Sean Lowe
1.5K posts

Sean Lowe
@jslowe50
Husband|Father of four|Former @MLB pitcher /Skeeter, Highlander and Sundevil|Owner J S L Builders|Avid fisherman and hunter|Baseball coach

Former Cardinals Coach Spotlight - George Kissell George Kissell was a highly influential figure in baseball, best known for his remarkable 69-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals organization. Born on September 9, 1920, in Watertown, New York, Kissell dedicated his life to the sport, serving in various roles including minor league player, manager, coach, scout, and instructor, as well as a Major League coach. He never played in the major leagues himself, but left an indelible mark on the Cardinals and the game through his teaching and mentorship. Kissell joined the Cardinals in 1940, signed by Branch Rickey as an infielder, primarily playing third base and shortstop. Standing at 5'8" and weighing 168 pounds, he was a right-handed batter and thrower who peaked at the Class B level as a player. His playing career was interrupted by World War II, during which he served three years in the U.S. Navy. Upon returning in 1946, he transitioned into a player-manager role and eventually focused on coaching and instruction. Widely regarded as the architect of "The Cardinal Way" - a philosophy emphasizing fundamentals, teamwork, and strategic play - Kissell shaped generations of Cardinals players. From Stan Musial in the 1940s to Mark McGwire in the 1990s, he tutored countless athletes and managers including Hall of Famers Joe Torre and Tony La Russa, who credited him with profound influence. Torre, for instance, learned to play third base under Kissell’s guidance, a skill that contributed to his 1971 National League MVP award. “He did more for me than baseball, he made me a part of his family. George’s fingerprints, his footprints are all over the institution that is our game. His stamp is literally there to see every day, every game that we play.” - Tony LaRussa Kissell’s teaching methods, often innovative - like bouncing balls off jagged walls and bouncing balls off of a bed of rocks to sharpen reflexes and dexterity - were legendary, as was his ability to explain the game, famously summed up by Whitey Herzog’s quip that Kissell could “talk for 15 minutes about a ground ball.” Kissell’s career highlights include managing minor league teams (e.g., leading the 1950 Winston-Salem Cardinals to a 106-47 record), coaching the Cardinals’ Major League team from 1969 to 1975, and later serving as a roving fundamentals instructor and senior field coordinator. He managed a truly astonishing 2471 games in rookie/instructional and minor league baseball over 20 years. His contributions earned him numerous honors: induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame (2003), the King of Baseball award (1993), and the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame (2015). The Cardinals’ spring training clubhouse in Jupiter, Florida, bears his name, and the organization annually presents the George Kissell Award to a minor league coach. He died on October 7, 2008, at the age of 88, from injuries sustained in a car accident in Pinellas Park, Florida, where he was a passenger in a vehicle driven by his daughter. Kissell’s legacy endures through "The Cardinal Way," a manual he helped develop, and the countless players and managers who revered him as a teacher, a friend and baseball’s ultimate fundamentals guru. "Tell me and I'll forget. Show me and I'll remember. Involve me and I'll understand." - George Kissell #STLCards








Worked on 4-Seam, 2-Seam, Curveball & Changeup creating more spin on the ball to increase movement and velocity. @jslowe50 @ClintBurkey @justinruggiano






@notgaetti @baseball_ref @Stathead Albert Pujols has 1 sac bunt in his career. Can we find it?











