Busch started his professional career in 1938 in the
St. Louis Browns minor league system, playing for them five years before being released in 1942. He was signed by the
Philadelphia Athletics organization in 1943, when the
military draft was depleting Major League rosters of first-line players due to World War II. He joined the big team in late September of that year. A slick shortstop with good hands and a strong throwing arm, Busch was part of an infield that included
Dick Siebert at
first base,
Irv Hall at
second and
George Kell at
third. He was the starting shortstop for Philadelphia in 1944 and 1945, until
Pete Suder returned to the team when the war ended. In a 270-game career, Busch posted a .262
average (240-for-917), including 80
runs, 10
doubles, three
triples, 75
RBI, seven
stolen bases, and a .311
on-base percentage. In six minor league seasons, he hit .283 with 13
home runs in 737 games. Busch died in
St. Clair County, Illinois, at the age of 69. ==Sources==