Ostermueller Is Through; Asks and Gets his Release

Fritz Ostermueller Newspaper Article

Ostermueller Is Through; Asks and Gets his Release

Quincyan Winds UP Career of 14 Years in Major Leagues;

Pittsburgh, Oct. 6.–AP -“Old Folks” Fritz Ostermueller yesterday voluntarily retired after 14 years of pitching in the major leagues.  At his own request, the 41-year-old southpaw was released by the Pittsburgh Pirates. He will return to his home at Quincy, Ill.

Fritz broke into the majors in 1934. He played with the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Browns of the American league and Brooklyn and Pittsburgh in the National league. His lifetime record was 114 non against 115 losses.

He joined the Pirates in 1944 and won 49 while losing 42. This year his record was eight and 11.

“Old Folks,” as he was called by his teammates, might have gone along pitching forever. His decision may have been influenced by an incident on a plane in St. Louis. As Fritz told the story, the hostess, noting the familiar name on the passenger list and being somewhat of a baseball fan, gushed: “Oh Mr. Ostermueller, did you come all the way to St. Louis to see your son pitch.”

Osty told reporters some time ago that he would have a story far them on the last day of the season. When they guessed it would be his retirement, he begged: “Don’t use it now. The hitters on the other clubs might try to hurry it up.”

Osty was one of those athletes whose best day came at the end of his career. As he often said, he never learned to pitch until “I lost all my stuff and had to start thinking.”

Started With Quincy

Just 22 years ago a young left-hander pitching in the Quincy’s Parish league, attracted  attention of the then operators of Quincy’s Three-I league, and was signed. Monday that same chap, after a career of 22 seasons in baseball and 14 years in the big league, asked for and was given his release by the Pittsburgh Pirates, and thus Fritz Ostermueller ended a long diamond career.

Fritz pitched for the Quincy Three-I club through part of the 1927 season and then moved up to Wheeling and from there he went to Topeka, to Shawnee, to Rochester, to St., Joseph, to Greensboro, back to Rochester, back to Greensboro up to Rochester again and then he went up into the big time, to the Boston Red Sox, where he was a fixture for six years.

On December 3, 1941, Fritz was sold to the St. Louis Browns. On July 15, 1943, Ostermueller was traded, along with Archie McKain, to the Brooklyn Dodgers for Buck Newsom. On May 31, 1944, Branch Rickey notified Fritz that he had been traded, with Hill Lohrman, to Syracuse for Outfielder Goodie Rosen.

Fritz; balked and went back into the big time when the Pirates grabbed him the next day, and he stayed with the Pirates through this season, except for service in the navy from May 10, 1945, to July 20 of the same year, when he was  discharged and rejoined the Pirates.

FRITZ OSTERMUELLER, who started his baseball career in Quincy, has asked for, and been given, his release by the Pittsburgh Pirates after 22 years in baseball, 14 of them as a Pitcher in the major leagues with the Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Browns, Brooklyn Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Source: Not provided, but believe it is the Quincy Herald-Whig.