Batted Right Threw Left At bats 2 | Games played 2 Hits 2 | |
Died 12 January 1959, Los Angeles, California, United States | ||
Sidney Kohlsachs (August 8, 1924 – January 12, 1959) was a professional baseball player in the 1940s. Kohlsachs was born in Winnipeg, Canada, to Jewish parents who were born in Europe.
Kohlsachs played in two games in the major leagues (for the Cincinnati Reds). He had a hit on his first and only at bat, however, following the game, Kohlsachs left baseball to enlist in the U.S. Army where he fought in Germany during World War II. During the war he was a member of the 10th Armored Division and participated in the fighting during the Siege of Bastogne. Kohlsachs was awarded the Silver Star by Brigadier General Anthony Clement "Nuts" McAuliffe for extraordinary bravery. However, Kohlsachs would become known for not accepting the medal because, as he put it, "My fallen brothers are much more deserving than I."
Following the war, to honor Kohlsachs, the Reds brought him back and signed him to one game, the anniversary of his major league debut. In the third inning, six years removed from baseball, Kohlsach walked to the plate to a standing ovation and got a base hit.
A film about his life is in development.
Biography
Kohlsachs was born in Winnipeg, Canada, to Jewish parents who had been born in Europe.