George Kurowski

George John Kurowski (1918-1999), known as Whitey Kurowski, was an American third baseman who played nine seasons in Major League Baseball, all for the St. Louis Cardinals, from 1941 to 1949. A native of Reading, Pennsylvania, he played despite a childhood bout of osteomyelitis that led to the removal of part of a bone in his right forearm. Kurowski was selected to the All-Star team in five consecutive seasons from 1943 through 1947. His most productive year came in 1947, when he posted career highs with a .310 average, 27 home runs, and 104 runs batted in. He exceeded 20 home runs three times, an unusual mark for a third baseman of his era. Kurowski appeared in four World Series, with the Cardinals winning championships in 1942, 1944, and 1946. His most noted moment came in the 1942 Series against the New York Yankees, when his ninth-inning home run in Game Five broke a tie and clinched the title for St. Louis. Arm and elbow problems ended his playing career after the 1949 season. Kurowski died in 1999 at age 81.