Stan Wentzel

Stanley Aaron Wentzel

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 200 lb.
• Debut September 23, 1945
• Final Game September 30, 1945
• Born January 13, 1917 in Lorane, PA USA
• Died November 28, 1991 in St. Lawrence, PA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Outfielder Stan Wentzel was in professional baseball for nineteen seasons from 1940 to 1958. He would toil in the minor leagues until 1945 before getting his one chance at the major leagues. In his eight seasons before his big chance, he went from class D to AAA ball in the Boston Braves organization. In five of the eight years on his way up, he would hit over the .310 mark and have double figure home run counts in four seasons.

In all probabilities his best season came in 1945, the year he had his one look at the big leagues. Stan hit .321 with 14 homers while appearing in 154 games for the Indianapolis Indians of the American Association and was chosen for the All-Star team. Stan would make his debut with the Braves on September 23, 1945, appearing in four games, picking up four hits in 19 at-bats for a .211 average. Wentzel played his last game in the big leagues on September 30, one week from the day he arrived.

Stan was back with Indianapolis in 1946, hitting at a .299 clip with 79 RBI in 154 games. He was traded by the Braves along with Billy Herman. Elmer Singleton and Whitey Wietelmann to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Hank Camelli and Bob Elliott. Wentzel spent 1947 with Indianapolis again, hitting .249, his lowest average in the minors to date and wound up spending the next five seasons (1948-1952) with the New Orleans Pelicans of the AA Southern Association, hitting over .300 in three of those years.

For the next six years of his career (1953-1958), Wentzel was a player-manager in the Pittsburgh Pirates chain (see chart below), hitting over .300 in three of those seasons. Stan turned 41 in his last managerial run and decided after 19 years in the game to call it a career. Over this period, he appeared in 2,245 games with 8,086 at-bats and 2,431 base-hits, that included 223 home runs and gave him a lifetime minor league .301 batting average.

After baseball, Wentzel became a routeman for ARA Services of Reading, PA for twenty years, retiring in 1978. He died from natural causes at his home in St. Lawrence, PA on November 28, 1991 at the age of 74.

Year-by-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Organization	Playoffs	Notes
1953	Burlington-Graham Pirates	Carolina League	75-65	3rd	Pittsburgh Pirates	Lost in 1st round
1954	Burlington-Graham Pirates	Carolina League	82-56	2nd	Pittsburgh Pirates	Lost League Finals
1955	Waco Pirates	Big State League	74-69	2nd	Pittsburgh Pirates	Lost League Finals
1956	Clinton Pirates	Midwest League	63-60	4th	Pittsburgh Pirates	Lost in 1st round
1957	Clinton Pirates	Midwest League	56-68	5th	Pittsburgh Pirates	Lost League Finals
1958	Clinton Pirates	Midwest League	9-26	--	Pittsburgh Pirates	--	replaced by Wally Millies (35-54) June 9