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Roy Edward Sievers (November 18, 1926 – April 3, 2017) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a first baseman and left fielder from 1949 through 1965. A five-time All-Star, Sievers was the first American League (AL) rookie-of-the-year in 1949, and the 1957 AL home run leader and RBI champion. He played for the St. Louis Browns, Washington Senators, Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, and the expansion Washington Senators. Sievers batted and threw right-handed.

Key Information

Early life

[edit]

Sievers was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on November 18, 1926, and was raised by his parents in St. Louis with his two brothers. He attended Beaumont High School, and played on the baseball team where coach Ray Elliott taught him how to hit with power. Three of his high school teammates became major league players, and contemporaneous Beaumont junior varsity player Earl Weaver became a Hall of Fame manager. Sievers was nicknamed "Squirrel" as a schoolboy basketball star.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Sievers grew up three blocks from Sportsman's Park where both the St. Louis Cardinals and Browns played major league baseball. His father worked for an iron supply company, and once had a tryout as a professional baseball player.[5]

Professional baseball

[edit]

Sievers was signed out of high school in 1944 by the St. Louis Browns, but then served two years in the U.S. Army before starting his minor league career in the Browns' farm system.[4][5]

Minor leagues

[edit]

In 1947, Sievers was assigned to the Class C Hannibal Pilots of the Central Association. He had a .317 batting average, with 34 home runs, 141 runs batted in (RBI), 121 runs scored, 159 base hits, a .583 slugging percentage and .990 OPS (on-base plus slugging).[7] Sievers led the Central Association in base hits, home runs, runs, RBIs and total bases.[3] He played the majority of the 1948 season with the Class B Springfield Browns, batting .309, with 19 home runs and 75 RBIs in only 343 at bats.[8] He also met his future wife Joan (Colburn) Sievers, whom he married the next year.[3]

Major leagues

[edit]

St. Louis Browns

[edit]

In 1949, Sievers won the inaugural American League (AL) Rookie of the Year and The Sporting News (TSN) Rookie of the Year awards.[4][3][9] He had a .306 batting average (which would be the highest of his career), with 16 home runs, 91 RBIs, 84 runs and an .869 OPS, for the seventh place St. Louis Browns.[10][11] His average fell to .238 in 1950, with only ten home runs.[12] In 1951, he played in only 31 games for the Browns, and was sent to the Double-A San Antonio Missions to work on his hitting. After only 39 games, he suffered a right shoulder injury with the Missions, while trying to make a diving catch in the outfield. The injury, with a dislocation and torn muscles, was so severe he blacked out.[13][14][15][16]

The following winter he was diagnosed as having a chronic dislocation of his right shoulder, and it was expected he would miss at least half of the 1952 season.[15] He had not responded to treatment and was sent to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore for more specialized diagnosis and treatment. There was a fear he would never play again if he could not use his throwing arm, and the Browns moved him from the outfield to first base.[16] He played in only 11 games for the Browns in 1952, but in 1953 Sievers played in 92 games and hit .270, with eight home runs in 285 at bats.[11]

The Browns were moving to Baltimore in 1954, and had become the Baltimore Orioles. In February 1954, the Orioles traded Sievers to the Washington Senators for Gil Coan before the 1954 season; without his ever having played as an Oriole.[4][17][18]

Original Washington Senators

[edit]

Sievers became the standout star player on a chronically poor Senators team.[5] In Washington, Sievers collected 95 or more RBIs and played at least 144 games during five consecutive years (1954–58). Sievers's most productive season as a major league player came in 1957, when he led the league in home runs (42), RBI (114), extra base hits (70) and total bases (331), while batting .301.[19] Sievers hit home runs in six consecutive games that year, a record until 1956.[4][5] He finished third in the Most Valuable Player (MVP) ballot (behind Mickey Mantle and Ted Williams) with four first-place votes and 205 points.[20] In 1958, he had a team-leading 39 homes runs, 108 RBIs and .295 batting average.[21] Over his full six years in Washington, he hit 180 home runs with 574 RBIs and an .859 OPS.[11] Sievers made the AL All-Star Team as a Senator three times (1956–57, 1959).[11]

