Tony Lazzeri

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Tony Lazzeri
Runs batted in
1,191
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction1991
Election methodVeterans Committee

Anthony Michael Lazzeri (December 6, 1903 – August 6, 1946) was an American professional baseball second baseman during the 1920s and 1930s, predominantly with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. He was part of the famed "Murderers' Row" Yankee batting lineup of the late 1920s (including the 1927 team), along with Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Bob Meusel.

Lazzeri was born and raised in

minor league baseball from 1922 through 1925, Lazzeri joined the Yankees in 1926. He was a member of the original American League All-Star
team in 1933. He was nicknamed "Poosh 'Em Up" by Italian-speaking fans, from a mistranslation of an Italian phrase meaning to "hit it out" (hit a home run).

Lazzeri is one of only 14 major league baseball players to

National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1991
.

Early life

Lazzeri was born on December 6, 1903, to Augustine and Julia Lazzeri, who had emigrated from Italy. They lived in the

Cow Hollow district of San Francisco. Augustine worked as a boilermaker.[2]

At age 15, Lazzeri was expelled from school. He began to work with his father, earning $4.50 a day ($91 in current dollar terms).

prizefighter.[2]

Minor league career

A friend of Lazzeri convinced

Peoria Tractors of the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League in 1923 to gain more experience.[2]

Lazzeri batted .248 with 14 home runs in 135 games for Peoria, before being recalled to Salt Lake City. Starting at shortstop for the Bees in 1924, Lazzeri batted .285 with 16 home runs. However, Lewis gave the starting shortstop role to Pinky Pittenger, and sent Lazzeri to the Lincoln Links of the Western League, where he batted .329 with 28 home runs in 82 games.[2]

Returning to Salt Lake City under new manager

runs batted in (RBIs), the most RBIs in professional baseball history.[2] That year he became one of what are today four Pacific Coast League hitters to have had a 30 home runs, 30 stolen bases season, along with Joc Pederson (2014), Frank Demaree (1934), and Lefty O'Doul (1927).[3] Though Salt Lake City had a working agreement with the Chicago Cubs, the Cubs passed on Lazzeri due to his epilepsy. The Cincinnati Reds passed on Lazzeri as well. Bill Essick, a scout for the New York Yankees, convinced Ed Barrow, the Yankees' general manager, to sign Lazzeri. Barrow agreed after receiving confirmatory reports from other scouts, including Ed Holly and Paul Krichell, as well as ensuring that Lazzeri's insurance policy would cover his illness.[2]

New York Yankees

After the 1925 season, Barrow purchased Lazzeri from Salt Lake City in exchange for the rights to

Frank Zoeller and Mack Hillis and $50,000 ($868,691 in current dollar terms). Lazzeri signed a contract with the Yankees worth $5,000 ($86,869 in current dollar terms).[2]

1933 baseball card

Lazzeri debuted in the major leagues in 1926 as a member of the Yankees. Manager

bases loaded situation in the seventh inning of the deciding game, Grover Cleveland Alexander struck out Lazzeri to save the series for the Cardinals.[2][4]

With the

Most Valuable Player voting, with the award being won by Mickey Cochrane.[7][8][9]

Lazzeri had his career-high batting average of .354 in 1929. He hit two home runs for the Yankees in their

MLB All-Star Game, representing the AL against the National League (NL).[2] He had a knee injury during the 1934 season.[10]

Lazzeri set an AL single-game record on May 24, 1936, when he recorded eleven RBIs.

New York Giants.[13]

As a member of the Yankees through 1937, he averaged 79 runs, 14 home runs, 96 RBIs and 12 stolen bases, including seven seasons with over 100 RBI and five seasons batting .300 or higher (including a high of .354 in 1929). During this period, the Yankees won six American League pennants (1926, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1936 and 1937) and five World Series championships (1927, 1928, 1932, 1936 and 1937).

