Edo Vanni
Edo Vanni | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | April 2, 1918 |
| Died | April 30, 2007 (aged 89) |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Edo Joe Vanni |
| Occupation(s) | Baseball player, coach, manager |
Edo Joe Vanni (April 2, 1918 – April 30, 2007) was an American player,
minor league baseball. A lifelong resident of the Seattle area, he was called "the face of Seattle baseball" upon his death, at 89, of heart failure in Bellevue, Washington, on April 30, 2007.[1]
Career
Vanni attended Seattle's
left-handed
and was listed as 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) tall and 180 pounds (82 kg).
During World War II, Vanni was stationed at the Pasco (Wash.) Naval Air Station, where he managed the station's baseball team, called the Flyers.[4] Vanni played 11 seasons for the Rainiers, worked in their front office, and managed them in 1964 when they were the top affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.[2]
He also played and managed in the Class A
Tri-City Braves (1953–54) and the Class B Northwest League, the WIL's successor, with the Wenatchee Chiefs
(1955–56).
After he hung up his uniform, he was the general manager of the
Seattle Angels (1965–68), and worked in the front office as director of group ticket sales for the Seattle Pilots during their lone American League season, 1969.[2][5] The Seattle Mariners gave him a lifetime pass to their stadium, and his own parking space.[2][6]
Seattle baseball historian Dave Eskenazi called him "the dean of Seattle baseball."[6]
References
- ^ The Seattle Times, May 10, 2007
- ^ ISBN 9780762435227. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
- ISBN 9781933599021. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
- ^ The Sky-Writer, Pasco NAS, June 1, 1943, Swabbin' the Deck column, by Jack Gordon, page 6
- ISBN 9781610603966. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
- ^ a b Stone, Larry (February 13, 2005). "Edo Vanni is the dean of Seattle baseball". Seattle Times. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
- Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 1997 edition. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America.
- The Seattle Times, "Loss of Vanni Leaves Void in Seattle", May 10, 2007.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)
- NWSABR Archived 2017-08-18 at the Wayback Machine – 1949 photo
- Edo Vanni at Find a Grave