Despite his shoulder issues, he played the majority of games for the Senators in left field, not at first base. In March of 1954, Sievers was still in the process of recovering his arm strength and he could not make throws from the outfield.[22] Senators' manager Bucky Harris, however, showed confidence in Sievers being able to improve his throwing and play in the outfield again.[11][5] In 1954, he led all AL players in games played in left field (133) and putouts (296) by a left fielder. He was second in the league among left fielders with 10 assists, and was third in fielding percentage (.971).[23]

In 1955, he was first among left fielders in fielding percentage (.988), second in games played (129) and putouts (245), and fifth in assists (6).[24] In 1956, he split time almost evenly between left field and first base,[11] but in 1957, he was third among left fielders in games played, putouts and assists, and fourth in fielding percentage.[25] In 1958, he again led all AL leftfielders in fielding percentage (.991), but only played 114 games in left field that year, still ranking fourth and fifth in putouts and assists.[26]

In 1959, Sievers was injured three times and played the vast majority of his 115 games at first base.[11][27] Even with the reduced play and injuries, he hit 21 home runs, but only batted .242 with 49 RBIs.[11] He was still selected to both 1959 All-Star games.[11]

Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and expansion Washington Senators

[edit]

On April 4, 1960, Sievers went to the Chicago White Sox in a trade that sent Earl Battey and Don Mincher to Washington, plus cash.[28] A year earlier, the White Sox had offered $250,000 for Sievers and two other players, and also reportedly offered $300,000 and five players (including Battey) but the Senators declined.[29][27] The White Sox still went to the 1959 World Series.[30] The 1960 offer was reduced in light of Sievers 1959 injury history.[27]

Sievers did rebound from his 1959 season. In his first year with the Sox, he hit .295 with 28 home runs, 93 RBIs and a .930 OPS, and had almost an identical season in 1961, hitting .295 with 27 home runs, 92 RBIs and a .913 OPS[11] making his fourth All-Star appearance in the second 1960 All-Star Game.[31] He led the White Sox in home runs both years, playing almost entirely at first base.[32][33][11] In 1960, the White Sox finished in third place in the AL (87–67),[34] and fourth place in 1961 (86–76).[35]

After the 1961 season, the White Sox traded him to the National League (NL) Phillies for Charley Smith and John Buzhardt.[36] He remained a first baseman for the Phillies. In 1962, he played in 144 games, batting .262 with 21 home runs and 80 RBIs; and in 1963, he played in 138 games, batting .240, with 19 home runs and 82 RBIs.[11]

In 1964, he had played in only 49 games, with a .183 batting average and only four home runs when the Phillies sold his contract rights to the expansion Washington Senators on July 16, 1964.[36][37][38] Sievers played in only 33 games for the Senators in 1964, and 12 games in 1965, when he was released on May 15.[36] He played his final game on May 9, 1965, coming up as a pinch hitter, and then replaced by a pinch hitter.[39]

Legacy

[edit]
Sievers in 1993

Ned Garver, who pitched in the American League during the 1950s, considered Sievers the best first baseman in the league during that time.[40] Sal Maglie, star pitcher for the New York Giants who specialized in throwing the curveball, used Sievers as an example of a curveball hitter in a 1958 article for Sports Illustrated.[41]

At the time of his death in 2017, Sievers was the oldest living member of the expansion Senators team.[citation needed] Sievers was one of only nine players to don the uniform of both the original and expansion Washington Senators teams, the others being Rudy Hernández, Héctor Maestri, Don Mincher, Camilo Pascual, Pedro Ramos, Johnny Schaive, Zoilo Versalles, and Hal Woodeshick.[42]

At a time when achieving 300 home runs was still a rarity, he became only the 22nd ballplayer to reach the plateau;[citation needed] he is also the earliest to hit 300 career home runs and not eventually be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.[citation needed]

In a 17-season career, Sievers was a .267 hitter with 318 home runs, 1,703 hits, and 1,147 RBIs, in 1,887 games. Defensively, he compiled a career .989 fielding percentage.[11]

