Sam Zoldak
Born: 12/8/1918 in Brooklyn, NY, USA
Died: 8/25/1966 in New Hyde Park, NY, USA
MLB Debut: 1944-05-13 | Final Game: 1952-08-26
Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 185 lbs
Full name: Samuel Walter Zoldak
Biography
Sam Zoldak was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1944 to 1952. Born in 1918, Zoldak made a name for himself during a transitional period in baseball, following World War II when the game began to experience a surge in popularity and talent influx. He displayed a solid skill set on the mound, finishing his career with a record of 43 wins and 53 losses, and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.54. Over his eight-year career, Zoldak recorded 207 strikeouts and notched 8 saves, contributing to his teams both as a starter and a reliever.
Zoldak's playing style was characterized by a competitive spirit and a diverse pitching arsenal, which allowed him to adapt to the evolving offensive strategies of the time. Competing in an era marked by the return of veterans from military service and the integration of baseball, Zoldak's contributions were part of a larger narrative of the game's growth and adaptation. His performance on the mound left an indelible mark, highlighting the resilience and talent that characterized baseball in the post-war years.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | 53 | 250 | 93 | 30 | 5 | 8 | 929.3 | 956 | 366 | 54 | 301 | 207 | 3.54 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | SLA | AL | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38.7 | 49 | 16 | 19 | 15 | 3.72 | -52.0 |
| 1945 | SLA | AL | 3 | 2 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 69.7 | 74 | 26 | 18 | 19 | 3.36 | 449.1 |
| 1946 | SLA | AL | 9 | 11 | 35 | 21 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 170.3 | 166 | 65 | 57 | 51 | 3.43 | -836.2 |
| 1947 | SLA | AL | 9 | 10 | 35 | 19 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 171.0 | 162 | 66 | 76 | 36 | 3.47 | -244.6 |
| 1948 | CLE | AL | 9 | 6 | 23 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 105.7 | 104 | 33 | 24 | 17 | 2.81 | 983.4 |
| 1948 | SLA | AL | 2 | 4 | 11 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 54.0 | 64 | 28 | 19 | 13 | 4.67 | -178.7 |
| 1949 | CLE | AL | 1 | 2 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 53.0 | 60 | 25 | 18 | 11 | 4.25 | 29.5 |
| 1950 | CLE | AL | 4 | 2 | 33 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 63.7 | 64 | 28 | 21 | 15 | 3.96 | -25.6 |
| 1951 | PHA | AL | 6 | 10 | 26 | 18 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 128.0 | 127 | 45 | 24 | 18 | 3.16 | 1201.3 |
| 1952 | PHA | AL | 0 | 6 | 16 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 75.3 | 86 | 34 | 25 | 12 | 4.06 | 224.6 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 251 | 286 | 16 | 50 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 52 | 0.175 | 0.205 | 0.196 | 0.401 | -753.9 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | SLA | AL | 18 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.333 | 0.0 |
| 1945 | SLA | AL | 27 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0.050 | 0.0 |
| 1946 | SLA | AL | 35 | 52 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 0.173 | -344.6 |
| 1947 | SLA | AL | 35 | 58 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0.172 | -409.3 |
| 1948 | CLE | AL | 23 | 36 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0.139 | 0.0 |
| 1948 | SLA | AL | 11 | 22 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0.273 | 0.0 |
| 1949 | CLE | AL | 27 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.375 | 0.0 |
| 1950 | CLE | AL | 33 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.188 | 0.0 |
| 1951 | PHA | AL | 26 | 45 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.156 | 0.0 |
| 1952 | PHA | AL | 16 | 23 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0.174 | 0.0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 250 | 0 | 54 | 200 | 4 | 14 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | SLA | P | 18 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 |
| 1945 | SLA | P | 26 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| 1946 | SLA | P | 35 | 0 | 10 | 32 | 1 | 3 |
| 1947 | SLA | P | 35 | 0 | 6 | 44 | 1 | 2 |
| 1948 | CLE | P | 23 | 0 | 5 | 28 | 1 | 3 |
| 1948 | SLA | P | 11 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 1 |
| 1949 | CLE | P | 27 | 0 | 12 | 19 | 0 | 1 |
| 1950 | CLE | P | 33 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 1951 | PHA | P | 26 | 0 | 6 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 1952 | PHA | P | 16 | 0 | 6 | 22 | 0 | 2 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 250 |