Tony Lazzeri

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Anthony Michael Lazzeri
(Poosh 'Em Up Tony)

Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1991

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Biographical Information[edit]

Tony Lazzeri was a Hall of Fame second baseman for the New York Yankees noted for his powerful bat and presence between the lines.

"(Tony) not only was a great ballplayer, he was a great man. He was a leader. He was like a manager on the field." Yankee teammate, shortstop Frankie Crosetti.

Lazerri received his nickname "Poosh 'Em Up" from Cesare Rinetti, a Salt Lake City, UT restaurateur and baseball fan who took a liking to the 21-year-old fellow Italian. Rinetti would yell "Poosh 'em up, Tony"... (meaning to get a hit and advance runners along the basepaths). And that's just what Lazzeri did, setting then organized baseball records of 60 home runs and 222 RBIs while hitting .355 in an incredible 197 games for the 1925 Salt Lake City Bees. With numbers like that it was no surprise he was in the big leagues the next season, starting at second for the Bronx Bombers.

Lazzeri set the American League record for most RBI in a game on May 24, 1936 with 11, piled up on the strength of a pair of grand slams, the first player ever to blast two in one game. He hit for the cycle on June 3, 1932 - a feat overshadowed by teammate Lou Gehrig's four home runs in one game that day.

Notable Achievements[edit]

Records Held[edit]

Further Reading[edit]

  • Lawrence Baldassaro: Tony Lazzeri: Yankees Legend and Baseball Pioneer, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, NE, 2021. ISBN 978-1-4962-1675-5

Related Sites[edit]