Coaching and managing

[edit]

After his playing career ended, he served one season (1966) as a coach for the Cincinnati Reds[43] and managed in the minor leagues for the New York Mets and Oakland Athletics.[5] He managed the Williamsport Mets of the Eastern League in 1967 to a 73–66 record.[44] He managed the Mets' Texas League affiliated Memphis Blues to a 67–69 record in 1968.[45] He also managed the Single-A Burlington Bees of the Midwest League (an Oakland Athletics' affiliate) in 1969-70.[46][47] He stopped managing because he could not afford to raise his family on what he was being paid.[48] Sievers returned to St. Louis and worked for a trucking firm.[5]

Honors

[edit]

Sievers was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.[49] He has also been inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame.[50]

Personal life

[edit]

While playing for the Senators, Sievers developed a friendship with then Vice President Richard M. Nixon. He met three other presidents in addition to Nixon (Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon B. Johnson), and even Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.[4] Nixon was the master of ceremonies at a special night honoring Sievers in 1957.[5]

In the 1958 movie Damn Yankees, it is Sievers's swing of the bat that is actually shown when the character played by Tab Hunter is batting.[5]

Death

[edit]

Sievers died in his home in Spanish Lake, Missouri, on April 3, 2017, age 90.[51][4]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Roy Sievers

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Roy Sievers (November 18, 1926 – April 3, 2017) was an American professional baseball player who primarily played as a first baseman and left fielder over 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1949 to 1965. A right-handed batter and thrower born in St. Louis, Missouri, Sievers began his career with the St. Louis Browns after signing in 1945 following a standout high school tenure at Beaumont High, where he excelled in baseball and basketball. Sievers' professional journey included stints with the St. Louis Browns (1949–1953), Washington Senators (1954–1959 and 1964–1965), Chicago White Sox (1960–1961), and Philadelphia Phillies (1962–1964), appearing in 1,887 games and compiling a career batting average of .267 with 1,703 hits, 318 home runs, and 1,147 runs batted in (RBIs). His breakout year came in 1949 as the inaugural American League Rookie of the Year, when he hit .306 with 16 home runs and 91 RBIs for the Browns. Sievers peaked in 1957 with the Senators, leading the AL with 42 home runs and 114 RBIs while batting .301, earning a third-place finish in MVP voting and his second All-Star selection that decade. He was a four-time All-Star (1956, 1957, 1959, and 1961) and placed in the top 10 of AL MVP voting three times, establishing himself as one of the league's premier power hitters during the 1950s. After retiring, Sievers coached for the in 1966 and managed in minor league systems for the and from 1967 to 1970, later working for 18 years at Yellow Freight Systems in . He was inducted into the St. Louis Browns Historical Society Hall of Fame and remembered for his contributions to the game, particularly revitalizing fan interest in Washington during his Senators tenure.

Early life

Birth and family

Roy Sievers was born on November 18, 1926, in , , to Walter "Skinny" Sievers and Anna Sievers (née Hirt). His father, born in 1892 and a lifelong resident, worked at an iron supply company and had pursued ambitions of his own, playing ball and attending an unsuccessful tryout with the Detroit Tigers before serving in . Anna, born in 1900, had immigrated from as a child in 1909 and was a native German speaker; the couple married in 1917. The Sievers family was working-class and resided just three blocks from , the home stadium shared by the St. Louis Cardinals and , providing young with constant exposure to professional baseball games visible from his neighborhood. Walter and Anna had four sons—Walter Jr., Russell, William, and , the youngest—all of whom played baseball, fostering a household deeply immersed in the sport. Walter Sievers' own experiences in local sandlot leagues served as a primary motivator for Roy's early passion for , as the father later reflected, "We were all ballplayers." This family environment in 's baseball-rich community laid the groundwork for Roy's lifelong dedication to the game.

