Sam Zoldak

From BR Bullpen

Samuel Walter Zoldak (Sad Sam)

Bats Left, Throws Left
Height 5' 11 1/2", Weight 185 lb.
School Fordham University
Debut May 13, 1944
Final Game August 26, 1952
Born December 8, 1918 in Brooklyn, NY USA
Died August 25, 1966 in New Hyde Park, NY USA

[edit] Biographical Information

The record shows that in 1938 a young left-hander named Sam Zoldak pitched for the Palatka Azaleas of the class D Florida State League. The 19-year-old went 0-2 with a 10.38 ERA in 13 innings and dissappeared from the baseball scene completely during 1939 and '40. He resurfaced before the 1941 season and signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Athletics. He would appear with two clubs in the 1941 season, one being the Selma Cloverleafs of the class B Southeastern League and the other was the Williamsport Grays of the class A Eastern League. He appeared in a total of 12 games, winning 3 and losing 2 with a 3.93 ERA.

Sam would spend the entire 1942 season with the Williamsport team again, this time going 11-11 in 32 appearances with a 2.54 ERA. He would move to the Elmira Pioneers of the same Eastern League in 1943 and won 20 while losing but 10 with a 2.73 ERA. Early in 1944, the Athletics traded Sam to the St. Louis Browns where he worked 18 games in relief with no decisions (0-0) for the American League Champions. The St. Louis Cardinals would beat the cross-town Browns 4 games to 2 in the World Series and Sam would not make an appearance and kept his 0-0 intact.

Zoldak was a nine-game winner in both 1946 and '47 as a spot starter for the St. Louis American Leaguers. He was traded to Cleveland early in the 1948 season and helped the Indians to the pennant, going 9-6 with a 2.81 ERA. The Indians would win the World Series beating the Boston Braves in six games, 4-2. Zoldak was again the victim of helping a team to a pennant and never being called upon to pitch during the Series. Sam later joked that he acquired his nickname of "Sad Sam" because he was up and throwing in the bullpen in all six games of the World Series but never got the call to the mound.

After two more years (1949-50) as primarily a reliever with the Cleveland Indians he was with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1951 and '52 before closing out a nine-year major league career with a 43-53 record and a 3.54 ERA. Zoldak also had a five season minor league record of 34-25 with a 2.98 ERA.

After his time as an active player ended, Zoldak scouted for the Washington Senators. His death occurred on August 25, 1966, at age 47 in New Hyde Park, NY.