Greek George: A Slam-Bang Way To Go Out

By David Jordan

Charles Peter George, known to one and all as “Greek,” was a well-known catcher back in the ‘30s and ‘40s. What he was known for, unfortunately, was not his ballplaying skill but for being involved frequently in funny or unusual situations on the field.

Greek was born in Waycross, Georgia, on Christmas Day in 1912, and he grew up to be a strapping fellow of 200 pounds, standing six feet two. He spent most of his ball-playing career in the minors, but every once in a while a big league team would take him on. Greek George was a good catcher, but he was usually pretty futile at the plate.

His first appearance in the major leagues was on June 30, 1935, with the Cleveland Indians. He caught in one game for the Tribe that season, appeared in one other, and went back to the bushes. The garrulous Greek was back with Cleveland the next season, appeared in 23 games, batting .195 with fifteen hits and sixteen strikeouts, and soon returned to the minors. In 1938 the Brooklyn Dodgers called him up for seven games, in which he hit an even .200, and then it was back to the minor leagues again.

Greek’s next big league destination was Chicago, where he appeared in 35 games for the Cubs in 1941, this time hitting only .156, which earned him another demotion. Finally, as World War II was ending, Greek George made his last entry into the major leagues, when Connie Mack purchased his contract from Toronto for the Athletics.

Greek played in 51 games for the A’s, catching in 46 of them, with a batting average of .174. Mister Mack even used him five times as a pinch-hitter, demonstrating the triumph of hope over experience, as Greek went 0-for-5, bringing his lifetime major league pinch-hitting record to 0-for-23. His career batting average was a lusty .177; he never hit a big league home run.

Greek George, as a catcher and as a poor hitter frequently rung up on strikes (59 of his total 327 times at the plate in major league games resulted in strikeouts) was frequently aggrieved with umpires. “I hated most of the umpires in the American League,” he told writer Kit Crissey. And he had his own ideas on how to deal with them.

Al Schacht, the famous “Clown Prince of Baseball,” used to tell a story about Greek George catching a game for Nashville, with umpire Red Jones behind the plate. Greek that day ate what Schacht called “enough garlic to knock out a regiment.” Greek described it: “When I thought Jones called a bad strike, I’d turn around and give him a whiff of garlic. I’d ask Red ‘Why was it a ball? Where was that ball?’ I put special emphasis on my Ws.” Finally Jones pleaded, “Listen, Greek, the next time you have to eat garlic, please eat it when I’m working on the bases – not back of you.”

Late in the 1945 season, Greek George had another celebrated run-in with an umpire, this time arbiter Joe Rue. Rue was behind the plate as George caught a game for the A’s against the Yankees, and Greek moaned and groaned about ball-and-strike calls all day. Bobo Newsom was on the mound for he Athletics, and he couldn’t get a break. Finally, Rue called a New York hitter out on a pitch that was clearly outside, and George said, “There! Do you see what I mean?” As Greek headed back to the dugout, Rue, according to the catcher, called him a foul name. The catcher ran back to the plate and said “What did you call me?” When Rue said he had heard right the first time, Greek George reared back and punched him in the face. Rue then tried to hit him with his mask.

Greek George was suspended by the American League for ninety days, which effectively ended his big league career, since the suspension stretched into the 1946 season, when all the veterans returned from the war. He returned to the minors and wound up his playing career there. Charles “Greek” George died in Metairie, Louisiana, on August 15, 1999, an honored and honorary member of the Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society. He couldn’t hit much with a baseball bat, but he made a real mark with his right fist.

 

Greek George warming up before the game.

Buddy Rosar & Greek George Circa 1945