Warstler was born on September 13, 1903, to postmaster and village treasurer Edwin W. Warstler and his wife Ella in North Canton (formerly New Berlin), Ohio. Known as Rap, Warstler was the oldest of five children.[1] Warstler graduated from North Canton High School in 1921. Warstler married Grace Mohler, on November 11, 1921 and had three children. Warstler worked for and played on the Hoover Company sandlot baseball team from 1921-22. Playing on an Ohio based traveling semi-pro baseball team, Warstler was discovered in 1927 a scout for the Indianapolis Indians AA club of the American Association.[1]
Minor League Career
In 1927, Warstler played 23 games for the Indianapolis Indians with a .208 average with 1 home run.[2] Warstler spent the bulk of 1927 playing 128 games for the Quincy Red Birds of the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League with a .351 average and 8 home runs.[2] Warstler returned to the Indianapolis Indians for the next three years where he compiled a .285 average with 19 home runs in 408 games.[2] During his minor league career, Warstler compiled a fielding percentage of 92.9%.
When Warstler joined the Boston Red Sox in 1930, he flew from Indianapolis to Boston became "first ball player rookie to ride to the big show in an airship".[3]
Major League Career
In his career, Warstler played in 1,205 games and had 4,088 at bats, 431 runs scored, 935 hits, 133 doubles, 36 triples, 11 home runs, 332 RBI, 42 stolen bases, 405 walks, a .229 batting average, a .300 on-base percentage, a .287 slugging percentage, 1,173 total bases, and 107 sacrifice hits.
