Tony Lazzeri
A hero to Italian fans in the Bronx, Tony Lazzeri was a power-hitting second baseman who starred on six Yankee pennant-winning teams. He was the first Yankee star to come out of San Francisco, paving the way for Joe DiMaggio who came along a decade later. Lazzeri was known for his clutch hitting which earned him the nickname "Poosh 'Em Up." He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1991.
| Career Batting Stats |
| G |
AB |
H |
R |
HR |
RBI |
SB |
AVG |
SLG |
OBP |
OPS |
OPS+ |
| 1740 |
6297 |
1840 |
986 |
178 |
1191 |
148 |
.292 |
.467 |
.380 |
.846 |
113.4 |
|
Where does Tony Lazzeri rank among baseball greats?
Tony Lazzeri ranks #25 among the Top 50 all-time at 2B. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 1929
Lazzeri never led his league in any other offensive category than strikeouts, but in 1929 he had a great season. He hit .354 with 101 runs scored, 193 hits, 37 doubles, 11 triples, 18 homers, 106 RBI and a .561 slugging mark. He had a .429 OBP as well. Lazzeri knocked in at least 100 runs seven times, and he walked more than he struck out.
Born
Anthony Michael Lazzeri was born on December 6, 1903, in San Francisco, CA.
Died
August 6, 1946, San Francisco, CA
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Major League Debut
4 13,
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1926
Mel Ott
Paul Waner
Joe Cronin
Tony Lazzeri
General Crwoder
Babe Herman
Ethan Allen
Bump Hadley
Ski Melillo
Nicknames
Poosh 'Em Up Tony
Similar Players
Ryne Sandberg, Jeff Kent, Alfonso Soriano
Related Players
Pete Alexander, Joe DiMaggio
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1945 |
BBWAA |
1 |
.4% |
1947 |
BBWAA |
1 |
.6% |
1948 |
BBWAA |
21 |
17.4% |
1949 |
BBWAA |
20 |
13.1% |
1949 |
Run Off |
6 |
3.2% |
1950 |
BBWAA |
2 |
1.2% |
1950 |
BBWAA |
21 |
12.5% |
1951 |
BBWAA |
27 |
11.9% |
1952 |
BBWAA |
29 |
12.4% |
1953 |
BBWAA |
28 |
10.6% |
1954 |
BBWAA |
30 |
11.9% |
1955 |
BBWAA |
66 |
26.3% |
1956 |
BBWAA |
64 |
33.2% |
1958 |
BBWAA |
80 |
30.1% |
1960 |
BBWAA |
59 |
21.9% |
1962 |
BBWAA |
8 |
5.0% |
1991 |
Veterans |
|
% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1926 World Series
1927 World Series
1928 World Series
1932 World Series
1936 World Series
1937 World Series
1938 World Series
Feats
Lazzeri became the first player to hit two grand slams in one game, on May 24, 1936. He drove in a record-setting 11 runs in the game.
Batting Feats
- June 8, 1927: 3 HR...
- June 3, 1932: Cycle...
- October 2, 1932: 2 HR in WS Game...
- May 24, 1936: 2 Grand Slams...
- May 24, 1936: 11 RBI...
Notes
Lazzeri finished third in 1928 American League MVP voting, behind Mickey Cochrane and Heinie Manush.
Transactions
December 10, 1938: Released by the Chicago Cubs; December 10, 1938: Signed as a Free Agent with the Brooklyn Dodgers; May 13, 1939: Released by the Brooklyn Dodgers. (Date given is approximate. Exact date is uncertain.); May 14, 1939: Signed as a Free Agent with the New York Giants; June 7, 1939: Released by the New York Giants.
All-Star Selections
1933 AL
Replaced
Aaron Ward
Replaced By
Joe Gordon
Best Strength as a Player
Extra-base power and driving in runs.
Largest Weakness as a Player
Lazzeri was a poor base stealer, and he struck out a lot.
Learn More about Tony Lazzeri
Search Amazon.com for Books about Tony Lazzeri ⇒
Search for Tony Lazzeri at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