Kuzava rose to sergeant during WWII, then tried unsuccessfully to crack the Indians rotation. Traded to the White Sox, he went 10-6 as a rookie in 1949. By mid-1951, he was a Yankee spot starter and long reliever, going 11-7. In the final game of the ’51 WS, he retired the Giants with the bases loaded to record a save, and in Game Seven of the ’52 Series, set down the last eight Dodgers for another. The latter performance was especially notable; lefthanders weren’t supposed to be able to beat the Dodgers, who featured a righthanded lineup with the exception of Duke Snider, especially not in Ebbets Field. But manager Casey Stengel played his hunch and proved correct.
In a rare 1953 start, he lost a no-hitter against the White Sox with one out in the ninth.