| Tony Cuccinello | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Second baseman /Third baseman | |
| Born:(1907-11-08)November 8, 1907 Long Island City, New York, U.S. | |
| Died: September 21, 1995(1995-09-21) (aged 87) Tampa, Florida, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 15, 1930, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 25, 1945, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .280 |
| Home runs | 94 |
| Runs batted in | 884 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Anthony Francis Cuccinello (November 8, 1907 – September 21, 1995) was an American professionalbaseballsecond baseman andthird baseman, then a longtimecoach. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theCincinnati Reds,Brooklyn Dodgers,Boston Bees /Braves,New York Giants andChicago White Sox between1930 and1945. He was the older brother and uncle, respectively, of former major league playersAl Cuccinello andSam Mele. His surname was pronounced "coo-chi-NELL-oh".[1]
A native ofLong Island City, New York, Cuccinello threw and batted right-handed; he was listed as 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 m) tall, with a playing weight of 160 pounds (73 kg). As a major leaguer, he ledNational League second basemen inassists anddouble plays three times and hit .300 or better five times, with a career high .315 in1931. He was selected for MLB's firstAll-Star Game, played on July 6,1933 atComiskey Park, batting as apinch-hitter forCarl Hubbell in the ninth inning. He also was selected for the1938 All-Star Game.
On August 13, 1931, as a member of the Reds, he had sixhits in sixat bats, scoring fourruns and recording fiveRBI in a 17–3 rout of the Braves.
During the 1945 season, the 37-year-old Cuccinello hit .308 for the White Sox, and just missed winning theAmerican League batting title, one point behindSnuffy Stirnweiss' .309. Nevertheless, with theWorld War II manpower shortage ending and hundreds of big league players returning to the game from military service, he was released during the offseason.
In his 15-season career, Cuccinello was a .280hitter with 94home runs and 884RBI in 1,704games. His 1,729 career hits also included 334doubles and 46triples.
Cuccinello spent 1941 as theplayer-manager of theJersey City Giants of the top-levelInternational League. After being out of baseball in 1946, Cuccinellomanaged the 1947Tampa Smokers (named after the city's largecigar business) of theFlorida International League, then he spent 1948 as a coach for theIndianapolis Indians of theTriple-AAmerican Association. He returned to the major leagues to coach with the Reds (1949–51),Cleveland Indians (1952–56), White Sox (1957–66; 1969) andDetroit Tigers (1967–68). He was the third-base coach under former teammateAl López in Cleveland and Chicago and was a member of Lopez'1954 and1959American League championship teams. As a coach withMayo Smith's Tigers, Cuccinello earned a ring with the1968World Series champions.
Cuccinello died inTampa, Florida, at the age of 87.
· Baseball Almanac