Youth and amateur career

Roy Sievers attended Beaumont High School in , , where he excelled in both and , earning all-district honors in each sport for three consecutive years. Under baseball coach Ray Elliott, Sievers developed his powerful hitting style while playing alongside future major leaguers such as Bobby Hofman, , and Jack Maguire. His high school team was part of a competitive local scene that included future Hall of Famer on the junior varsity squad. During his teenage years, Sievers acquired the nickname "Squirrel" from his constant presence around the basketball cage during practice sessions, reflecting his dedication to the sport despite his 6-foot-1 lanky frame. Growing up just three blocks from , home to the Cardinals and , he was immersed in a baseball-rich environment that fueled his passion for the game. Sievers honed his skills in early amateur competition through the city's league, playing outfield for the Stockham Post team under coach Leo Browne starting around age 16. His performances there drew significant attention from professional scouts, including the St. Louis Cardinals' Wally Shannon, who followed him for three years, and the Browns' Lou Magoulo. In 1945, shortly after graduating high school, Sievers signed with the as a , receiving a modest bonus of a new pair of shoes. However, his entry into was delayed by ; drafted into the U.S. that same year, he served two years as a military policeman in a non-combat role, missing the 1945 and 1946 seasons before reporting to the Browns' camp in 1947.

Professional career

Minor leagues

Roy Sievers signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Browns in 1944 but enlisted in the U.S. Army shortly after, serving until his discharge in 1947. He was immediately assigned to the Class C Hannibal Pilots of the Central Association, making his professional debut that season at age 20. Playing primarily in the outfield and at third base, Sievers adapted quickly to professional play, appearing in 125 games and posting a .317 batting average with 34 home runs and 141 RBIs. His power output led the league in home runs—no other player hit more than 19—and earned him All-Star honors in the Central Association. In 1948, Sievers advanced through the Browns' system, beginning the season with the Class A of the Eastern League, where he struggled initially with a .179 average over 16 games and 2 home runs in 56 at-bats. Demoted in late May to the Class B Springfield Browns of the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League (also known as the Three-I League), he rebounded strongly, hitting .309 with 19 home runs and 65 RBIs in 96 games, leading league outfielders in assists with 22 and demonstrating improved defensive range in the outfield. This performance, which included 21 home runs across both stops, secured his promotion to the major leagues for the 1949 season. Over his two minor league seasons from 1947 to 1948, Sievers compiled a .304 with 55 home runs and 224 RBIs in 237 games, establishing himself as a premier power prospect despite needing refinement in his fielding fundamentals across multiple positions. His development emphasized at the plate, honed from high school that highlighted his potential, positioning him as a key organizational asset for .

St. Louis Browns (1949–1953)

Roy Sievers made his Major League Baseball debut on April 21, 1949, as a pinch-hitter for the against the Cleveland Indians, though he struck out in his first at-bat. In his rookie season, Sievers established himself as a promising , batting .306 with 16 home runs and 91 RBIs over 123 games, leading all rookies in home runs and earning the inaugural AL Rookie of the Year Award. Building on the power he displayed in the in 1948, where he hit 21 home runs, Sievers quickly adapted to big-league pitching and contributed significantly to the Browns' offense. From 1950 to 1953, Sievers' performance was hampered by recurring shoulder injuries that limited his playing time and effectiveness. In 1950, a broken collarbone leading to severe damage caused him to miss significant time, resulting in a .238 , 10 , and 57 RBIs in 113 games. The injuries persisted into 1951, when he batted .225 with just 1 in 31 games before a season-ending shoulder separation in August; he appeared in only 11 games in 1952 following and managed a .270 average with 8 in 92 games in 1953. Over these four seasons, he hit 19 in total while the Browns struggled, finishing last in the AL each year and eventually relocating to after the 1953 season. As a right-handed power-hitting and , Sievers was renowned for his graceful, fluid swing, which New York Yankees manager once described as the sweetest in the league. Despite defensive challenges, particularly in the outfield exacerbated by his shoulder issues, he excelled in clutch situations, earning the nickname "Mr. Clutch" for his ability to deliver in late innings. Following the 1953 season, amid the franchise's relocation woes, Sievers was traded to the Washington Senators on February 18, 1954, for outfielder Gil Coan.

