Dick Sisler

Richard Allan Sisler

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 205 lb.
• School Colgate University
• High School John Burroughs School
• Debut April 16, 1946
• Final Game August 1, 1953
• Born November 2, 1920 in St. Louis, MO USA
• Died November 20, 1998 in Nashville, TN USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Dick Sisler, the son of Hall of Famer George Sisler, had a respectable baseball career in his own right. He and his father are one of only four pairs of fathers and sons who both were big league managers. The other pairs are Bob Skinner and son Joel Skinner, Bob Boone and Aaron Boone, and Felipe Alou and Luis Rojas.

After missing the 1943-1945 seasons due to military service during World War II, Dick broke in with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1946, a team which won the World Series; he appeared in two World Series games as a pinch hitter.

After a less impressive year in 1947, he joined the Philadelphia Phillies who were building toward their pennant-winning "Whiz Kids" year in 1950. 1950 was Sisler's best year, as he hit .296 with 13 home runs and was included on the All-Star team. In the 1950 World Series, he played in all four games, batting either third or fifth in the lineup. After 11 games with the Cincinnati Reds in 1952, he moved back to the Cardinals for most of 1952 and 1953, where he closed out his eight-year career. In 1952 he equaled his personal high of 13 home runs.

Lifetime, he appeared in 387 games at first base, and 289 games in the outfield. His career batting average was a respectable .276. In the minors, Sisler played from 1939 to 1942 and later from 1953 to 1958, with a lifetime minor league batting average of .303. He also managed in the minors from 1957 to 1960.

Sisler was a Cincinnati Reds coach from 1961 to 1964. He managed the Reds for part of 1964, when he took over for an ailing Fred Hutchinson, and for all of 1965. Key players included Frank Robinson, Vada Pinson, and a young Pete Rose. As a manager, his lifetime winning percentage was .563. After winning 89 games as manager of the Reds in 1965, he was fired and became a coach with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1966 to 1970, including the World Champion 1967 team. He also coached the San Diego Padres in 1975 and 1976 and the New York Mets in 1979 and 1980.

His brother Dave Sisler also played in the major leagues for seven years as a pitcher, and his other brother, George Sisler Jr., was involved in minor league baseball for decades. Dick was a coach with the Reds in 1962 while Dave was a pitcher for the team.

Notable Achievements

• NL All-Star (1950)
• Won a World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1946

Preceded by Fred Hutchinson

Cincinnati Reds Manager 1964-1965

Succeeded by Don Heffner

Year-By-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Organization	Playoffs	Notes
1957	Nashville Volunteers	Southern Association	83-69	3rd	Cincinnati Redlegs
1958	Nashville Volunteers	Southern Association	76-78	5th	Cincinnati Redlegs
1959	Nashville Volunteers	Southern Association	84-64	3rd	Cincinnati Redlegs
1960	Seattle Rainiers	Pacific Coast League	77-75	4th	Cincinnati Reds
1964	Cincinnati Reds	National League	32-21	3rd	Cincinnati Reds		Interim for Fred Hutchinson July 28-August 4 Replaced Fred Hutchinson (60-49) on August 14
1965	Cincinnati Reds	National League	89-73	4th	Cincinnati Reds

Related Sites

• Dick Sisler at the SABR Bio Project
• BR Manager page