Cookie Lavagetto
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Harry Arthur "Cookie" Lavagetto (December 1, 1912, Oakland, California - August 10, 1990, Orinda, California) was a third baseman, manager and coach in American Major League Baseball. He is most widely known as the pinch hitter whose double ruined Bill Bevens' no-hitter in Game 4 of the 1947 World Series and gave his Brooklyn Dodgers a breathtaking victory over the New York Yankees, a game known as The Cookie Game.
On October 3, 1947 at Ebbets Field, Bevens was ahead 2-1 going into the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs. He had surrendered no hits - an unprecedented World Series achievement at the time - but two runners were on base from Bevens' ninth and tenth base on balls of the game. Lavagetto was summoned by Dodger pilot Burt Shotton to hit for Eddie Stanky and he cracked an opposite-field double to break up the no-hitter and score the two Dodger runners for a 3-2 Brooklyn win. It was Lavagetto's only hit of the series (won by the Yankees in seven games) and his last as a big leaguer.
Nicknamed "Cookie" after an owner of the Oakland Oaks, his first professional team, Lavagetto played ten seasons in the National League with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1934-36) and Dodgers (1937-41, 1946-47). He missed four full seasons due to military service during World War II. A righthanded batter and thrower, Lavagetto batted .269 in 1,043 games; his best season was 1939, when he hit .300 with 87 runs batted in for Brooklyn.
After being released by the Dodgers following the 1947 Series, Lavagetto returned to Oakland to finish his playing career with the Oaks (1948-50). When Oakland manager Chuck Dressen was named leader of the Dodgers in 1951, Lavagetto accompanied him as one of his coaches. He was a loyal aide to Dressen in Brooklyn (1951-53) and the PCL Oaks (1954) and followed him to the Washington Senators when Dressen became skipper in 1955.
But on May 7, 1957, with the Senators foundering in last place, Dressen was fired and Lavagetto was named his successor. The team improved slightly, but finished last in 1957, 1958 and 1959. Finally, in 1960, Lavagetto's Senators rose to fifth place in the eight-team American League. But the Senators' promising 1960 season came too late to keep the franchise in Washington; owner Calvin Griffith moved the club to Minneapolis-St. Paul, where it became the Minnesota Twins. Lavagetto was the first manager in Twins' history, but he did not finish the 1961 season. With the Twins mired in ninth place in the new ten-team AL, he took a seven-game leave of absence in early June, then returned to the helm. But he was fired June 23 with the club still in ninth place. He was replaced by Sam Mele, under whom the Twins became pennant contenders in 1962. Lavagetto's major league managing record was 271 wins and 384 defeats (.414).
Lavagetto then returned to the coaching ranks with the New York Mets (1962-63), and - back home in the Bay Area - the San Francisco Giants (1964-67).
He died in his sleep at his home in Orinda at the age of 77.
[edit] External links
- Baseball Library
- Baseball Reference
- Oakland Oaks
- Sporting News' Baseball's 25 Greatest Moments: Cookie Crumbles Bevens
- Bill Bevens No-Hit Bid in '47 World Series
- Audio - Cookie Lavagetto breaks up Bill Bevens' No-Hit Bid in 1947 World Series
| Preceded by Chuck Dressen |
Washington Senators Manager 1957-1960 |
Succeeded by Last Manager |
| Preceded by First Manager |
Minnesota Twins Manager 1961 |
Succeeded by Sam Mele |
| Preceded by Sam Mele |
Minnesota Twins Manager 1961 |
Succeeded by Sam Mele |
