Kenneth Wayne Trinkle (December 15, 1919 – May 10, 1976) was an American professional baseball player and right-handed pitcher who appeared in 216 games in Major League Baseball with the New York Giants ( and –) and Philadelphia Phillies (). A relief specialist, he led the National League in appearances in 1946 and 1947. The native of Paoli, Indiana, stood tall and weighed . Biography Early baseball career Ken Trinkle signed his first professional contract with the Class D Thomasville Orioles in 1939 after high school. Trinkle hurled for the minor-league Baltimore Orioles of the International League from 1940 to 1942, and was 15–11 during his last year with the Orioles before being purchased by the New York Giants. Trinkle made his major league debut with the Giants on April 25, 1943, at age 23. He made 11 appearances with the Giants. Despite a respectable 3.74 earned run average (ERA), he went 1–5 and was farmed out to the Jersey City Giants of the International League. Military service On September 18, 1943, Trinkle entered military service with the United States Army during World War II. In 1944, he was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, where he played with the Fort Riley baseball team. He played alongside Pete Reiser, Harry Walker, Joe Gantenbein, Al Brazle, Murry Dickson and Joe Garagiola. Trinkle, Dickson and Gantenbein were later shipped to France. They eventually had been separated upon arrival. Trinkle went to the replacement center and served for the 9th Armored Division military unit. He fought during the Battle of the Bulge and was awarded a Bronze Star for his service. "I was a scout in a reconnaissance outfit", he told The Sporting News on June 4, 1947. "We would go out in front of the infantry to report if anything was there. If you didn’t come back, they knew there was something out there." After the German surrender in May 1945, Trinkle teamed up with Ralph Houk for the 9th Armored Division baseball team. They made it to the play-offs of the 1945 ETO World Series. Another teammate was a Minor League Baseball player, Ed Musial, who was Stan's younger brother. After the cease of hostilities in Europe, Trinkle played for the 71st Infantry Division Red Circlers baseball team. The team featured players such as Ewell Blackwell, Ancil Moore, Johnny Wyrostek, Garland Lawing, Russ Kern, Milt Ticco, Herb Bremer and Bill Ayers. The