Lennie Merullo

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lennie Merullo (born May 5, 1917) is a former professional baseball player who played shortstop in the Major Leagues from 1941-47. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts.

Merullo was mostly a wartime player, and according to Chicago columnist and lifelong Cubs fan Mike Royko, he lived up (or down) to that mediocre expectation:

Q: The immortal Lennie Merullo couldn't field or hit, and he wasn't fast. What was he known for?

A: He was best known for not being able to field, hit, or run fast.

("Cubs Quiz", April 11, 1968, from One More Time: The Best of Mike Royko, University of Chicago, 1999, p.29-31)

His son, Lenny, played in the Pittsburgh Pirates' minor league system and his grandson, Matt Merullo, played for several major league teams.