Sibby Sisti was born on Monday, July 26, 1920, in Buffalo, New York. Sisti was 18 years old when he broke into the big leagues on July 21, 1939, with the Boston Bees. His biographical data, year-by-year hitting stats, fielding stats, pitching stats (where applicable), career totals, uniform numbers, salary data and miscellaneous items-of-interest are presented by Baseball Almanac on this comprehensive Sibby Sisti baseball stats page.
"The first four men inducted into the Boston Braves Hall of Fame after its formation by fans of the long-defunct National League club were Warren Spahn, John Sain, Tommy Holmes, and Sebastian "Sibby" Sisti. In order, that's one Hall of Famer, two All-Stars, and one .244 hitter who lasted for 14-plus years in the majors by playing wherever and whenever he was asked. Nobody questioned the selection. Sisti didn't belong in the class of Spahn, Sain, and Holmes as a ballplayer, yet for the many Braves fans who both watched him perform and attended reunions of the team during the last two decades he was the Boston Braves. The sad-eyed, gravel-voiced athlete-turned-truck driver symbolized the team's working-class demeanor better than perhaps any other individual, and delighted in returning to town and greeting old diehards who remembered the days of Earl Torgeson, Sam Jethroe, and fried clams at Braves Field." - Nowlin, Bill. Author. Spahn, Sain, and Teddy Ballgame: Boston's (almost) Perfect Baseball Summer of 1948. Rounder Books. 11 September 2008.
Sibby Sisti![]() Sibby Sisti Autograph on a 1991 Topps Archives Baseball Card (#124 | Checklist) |
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Sibby SistiSibby Sisti Pitching Stats |
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| Year | Age | Team | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD |
| - | - | Did Not Pitch | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Career | G | GS | GF | W | L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BFP | H | ER | R | HR | BB | IBB | SO | WP | HB | BK | HLD | ||
Sibby SistiSibby Sisti Hitting Stats |
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| Year | Age | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| 1939 | 19 | Bees | 63 | 215 | 19 | 49 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 12 | 0 | 38 | 5 | - | 0 | 5 | .228 | .269 | .284 |
| 1940 | 20 | Bees | 123 | 459 | 73 | 115 | 19 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 34 | 36 | 0 | 64 | 8 | - | 4 | 4 | .251 | .311 | .353 |
| 1941 | 21 | Braves | 140 | 541 | 72 | 140 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 38 | 1 | 76 | 8 | - | 1 | 8 | .259 | .309 | .320 |
| 1942 | 22 | Braves | 129 | 407 | 50 | 86 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 35 | 45 | 0 | 55 | 13 | - | 4 | 10 | .211 | .296 | .287 |
| 1946 | 26 | Braves | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| 1947 | 27 | Braves | 56 | 153 | 22 | 43 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 20 | 1 | 17 | 6 | - | 2 | 4 | .281 | .371 | .373 |
| 1948 | 28 | Braves | 83 | 221 | 30 | 54 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 31 | 4 | 34 | 8 | - | 1 | 4 | .244 | .340 | .290 |
| 1949 | 29 | Braves | 101 | 268 | 39 | 69 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 22 | 34 | 0 | 42 | 8 | - | 1 | 9 | .257 | .343 | .358 |
| 1950 | 30 | Braves | 69 | 105 | 21 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 16 | 0 | 19 | 1 | - | 1 | 3 | .171 | .287 | .276 |
| 1951 | 31 | Braves | 114 | 362 | 46 | 101 | 20 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 32 | 0 | 50 | 3 | - | 2 | 5 | .279 | .341 | .362 |
| 1952 | 32 | Braves | 90 | 245 | 19 | 52 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 24 | 14 | 1 | 43 | 10 | - | 0 | 9 | .212 | .255 | .310 |
| 1953 | 33 | Braves | 38 | 23 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 0 | 1 | .217 | .357 | .261 |
| 1954 | 34 | Braves | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Career | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | GRSL | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SH | SF | HBP | GIDP | AVG | OBP | SLG | ||
| 13 Years | 1,016 | 2,999 | 401 | 732 | 121 | 19 | 27 | 1 | 260 | 283 | 7 | 440 | 70 | 0 | 16 | 62 | .244 | .313 | .324 | ||