Washington Senators (1954–1959)

On February 18, 1954, the Washington Senators acquired Roy Sievers from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for outfielder Gil Coan, marking the start of his tenure with the original Senators franchise. During his six seasons with Washington from 1954 to 1959, Sievers established himself as the team's premier power hitter, posting a .267 batting average with 180 home runs and 610 RBIs while primarily playing left field and first base. His consistent production provided a bright spot for the Senators, who finished no higher than fifth in the American League during this period and often languished in the lower half of the standings. Sievers' most dominant year came in 1957, when he batted .301 with 42 home runs, 114 RBIs, and 331 , leading the in all three categories and becoming the first Senators player to claim the RBI title. That season, he also finished third in AL Most Valuable Player voting, behind and , earning four first-place votes for his standout performance on a last-place team that won just 63 games. Building on his earlier career foundation with , where injuries had limited his output, Sievers overcame lingering shoulder issues from a 1950 broken collarbone by refining his swing mechanics, which allowed him to maintain power despite occasional arm soreness. His 42 homers in 1957 put him on a clear trajectory toward 300 career home runs, a milestone he would reach in 1963 after accumulating over 250 during his Senators years. As a vocal clubhouse presence and fan favorite in Washington, D.C., Sievers served as an unofficial leader for the perennial underachievers, drawing crowds to with his prodigious home runs—many of which cleared the park's deep right-field fence—and earning widespread popularity as the Senators' most reliable star. He was selected to the All-Star team three times during this span (, , and ), showcasing his prime form in midsummer classics and solidifying his reputation as one of the league's top sluggers. In 1958, Sievers nearly matched his 1957 output with 39 home runs and 108 RBIs, batting .273 and again anchoring the lineup amid the team's struggles.

Later teams (1960–1965)

In January 1960, Sievers was traded from the Washington Senators to the in exchange for catcher , infielder , and $150,000, marking the beginning of his tenure with a contending team. In his first season with the White Sox, he enjoyed a strong resurgence, batting .295 with 28 home runs and 93 RBIs over 127 games, primarily at first base in a platoon with . Sievers repeated the high of .295 in 1961, adding 27 home runs and 92 RBIs in 141 games, contributing to the White Sox's pennant-winning campaign despite the team's overall age and defensive challenges. Following the 1961 season, Sievers was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies on November 28 in exchange for infielder Charley Smith and pitcher John Buzhardt, shifting him to the National League as a part-time amid declining outfield mobility. With the Phillies, he provided veteran leadership on a improving squad, batting .262 with 21 and 80 RBIs in 144 games during 1962. His production dipped slightly in 1963 to .240 with 19 and 82 RBIs over 138 games, but he reached a career milestone on July 19 by hitting his 300th —a walk-off two-run shot off New York Mets pitcher Roger Craig in the bottom of the ninth at Stadium, securing a 2-1 victory. Limited by injuries in 1964, Sievers hit .183 with 4 and 16 RBIs in 49 games before being sold to the expansion Washington Senators on July 16. Reunited with the Senators franchise, though now in a new expansion iteration, Sievers appeared in 33 games in , batting .172 with 4 home runs and 11 RBIs mostly as a pinch-hitter, reflecting his adaptation to a reduced role at first base. He signed a brief contract with the Senators on April 5, 1965, but managed only 12 games with a .190 average and no home runs before his release on May 15, playing his final major league game on May 9 at age 38. This concluded Sievers' 17-year MLB career, during which he transitioned from outfield duties in his prime to first base and mentoring capacities in his later years, offering guidance to younger teammates on a rebuilding Senators club.

