Tuck Stainback Explained

Tuck Stainback
Width:	160px
Position:	Outfielder
Bats:	Right
Throws:	Right
Birth Date:	4 August 1911
Birth Place:	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Death Place:	Camarillo, California, U.S.
Debutleague:	MLB
Debutdate:	April 17
Debutyear:	1934
Debutteam:	Chicago Cubs
Finalleague:	MLB
Finaldate:	September 29
Finalyear:	1946
Finalteam:	Philadelphia Athletics
Statleague:	MLB
Stat1label:	Batting average
Stat1value:	.259
Stat2label:	Home runs
Stat2value:	17
Stat3label:	Runs batted in
Stat3value:	204
Teams:	Chicago Cubs (–) St. Louis Cardinals Philadelphia Phillies Brooklyn Dodgers (–) Detroit Tigers (–) New York Yankees (–) Philadelphia Athletics
Highlights:	World Series champion

George Tucker Stainback (August 4, 1911 – November 29, 1992)^[1] was an American professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 13 seasons with the Chicago Cubs (1934–1937), St. Louis Cardinals (1938), Philadelphia Phillies (1938), Brooklyn Dodgers (1938–1939), Detroit Tigers (1940–1941), New York Yankees (1942–1945), and Philadelphia Athletics (1946).^[2]

Playing career

Born in Los Angeles, Stainback played in 817 games, 629 in the outfield. For his career, he had a .259 batting average with 17 home runs and 204 RBIs. An unusual statistic from his career was that his career errors (48) outnumbered his home runs and stolen bases combined (44).^[3]

Career highlights^[4]

• As a rookie outfielder with the Chicago Cubs in 1934, he batted .306.
• In the 1935 World Series, Stainback was on the bench for the Chicago Cubs when he began riding umpire George Moriarty, leading to the entire Cubs' dugout being cleared. Stainback was ejected. He did not make an appearance in the 1935 World Series.
• In April 1938, after four seasons with the Cubs, Stainback was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in a deal for pitcher Dizzy Dean.
• On May 28, 1938, after being selected off waivers by the Philadelphia Phillies, Stainback single-handedly prevented Carl Hubbell from pitching a perfect game. Stainback was the only Phillies baserunner, as he had both a walk and a single off Hubbell.^[5]
• Traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers on July 30, 1940, Stainback hit .327 in 104 at bats for the Dodgers.
• Stainback played four seasons for the New York Yankees from 1942 to 1945. He played in seven World Series games for the Yankees in 1942 and 1943, helping the Yankees to win the 1943 World Series.
• After retiring as a player, Stainback helped organize the first pension system for major league ballplayers in 1947.

Dodger executive career

After the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958, Stainback, who had settled in the area after retiring from baseball, approached the Dodgers' Red Patterson with his idea to develop ticket sales to fraternal and civic organizations. He developed group ticket sales over a 20-year career as a Dodger executive and supervised the club's Knothole program, which treated children to free games.

Death

Stainback died in 1992 after suffering a stroke in Camarillo, California, at age 81.

Sources

• New York Times Obituary
• Los Angeles Times Obituary

Notes and References

1. Web site: Chicago Cubs Tuck Stainback Busy Beaver Button Museum. www.buttonmuseum.org. 2019-04-24.
2. Web site: Tuck Stainback Stats. Baseball-Reference.com. en. 2019-04-24.
3. Web site: DuPaul . Glenn . The Top-Ten Worst Players in Baseball History . www.beyondtheboxscore.com . 2 April 2019.
4. Web site: Tuck Stainback Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference.com. en. 2019-04-24.
5. https://baseballbiography.com/carl-hubbell-1903