| Sam Zoldak | |
|---|---|
 Zoldak's 1949 Bowman Gum baseball card | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: December 8, 1918 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | |
| Died: August 25, 1966 (aged 47) New Hyde Park, New York, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 13, 1944, for the St. Louis Browns | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 26, 1952, for the Philadelphia Athletics | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 43–53 |
| Earned run average | 3.54 |
| Strikeouts | 207 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Samuel Walter Zoldak, nicknamed Sad Sam, (December 8, 1918 – August 25, 1966) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for nine seasons in the American League with the St. Louis Browns, Cleveland Indians, and Philadelphia Athletics. In 250 career games, Zoldak pitched 929+1⁄3 innings and posted a win–loss record of 43–53, with 30 complete games, five shutouts, and a 3.54 earned run average (ERA).
Although an average hitting pitcher in his major league career, posting a .175 batting average (50-for-286) with just 16 runs and 11 RBIs, he was a very good fielding pitcher, posting a .984 fielding percentage with only four errors in 258 total chances.[1]
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Zoldak began his professional career in the low-level minor leagues, working his way up despite being released from his first team. The St. Louis Browns acquired him in 1944 and placed him on their major league roster. He debuted on May 23, and spent the next four years as a spot starter, working both as a starting pitcher and relief pitcher. He was traded to the Cleveland Indians in 1948, and helped lead the team to the 1948 World Series. After two more years with Cleveland, he was traded to the Philadelphia Athletics, the organization he originally started with, and played two seasons there. After a short minor league stint in 1953, he retired from the game, and died in 1966.