Edward Robert "Butch" Sanicki (July 7, 1923 – July 6, 1998) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the " United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, ...

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

player. An

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to c ...

, he appeared in 20 Major League games for the and

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has been Citize ...

. Born in

Wallington, New Jersey Wallington is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 11,335,Clifton High School Clifton High School may refer to: United Kingdom *Clifton High School, Bristol – Clifton, Bristol United States * Clifton High School (Clifton, New Jersey) – Clifton, New Jersey * Clifton High School (Clifton, Arizona) – Clifton, Arizona ...

, and threw and batted

right-handed In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to it being stronger, faster or more dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply less subjecti ...

; he stood tall and weighed . Sanicki signed with the Phillies after serving in the U.S. Navy in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. On September 14, 1949 — in his first at-bat in the Major Leagues — he hit a three-run

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run is ...

off

Rip Sewell Truett Banks "Rip" Sewell (May 11, 1907 – September 3, 1989) was a right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played 13 years in the major leagues with the Detroit Tigers (1932) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1938–1949). Sewell was ...

of the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. Founded as part o ...

.Retrosheet
/ref> In , during

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives estab ...

, he injured his knee. Although he made the Phils in 1951, his final major-league game was on May 12. During his two MLB trials, Sanicki registered only 17

at bats In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...

— but of his five

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * '' H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album s ...

, three were home runs and one was a

double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * Th ...

. After leaving baseball in 1952, Sanicki graduated from

Seton Hall University Seton Hall University (SHU) is a private Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Seton Hall is the oldest dioces ...

and became a special-education teacher in New Jersey.Mancini, Joe (Fredericksburg, Va.). "Phightin' Phillie". ''MLB Insiders Club Magazine'' (Vol. 4, Issue 5; September 2011), p. 9. MLB Insiders Club. North American Media Group, Inc. He died on July 6, 1998, in

Old Bridge Township, New Jersey Old Bridge Township is a township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, located in the Raritan Valley region and within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the township’s population was 66,876, re ...

, and is buried at Holy Cross Burial Park, East Brunswick, N.J.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanicki, Ed 1923 births 1998 deaths Baseball players from New Jersey Houston Buffaloes players Major League Baseball outfielders Clifton High School (New Jersey) alumni Sportspeople from Clifton, New Jersey People from Wallington, New Jersey People from Old Bridge Township, New Jersey Philadelphia Phillies players Schenectady Blue Jays players Seton Hall Pirates baseball players Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) players Tulsa Oilers (baseball) players Wilmington Blue Rocks (1940–1952) players

See also

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References

External links