Coaching and managing

After retiring as a player in 1965, Roy Sievers transitioned to coaching with the in 1966, serving as their hitting coach and first base/outfield instructor under manager Don Heffner. His role focused on refining players' offensive techniques, leveraging his own background as a prolific during his major league tenure with the Washington Senators. Sievers' contract was not renewed after the season, prompting him to pursue opportunities in management. In 1967, Sievers managed the New York Mets' Double-A affiliate, the Williamsport Mets of the Eastern League, guiding the team to a 73–66 record and a second-place finish in the Western Division. The following year, he took over the Mets' other Double-A club, the in the , where the team posted a 67–69 mark, finishing fifth in the Eastern Division. Sievers' emphasis on power hitting techniques—drawn from his career totals of 318 home runs—helped develop young prospects, though his teams generally hovered below .500 overall during this period. Sievers continued managing in 1969 with the Class A Burlington Bees of the , an affiliate of the , leading them to a 58–66 record and fifth place. He returned for a final season in 1970, compiling a 56–68 finish that placed the Bees ninth, after which he was released and left full-time involvement.

Achievements and legacy

Awards and honors

Sievers earned the inaugural Rookie of the Year Award in 1949, becoming the first recipient in league history after batting .306 with 16 home runs and 91 RBIs for the . He was selected to the team four times (1956, 1957, 1959, and 1961), appearing in five Games. In 1957, Sievers led the AL in home runs with 42, RBIs with 114, and with 331, while finishing third in voting behind and . Throughout his career, Sievers hit 10 grand slam home runs, a mark that tied him for seventh all-time upon his retirement, and he also recorded 10 pinch-hit home runs, an record at the time.

Statistical highlights

Roy Sievers played in 1,887 games over 17 major league seasons, compiling a .267 with 1,703 hits, 318 home runs, 1,147 RBIs, and 945 runs scored. His career was .354, .475, and .829, reflecting a power-hitting profile with solid contact skills but limited speed, as evidenced by just 14 stolen bases. Sievers hit nine walk-off home runs, many in , showcasing his ability in late-game situations. One of Sievers' peak seasons came in 1957 with the Washington Senators, when he batted .301 with 42 home runs and 114 RBIs, leading the American League in both categories and earning All-Star selection. He demonstrated exceptional power in Griffith Stadium, the Senators' home park known for its expansive dimensions, hitting 180 home runs during his Washington tenure from 1954 to 1959— a franchise record that underscored his ability to drive the ball despite the venue's challenges. Sievers reached the 300-home-run milestone in 1963, becoming the first player to achieve that mark without induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, a distinction he shared with at the time. Praised by Yankees manager for possessing "the sweetest right-handed swing" in the league, Sievers was a prototypical slugger who emphasized power over baserunning, posting low totals amid his nine seasons of 20 or more home runs. His 1949 Rookie of the Year award, the first in history, was bolstered by a .306 average, 16 home runs, and 91 RBIs in his debut season with the .

Post-career recognition

After his playing career ended in 1965, Sievers remained active in through tours that extended into the late and beyond, often highlighting his renowned power-hitting ability in exhibition games. He regularly participated with such teams throughout the decade, including a prominent 1958 tour to where his All-Stars faced off against ' squad in a series of matches, drawing large crowds and showcasing major league talent abroad. Sievers also ventured into media and cultural aspects of , serving as the swinging double for actor in long shots during the 1958 film , where he portrayed aspects of the fictional slugger Joe Hardy based on his own Senators uniform and style. He maintained ties to his early professional roots by attending annual reunions, including those organized by the Browns Historical Society, where he engaged with fans and former teammates well into his later years. Sievers was inducted into the Historical Society Hall of Fame. In recognition of his career achievements, Sievers was inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame in 1992 as an athlete in . At the time of his death on April 3, 2017, he was the oldest living member of the 1961 expansion Washington Senators team. A full-length biography, Roy Sievers: "The Sweetest Right Handed Swing" in 1950s by Paul Scimonelli, was published in 2016, drawing on interviews to underscore his overlooked contributions as a consistent during an era of transition for the sport.

Personal life and later years

Family and marriage

Sievers met Joan Colburn of , while playing minor-league for the Springfield Browns in 1948, and the couple married the following year in 1949, coinciding with his major league debut. They had three children: two sons, Rob and the late David, and one daughter, Shawn. The lasted more than 57 years until Joan's death in 2006. Following his retirement from , Sievers returned to his native area with Joan and their children, establishing a stable home life there after years of travel associated with his career.

