Tony Lazzeri (1991)


Date of Birth: 12/6/1903
Date of Death: 8/6/1946
Birthplace: San Francisco, California

Tony Lazzeri played semi-pro baseball as a teenager. He played in the Pacific Coast League before being traded to the New York Yankees on August 1, 1925.

New York Yankees

In 1926, his rookie year with the Yankees, Lazzeri batted .275 with 162 hits, 28 doubles, 14 triples, 18 home runs, 114 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases in 155 games. The following season, he had a career high in stolen bases with 22. He finished the 1927 season with 176 hits, 29 doubles, 18 home runs, 102 RBIs, 82 strikeouts to 69 walks, and a .309 batting average in 153 games.

Lazzeri's batting average went up to .332 in 1928. That year he had 134 hits, 30 doubles, 82 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases in 116 games. In 1929, he had career highs in hits, doubles, and batting average. He finished the season with 193 hits, 37 doubles, 18 home runs, 106 RBIs, 45 strikeouts to 68 walks, and a .354 batting average in 147 games.

Lazzeri had a career high 121 RBIs in 1930. He also had 173 hits, 34 doubles, and a .303 batting average in 143 games. The next year his batting average dropped to .267. He finished the 1931 season with 129 hits, 27 doubles, and 83 RBIs in 135 games.

Lazzeri had a good season in 1932, batting .300 with 153 hits, 28 doubles, and 113 RBIs in 142 games. He had similar numbers in 1933: 154 hits, 22 doubles, 104 RBIs, and a .294 batting average in 139 games.

Lazzeri's batting average dropped to .267 in 1934. That year he had 117 hits, 24 doubles, and 67 RBIs in 123 games. The next season he had 130 hits, 18 doubles, 83 RBIs, and a .273 batting average in 130 games.

In 1936, Lazzeri had a career high 97 walks (to 65 strikeouts) in 150 games. He also had 154 hits, 29 doubles, and 109 RBIs. The following season, he struggled, batting just .244 with 109 hits, 21 doubles, and 70 RBIs in 126 games.

Chicago Cubs

The Yankees released Lazzeri on October 15, 1937. He signed with the Chicago Cubs thirteen days later. He played in just 54 games with the Cubs in 1938, and he had 32 hits and a .267 batting average.

Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants

The Cubs released Lazzeri on December 10, 1938, and he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers on the same day. The Dodgers released him on May 13, 1939, and a day later, he signed with the New York Giants. He was released less than a month later on June 7th. In 1939, he had 24 hits and a .289 batting average in 14 games with the Dodgers and 13 games with the Giants.

Career Statistics

Lazzeri played in over 100 games in each of 12 seasons (1926-1937). His statistics during that time include:

  • 7 seasons with over 150 hits, with a high of 193 in 1929
  • 3 seasons with 30 or more doubles, with a high of 37 in 1929
  • 6 seasons with over 10 triples, with a high of 16 in 1932
  • 7 seasons with over 100 RBIs, with a high of 121 in 1930
  • 5 seasons with a batting average of .300 or better, with a high of .354 in 1929

Career batting statistics for Lazzeri include:

  • 1,740 games played
  • 1,840 hits
  • 334 doubles
  • 115 triples
  • 178 home runs
  • 1,191 RBIs
  • 148 stolen bases
  • .292 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Lazzeri as a second baseman include:

  • 1,456 games played
  • 4,445 assists
  • 808 double plays
  • 3,351 putouts
  • 263 errors
  • .967 fielding percentage

Career postseason statistics for Lazzeri include:

  • 32 games played
  • 107 at-bats
  • 28 hits
  • 3 doubles
  • 1 triple
  • 4 home runs
  • 2 stolen bases
  • 19 RBIs
  • 19 strikeouts to 12 walks
  • .262 batting average

Post Playing Career

From 1939 through 1940, Lazzeri was a minor league team manager. The following season, he played in the minor leagues and then for two years, played and managed in the minors. In 1946, Lazzeri, who was an epileptic, fell as a result of either a heart attack or seizure and he died from the fall at the age of only 42.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Tony Lazzeri
ESPN - Tony Lazzeri
Baseball Reference - Tony Lazzeri

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