Steve Sundra

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Steve Sundra

Pitcher
Born: (1910-03-27)March 27, 1910 Luxor, Pennsylvania
Died: March 23, 1952(1952-03-23) (aged 41) Cleveland, Ohio
Batted: Right	Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 17, 1936 for the New York Yankees
Last MLB appearance
May 28, 1946 for the St. Louis Browns
Career statistics
Win–loss record	56-41
Earned run average	4.17
Strikeouts	214
Teams
New York Yankees (1936, 1938–1940) Washington Senators (1941–1942) St. Louis Browns (1942–1944, 1946)

Stephen Richard (Steve) Sundra (March 27, 1910 – March 23, 1952) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played during eight seasons for the New York Yankees (1936, 1938–1940), Washington Senators (1941–1942) and St. Louis Browns (1942–1944, 1946). He batted and threw right-handed.

Career

A native of Luxor, Pennsylvania, Steve Sundra was the son of a Serbian coal miner. The family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, when he was 16 and Sundra starred in sandlot ball there. He was signed by the Cleveland Indians and made his pro debut in 1932, moving up to Toledo in 1934. Cleveland optioned Sundra to Minneapolis and Newark in 1935, and the Yankees obtained him in a three pitchers deal in December, along with Monte Pearson, in exchange for Johnny Allen. His career in the American League ran from 1936 to early in 1946, with time out for Army service during the World War II.

In 1936, Sundra posted a 12–9 record for the Newark Bears, leading the International League pitchers with a 2.84 earned run average. After one relief appearance for the Yankees in April 1937, he was optioned back to Newark. The Bears won the IL championship with a 109–43 mark, and Sundra went 15–4, ranking eighth in the league in ERA (3.09), and was selected for the All-Star Game.

Sundra was a member of the World Champion Yankees in 1938. He won his last four starts during the regular season, then ran off 11 straight victories (three in relief) for the 1939 AL pennant-winners before losing his last start of the season. He appeared in Game Four of the 1939 World Series, pitching three hitless, shutout innings of relief.

Nevertheless, in 1940 Sundra faded, going 4–6, and the next year was sold to the Washington Senators, who in turn sent him to the St. Louis Browns in the 1942 midseason. He won 15 games in 1943, and before entering the Army the next year, he went 2–0. Sundra rejoined the Browns for spring training in 1946 after his discharge, but was released on May 29. That was the end of his baseball career.

Later, Sundra sued the Browns under the G.I. Bill, claiming that he should have been kept on the roster for one year. He asked for $5,413, the difference between what he had been paid and his 1946 salary, but lost in Federal court in a decision rendered in 1949. He worked in construction until he fell ill in late 1950.

Steve Sundra died in Cleveland, Ohio, four days before his 42nd birthday, a victim of cancer.^[1] He is buried in Cleveland's Calvary Cemetery.

References

↑ Cancer strikes down ex-Tribe hurler Sundra

External links

Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
Baseball Almanac
Baseball Library
The Deadball Era
1937 Newark Bears

v t e New York Yankees 1939 World Series Champions

1 Frankie Crosetti 2 Red Rolfe 3 George Selkirk 5 Joe DiMaggio 6 Joe Gordon 8 Bill Dickey 9 Charlie Keller 11 Lefty Gomez 12 Babe Dahlgren 14 Bump Hadley 15 Red Ruffing 16 Monte Pearson 19 Johnny Murphy 20 Oral Hildebrand 32 Steve Sundra Manager Joe McCarthy Coaches 29 Art Fletcher 30 Earle Combs 31 Johnny Schulte

Regular season

Persondata
Name	Sundra, Steve
Alternative names
Short description	American baseball player
Date of birth	March 27, 1910
Place of birth	Luxor, Pennsylvania
Date of death	March 23, 1952
Place of death	Cleveland, Ohio

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