1934-1936 Diamond Stars: #55 Tony Cuccinello

Sunday, June 6, 2021

#55 Tony Cuccinello - Brooklyn Dodgers

Anthony Francis Cuccinello

Brooklyn Dodgers

Second Base

Bats: Right Throws: Right Height: 5'7" Weight: 160

Born: November 8, 1907, Long Island City, NY

Major League Teams: Cincinnati Reds 1930-1931; Brooklyn Dodgers 1932-1935; Boston Bees 1936-1940; New York Giants 1940; Boston Braves 1942-1943; Chicago White Sox 1943-1945

Died: September 21, 1995, Tampa, FL (87)

Tony Cuccinello played 15 seasons in the big leagues as an infielder primarily with the Dodgers and Bees/Braves. He was a National League All-Star in 1933 and 1938, and he finished in the top ten in the league for RBIs in 1931, 1934 and 1937. A fine defender, Cuccinello led all second baseman with assists in three different seasons and finished in the top ten for fielding percentage at the position in six seasons. He retired temporarily following the 1940 season, managing the Jersey City Giants in the International League in 1941. He returned as a player-coach in 1942 for Casey Stengel's (#150) Braves, and signed with the White Sox in 1943 when the team found its roster severely depleted due to the military service of most of its players.

In 1945, Cuccinello was the regular third baseman for the White Sox and he was on the losing end of the closing batting title race in major league history. He hit .308 (124 for 402), losing the title by .000087 to the Yankees' George "Stuffy" Stirnweiss who batted .309 (195 for 632). With enlisted men returning from the War, Cuccinello was released following his successful 1945 season and retired for good. He then began a long-time career as a minor league manager and major league coach, spending 21 years with the Reds (1949-1951), Indians (1952-1956), White Sox (1957-1966, 1969) and Tigers (1967-1968). Coaching third base for the Tigers in 1968, Cuccinello earned a World Series ring when Detroit defeated the Cardinals in seven games.

Building the Set

April 17, 2021 from San Diego, CA (Kit Young Cards) - Card #16

With no in-person baseball card shows scheduled until at least June in my area, I've fallen into a pattern with my 1965 Topps set building. After adding a group of commons (say 10 to 20 cards) I then feel the need to add a few star cards as well. Back in the 1980s and 1990s when my Dad and I were actively building Topps sets, we'd follow a similar pattern when attending baseball card shows. I'd spend time hunched over a common box, picking out a stack of 1974 or 1976 or 1973 commons while my Dad would scour the showroom floor for deals on a few star cards. After adding 18 common and semi-star cards to our 1965 Topps set through eBay auctions in late March, I went directly to Kit Young Cards to offset those purchases with a few minor star card additions. This Cuccinello card found its way into my shopping cart along with four 1965 Topps semi-star cards, and the five cards arrived from San Diego in mid-April.

Variations Available

1 - 1935 / green back / 1934 statistics / 1935 copyright

The Card / Dodgers Team Set

I may choose to upgrade this card down the line, as now that it's in hand it seems to have quite a bit of grime to it, especially around the edges. It's rare to see a player on a card wearing a warm-up jacket, so it's a nice touch to see Cuccinello in the varsity-style Dodgers jacket here. Three unidentified Dodgers teammates look on from behind the second baseman. The back of the card explains how best to field a drag bunt attempt by a batter.

1935 Season

This was to be Cuccinello's last season in Brooklyn, as he was dealt to the Bees with Ray Benge, Al Lopez (#28) and Bobby Reis for Ed Brandt and Randy Moore on December 12, 1935. Cuccinello was the Dodgers' opening day second baseman, and he'd start 66 games there and 31 games at third base. He batted .292 with eight home runs (second on the team to Lonny Frey's - #117 - 11 homers) and 53 RBIs.

His younger brother Al made his debut in 1935 with the cross-town New York Giants, appearing in 54 games, his only year in the majors. On July 5th, both brothers homered in a game won by the Dodgers, 14-4.