George Kress

George A. Kress Jr.
(Nit)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 190 lb.

• Born March 30, 1926 in Adams County, PA USA
• Died August 28, 2011 in Gettysburg, PA USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

After serving in the Navy during World War II, outfielder George Kress played six seasons of minor league ball, primarily in the St. Louis Browns organization.

He debuted in 1949 with the Wausau Lumberjacks, hitting .304 and slugging .477. He was in the top 10 in slugging in the Wisconsin State League. For the 1950 Marshall Browns, he hit .353/.424/.571 with 15 home runs for a team that won the East Texas League championship. He tied for second in the league with 14 outfield errors but also was 4th in average, tied for 4th in triples (9), hit 15 home runs and 29 doubles, stole 13 bases and drove in 105 (tied for 4th with Darrell Johnson).

He played on another league champion the next year, hitting .306 with 33 doubles, 16 homers and a .524 slugging for the Dayton Indians of the Central League. He tied for 7th in the circuit in home runs, even with future major leaguers Carl Powis, Nino Escalera and Ted Tappe. He also tied for 5th in doubles and was fourth in slugging among players with 100+ games.

Slowed by a broken ankle, he played three more years in the minors before retiring. He was just 12 for 60 with 2 doubles, a triple, 2 homers and 10 walks for the 1952 San Antonio Missions, mostly backing up Bobby Balcena in center field. He split 1953 between San Antonio (.177/.249/.304 in 68 G, backing up Ray Ippolito in left) and the York White Roses (21 for 81, 4 2B, 2 HR, 9 BB). He wound up his career with the 1954 Burlington Bees, appearing in 36 games and hitting .250/.357/.417. Overall, he had batted .295 and slugged .483 in his minor league career.

After baseball, Kress worked as a caterer and a park ranger. He died in 2011 at age 85.