{{short description|American baseball player (1898–1981)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=George Knothe |image= |position=Shortstop |bats=Right |throws=Right |birth_date={{birth date|1898|1|12}} |birth_place=Bayonne, New Jersey, U.S. |death_date={{death date and age|1981|7|3|1898|1|12}} |death_place=Toms River, New Jersey, U.S |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=April 25 |debutyear=1932 |debutteam=Philadelphia Phillies |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=May 25 |finalyear=1932 |finalteam=Philadelphia Phillies |statleague = MLB |stat1label=Games played |stat1value=6 |stat2label=At bats |stat2value=12 |stat3label=Hits |stat3value=1 |teams= *Philadelphia Phillies ({{baseball year|1932}}) }} '''George Bertram Knothe''' (January 12, 1898 – July 3, 1981) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an infielder for one season with the Philadelphia Phillies in {{Baseball year|1932}} however, he played in minor league baseball from {{Baseball year|1922}} to {{Baseball year|1934}}.<ref name="George Knothe statistics">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=knothe001geo |title=George Knothe statistics |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=September 27, 2020}}</ref> His brother, Fritz Knothe also played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman. Knothe was known as a sure-handed defensive player.<ref name="George Knothe bio at SABR">{{cite web|url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/george-knothe/ |title=George Knothe bio at SABR |publisher=sabr.org |access-date=September 27, 2020}}</ref>
==Baseball career== Knothe was born in Bayonne, New Jersey and graduated from high school in 1917.<ref name="George Knothe bio at SABR"/> He began his professional baseball career in 1922 at the age of 24 with the Newark Bears of the International League.<ref name="George Knothe statistics"/> He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1925.<ref name="George Knothe bio at SABR"/> In 1926, he posted a .354 batting average with the Lawrence Merry Macks of the New England League.<ref name="George Knothe statistics"/>
In 1928, he had a career year with the Pueblo Steel Workers of the Western League when, he hit .318 in 164 games with 41 doubles, 17 triples, and six home runs.<ref name="George Knothe statistics"/> His impressive performance earned him a job with the Kansas City Blues of the American Association.<ref name="George Knothe bio at SABR"/> His strong defensive play helped the Blues win the 1929 Little World Series over the Rochester Red Wings.<ref name="George Knothe bio at SABR"/> In 1931, the Blues sent Knothe to the New Orleans Pelicans of the Southern Association where, he became known as one of the best defensive shortstops in the league.<ref name="George Knothe bio at SABR"/>
The Philadelphia Phillies selected Knothe in the Rule 5 draft on September 30, 1931.<ref name="George Knothe bio at SABR"/> He made his major league debut with the Phillies at the relatively late age of 34 on April 25, 1932 in a game against the Boston Red Sox that, also featured his brother Fritz playing as the Red Sox third baseman.<ref name="George Knothe statistics"/> Four days later at Philadelphia's Baker Bowl, he collected his only major-league hit, a double off of Brooklyn pitcher Van Lingle Mungo.<ref name="George Knothe bio at SABR"/> The presence of veteran player Dick Bartell relegated Knothe to the role of utility player.<ref name="George Knothe bio at SABR"/> After only one month in the major leagues, a new Depression-era rule limiting teams to 23 players would lead the Phillies to send him to the Fort Worth Cats of the Class A Texas League.<ref name="George Knothe statistics"/>
Knothe returned to play for the New Orleans Pelicans in 1933, helping the team win the Dixie Series against the Texas League's San Antonio Missions.<ref name="George Knothe bio at SABR"/> He played his final season in organized baseball with the Memphis Chickasaws of the Southern Association.<ref name="George Knothe statistics"/> Knothe continued to play baseball for semi-pro teams until the age of 39.<ref name="George Knothe bio at SABR"/>
==Career statistics== In a twelve-year minor league career, Knothe played in 1,131 games, accumulating 1,165 hits in 4,196 at bats for a .277 career batting average, along with 23 home runs.<ref name="George Knothe statistics"/> He appeared in 6 major league games, getting 1 hit in 12 at bats and scored 2 runs.
==Later life== After his baseball-playing career, Knothe served for 29 years as a supervisor for Curtiss-Wright Aeronautics in Woodbridge, New Jersey, before retiring in 1965.<ref name="George Knothe bio at SABR"/> He also was a World War II Air Force veteran.<ref name="George Knothe bio at SABR"/> George Knothe died on July 3, 1981, and is buried in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery and Mausoleum in Toms River, New Jersey.<ref name="George Knothe bio at SABR"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Baseballstats|br=k/knothge01|brm=knothe001geo}} *[https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/george-knothe/ George Knothe] at SABR (Baseball BioProject)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knothe, George}} Category:1898 births Category:1981 deaths Category:Baseball players from Bayonne, New Jersey Category:Major League Baseball second basemen Category:Philadelphia Phillies players Category:Penn Quakers baseball players Category:Newark Bears (International League) players Category:Lawrence Merry Macks players Category:Pueblo Steelworkers players Category:Providence Grays (minor league) players Category:Kansas City Blues (baseball) players Category:New Orleans Pelicans (baseball) players Category:Fort Worth Cats players Category:Memphis Chickasaws players Category:20th-century American sportsmen