Anthony Francis Malinosky (October 7, 1909 – February 8, 2011) was an American baseball player. He played third baseman and shortstop in Major League baseball in 35 games for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1937 season. Listed at 5' 10", Weight: 165 lb., he batted and threw right-handed.[1]
Biography
Born to Lithuanian immigrants in Collinsville, Illinois, Malinosky idolized Babe Ruth. He was 5 years old when he decided to become a baseball player. He was the captain of the baseball team of El Monte High School and attended Whittier College, where he played baseball and was a classmate of future US President Richard Nixon.[2]
The Pittsburgh Pirates signed Malinosky to his first professional contract, and then sold his rights to the Dodgers in 1936.[1][3]
During World War II, Malinosky was drafted by the United States Army, with which he saw combat in the Battle of the Bulge.[2][4]
The Los Angeles Dodgers honored Malinosky at Dodger Stadium in 2009, on the occasion of his 100th birthday. In a statement released after his death, the Dodgers said "Tony lived an incredibly full life, both on and off the field, He remained a Dodger fan his whole life and his visit to Dodger Stadium in 2009 gave the organization a great opportunity to celebrate not only his 100th birthday, but the Dodger chapter of his life that meant so much to him. He will be most certainly missed by all who knew him."[5]
Malinosky was a longtime resident of Oxnard, California since moving to the area in 1976. He was married to his high school sweetheart Viola for 64 years until she died in 1999. He died on February 8, 2011, at age of 101. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living Major League Baseball player.[6][7]
See also
Sources
- ^ a b "Baseball Reference – Major league profile".
- ^ a b "The Ventura County Star – Old-timers remember the good old days of baseball, by Rhiannon Potkey, October 6, 2009". Archived from the original on October 10, 2009..
- ^ Baseball Reference – Minor league career
- ^ "KCLU.org – Interview with Tony Malinosky". Archived from the original on 2010-07-25. Retrieved 2011-01-11.
- ^ "Tony Malinosky - This Great Game". 2020-06-11. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
- ^ "Former Brooklyn Dodger Malinosky dies at 101". 9 February 2011.
- ^ "Tony Malinosky, Brooklyn Dodger who was oldest living major league baseball player, dies at 101". Los Angeles Times. 2011-02-09. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Retrosheet
- Interview with Malinosky from October 2009 at KCLU.ORG Archived 2010-07-25 at the Wayback Machine
- Tony Malinosky at Find a Grave
