American Association, batting .293 with 17 home runs. In 1953, Unser returned to managing, serving as player-manager for the Austin Pioneers of the Big State League
.
After splitting
Cleveland Indians
.
Unser died at the age of 82 in Decatur, Illinois.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Retrosheet
- Al Unser at Find a Grave
