Lennie Merullo

Leonard Richard Merullo Sr.

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11½", Weight 168 lb.
• School Boston College, Villanova University
• High School East Boston High School
• Debut September 12, 1941
• Final Game August 22, 1947
• Born May 5, 1917 in Boston, MA USA
• Died May 30, 2015 in Reading, MA USA

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Biographical Information

Merullo and Johnny Pesky at an old timer's game

Shortstop Lennie Merullo played for the Chicago Cubs for seven seasons in the 1940s.

Merullo began his pro career with the Moline Plow Boys in 1939 and reached the majors as a September call-up in 1941, going 6-for-19 in 7 games. He was the Cubs regular shortstop the next year, 1942, when he hit .256 with 53 runs and 14 stolen bases in his rookie campaign. He continued to see regular action for the Cubs through 1947, but his numbers at the plate never matched his first year with the team. He appeared in three games in the 1945 World Series against the Detroit Tigers, going 0-for-2. Following his major league days, he played for the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League in 1948.

In 639 big league games, Merullo hit .240 with 191 runs scored and 38 stolen bases. According to the similarity scores method, the most similar player to Merullo is Rafael Santana, a shortstop from the 1980s.

After his playing days, Merullo spent 25 years as a scout and 25 more as the top scout of the Cubs. He was named to the Hall of Fame of the Cape Cod League; he played for the Barnstable Townies in the old Cape League in 1935.

Merullo was the grandfather of a major league and the father and great grandfather of minor leaguers. His son, Leonard, who played in the Pittsburgh Pirates chain, was nicknamed "Boots" because on the day he was born, Lennie made four errors in one inning. His grandson, Matt Merullo, had a six-year career in the majors, mostly with the Chicago White Sox. His great grandson, Nicholas Merullo, played in the Baltimore Orioles organization in 2014.

Merullo died in 2015 at age 98. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living former Cub and the last living member of the 1945 World Series team.

Related Sites

• Lennie Merullo, the last living Cub to play in a World Series, dies at 98