Dave Sisler

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David Michael Sisler

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 4", Weight 200 lb.
• School Princeton University, Washington University in Saint Louis
• High School John Burroughs School
• Debut April 21, 1956
• Final Game September 23, 1962
• Born October 16, 1931 in St. Louis, MO USA
• Died January 9, 2011 in St. Louis, MO USA

BR page

Biographical Information

"He always wanted us to get an education first, then go play baseball after that" - Dave Sisler, speaking of his father

Dave Sisler, son of Hall of Famer George Sisler, had a decent career as a pitcher in the majors. He pitched more games in the major leagues than any other player out of Princeton University, and was the last pitcher from Princeton to start a major league game until Chris Young did it in 2004. Young eventually passed him in games pitched.

Signed by the Boston Red Sox in 1953, Sisler went 12-7 in the Eastern League in his first pro season. He then missed the 1954 and 1955 seasons due to military service. Sisler came up in 1956 with the Red Sox to pitch in cozy Fenway Park at a time when the outfield was composed of Ted Williams, Jim Piersall and Jackie Jensen. He spent three years gradually working himself into the starting rotation. He won 24 games in the three years.

In 1959, he was traded early in the season to the Detroit Tigers, and spent 1959 and 1960 with them as a reliever. 1960 was the year that Norm Cash and Rocky Colavito joined Al Kaline on the Tigers, who were managed by Jimmie Dykes. Sisler finished out his career as a reliever with the expansion Washington Senators in 1961 and the Cincinnati Reds in 1962.

Sisler launched a second career after baseball, going to graduate school at Washington University in St. Louis and working for A.G. Edwards, where he eventually became Vice Chairman.

Dave's brother Dick Sisler also played in the major leagues, and another brother, George Sisler Jr., was a minor league player and executive. Dave Sisler attended his father's Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 1939 when he was 8 years old. His son David G. Sisler was general counsel with a publicly-held company located in Dallas, TX. Dave died of prostate cancer in 2011.

Further Reading

• Rick Huhn: "Dave Sisler", in Mark Armour and Bill Nowlin, eds.: Red Sox Baseball in the Days of Ike and Elvis: The Red Sox of the 1950s, SABR, Phoenix, AZ, 2012, pp. 102-107. ISBN 978-1933599243

Related Sites

• Dave Sisler at the SABR Bio Project
• BR Minors page