David M. Sisler, former A.G. Edwards exec from baseball family, dies

BY TODD C. FRANKEL • tfrankel@post-dispatch.com > http://www.stltoday.com/

David M. Sisler, a former A.G. Edwards executive who pitched for seven seasons in major league baseball and came from a well-known baseball family, died Sunday (Jan. 9, 2011) in St. Louis.

Sisler, 79, died from complications of prostate cancer, said his son David G. Sisler of Plano, Texas.

The Ladue resident was the last survivor of four children of Baseball Hall of Fame player George Sisler, the player nicknamed "Gorgeous George" who spent 12 of 15 seasons with the St. Louis Browns, twice hit over .400 in a season and long held the single-season hits record. Fellow Hall of Famer Ty Cobb once called him "the nearest thing to a perfect ballplayer." George Sisler died in 1973.

Growing up in St. Louis in his father's long shadow, Sisler was a standout high school athlete in football, basketball and baseball. He continued playing basketball and baseball at Princeton, where he graduated magna cum laude.

"Sometimes he thought he was a better basketball player than baseball player," his son recalled.

But Sisler went on to play baseball as a righthanded pitcher from 1956 to 1962 for the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators and Cincinnati Reds. Known as a power pitcher, he posted a 38-44 career record with a 4.33 ERA. In 1956, he was named the Red Sox rookie of the year by Boston baseball writers. He considered his best season to be with the 1960 Tigers, when he went 7-5 with a 2.48 ERA, said his son.

After baseball, he joined A.G. Edwards in St. Louis as a stockbroker. He rose to be the company's vice chairman over a three-decade career.

He was married for 54 years to Janet Sisler. He is survived by his wife, his son and three grandchildren.

His brother Dick Sisler, who played eight seasons in major league baseball, including time with the St. Louis Cardinals, died in 1998.

Another brother George Sisler Jr., a longtime minor league baseball executive, died in 2006.

His sister Frances Sisler Drochelman, of Frontenac, died last year. She was on hand as the family's representative for the 2004 game in Seattle when Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki broke Gorgeous George's 84-year-old record of most hits in a season.