Sibby SistiSibby Sisti Fielding Stats |
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| Team | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
| 1939 Bees | 2B | 34 | 31 | 771 | 175 | 5.1 | 174 | 91 | 83 | 1 | 24 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .994 | 6.09 |
| 1939 Bees | 3B | 17 | 15 | 387 | 62 | 3.6 | 58 | 21 | 37 | 4 | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .935 | 4.05 |
| 1939 Bees | SS | 10 | 7 | 183 | 59 | 5.9 | 56 | 24 | 32 | 3 | 5 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .949 | 8.26 |
| 1940 Bees | 2B | 16 | 11 | 255 | 59 | 3.7 | 58 | 25 | 33 | 1 | 7 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .983 | 6.14 |
| 1940 Bees | 3B | 102 | 101 | 2,610 | 330 | 3.2 | 309 | 117 | 192 | 21 | 21 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .936 | 3.20 |
| 1941 Braves | 2B | 2 | 1 | 27 | 8 | 4.0 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .875 | 7.00 |
| 1941 Braves | 3B | 137 | 136 | 3,282 | 490 | 3.6 | 449 | 162 | 287 | 41 | 28 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .916 | 3.69 |
| 1941 Braves | SS | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 3.0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .667 | 36.00 |
| 1942 Braves | 2B | 124 | 118 | 2,862 | 675 | 5.4 | 655 | 304 | 351 | 20 | 66 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .970 | 6.18 |
| 1942 Braves | CF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 54.00 |
| 1946 Braves | 3B | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .000 | 0.00 |
| 1947 Braves | 2B | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 4.50 |
| 1947 Braves | SS | 51 | 44 | 1,143 | 226 | 4.4 | 214 | 93 | 121 | 12 | 24 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .947 | 5.06 |
| 1948 Braves | 2B | 44 | 41 | 1,077 | 217 | 4.9 | 211 | 104 | 107 | 6 | 19 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .972 | 5.29 |
| 1948 Braves | SS | 26 | 24 | 534 | 110 | 4.2 | 102 | 36 | 66 | 8 | 13 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .927 | 5.16 |
| 1949 Braves | 2B | 21 | 13 | 405 | 74 | 3.5 | 73 | 38 | 35 | 1 | 7 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .986 | 4.87 |
| 1949 Braves | 3B | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 9.00 |
| 1949 Braves | CF | 13 | 13 | 303 | 26 | 2.0 | 25 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .962 | 2.23 |
| 1949 Braves | LF | 23 | 17 | 318 | 138 | 6.0 | 137 | 135 | 2 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .993 | 11.63 |
| 1949 Braves | RF | 13 | 10 | 279 | 226 | 17.4 | 226 | 226 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 21.87 |
| 1949 Braves | SS | 18 | 18 | 477 | 79 | 4.4 | 74 | 32 | 42 | 5 | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .937 | 4.19 |
| 1950 Braves | 1B | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 18.00 |
| 1950 Braves | 2B | 19 | 17 | 423 | 88 | 4.6 | 83 | 42 | 41 | 5 | 8 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .943 | 5.30 |
| 1950 Braves | 3B | 13 | 6 | 201 | 31 | 2.4 | 29 | 14 | 15 | 2 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .935 | 3.90 |
| 1950 Braves | RF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .000 | 0.00 |
| 1950 Braves | SS | 23 | 0 | 156 | 29 | 1.3 | 27 | 14 | 13 | 2 | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .931 | 4.67 |
| 1951 Braves | 1B | 1 | 0 | 24 | 8 | 8.0 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 9.00 |
| 1951 Braves | 2B | 52 | 47 | 1,269 | 249 | 4.8 | 243 | 129 | 114 | 6 | 23 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .976 | 5.17 |
| 1951 Braves | 3B | 6 | 0 | 54 | 6 | 1.0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 3.00 |
| 1951 Braves | RF | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .000 | 0.00 |
| 1951 Braves | SS | 55 | 44 | 1,176 | 216 | 3.9 | 204 | 91 | 113 | 12 | 24 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .944 | 4.68 |
| 1952 Braves | 2B | 33 | 26 | 705 | 148 | 4.5 | 143 | 73 | 70 | 5 | 14 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .966 | 5.48 |
| 1952 Braves | 3B | 9 | 8 | 234 | 33 | 3.7 | 29 | 10 | 19 | 4 | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .879 | 3.35 |
| 1952 Braves | LF | 6 | 2 | 102 | 10 | 1.7 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 2.65 |
