Specs Toporcer

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George Toporcer, known as Specs, was an American baseball player and executive who played in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1921 to 1928. Born February 9, 1899, in New York City (originally Toporczer), he batted left, threw right, and stood 5 feet 10 inches tall. He debuted on April 13, 1921, and played his last game on June 2, 1928. In 546 games, he hit .279 with 9 home runs and 151 RBIs, appearing at shortstop most often and also filling other infield positions and one outfield game. He’s remembered as the first major league position player to wear eyeglasses on the field, earning him the nickname “Specs.”

Toporcer grew up in Manhattan’s Yorkville neighborhood and did not play high school or college baseball, entering professional baseball directly in 1921. He loved the game from a young age, often walking long distances to watch games at the Polo Grounds, and he later formed a friendship with Jimmy Cagney.

After his major league career, he continued in baseball with Rochester, the Cardinals’ top minor league affiliate, from 1929 to 1932, playing and then managing. Rochester won four consecutive International League pennants during his time there, and he was named the IL MVP in 1929 and 1930. He went on to work as a farm director for the Boston Red Sox and then the Chicago White Sox (1949–1950). In 1951, while managing the Buffalo Bisons, he began losing his sight and eventually became blind in both eyes after several surgeries. He became known as “Baseball’s Blind Ambassador,” worked as a motivational speaker, and wrote an autobiography, Baseball – From Backlots to Big Leagues (1944).

Toporcer passed away on May 17, 1989, in Huntington Station, New York, at age 90, from injuries after a fall at his home. He was the last surviving member of the Cardinals’ 1926 World Series championship team.