Art Jorgens
Catcher
Born: (1905-05-18)May 18, 1905
Modum, Norway
Died: March 1, 1980(1980-03-01) (aged 74)
Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 26, 1929, for the New York Yankees
Last MLB appearance
August 2, 1939, for the New York Yankees
MLB statistics
Batting average.238
Home runs4
Runs batted in89
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Arndt Ludwig "Art" Jorgens (May 18, 1905 – March 1, 1980) was a Norwegian catcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1929 through 1939 for the New York Yankees.

Biography

Jorgens was born in Modum, Buskerud County, Norway. His family moved to the United States, where he attended Lane Tech High School in Chicago, Illinois. His brother Orville Jorgens also played in the majors.

Art Jorgens batted and threw right-handed. He was slender for a catcher, at 5' 9" 160-lb.

Jorgens was purchased by the New York Yankees from Oklahoma City (Western) on August 24, 1928. His debut game with the New York Yankees was on April 26, 1929. Jorgens played his entire major league career with the Yankees serving as a backup catcher for Bill Dickey in eleven consecutive seasons.[1] In 1934, he posted career-highs in hits (38), runs batted in (20) and games (58). He had a career-high .270 batting average in 1931. Jorgens was a career .238 hitter with four home runs and 89 RBI in 307 games. He has been one of only three Norwegian-born players to reach the major leagues. His final games with the New York Yankees was on August 2, 1939.[2]

Jorgens died in Wilmette, Illinois, aged 74. He is buried in Memorial Park Cemetery, Skokie, Illinois.

Notable achievements

Jorgens's grave (top right) at Memorial Park Cemetery
  • Jorgens has the dubious distinction of having played on teams that won five pennants and five world championships (the New York Yankees in 1932, 1936, 1937, 1938 and 1939), yet never making a single appearance in a World Series game.[1] Over that period, the team's star catcher, (future Hall of Famer) Bill Dickey, played every inning of each World Series game.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Robbins, Mike (2004). Ninety Feet from Fame: Close Calls with Baseball Immortality. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers. p. 99. ISBN 0-7867-1335-6.
  2. ↑ Arndt Ludwig Jorgens ( Tripod.com/Baseball fan)
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