Vern Freiburger

Who was Vern Freiburger?

Vern Donald Freiburger was a Major League Baseball first baseman who started two games for the Cleveland Indians near the end of the 1941 season. At just 17 years of age, he was the youngest player to appear in an American League game that season.

In Freiburger's major league debut, he got to play in front of family and friends in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan. The Indians played a doubleheader that day against the Tigers at Briggs Stadium and lost both games. His second and final appearance in a game was against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

In his two games he was 1-for-8 with one run batted in. At first base he handled 18 out of 19 chances successfully for a .947 fielding percentage, and participated in two double plays.

Three of his teammates on the Indians were future Hall of Famers Lou Boudreau, Bob Feller, and Bob Lemon.

Freiburger died at the age of 66 in Palm Springs, California.