Stirnweiss, "Snuffy" (George H.)
Baseball
b. Oct. 26, 1918, New York, NY
d. Sept. 15, 1958
The 5-foot-8 1/2, 175-pound Stirnweiss played halfback at the University of North Carolina and was chosen by the Chicago Cardinals in the 1940 National Football League draft of college players. However, he chose professional baseball over football and signed with the New Yankees.
After three full seasons in the minor leagues, he was called up to the majors in 1943, when he was used mostly at shortstop. Moved to second base the following year, Stirnweiss had two straight outstanding seasons.
He led the league with 125 runs scored, 205 hits, 16 triples, and 55 stolen bases in 1944 and in 1945 he was the American League's top hitter with a .309 average. He also led the league with 107 runs scored, 195 hits, 22 triples, a .476 slugging percentage, and 33 stolen bases.
Stirnweiss slipped to .251, .256, and .252 the next three years and appeared in only 70 games in 1949. The Yankees traded him to the St. Louis Browns during the 1950 season. He finished his career with the Cleveland Indians, playing 50 games in 1951 and only 1 game in 1952.
Stirnweiss was one of 48 people who lost their lives when a train on which they was riding plunged off the Newark Bay Bridge in 1958.