| 1952 Braves | RF | 18 | 18 | 408 | 28 | 1.6 | 26 | 26 | 0 | 2 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .929 | 1.72 |
| 1952 Braves | SS | 18 | 12 | 327 | 70 | 3.9 | 65 | 25 | 40 | 5 | 6 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .929 | 5.37 |
| 1953 Braves | 2B | 13 | 6 | 186 | 19 | 1.5 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 2.76 |
| 1953 Braves | 3B | 4 | 0 | 36 | 9 | 2.3 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .778 | 5.25 |
| 1953 Braves | SS | 6 | 0 | 33 | 5 | 0.8 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 4.09 |
| Career | POS | G | GS | OUTS | TC | TC/G | CH | PO | A | E | DP | PB | CASB | CACS | FLD% | RF |
| 2B Totals | 359 | 311 | 7,986 | 1,713 | 4.8 | 1,667 | 820 | 847 | 46 | 170 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .973 | 5.64 | |
| 3B Totals | 290 | 266 | 6,813 | 963 | 3.3 | 889 | 330 | 559 | 74 | 55 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .923 | 3.52 | |
| SS Totals | 209 | 149 | 4,032 | 800 | 3.8 | 751 | 319 | 432 | 49 | 80 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .939 | 5.03 | |
| RF Totals | 33 | 28 | 690 | 254 | 7.7 | 252 | 252 | 0 | 2 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .992 | 9.86 | |
| LF Totals | 29 | 19 | 420 | 148 | 5.1 | 147 | 145 | 2 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .993 | 9.45 | |
| CF Totals | 14 | 13 | 304 | 28 | 2.0 | 27 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .964 | 2.40 | |
| 1B Totals | 2 | 1 | 27 | 10 | 5.0 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1.000 | 10.00 | |
| 12 Years | 936 | 787 | 20,272 | 3,916 | 4.2 | 3,743 | 1,903 | 1,840 | 173 | 305 | n/a | n/a | n/a | .956 | 4.99 | |
Sibby SistiSibby Sisti Miscellaneous Stats |
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| Baserunning Statistics | Other Positions | Common Hitting Ratios | Common Pitching Ratios | |||||||||
| Team | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
| 1939 Bees | 4 | 2 | .667 | 1 | 1 | n/a | 215.0 | 5.7 | 19.5 | - | - | - |
| 1940 Bees | 4 | 2 | .667 | 2 | 3 | n/a | 76.5 | 7.2 | 13.5 | - | - | - |
| 1941 Braves | 7 | 1 | .875 | 1 | 0 | n/a | 541.0 | 7.1 | 12.0 | - | - | - |
| 1942 Braves | 5 | 2 | .714 | 3 | 1 | n/a | 101.8 | 7.4 | 11.6 | - | - | - |
| 1946 Braves | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | - | - | - |
| 1947 Braves | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 3 | 1 | n/a | 76.5 | 9.0 | 10.2 | - | - | - |
| 1948 Braves | 0 | 0 | .000 | 4 | 9 | n/a | 0.0 | 6.5 | 10.5 | - | - | - |
| 1949 Braves | 1 | 4 | .200 | 9 | 12 | n/a | 53.6 | 6.4 | 12.2 | - | - | - |
| 1950 Braves | 1 | 2 | .333 | 8 | 13 | n/a | 52.5 | 5.5 | 9.5 | - | - | - |
| 1951 Braves | 4 | 5 | .444 | 5 | 6 | n/a | 181.0 | 7.2 | 9.5 | - | - | - |
| 1952 Braves | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 17 | 2 | n/a | 61.3 | 5.7 | 10.2 | - | - | - |
| 1953 Braves | 0 | 0 | .000 | 3 | 18 | n/a | 0.0 | 11.5 | 5.8 | - | - | - |
| 1954 Braves | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 9 | n/a | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | - | - | - |
| Career | SB | CS | SB% | PH | PR | DH | AB/HR | AB/K | AB/RBI | K/BB | K/9 | BB/9 |
| 13 Years | 30 | 18 | .625 | 56 | 75 | n/a | 111.1 | 6.8 | 11.5 | - | - | - |
Sibby SistiSibby Sisti Miscellaneous Items of Interest |
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| Team | Roster | Uniform Numbers | Salary | All-Star | World Series |
| 1939 Boston Bees | 5, 25 | $2,400.00 | - | - |
| 1940 Boston Bees | 1 | $2,700.00 | - | - |
| 1941 Boston Braves | 1 | $3,600.00 | - | - |
| 1942 Boston Braves | 2 | $4,800.00 | - | - |
| 1946 Boston Braves | 2 | $4,800.00 | - | - |
| 1947 Boston Braves | 7 | $6,000.00 | - | - |
| 1948 Boston Braves | 7 | $8,000.00 | - | Stats |
| 1949 Boston Braves | 7 | $10,000.00 | - | - |
| 1950 Boston Braves | 7 | $12,000.00 | - | - |
| 1951 Boston Braves | 13 | $11,000.00 | - | - |
| 1952 Boston Braves | 13 | $12,000.00 | - | - |
| 1953 Milwaukee Braves | 13 | $11,000.00 | - | - |
| 1954 Milwaukee Braves | 13 | $11,000.00 | - | - |
| Sibby Sisti Stats by Baseball Almanac | ||||

