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Anthony Francis Cuccinello (November 8, 1907 – September 21, 1995) was an American professional baseball second baseman and third baseman, then a longtime coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Brooklyn Dodgers, Boston Bees / Braves, New York Giants and Chicago White Sox between 1930 and 1945. He was the older brother and uncle, respectively,
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Anthony Francis Cuccinello (November 8, 1907 – September 21, 1995) was an American professional baseball second baseman and third baseman, then a longtime coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Brooklyn Dodgers, Boston Bees / Braves, New York Giants and Chicago White Sox between 1930 and 1945. He was the older brother and uncle, respectively, of former major league players Al Cuccinello and Sam Mele. His surname was pronounced "coo-chi-NELL-oh".
A native of Long 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 led National League second basemen in assists and double plays three times and hit .300 or better five times, with a career high .315 in 1931. He was selected for MLB's first All-Star Game, played on July 6, 1933 at Comiskey Park, batting as a pinch-hitter for Carl Hubbell in the ninth inning. He also was selected for the 1938 All-Star Game.
On August 13, 1931, as a member of the Reds, he had six hits in six at bats, scoring four runs and recording five RBI 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 the American League batting title, one point behind Snuffy Stirnweiss' .309. Nevertheless, with the World 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 .280 hitter with 94 home runs and 884 RBI in 1,704 games. His 1,729 career hits also included 334 doubles and 46 triples.
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Stories, Photos, Videos, Podcasts, and Publications featuring Tony Cuccinello Biography
Hosted by retired NFL star Kyle Rote, these 5-minute programs feature interviews with some of the top figures in sports
Tops-in-Sports interview with Tony Cuccinello / Hosted by retired NFL star Kyle Rote, these 5-minute programs feature interviews with some of the top figures in sports during 1962
Historian Eugene C. Murdock interviewed several former baseball players that had been active in baseball in the 1920s and 1930s.
Interview with Infielder Tony Cuccinello / Historian Eugene C. Murdock interviewed several former baseball players that had been active in baseball in the 1920s and 1930s. Murdock was chairman of the history department at Marietta College. The interviews were not professionally recorded, and the audio quality is variable.