Rocky Krsnich

From BR Bullpen

Rocco Peter Krsnich

Bats Right, Throws Right
Height 6' 1", Weight 174 lb.

Debut September 13, 1949
Final Game September 26, 1953
Born August 5, 1927 in West Allis, WI USA

[edit] Biographical Information

17 year old infielder Rocky Krsnich was signed as an amateur free agent by the Philadelphia Phillies before the 1945 season. He would spend his initial season with the Wilmington Blue Rocks of the class B Interstate League, appearing in 74 outings and hitting at a .266 clip. Rocky would spend five seasons in the minors before getting a look at the major league style.

During that period the Phillies would trade him to the New York Yankees before the '46 season in an unknown transaction and a year later he would have a solid season in 1947 with the Quincy Gems of the class B Three-I League hitting for a .318 average while playing the shortstop position. Rocky would hit .272 in 1948, this time with 15 homers, for the Norfolk Tars of the class B Piedmont League. On November 15, Rocky would be drafted by the Chicago White Sox from the Yankees in the 1948 minor league draft.

1949 would find Rocky with the Memphis Chickasaws and the Chicago White Sox and with Memphis he appeared in 142 games and hit .318 with 20 homers. while with the White Sox, his first trip to the big leagues, he was at the hot corner in 16 games and hit for a .218 average. Rocky would have three good seasons from 1950-52 with the Memphis club again in '50 he hit .272 with 12 home runs and with the Seattle Rainiers in '52 he hit .295 and played out the year with the major league White Sox, making 40 appearances at third base but hitting only .231.

The White Sox would keep Rocky in the majors the entire 1953 year, the 25 year old would appear in 64 games , all at third base again, but managed only a .202 batting average and this would spell the end of his major league career. His final three year major league totals showed a .215 batting average in 120 games played.

Krsnich would play three more seasons in the high minors but never received another invite to the majors and ended his 11 season career in 1956 with a lifetime minor league batting average of .272 with 79 home runs. After leaving pro baseball, Rocky continued playing top flight semi-pro ball for several years with the Wichita Dreamliners, and in 1962 he was named MVP of the National Baseball Congress Tournament. He also became an investment broker in Wichita and retired to Overland Park, KS.

His brother , Mike Krsnich, was an outfielder for the Milwaukee Braves in 1960 and '62.