Harry Eisenstat Explained

Harry Eisenstat
Position:Pitcher
Bats:Left
Throws:Left
Birth Date:1915 10, mf=yes
Birth Place:Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Death Place:Beachwood, Ohio, U.S.
Debutleague:MLB
Debutdate:May 19
Debutyear:1935
Debutteam:Brooklyn Dodgers
Finalleague:MLB
Finaldate:September 25
Finalyear:1942
Finalteam:Cleveland Indians
Statleague:MLB
Stat1label:Win–loss record
Stat1value:25–27
Stat2label:Earned run average
Stat2value:3.89
Stat3label:Strikeouts
Stat3value:157
Teams:

Harry Eisenstat (October 10, 1915 – March 21, 2003) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Detroit Tigers, and Cleveland Indians from 1935 to 1942.

Early life

Eisenstat was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was Jewish.[1] He attended James Madison High School in Brooklyn, New York, where, in 2008, he was inducted into its prestigious Wall of Distinction.

Career

He pitched for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Detroit Tigers, and Cleveland Indians. Eisenstat was 19 years old when he broke into the big leagues on May 19, 1935, with the Brooklyn Dodgers, the third-youngest player in the National League.[2] [3] In his Major League debut, he gave up 5 runs over 2 innings in a 9–6 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.[4] On October 4, 1937, he was granted free agency and signed with the Detroit Tigers.

Eisenstat is best known for, while pitching for the Detroit Tigers in the first game of a doubleheader on the last day of the 1938 season, beating Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians 4–1 despite Feller setting the Major League record for most strikeouts in a game (18). Earlier that season, he won both ends of a doubleheader in relief against the Philadelphia Athletics while teammate Hank Greenberg hit two home runs, causing their Tigers Manager, Mickey Cochrane, to warn the two of them to stay in their rooms that night because "the Jews in Detroit are going crazy."

In 1938 his four saves were sixth-most in the National League.[3] The next season, Eisenstat was traded to the Cleveland Indians for future Hall-of-Famer outfielder Earl Averill. In 1938 his four saves were eighth-most in the National League.[3] He finished his professional baseball career with the Indians.

Due to World War II, Eisenstat enlisted in the Army in 1942, ending his career in the MLB. Through 2010, he was 9th all-time in career ERA (3.80; directly behind Harry Feldman) among Jewish MLB players.[5]

Later life

After the war, Eisenstat moved to Shaker Heights, Ohio, and opened a hardware store.

In 1993, Eisenstat was inducted into the Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. After his death in 2003, his papers were donated to the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland, Ohio.

See also

References

Notes and References

  1. Book: Hank Greenberg: The Hero of Heroes . John . Rosengren . March 4, 2014 . Penguin . John Rosengren . 978-0451416025.
  2. Web site: Harry Eisenstat Baseball Stats . Baseball Almanac . July 17, 2020.
  3. Web site: Harry Eisenstat Stats . Baseball-Reference.com . August 24, 2011.
  4. Web site: Harry Eisenstat . Jewish Baseball News . July 17, 2020.
  5. Web site: Career Pitching Leaders . Career Leaders . Jewish Major Leaguers . February 12, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190417202439/http://jewishmajorleaguers.org/ . April 17, 2019 . dead.