Background
He was born in Lincoln, Illinois.
He was born in Lincoln, Illinois.
Verban batted and threw right-handed. Verban was a second baseman noted primarily for his fielding with four National League teams from 1944 through 1950. Verban did not reach the major leagues until the age of 28, when he joined the Saint Louis Cardinals.
After the final game of the series, Verban was quoted as saying, "Now you can sit behind the post, meathead", in reference to Barnes.
His most productive season came in 1945, when he hit.278 and posted career-highs in runs (59), hits (166), doubles (22), triples (8) and runs batted in (72), and led the National League in games played (155) and fielding percentage (978). Verban also played for the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Braves, and made three consecutive appearances in the All-Star Game (1945-1947).
In 1947, he became the first Phillies second baseman to start an All-Star game. A good contact hitter, from 1947-1948 he led the league in at-bats per strikeouts (675 and 348).
In a seven-season career, Verban posted a.272 average with one home run and 241 Reserve Bank of India in 853 games.
In 1975, a group of Chicago Cubs fans based in Washington, District of Columbia formed the Emil Verban Society to honor him. Verban was picked as the epitome of a Cub player, competent but obscure and typifying the work ethics. Verban initially believed he was being ridiculed, but his ill feeling disappeared several years later when he was flown to Washington to meet President Ronald Reagan, also a society member, at the White House.
Verban died in Quincy, Illinois, at the age of 73.