Stanley Aaron Wentzel (January 13, 1917 – November 28, 1991) was an American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

player. A longtime

minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in N ...

outfielder and, later, a

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities ...

, Wentzel's only stint in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...

came at the end of the season, when he appeared in four games in centerfield for the

Boston Braves The Atlanta Braves, a current Major League Baseball franchise, originated in Boston, Massachusetts. This article details the history of the Boston Braves, from 1871 to 1952, after which they moved to Milwaukee, and then to Atlanta. During it ...

. The 28-year-old

rookie A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...

was a native of Lorane, Pennsylvania. He threw and batted right-handed, stood tall and weighed . Wentzel is one of many ball players who only appeared in the Major Leagues during the World War II period. After batting .321 with the

Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory Field, which opene ...

of the top-level American Association — where he was named an All-Star and the league's Most Valuable Player — he was called up by Boston and started four games for the Braves in the last week of the season, all against the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...

. He got only four hits in 19

at bats In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...

(.211), but had six

runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the ba ...

. He also scored three runs. In the field, Wentzel recorded eight putouts with no errors. Wentzel returned to Indianapolis for and after that season, on September 30, he was included in a multiplayer trade that sent him to the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. Founded as part o ...

with future Hall of Fame second baseman

Billy Herman William Jennings Bryan Herman (July 7, 1909 – September 5, 1992) was an American second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) during the 1930s and 1940s. Known for his stellar defense and consistent batting, Herman still holds many ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, who attempts to e ...

Elmer Singleton and

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...

Whitey Wietelmann for

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system u ...

Bob Elliott and

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catcher ...

Hank Camelli Henry Richard Camelli (December 9, 1914 – July 14, 1996) was an American professional baseball player. A catcher, he appeared in Major League Baseball between and for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Braves. The native of Gloucester, Mass ...

. Herman was promptly named playing manager of the 1947 Pirates, but he was aghast at the cost — Elliott — the Pirates had paid for him. "Why, they've gone and traded the whole team on me", he said.Boston Braves Historical Association Newsletter, Vol. 19, No. 3, Autumn 2010 Elliott would win the National League Most Valuable Player award and lead Boston to the 1948 National League pennant. Herman's 1947 Pirates lost 92 games and finished tied for seventh in the NL, and he resigned before the season's final game. Wentzel never appeared in a game for the Pirates, but he played and managed in the Pittsburgh farm system through 1958. He died at the age of 74 in

St. Lawrence, Pennsylvania St. Lawrence is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,809 at the 2010 census. History The John F. Lutz Furniture Co. & Funerary buildings was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. Geo ...

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Wentzel, Stan 1917 births 1991 deaths Baseball players from Pennsylvania Boston Braves players Burlington-Graham Pirates players Canton Terriers players Clinton Pirates players Hartford Bees players Hartford Laurels players Indianapolis Indians players Logan Indians players Major League Baseball center fielders Minor league baseball managers New Orleans Pelicans (baseball) players Waco Pirates players American Association (1902–1997) MVP Award winners