Sig Jakucki

Sigmund "Jack" Jakucki (August 20, 1909 – May 28, 1979) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball who appeared in 72 games over all or part of three seasons (1936 and 1944–1945) for the St. Louis Browns. In 1944, he defeated the New York Yankees, 5 to 2, in the final game of the regular season to clinch the American League pennant, the first and only AL title for its St. Louis franchise. He lost his only start in the 1944 World Series against the rival St. Louis Cardinals of the National League.

Jakucki was a native of Camden, New Jersey. The right-hander was listed as 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and 198 pounds (90 kg). In 1935, Jakucki went 15–14 for the Galveston Buccaneers of the Texas League. The Browns purchased him the following year, but he pitched poorly for them, going 0–3 with an 8.71 earned run average in 20​²⁄₃ innings pitched.

He quit the minor leagues in 1938, and moved on to various semi-pro teams in Texas while also working as a paperhanger.[1] During World War II, however, the Browns ran short of players and re-signed him. In 1944, he returned to the majors and went 13–9 with a 3.55 ERA. His triumph over the Yankees on Sunday, October 1, was a six-hit, complete game in which he allowed only one earned run.

In the 1944 World Series, Jakucki started Game 4 on October 7, with his underdog Browns leading, two games to one. But he allowed a first-inning, two-run home run to the Cardinals' Stan Musial, permitted four runs (three earned), and lasted only three full innings. The Cardinals won the game, 5–1, and went on to take the next two contests to deny the Browns a world championship.

In 1945, Jakucki went 12–10. However, he was also very temperamental and an alcoholic. He apparently derived pleasure in tormenting teammate Pete Gray, who had only one arm. One day, the two got into an argument and settled it with a fight, with Jakucki holding one arm behind his back. Jakucki was kicked off the team by manager Luke Sewell late in the season and never returned to the majors.[2]

In his brief MLB career, Jakucki put up a 25–22 won–lost record, with 27 complete games (in 50 total starts), five shutouts and four saves. In 411 total innings pitched, he surrendered 431 hits; he issued 131 bases on balls and recorded the same number of strikeouts. His career earned run average was 3.79.

He died in Galveston, Texas, at the age of 69, reportedly destitute.

Jakucki's name, misspelled "Jackucki", appears in the sheet music for Dave Frishberg's song "Van Lingle Mungo".