Tony Piet
Anthony Francis Piet, born Anthony Francis Pietruszka[1] (December 7, 1906 – December 1, 1981) was an infielder in Major League Baseball from 1931 to 1938.
| Tony Piet | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Second baseman / Third baseman | |
| Born: December 7, 1906 Berwick, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| Died: December 1, 1981 (aged 74) Hinsdale, Illinois, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 15, 1931, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 2, 1938, for the Detroit Tigers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .277 |
| Home runs | 23 |
| Runs batted in | 312 |
| Teams | |
Biography
Piet played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, and Detroit Tigers.[2] He truncated his surname to Piet because Pietruszka couldn't fit on the Forbes Field scoreboard.[3]
An all-around player, Piet was second in the National League in stolen bases (19) in 1932, and played the most games (154) of any player in the NL that year. In 1933, his batting average (.323) was the third highest in the NL. After retiring from baseball, he went on to found a car dealership in Chicago, whose slogan was "Shop for it anywhere, you'll buy it at Piet".
In 744 games, Piet batted .277 (717-2585) with 352 runs, 23 home runs and 312 RBI in an eight-year major league career.
Illness and death
Piet died of a heart ailment at age 74 at Hinsdale Sanitarium and Hospital in Hinsdale, Illinois on December 1, 1981.[3]
References
- Elliott Robert Barkan (1 January 1999). A Nation of Peoples: A Sourcebook on America's Multicultural Heritage. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 438–. ISBN 978-0-313-29961-2.
- "Tony Piet Statistics and History". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2010-12-30.
- "Piet dead at 74," United Press International (UPI), Thursday, December 3, 1981. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference
- Tony Piet at Find a Grave