{{Short description|American baseball player (1919–2002)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography | name = Steve Souchock | image = Steve Souchock 1953.jpg | caption = Souchock in about 1953. | position = Outfielder / First baseman | birth_date = {{birth date|1919|3|3}} | birth_place = Yatesboro, Pennsylvania, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|mf=yes|2002|7|28|1919|3|3}} | death_place = Westland, Michigan, U.S. | bats = Right | throws = Right |debutleague = MLB | debutdate = May 25 | debutyear = 1946 | debutteam = New York Yankees |finalleague = MLB | finaldate = April 15 | finalyear = 1955 | finalteam = Detroit Tigers |statleague = MLB | stat1label = Batting average | stat1value = .255 | stat2label = Home runs | stat2value = 50 | stat3label = Runs batted in | stat3value = 186 | teams = * New York Yankees ({{mlby|1946}}, {{mlby|1948}}) * Chicago White Sox ({{mlby|1949}}) * Detroit Tigers ({{mlby|1951}}–{{mlby|1955}}) }} '''Stephen Souchock''' (March 3, 1919 – July 28, 2002), nicknamed "'''Bud'''", was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman and a former veteran who served in the military during World War II.<ref name=historicbaseball>{{cite web|url=http://www.historicbaseball.com/players/s/souchock_steve.html|title=Was a player and a veteran of World War II|publisher= historicbaseball.com|access-date=2008-09-30}}</ref> His Major League Baseball career lasted a total of eight years, after he served in the military for three years. Born in Yatesboro, Pennsylvania, Souchock worked on the assembly line at a Ford Motor Company factory during his early life. He also played semi-pro American football for the Dearborn Club in 1938. During his baseball career, he batted and threw right-handed.
== Career ==
=== Minor League Baseball === New York Yankees' scout Bill Skiff had scouted Souchock and eventually he signed with the New York Yankees in June 1939.<ref name=TRANS>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/s/souchst01.shtml#TRANS|title=Transactions|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=2008-09-30}}</ref> From 1939 to 1942, Souchock played baseball in the New York Yankees organization. In 1942, Souchock was the Eastern League Most Valuable Player<ref name=Ballplayers>{{cite book |author1=Charlton, James |author2=Shatzkin, Mike |author3=Holtje, Stephen |title=The Ballplayers: baseball's ultimate biographical reference |publisher=Arbor House/William Morrow |location=New York |year=1990 |page=[https://archive.org/details/ballplayersbaseb00shat/page/1022 1022] |isbn=0-87795-984-6 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/ballplayersbaseb00shat/page/1022 }}</ref> and won the league batting title with a batting average of .315.
=== Military service === In 1943, the Yankees were possibly going to call-up and use Souchock as a replacement for Buddy Hassett as first baseman in Major League Baseball, but he instead entered military service that January.<ref name=baseballinwartime>{{cite web|url=http://www.baseballinwartime.com/player_biographies/souchock_steve.htm|title=Steve Souchock's baseball career and military service|publisher=baseballinwartime.com|access-date=2008-09-30}}</ref> He served in the 691st Tank Destroyer Battalion of the 87th Infantry Division, US Army.<ref name=baseballinwartime/> He served in the European Theater of Operations. Serving in the military for three years, he eventually earned the rank of First Sergeant.<ref name=baseballinwartime/> He fought in the Battle of the Bulge.<ref name=historicbaseball/><ref name=theballplayers>{{cite web|url=https://baseballbiography.com/steve-souchock-1919|title=The Ballplayers: Steve SouChock|publisher=baseballbiography.com|access-date=2008-09-30}}</ref> His unit was attached to Patton's 3rd Army.<ref name=historicbaseball/> Toward the end of his military service, Souchock earned a Bronze Star in Europe as commander of a five-man gun crew.<ref name=baseballinwartime/> He returned home with five battle stars in late 1945, Souchock said, "The war cost me three important years, as it did many ballplayers."<ref name=baseballinwartime/> On December 6, 1945, at Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, Souchock was discharged from military service.<ref name=baseballinwartime/>
=== Major League Baseball === The following year on May 25, 1946, Souchock made his major league debut with the New York Yankees. That year, he played 47 games and batted .302 with two home runs. He had been listed at 6-02½ in height, and 203 lb. in weight. He played two baseball seasons with the New York Yankees, until being traded on December 14, 1948, by the New York Yankees to the Chicago White Sox for outfielder Jim Delsing.<ref name=TRANS/> He played in 84 games with the Chicago White Sox, hitting seven home runs. On November 16, 1950, Souchock was drafted by the Detroit Tigers from the Chicago White Sox in the 1950 rule 5 draft. For the last five years of his Major League Baseball career, Souchock played with the Detroit Tigers. He broke his wrist in 1954, which ended his effectiveness.<ref name=baseballinwartime/><ref name=theballplayers/> His last game was played on April 15, 1955. He later managed in the Yankee farm system (1956–1960) and scouted for them and the Tigers.
Souchock died on July 28, 2002, in Dearborn, Michigan.
== References == {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Baseballstats |mlb= |espn= |br=s/souchst01 |fangraphs=1012290 |brm= |retro=}} *[https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=souchst01 Steve Souchock] at Baseball Almanac
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