Whitey Kurowski, baseball player, 106 home runs, 1941-1949

Whitey Kurowski

Born: 4/19/1918 in Reading, PA, USA

Died: 12/9/1999 in Sinking Spring, PA, USA

MLB Debut: 1941-09-23 | Final Game: 1949-10-01

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 193 lbs

Full name: George John Kurowski

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Biography

Whitey Kurowski was a prominent position player in Major League Baseball, known for his impactful presence during the years spanning from 1941 to 1949. Born in 1918, Kurowski played primarily for the St. Louis Cardinals, where he developed a reputation as a reliable hitter and a skilled fielder. Over the course of his career, he appeared in 916 games, accumulating 925 hits and achieving a commendable batting average of .286. His offensive contributions were highlighted by 106 home runs and 529 RBIs, making him a key player in the lineup during a competitive era in baseball. Kurowski's prowess on the field earned him five All-Star selections, showcasing his status among the elite players of his time. He was known for his solid fundamentals and a keen sense of the game, which allowed him to contribute not only with his bat but also with his strategic base running, as evidenced by his 19 stolen bases. His career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball history, which included World War II, when many players served in the military, leading to a unique landscape of talent in the league. Kurowski's contributions to the Cardinals and the game as a whole have solidified his legacy as a respected figure in baseball history.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
12.0 10.0 2.0 2.0 0 0 0 0 2.0 0 1.0 0.200 0.333 0.200 0.533

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1945 12.0 10.0 2.0 2.0 0 0 0 0 2.0 0 1.0 0.200 0.333 0.200 0.533

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
916 3229 518 925 162 32 106 529 19 369 332 0.286 0.366 0.455 0.821 12289.2

Career AVG .286 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — +10.2% above league average.

Career OBP .366 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — +10.4% above league average.

Career SLG .455 vs. league average .364 across their career seasons — +25.0% above league average.

Career OPS 0.821 vs. league average 0.695 across their career seasons — +18.0% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1941 STL NL 5 9 1 3 2 0 0 2 0 0 2 0.333 — — — — 0.0
1942 STL NL 115 366 51 93 17 3 9 42 7 33 60 0.254 .253 (avg) .323 (+1%) .349 (+12%) .672 (+6%) 410.8
1943 STL NL 139 522 69 150 24 8 13 70 3 31 54 0.287 .255 (+12%) .324 (+1%) .346 (+27%) .671 (+14%) 1190.4
1944 STL NL 149 555 95 150 25 7 20 87 2 58 40 0.270 .261 (+3%) .325 (+5%) .357 (+25%) .683 (+16%) 1613.4
1945 STL NL 133 511 84 165 27 3 21 102 1 45 45 0.323 .260 (+24%) .328 (+17%) .354 (+44%) .683 (+31%) 2927.8
1946 STL NL 142 519 76 156 32 5 14 89 2 72 47 0.301 .256 (+17%) .328 (+19%) .358 (+29%) .687 (+24%) 2573.0
1947 STL NL 146 513 108 159 27 6 27 104 4 87 56 0.310 .262 (+18%) .336 (+25%) .376 (+45%) .712 (+35%) 3907.2
1948 STL NL 77 220 34 47 8 0 2 33 0 42 28 0.214 .263 (-19%) .340 (+4%) .379 (-27%) .719 (-13%) -333.4
1949 STL NL 10 14 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.143 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
23 83 12 21 5 1 1 9 3 13 0.253

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1946 WS SLN 7 27 5 8 3 0 0 2 0 3 0.296
1944 WS SLN 6 23 2 5 1 0 0 1 1 4 0.217
1943 WS SLN 5 18 2 4 1 0 0 1 0 3 0.222
1942 WS SLN 5 15 3 4 0 1 1 5 2 3 0.267

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 9 0 4 7 0 1
3B 868 0 1025 1569 116 137
OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
SS 10 0 3 7 1 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1941 SLN 3B 4 0 2 3 0 0
1942 SLN 3B 104 0 124 194 19 19
1942 SLN OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1942 SLN SS 1 0 0 0 0 0
1943 SLN 3B 137 0 166 255 21 29
1943 SLN SS 2 0 1 2 0 0
1944 SLN 2B 9 0 4 7 0 1
1944 SLN 3B 146 0 188 281 17 20
1944 SLN SS 1 0 0 2 0 0
1945 SLN 3B 131 0 172 235 15 28
1945 SLN SS 6 0 2 3 1 0
1946 SLN 3B 138 0 175 249 15 17
1947 SLN 3B 141 0 140 250 19 17
1948 SLN 3B 65 0 55 100 10 7
1949 SLN 3B 2 0 3 2 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Second Base 9
Third Base 867
Shortstop 10
Left Field 1

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1946 Baseball Magazine All-Star 3B
1946 Baseball Magazine All-Star 3B
1945 Baseball Magazine All-Star 3B
1945 Baseball Magazine All-Star 3B
1945 TSN All-Star 3B

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1947 Most Valuable Player NL 9th 45.0 336 0
1946 Most Valuable Player NL 30th 3.0 336 0
1945 Most Valuable Player NL 5th 90.0 336 0
1944 Most Valuable Player NL 29th 1.0 336 0
1942 Most Valuable Player NL 25th 6.0 336 0