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* Born in Hollbrook, West
Virginia, in 1887, Zinn began his professional baseball career
in 1909 as an outfielder with Grafton of the Pennsylvania-West
Virginia League.
* Played for the New York
Highlanders (later known as the New York Yankees) from
1911-1912, the Boston Braves in 1913, and the Baltimore
Terrapins from 1914-1915.
* Holds the unique
distinction of being the only Jewish baseball player in the
Federal League and the only Jewish player to play in three major
leagues: the American League, the National League, and the
defunct Federal League.
* Debuted with the Yankees
on September 11, 1911 at the age of 24.
* The left-hitting
outfielder was the starting right fielder for the Yankees in
1912, batting .262 with 55 RBIs, hitting 15 doubles, 10 triples,
drawing 50 walks, swiping 17 bases and tying the then-existing
Yankee club record by making 6 home runs, earning him the
nickname "The Gunner."
* Fenway Park opened in
Boston on April 20, 1912. In the first official Major
League game, Guy Zinn was the first batter to step up to the
plate and the first to score a run in stadium history. The event
did not get much media coverage because the game was played just
a few days after the historical sinking of the Titanic.
* August 15, 1912, sets
Yankee record by stealing home twice in a single game.
* Posted an .893 FA in
1912, making him the last outfielder in history to field below
.900.
* On May 20, 1914, became
the 6th player in Major League history to hit a home run and a
triple in the same game.
* The Terrapins considered
Zinn one of the best players on the club but his season was cut
short when, on July 12, 1914, his foot caught on the third-base
bag and he snapped a bone in his ankle. Left fielder Zinn had
come to the plate with a teammate on base. He drove a hit
deep into the outfield that scored the runner. Instead of
settling for a double, Zinn rounded second and charged into
third, catching his foot awkwardly on the bag, breaking his left
ankle. The game was called while Zinn was taken to the
hospital. Zinn played one last season for the Terrapins in
1915, batting .269 -- the exact total batting average for his
5-year career. The injury ultimately ended his Major
League career at age 28.
* Former teammate, Chet
(Red) Hoff said of Guy Zinn after the injury: "I thought
he was going to be another Ty Cobb. He had everything
(going for him)."
* Played for several Minor
League teams from 1916 to 1922 before retiring from the game.
* According to the New
Castle News, Guy Zinn was arrested in 1919 for assaulting an
Umpire after a game. The article states that Umpire A. W.
Strowger of the M.O. League had called a strike on Guy, to which
the batter objected. Even though Guy scored a hit on the
next pitched ball, he was apparently still upset with the "bad
call" and in the dressing room after the game, is said to have
attacked the Umpire. Zinn was charged with assault,
arrested and later admitted to bail.
* As of February 2010, Guy
Zinn's rookie baseball card is valued at a quarter of a million
dollars -- more valuable than Babe Ruth's rookie card!
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