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Gus Zernial
Right Field, Boston Beacons, Chicago Colts, Cleveland Barons · 1951-1963

When pouring over the record books, the astute UL historian would note that the first hit in the league’s history was recorded by the future homerun champ, Gus Zernial, who could only muster a squirted single into LF!  When Zernial first debuted with the Boston Federals in 1951, it looked like the young slugger could do no wrong: hitting .305 with 33 homers and driving in 112 runs, for a career best .915 OPS.   While the average would prove illusory (Gus would only hit .270 once more in his career, and hit under .250 6 of his 12 years in the bigs), the power was real: Zernial would hit 30 homeruns or more eight times.  In ’52, Gus kept his homerun swing but lost 50 points of average, and while he still provided an excellent 119 RBIs, some wondered about whether Zernial’s true talent level.

While it would be another five years before Zernial produced a season to match ’51, the next three years saw him settle into a productive pattern.  Althouh he missed time in ’53, he put up OPS between .845 and .860 each year while twice more breaking the 30-homer mark.  Heading into his last contracted year, however, ’55 would be his last year in Boston.  Traded in a multiplayer deal with C John Hegan and a pick for SS P. Reese and LF J. Delsing, Ozark Ike headed to the Chicago Colts.

The new confines brought a slight improvement to Zernial, who set a career high in slugging (.559) and homers (39) to that point, although it was slightly offset by a drop in avg: this should have served notice of Zernial’s comfort in the Windy City.  Chicago rewarded him with a four year extension, and within the year he had paid them up in full.  In ’57, Zernial provided a 46 homerun season which shattered the previous record and wrote his name in the record books.  Although he could only provide a pedestrian .320 OBP, his .593 SLG deservedly resulted in a first (and only) All-Star trip for the slugger.

In relation to those exploits, ’58 proved to be something of a disaster for the slugger.  Although he still managed 26 homers, the singles just wouldn’t drop in for him.  Hitting only .238 on the year, there were questions whether the 34-year old Zernial was beginning to decline.  One bright spot was his 19 steals (as many as the previous four seasons combined).  ’59 dispelled some of those concerns, with a season reminiscent of his time in Boston: .260 avg, 32 homers and 100 RBIs.  Yet ’60 saw limited usage and another dip in form – for the first time in his career, a 36-year old Zernial looked lost at the plate hit only 12 homers, drove in 45 runs, striking out 109 times in just 324 ABs.

Leaving as a free agent, and ending up in Cleveland, Zernial again returned to something of his old form.  In ’61, Gus looked like old Gus, hitting .248 with 32 homers and 105 RBIs.  Yet a declining skill set meant we saw a new Gus in ’62: for the first time in his career, Gus drew a large number of walks (75), got on-base at an acceptable level (.339 OBP, his highest since 1954!) but without the same power (19 homeruns).  Yet having earned a 1-year extension, ’63 would prove to be one year too many for the now 39-year old RF.  Gus managed to hit just .154 with 3 homers in 143 ABs, and struck out 48 times (over a third of all plate appearances) , and although he hit well when demoted to Pittsburgh, he hung up his cleats at the end of the year.

In this correspondent's opinion, Gus Zernial in many ways was Ralph Kiner without the plate discipline.  Whearas Kiner walked 120 times a year and struck out 50, Zernial walked 50 times a year and struck out 120; while Kiner put up a career .268/.404/.544 line, Zernial was .256/.326/.501, essentially the difference between them being the OBP.  But judging Ozark Ike against one of the best hitters in the UL history is in itself high praise, and Zernial should be celebrated for what he was, rather than what he was not: a pure power slugger whose single-season home run mark stood until this year, and whose 356 homers ranks 3rd amongst all players and 1st among those retired.  (Doug Aiton)