Later career

The Yankees released Lazzeri following the 1937 season.

third base.[18] Lazzeri received his release on June 7.[19]

Lazzeri then returned to minor league baseball, where he managed the

Eastern League in 1943,[24][25] posting a .271 batting average in 58 games.[2] He was asked to resign after the season.[26]

Personal life

Before the 1923 season, Lazzeri married Maye Janes. The couple had one child, David Anthony Lazzeri (1931–2013).[2]

Death

Lazzeri died in 1946 at age 42 from a fall that the coroner said was caused by a heart attack[27][28] in his Millbrae, California home. Today, many[29] believe Lazzeri's fall was caused by an epileptic seizure rather than a heart attack.[30]

Legacy

Although his offensive production was overshadowed by the historic accomplishments of teammates such as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio, Lazzeri is still considered one of the top hitting second basemen of his era. Koenig considered Lazzeri the team's most valuable player.[7] He finished his career with a .292 batting average, 986 runs, 178 home runs, 1,191 RBI and 148 stolen bases. Despite his hitting 60 home runs in an extended PCL season in 1925, Lazzeri never hit more than 18 home runs in a major league season (a mark he reached four times).

Lazzeri holds the American League record for most RBIs in a game with 11, set May 24, 1936, as he also became the first major league player to hit two grand slams in one game. He holds the major league record of 15 RBIs in consecutive games (one more than Rudy York in 1946 and Sammy Sosa in 2002). He also set major league records of six home runs in three consecutive games, and seven in four consecutive games. Lazzeri continues to share the consecutive-game American League record, but the three-game record was topped by Shawn Green of the Dodgers (seven in 2002) and the four-game mark was broken by Ralph Kiner of the Pittsburgh Pirates (eight in 1947). Lazzeri is also the only player in major league baseball to hit a natural cycle with the final home run being a grand slam on June 3, 1932.[31]

The

National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991.[32]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Hitting for the Cycle Records by Baseball Almanac". Baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
  2. ^
    Society of American Baseball Research
    . Retrieved August 28, 2012.
  3. ^ "Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Joc Pederson joins Pacific Coast League 30/30 club for Albuquerque Isotopes | MiLB.com News | The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". milb.com. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  4. ^ a b The Pittsburgh Press via Google News Archive Search
  5. ^ The Evening Independent via Google News Archive Search
  6. ^ The Miami News via Google News Archive Search
  7. ^ a b c The Pittsburgh Press via Google News Archive Search
  8. ^ The Evening Independent via Google News Archive Search
  9. ^ "1928 Awards Voting". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
  10. ^ The Pittsburgh Press via Google News Archive Search
  11. ^ "Tony Lazzeri Sets New American League Record By Driving In 11 Runs For Yanks: Hits Three Home Runs And Also Bangs Triple Frank Crosetti Slams Out Two Four-Base Clouts and DiMaggio Drives One Ball Out of Park as New Yorkers Overpower Athletics, 25 to 2". The Hartford Courant. Hartford Courant. Associated Press. May 25, 1936. p. 14. Retrieved September 12, 2013. (subscription required)
  12. ^ The Telegraph-Herald via Google News Archive Search
  13. ^ Lodi News-Sentinel via Google News Archive Search
  14. ^ The Calgary Daily Herald via Google News Archive Search
  15. ^ The Milwaukee Journal via Google News Archive Search
  16. ^ The Milwaukee Sentinel via Google News Archive Search
  17. ^ The Milwaukee Journal via Google News Archive Search
  18. ^ a b The Miami News via Google News Archive Search
  19. ^ The Miami News via Google News Archive Search
  20. ^ "Proquest – Courant.com". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. August 21, 1939. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  21. ^ "Proquest – Courant.com". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. December 5, 1940. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  22. ^ Ottawa Citizen via Google News Archive Search
  23. ^ San Jose News via Google News Archive Search
  24. ^ The Milwaukee Journal via Google News Archive Search
  25. ^ "Proquest – Courant.com". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. May 1, 1943. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
  26. ^ "Proquest – Courant.com". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. January 11, 1944. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  27. ^ New York Times Tony Lazzeri Obituary at www.baseball-almanac.com
  28. ^ Tony Lazzeri by Paul Votano at www.googlebooks.com
  29. ^ Vickery, Sarah (May 18, 2021). "Italian professor's book remembers one of baseball's greats". uwm.edu. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  30. ^ How Stuff Works entry on Tony Lazzeri at entertainment.howstuffworks.com
  31. ^ Hitting for the Cycle Records by Baseball Almanac at www.baseball-almanac.com
  32. ^ The Pittsburgh Press via Google News Archive Search

Further reading

External links

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June 3, 1932 		Succeeded by
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