| Frank Verdi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Shortstop | |
| Born:(1926-06-02)June 2, 1926 Brooklyn, New York | |
| Died: July 9, 2010(2010-07-09) (aged 84) New Port Richey, Florida | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 10, 1953, for the New York Yankees | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 10, 1953, for the New York Yankees | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Games played | 1 |
| At bats | 0 |
| Errors | 0 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Frank Michael Verdi (June 2, 1926 – July 9, 2010) was an American professionalbaseballinfielder and longtimemanager. He spent his career inminor league baseball, except for a single playing appearance in theMajor Leagues for the1953 New York Yankees. As a player, he was listed at 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) and 170 pounds (77 kg); he both batted and threw right-handed. He was selected to theSyracuse Baseball Wall of Fame in 1999 and theInternational League Hall of Fame in 2008.
Verdi graduated fromBoys High School inBrooklyn where he playedbaseball,basketball andsoccer. He was a teammate on the basketball team withDonnie Forman. Only Forman andMax Zaslofsky outscored Verdi in thePublic Schools Athletic League.[1]
Verdi joined theUnited States Navy after high school and spent most of his time in the Navyboxing and playing baseball in Virginia. After being discharged from the Navy, he enrolled atNew York University (NYU) but signed a contract with the Yankees during his first semester at NYU.[1]
Verdi played in the minor league for a total of 18 seasons (1946–1963) mainly with Yankees'farm teams. He spent all or part of 12 seasons at theTriple-A level, where he batted .269 with 21 home runs and 284 RBIs in 996 games.
Verdi was famous for his ability to execute thehidden ball trick. In 1949, as asecond baseman for theBinghamton Triplets in the Class AEastern League, he pulled off the trick seven times in 95 games.[2]
Verdi only appeared in a single MLB game, as a one-inning defensive replacement on May 10, 1953.[3] In a Yankees game against theBoston Red Sox atFenway Park, Verdi entered the game atshortstop in the bottom of the sixth inning, afterJoe Collins hadpinch hit for starterPhil Rizzuto. Verdi did not handle anychance in the field. In the top of the seventh inning,Bill Renna pinch hit for Verdi.
Verdi survived a potentially tragic accident on July 25, 1959, when, as a player for theRochester Red Wings, he was struck in the head by a stray bullet inHavana during a game against theHavana Sugar Kings. Verdi was standing in as the team's third base coach after the ejection of Rochester managerCot Deal when shooting broke out in the stands. Verdi was still wearing the plastic lining in his baseball cap, in lieu of a batting helmet, and the lining deflected the bullet away from his head; it lodged in his shoulder and caused a minor wound.[2][4]
Verdi made a much larger mark as a minor league manager for 21 seasons (1961–70; 1972; 1974; 1977–85) at the affiliated level. He spent much of that period in the Yankees' farm system, winning Triple-AInternational League championships in 1969 and 1970 (with theSyracuse Chiefs) and in 1981 (with theColumbus Clippers). He won theInternational League Manager of the Year Award in 1970. Verdi also managed theNew York Mets'Tidewater Tides for four seasons (1977–80) and theBaltimore Orioles'Rochester Red Wings farm club from 1984 through June 16, 1985, and spent brief managing stints in theHouston Astros,Minnesota Twins andWashington Senators organizations. His record as a manager was 1,351 wins and 1,332 losses (.504).
After his managerial career with affiliated minor league teams, Verdi managed inindependent leagues during the 1990s. In winter ball, he skippered theIndios de Mayagüez of thePuerto Rico Baseball League from 1984 to 1985, and had previously managed theLeones de Ponce team to the league championship in the 1971–72 season.
A son, Mike Verdi, was also a minor league manager.[citation needed]
Verdi died inNew Port Richey, Florida, at the age of 84 in 2010.[5]