Sebastian Daniel Sisti was a Major League Baseball player with the Boston Bees (1939-1940), Boston Braves (1941-1952), and Milwaukee Braves (1953-1954). Did you know that Sibby, his nickname, was enshrined into the Boston Braves Hall of Fame, the Canisius High Hall of Fame, the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame, and the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame — which has this superb biography on his page:

Sibby Sisti Rookie Card | 1949 Bowman Baseball Card (#201 | Checklist)
Baseball Almanac Research Library
SIBBY SISTI BIOGRAPHY
While power hitters and over-powering pitchers normally grab headlines in Major League Baseball, the contributions of role players are just as critical to a ballclub’s success. Few examples in major league history drive home that point more emphatically than the case of Buffalo’s Sibby Sisti.
A Canisius High graduate, Sisti joined the National League’s Boston Braves at the tender age of 18 in 1939. With the exception of time spent in the military (1943-1945), and a year at Indianapolis in which a .343 batting average won him Minor League Player of the Year honors from the Sporting News, Sisti spent the next fifteen years in a Braves uniform. His hustle and perseverance in the face of numerous injuries made him a fan favorite, and his mastery of the subtle nuances of the game and constant state of readiness won him the confidence of managers Casey Stengel and Billy Southworth.
One of the first true utility players, Sibby played every position on the diamond except catcher. His most notable contribution as a substitute came in 1948, when he took over the second-base duties for injured star Eddie Stanky in June, and helped spark the Braves to their first pennant since 1914.
Sisti’s career statistics are not eye-catching. His highest batting average for a season was .281, and his career high in doubles and runs batted in were a modest 24 and 45, respectively (in 1941). However, in a game where every position on the field demands specialized skills, Sisti crafted a career from the ability to play any position at any time, often on short notice. Baseball’s offensive stars rest secure in the familiarity of a single defensive position; Sisti played with the pressure and anxiety borne of the fact that speed and multi-faceted defense skill was the key to his survival in the big leagues. In that perspective, Sisti’s .244 career batting average is respectable, and the longevity which produced 1,016 major league games and 2,999 major league at-bats is testament to the value of his versatility. Speed was the key for Sisti, offensively and defensively (he was also a shrewd and skillful bunter).
After retiring as a player, Sisti managed and coached in six different cities, including Buffalo. Although his active life in baseball ended in the 1970s, Sibby has maintained ties to his former colleagues, frequenting the golf tournaments at which former big-leaguers gather to reminisce and spin tall tales.
Sisti achieved great popularity with the fans during his days in Boston (he is a member of the Braves Hall of Fame), and has also achieved notoriety in his hometown with his selection to the Canisius High Hall of Fame and the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame. In 2001, his selection to the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame adds a fitting exclamation point to his baseball career.
Source: Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame (link).

Sibby Sisti and Robert Redford | The Natural (1984) | IMDB.com
The Internet Movie Database (Source) has a brief entry for Sibby Sisti also, it reads, "Sibby Sisti was born on July 26, 1920 in Buffalo, New York, USA as Sebasitan Daniel Sisti. He was an actor, known for The Natural (1984) and 1948 World Series (1948). He died on April 24, 2006 in Amherst, New York." Sibby actually did serve as a consultant on the the film and played the role of the Pittsburgh manager (photo above).
The Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year was once awarded annually to the best minor leaguer. First awarded in 1936, discontinued in 2005, making Sibby Sisti — who won in 1946 — one of six shortstops to ever receive the honor, joining Phil Rizzuto (1940), Bobby Grich (1971), Jose Offerman (1990), Derek Jeter (1994) and Brandon Wood (2005).