One-in-a-Trillion? Meet the Other Guy Who Nabbed Four Foul Balls During an MLB Game in 1955...and Was Caught Playing Hookie by the Paper

According to stats aired on ESPN Monday, catching four foul balls during a baseball game is a 1-in-1,000,000,000,000 feat. We told you about how Greg Van Niel pulled it off during a Cleveland Indians game on Sunday. And if you thought that was cool, you'll likely love the story of Stanley Cieszkiewiez, who amazingly accomplished the same thing in 1955 -- and was outed as playing hookie from work because of it.

On Monday afternoon, Cieszkiewiez's son-in-law Bruce Ringger emailed TheBlaze an old newspaper clipping from the local Gary Post Tribune (Gary, Indiana) detailing the story, which featured a write-up on a Chicago White Sox vs. New York Yankees game.

"NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS," the caption on the photo begins. "Stanley Cieszkiewiez of 709 W. 41st Ave. proudly holds aloft four game balls he claimed during the Sox-Yankee game at Comiskey Park. All four sailed in the direction of Cieszkiewiez's box seat off first base -- and he didn't miss."

And sure enough, according to thebaseballcube.com (a site dedicated to baseball stats), there was was an afternoon game between the White Sox and Yankees at Comiskey Park on April 27, 1955.

Cieszkiewiez holds up the four foul balls. (Photo: Bruce Ringger)

And back then -- just like today -- the baseball world and the number-crunchers were in awe at what happened in the stands.

"Baseball statisticians were agreed," the article says. "It couldn't happen in a million years. But Cieszkiewiez did it."

"He had called in sick for the day, and the next day his boss and all of his co-workers got to see him in the newspaper," his daughter Gwen Ringger told TheBlaze in an email.

"His boss who was on vacation in Florida at the time saw the picture and article in the sports section of the Florida paper," Gwen added, which would make sense since the photo hit the Associated Press wires. "This article as well as cartoon renditions of the picture went nationwide. "

So did Cieszkiewiez ever get in trouble for skipping out on work for that game?

Nope. As the article notes, Cieszkiewiez -- who is still alive at 85 -- was working for Gary Works, which is "U.S. Steel’s largest manufacturing plant."

"U.S. Steel felt it was good 'accidental' advertising," Gwen explained.

A more current photo of Stanley Cieszkiewiez (Source: Cieszkiewiez family)

She said her dad caught three of the balls in the first inning and the fourth one in the third inning. And in fact, the day could have been even more historic: "He narrowly missed a fifth one."

As for the ones he did catch, he had them all autographed by their respective "owners": Yogi Berra, Irv Norlin, Gil McDougal, and Nellie Fox.

"Unfortunately, not realizing the significance of these balls, over time my younger brother put them to their intended use with his playmates," Gwen said.

That would be Cieszkiewiez's luck. As the article from back then notes, he's a Yankees fan. And on the day he wowed the baseball world, the White Sox trounced his beloved boys in pinstripes 13-4.

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