George Korince

George Eugene Korince
(Moose)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 210 lb.
• High School Merritton High School
• Debut September 10, 1966
• Final Game May 27, 1967
• Born January 10, 1946 in Ottawa, ON CAN

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Biographical Information

"Moose got his nickname from his large body - six-foot-three and 210 pounds - bulbous nose, enormous incisors, and Canadian heritage. Having grown up playing hockey, Moose had less mound experience than American pitchers, but as an exceptionally hard thrower he had great potential" - George Gmelch, in Playing with Tigers

George Korince played for the Detroit Tigers when he was 20 and 21 years old in 1966 and 1967. He also played four seasons with the Toledo Mud Hens. He made the Tigers out of spring training the second year, when he was considered the top pitching prospect in the organization and was the youngest player on the team at the time. However, his lack of success got him sent back to the minors by the end of May.

He had a lifetime major league record of 1-0. He was hurt by wildness in the majors, with 14 walks in 17 innings. However, he threw 13 strikeouts. He continued to pitch professionally until 1970, when arm problems forced him to retire. He did make a few appearances for the Buffalo Bisons/Winnipeg Whips, the AAA farm team of the Montreal Expos, that final season.

Born in Ottawa, ON, he grew up in St. Catharines, ON. Contrary to minor league teammate George Gmelch's assessment above, he did not grow up playing hockey, but baseball and a bit of track and field (with his arm strength and general physical strength, his two best events were the javelin and the shot put). However, the coaching he received growing up was deficient and he later stated that he did not learn to throw a proper curveball until he signed with the Tigers.

Related Sites

• George Korince at the SABR Bio Project