Post-retirement

Following his departure from in 1970, Roy Sievers entered the logistics industry, joining Yellow Freight Systems in , where he worked for 18 years in operations and delivery roles. He advanced to a supervisory position, drawing on the organizational and leadership skills honed during his playing and days to manage teams and streamline workflows in the trucking sector. Sievers retired from Yellow Freight in 1986 after being let go, remarking lightheartedly to his wife, "It's time to retire." In his post-baseball years, Sievers remained engaged with the sport through community activities, regularly attending annual St. Louis Browns reunions and participating in old-timers' games, often donning a replica Browns uniform to share stories from his era. He also joined panels at events like conventions, where he recounted experiences with figures such as alongside fellow Browns alumni. These occasional speaking engagements focused on the 1950s major leagues, allowing Sievers to connect with fans and preserve history without pursuing full-time media commitments. Sievers maintained a low-profile lifestyle in St. Louis, prioritizing time with his family while staying attuned to the game as a spectator. Despite his fame as a power-hitting star, he avoided high-visibility roles in broadcasting or endorsements, opting instead for a steady, family-centered routine that reflected his grounded personality.

Death

Roy Sievers died on April 3, 2017, at his home in Spanish Lake, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, at the age of 90. A service was held on May 20, 2017, at St. Paul’s in . He was cremated, with no public details on final disposition. Sievers was survived by his children, son Rob and daughter Shawn. issued tributes following his passing, recognizing him as the first Rookie of the Year winner in and a four-time . At the time of his death, Sievers held the distinction of being the oldest living recipient of that award and the oldest surviving member of the 1961 expansion Washington Senators team. No major posthumous honors have been awarded as of 2025, though his biography emphasizes his underrated power-hitting career amid injuries and team struggles.

References

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  2. https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sievero01.shtml
  3. https://www.mlb.com/news/first-al-rookie-of-the-year-roy-sievers-dies-c222446676
  4. https://thisdayinbaseball.com/roy-sievers-page/
  5. https://www.stlshof.com/roy-sievers/
  6. https://baseballhall.org/discover/card-corner-1959-topps-roy-sievers
  7. https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/trades.php?p=sievero01
  8. https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/1944-transactions.shtml
  9. https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=siever001roy
  10. https://www.diamondsinthedusk.com/uploads/articles/302-SIEVERS_Roy.pdf
  11. https://dcbaseballhistory.com/2025/04/a-gamble-that-payed-off/
  12. https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/stats/p-c8add426
  13. https://dcbaseballhistory.com/2025/02/this-date-in-washington-senators-history-coan-is-traded-for-seivers/
  14. https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/February_18
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  16. https://dcbaseballhistory.com/2018/04/roy-sievers-underrated-and-undervalued-deserves-to-be-honored/
  17. https://mosportshalloffame.com/inductees/roy-sievers/
  18. https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/august-3-1957-sievers-blasts-senators-to-win-at-end-of-long-hot-afternoon/
  19. https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/home_run.php?p=sievero01
  20. https://thebaseballcube.com/content/stats_mlb.asp?ID=1966~8&View=staff
  21. https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/stats/t-wm15394/y-1967
  22. https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/roster/t-mb12916/y-1968
  23. https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/roster/t-bb10640/y-1969
  24. https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/roster/t-bb10640/y-1970
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  26. https://www.mlb.com/player/roy-sievers-122221
  27. https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/roy.shtml
  28. https://collectrea.com/archives/2024/Fall/2626/october-17-1958-major-league-all-stars-mexican-barnstorming-ticket-featuring-willie-mays
  29. https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=sievero01
  30. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/stltoday/name/joan-sievers-obituary?id=2866995
  31. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/04/sports/baseball/roy-sievers-dead-slugger-with-washington-senators.html
  32. https://sabr.org/convention/history
  33. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/178092699/roy-sievers
  34. https://www.hutchensfuneralhomes.com/obituaries/Roy-E-Sievers?obId=25209263
  35. http://thestlbrowns.blogspot.com/2015/03/roy-sievers-becomes-oldest-living.html
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