George Ziegler

George J. Ziegler

• Bats Unknown, Throws Unknown
• Height 5' 8", Weight 150 lb.

• Debut June 19, 1890
• Final Game June 19, 1890
• Born September 1866 in Cincinnati, OH USA
• Died February 15, 1942 in Milwaukie, OR USA

BR page

Biographical Information

George Ziegler pitched one game for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys on June 19, 1890. For a long time, he was listed in encyclopedias as being born in 1872 and having died in Kankakee, IL in 1916, but this was in fact another former ballplayer, named either George Ziegler or Zeigler, who was a catcher. That player was also with Pittsburgh for a time during the 1890 season, but never played in an official game.

Pitcher George Ziegler was born in Cincinnati, OH in 1866 and was managing the Sacramento Senators early in the 1890 season until he was fired in June following a dispute with team officials. He was signed by the Alleghenys the day before his sole major league appearance. The Pittsburgh Daily Post reported that he had pitched for Denver, CO and Lafayette, LA in 1888 and for Wheeling, WV in 1889 before heading west to Sacramento. In his sole appearance for Pittsburgh, he gave up 7 runs in 6 innings and was charged with a loss. Not much was known about his life after his time in Pittsburgh, except that he served in the Spanish-American War. A report of his death was eventually found, however, from a blurb in the Cincinnati Enquirer on March 29, 1942, indicating that an association of Spanish-American War Veterans were seeking next-of-kin in Cincinnati for fellow veteran Ziegler who had recently died near Portland, OR. It is not clear what Ziegler had been up to in the four decades between his service and his death. He had apparently committed suicide around February 15, 1942 but his body was not found until a month later.

Further Reading

• "George Ziegler", in Bill Carle, ed.: Biographical Research Committee Report, SABR, May/June 2016, pp. 6-7.