Jack Cusick

John Peter Cusick

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 170 lb.

• Debut April 24, 1951
• Final Game September 28, 1952
• Born June 12, 1928 in Weehawken, NJ USA
• Died November 17, 1989 in Englewood, NJ USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Before the 1946 season Jack Cusick signed as an amateur free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies. The 18-year-old infielder spent his first season with the class D Americus Phillies appearing in 93 games and hitting for a .272 average.

He played for the class B Wilmington Blue Rocks in 1947, got into 117 games and hit .284. 1948 saw him with the class B Portland Pilots playing 115 games and hitting .272. On November 15, 1948 he was drafted by the Houston Buffaloes from the Phillies in the minor league phase of the 1948 Rule V Draft.

He spent the next two seasons in the Texas League with the AA Houston Buffaloes and the Beaumont Roughnecks, appearing in a combined 175 games with a .262 batting average. In May, 1950 he was selected off waivers by the New York Yankees from the Cardinals and in November of the same year he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs from the Yankees in the 1950 Rule V draft.

Jack got his chance in the majors with the Cubs in 1951, appearing in 65 games but hitting only .177. Jack didn't get too many hits that season, but one of them was a grand slam on May 18th at Wrigley Field. The Cubs then traded him to the Boston Braves for Bob Addis after the season. Cusick finished up his pro baseball career with the Boston club in 1952, getting into 49 games and hitting .167.

Cusick had seven full seasons in pro baseball, 1946 through 1952, two years in the major leagues and five in the minors, where his stats show he appeared in an even 500 games, went to bat 1,845 times and garnered 494 base hits for a .262 average.

The Weehawken Elks set up Jack Cusick Day at the Polo Grounds on August 26, 1951. flyer for Jack Cusick Day

Cusick, who was with the New Jersey State Police for 26 years before retiring as a lieutenant, died November 17, 1989, at age 61 in Englewood, NJ.

Sources

Baseball-Reference.com
Baseball Players of the 1950s
SABR MILB Database:page