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Frank Mancuso
From BR Bullpen
Frank Octavius Mancuso
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 195 lb.
- Debut April 18, 1944
- Final Game September 26, 1947
- Born May 23, 1918 in Houston, TX USA
- Died August 4, 2007 in Houston, TX USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Frank Mancuso grew up the youngest of seven children in Houston, Texas and followed his brother Gus Mancuso, also a catcher into pro baseball.
In December 1942, Mancuso entered the Army paratroopers. While training the following year, he suffered a serious injury which appeared to have ended his baseball career. He was discharged in February 1944.
However, Mancuso defied the odds and returned to pro baseball that year with the St. Louis Browns. A part of his injury was an unfortunate condition for a catcher, wherein looking straight up caused him to lose the flow of oxygen to the brain and pass out. As a result, he was never responsible for catching pop-ups. Still, he played in 88 games his rookie year and went 2 for 3 in the World Series, as the Browns won their only championship.
In 1945, Mancuso saw regular playing time as the Browns starting catcher and hit .268. He played in Venezuela in 1946 and was the first professional player to hit 10 homers in a 42 games season in that country. That record remained for more than 8 years.
After his baseball career ended, Mancuso returned to his hometown of Houston and served on its City Council for 30 years. He died at age 89 in August 2007 after suffering a heart attack two months prior.
