Bill Zuber

From SoSH

Contents 1 Overall Career 2 Zuber's Moments in the Sun 3 Trivia 4 Transactions 5 External Links

Overall Career

William Henry "Goober" Zuber started his Major League career for the Cleveland Indians in 1936, going 1-1 in 2 games in his debut season. After a year of seasoning in the minors in 1937, Zuber would come back to the majors to stay in 1938, and pitched for the Indians through the 1940 season. The Washington Senators purchased Zuber prior to the 1941 season, and Zuber played 2 seasons for the Senators, having his best full major league season in 1942, going 9-9 with a 3.84 ERA in 37 appearances, mostly out of the pen. The Senators traded him to the New York Yankees prior to the 1943 season, and Zuber pitched for them for the next 3+ seasons. The Red Sox would purchase him from the Yankees in June of 1946, after Zuber had put up a 12+ ERA in 3 relief appearances.

Zuber had an excellent second half of the season, pitching in 15 games (7 starts, 8 relief appearances) and going 5-1 with a 2.54 ERA. Zuber was placed on the 1946 World Series Roster and got into one game. In 1947, Zuber was placed in the pen (almost exclusively), and in 20 appearances went 1-0 with a 5.33 ERA.

His career ended due to an arm injury in 1948. He would return to his hometown in Iowa and open an eponymous restaraunt that remains open to this day.

Bill Zuber died November 2, 1982, in Cedar Rapids at age 69. He was buried at Middle Amana Cemetery in Middle Amana.

Zuber's Moments in the Sun

• Pitched 2 innings in Game 4 of the 1946 World Series. Zuber gave up 3 hits and a run in a game the Sox would lose 12-3.

Trivia

• Altough he was often credited as being Baseball's first Amish player, he was not Amish. He grew up as part of the Amana Church Society, who like the Amish, eschewed not only modern inventions like the automobile but also sports.
• Was designated a "bona fide conscientious objector" during World War II.
• In each of his 10 major league seasons, Zuber walked more batters than he struck out.
• After his baseball career ended due to injury, he went back to his home in Iowa and started a Restaurant. The Restaurant is still open and is still owned by the Zuber family. Internet Rumors say that the Coconut Cream Pie is fantastic.
• Zuber was a sidearming sinkerball pitcher.
• A biography, titled Now Pitching: Bill Zuber from Amana and written by Cliff Trumpold, was published in 1992 by Lakeside Press.

Transactions

• April 21, 1941: Purchased by the Washington Senators from the Cleveland Indians.
• January 29, 1943: Traded by the Washington Senators with cash to the New York Yankees for Jerry Priddy and Milo Candini.
• June 18, 1946: Purchased by the Boston Red Sox from the New York Yankees.

External Links

• Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis
• Baseball Roadtrip/Billy Zuber's Restaraunt and Dugout Lounge