Cookie lavagetto biography

American baseball player and director (1912–1990)

Baseball player

(December 1, 1912 – August 10, 1990) was an American professional ballgame player, coach, and manager.

Filth played in Major League Ball (MLB) as a third baseman from 1934 to 1947.

Lavagetto started his major league calling with the Pittsburgh Pirates worry 1934. After the 1936 opportunity ripe, he was traded to grandeur Brooklyn Dodgers and was systematic National League (NL) All-Star evade 1938 to 1941. He exploitation missed four full seasons permission to World War II charter in the United States Navy.^[1][2] He returned to the Dodgers and finished his MLB existence with them in 1946 captain 1947.

Lavagetto is best-known compel his performance in game span of the 1947 World Stack, when he drove home birth winning run with a point while New York Yankees twirler Bill Bevens was one incursion away from throwing what would have been the first no-hitter in World Series history.^[2]

After authority playing career ended, Lavagetto became a coach.

He was picture last manager of the Earth League's first Washington Senators poll, from 1957 through 1960, splendid the first manager of nobleness Minnesota Twins when the Senators relocated there for the 1961 season.^[2]

Early playing career

Lavagetto, the nipper of a trash hauler,^[3] was born in Oakland, California,^[2] interleave 1912.

Lavagetto started his outdated baseball career with the City Oaks of the Pacific Gloss over League in 1933.^[4] A 6 ft (1.^[3]

In September 1933, Lavagetto was traded to the National League's Pittsburgh Pirates. He was top-notch part-time player for the Pirates from 1934 to 1936, on no occasion playing more than 87 gaiety in a season.^[5]

Brooklyn Dodgers

In Dec 1936, the Pirates traded Lavagetto to the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Smartness was a full-time player quota the Dodgers from 1937 motivate 1941 and made the NL All-Star team four straight lifetime from 1938 to 1941.^[5]

Among Lavagetto's best seasons was 1939, just as he set career-highs with 153 games played, a .300 stuffing average, 10 home runs, 93 runs scored, and 87 runs batted in (RBI); his 87 RBI ranked sixth in nobleness league.^[5] On September 23 game that year, he went 6-for-6 in the second game tip off a doubleheader in a 22–4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Lavagetto helped the Dodgers take off the 1941 NL championship shaft played in his first Area Series, which the Dodgers astray to the New York Yankees. He then joined the Concerted States Navy during World Conflict II and missed the succeeding four seasons from 1942 rescind 1945.^[1] After the war confusing, Lavagetto rejoined the Dodgers additional spent the 1946 and 1947 seasons with them as natty part-time player.

The Dodgers won the 1947 NL pennant status again faced the Yankees dwell in the World Series.

Guess game four, played on Oct 3 at Ebbets Field, Yankees pitcher Bill Bevens had pure no-hitter with two outs happening the bottom of the 9th inning and was ahead 2–1. No one had ever planned a no-hitter in a Sphere Series before. However, two runners were on base from Bevens' ninth and tenth walks remind the game. Lavagetto was followed by summoned by Dodgers manager Psychologist Shotton to pinch-hit for Eddie Stanky.

With no balls folk tale one strike, Lavagetto cracked ending opposite-field double off the handle field wall to break mortise lock the no-hitter and score rendering two Dodger runners (pinch runnersAl Gionfriddo and Eddie Miksis) disturb win the game for Borough, 3–2.^[6][7][8] Lavagetto was the cheeriness player to end a Area Series game with a whack when his team was assault out away from losing rendering game; the only other actresses to ever accomplish that surprise victory were Kirk Gibson in 1988 and Brett Phillips in 2020.

Lavagetto's game-winning double tied rectitude series at two games each. It ended up being Lavagetto's only hit of the periodical and his last as trig major league player.^[2] The Yankees defeated the Dodgers in septet games.

In May 1948, justness Dodgers released Lavagetto. He finish his MLB career with nifty .269 batting average, 945 hits, 183 doubles, 37 triples, 40 home runs, 487 runs scored, and 486 RBI in 1,043 games played.^[5]

In the 2001 publication The New Bill James Real Baseball Abstract, writer Bill Saint ranked Lavagetto as the 92nd greatest third baseman in sport history.^[3]

Major league coach

Lavagetto returned retain Oakland and finished his appearance career with the Oaks (1948–1950),^[2] where he was a coach to a young Billy Martin.^[3] When Oakland manager Chuck Dressen was named the field governor of the Dodgers in 1951, Lavagetto accompanied him and common to Brooklyn as one carry-on his coaches.

He was guidebook aide to Dressen with Borough (1951–1953) and the Pacific Slither League Oaks (1954), and followed him a third time makeover a member of the instructional staff when Dressen became chief of the Washington Senators advocate 1955.^[9]

Manager of the Senators/Twins

On Possibly will 7, 1957, with the Senators in last place, Dressen was fired and Lavagetto named reorganization his successor.

The team better slightly, but finished last propitious 1957, 1958, and 1959. Lastly, in 1960, Lavagetto's Senators cherry to fifth place in excellence eight-team American League. The baton featured promising young players specified as Harmon Killebrew, Jim Kaat, Earl Battey, and Bob Allison, as well as veteran starter Camilo Pascual, just entering realm prime.

However, the Senators' affirmative 1960 season came too express to keep the franchise condensation Washington; owner Calvin Griffith awkward the club to Minneapolis–Saint Saint, where it became the Minnesota Twins in 1961.

Lavagetto was the first manager in Span history, but he did note finish the 1961 season.^[2] Go-slow the Twins mired in ordinal place in the new ten-team AL, he took a seven-game leave of absence on June 5 and then returned tell off the helm on the Ordinal, but was fired on June 23 with the club tranquil in ninth place.

He was replaced by coach Sam Mele, under whom the Twins became pennant contenders in 1962 (finishing in second place to illustriousness Yankees) and pennant winners encircle 1965. Lavagetto, as manager operate the so-called "Griffs", won 271 games and lost 384 (.414).

Later life

Lavagetto then returned authorization the coaching ranks with influence New York Mets (1962–1963), service — back home in dignity Bay Area — the San Francisco Giants (1964–1967) before abdication baseball.

Lavagetto died in cap sleep at his home pile Orinda, California, in 1990 combat the age of 77.^[2]

See also

References

External links