Johnny Wyrostek

Who was Johnny Wyrostek?

John Barney Wyrostek was a professional baseball player. He played all or part of eleven seasons in the Major League Baseball between 1942 and 1954 primarily as an outfielder, most often in right or center field. He batted left-handed, and threw right-handed.

He was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals out of high school. His contract was purchased by the Pittsburgh Pirates late in the 1941 season, and he played parts of the next two seasons with the Pirates as a reserve outfielder. On September 30, 1943, he was traded back to the Cardinals. After a stint in the Army, his contract was sold to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1946, at which point he became an everyday player.

Wyrostek averaged 8 homers a year in his career, and had only one season in which he hit over 10. In 1948, he had a total of 17 home runs with another career-high, 76 RBIs, which he would tie later. His 7 stolen bases on the year also tied a career-high.

In 1950, he had a very solid season, hitting .285 with 8 homers and 76 RBIs with the Reds. On September 4 of the year, Wyrostek drove in 8 of the Reds' 13 runs in a doubleheader sweep of the visiting Cardinals. The Reds won 5-4, and then 8-4.