Joe Buzas

Joseph John Buzas

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 180 lb.
• School Bucknell University
• High School Phillipsburg (NJ) High School
• Debut April 17, 1945
• Final Game June 28, 1945
• Born October 2, 1919 in Alpha, NJ USA
• Died March 19, 2003 in Salt Lake City, UT USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Joe Buzas owned 82 minor league teams at some point in a 47-year period. At the time of his death, he owned the Salt Lake Stingers.

Many moons before his conglomeration of team stakes, he was the Opening Day shortstop for the New York Yankees in 1945. Unfortunately, he badly injured his shoulder, ending his playing career after 30 games in the Yankee lineup, hitting .262. Following a stint managing the 1948-1949 Sunbury Reds, Joe turned his attention to ownership. The first team he owned was the Syracuse Chiefs, taking them over in 1957 for a whopping $0 sales fee as a favor to Eastern League President Tommy Richardson. In 1978, he paid $1 for the debt-ridden Reading Phillies and sold the team for $1 million eight years later. Buzas was known for turning a profit when times were poor financially in the minors.

Source: 2004 Baseball Almanac

Year-by-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Playoffs	Notes
1948	Sunbury Reds	Interstate League	74-64	4th
1949	Sunbury Reds	Interstate League	59-81	7th

Related Sites

• Joe Buzas at the SABR Bio Project
• Article from the New York Times