Alex Garbowski

{{Short description|American baseball player (1922–2008)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Alex Garbowski

|position=Pinch runner and short stop

|image=Alex Garbowski.jpg

|caption=

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date|1922|6|25}}

|birth_place=Yonkers, New York

|death_date={{death date and age|2008|6|27|1922|6|25}}

|death_place=Putnam Valley, New York

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=April 16

|debutyear=1952

|debutteam=Detroit Tigers

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=May 9

|finalyear=1952

|finalteam=Detroit Tigers

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Games played

|stat1value=2

|stat2label=Runs scored

|stat2value=0

|teams=

• Detroit Tigers ({{mlby|1952}})

}}

Alexander Garbowski (June 25, 1922 – June 27, 2008) was an American professional baseball player. Primarily a shortstop[https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=garbow001ale Minor league statistics from Baseball Reference] during his nine-year career (1946–1954) in minor league baseball, Garbowski appeared in two Major League games for the 1952 Detroit Tigers as a pinch runner. The native of Yonkers, New York, threw and batted right-handed, stood {{convert|6|ft|1|in}} tall and weighed {{convert|185|lb}}. He was a veteran of the United States Army who served during World War II.[http://baseballinwartime.com/those_who_served/those_who_served_atoz.htm Baseball in Wartime]

Garbowski was selected from the unaffiliated Seattle Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League in the 1951 Rule 5 draft and made the Tigers' 28-man, early-season roster out of spring training in 1952. In both his pinch running appearances, he substituted for slow-footed Detroit catcher Matt Batts, on April 16 against the St. Louis Browns[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1952/B04160DET1952.htm 1952-4-16 box score from Retrosheet] and on May 9 against the Chicago White Sox.[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1952/B05090DET1952.htm 1952-5-9 box score from Retrosheet] He recorded no runs scored and no stolen bases in those two games. He did not appear as a fielder on either occasion.

He was sent to Detroit's Triple-A Buffalo Bisons affiliate on May 13 when rosters were cut to 25 men. Garbowski appeared in 944 games as a minor leaguer.