Jack Cusick
From BR Bullpen
John Peter Cusick
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 170 lb.
- Debut April 24, 1951
- Final Game September 28, 1952
- Born June 12, 1928 in Weehawken, NJ USA
- Died November 17, 1989 in Englewood, NJ USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Before the 1946 season Jack Cusick signed as an amateur free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies. The 18 year old infielder would spend his first season with the class D Americus Phillies appearing in 93 games and hitting for a .272 average.
He would play for the class B Wilmington Blue Rocks in 1947, get into 117 games and hit .284. 1948 would see him with the class B Portland Pilots playing 115 games and hitting .272. On November 15, 1948 he was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals from the Phillies in the minor league draft.
He would spend the next two seasons in the Texas League with the AA Houston Buffaloes and the Beaumont Roughnecks, appearing in a combined 175 games with a .262 Batting average. In May, 1950 he was selected off waivers by the New York Yankees from the St. Louis Cardinals and in November of the same year he was drafted by the Cubs from the Yankees in the 1950 rule V draft.
Jack would get his chance in the majors with the 1951 Chicago Cubs appearing in 65 games but hitting only .177. Jack didn't get to many hits this season but one of them was a grand slam on May 18, 1951 at Wrigley Field. The Cubs would then trade him to the Boston Braves for Bob Addis. Cusick would finish up his pro baseball career with the 1952 Boston club getting into 49 games and hitting .167.
Cusick would have seven full seasons in pro baseball, 1946 through 1952, two years in the major leagues and five in the minors, where his stats show he appeared in an even 500 games, went to bat 1,845 times and garnered 494 base hits for a .262 average.
The Weehawken Elks set up Jack Cusick Day at the Polo Grounds on August 26, 1951. flyer for Jack Cusick Day
Cusick, who was with the New Jersey State Police for 26 years before retiring as a lieutenant, died November 17, 1989, at age 61 in Englewood, NJ.
[edit] Sources
Baseball-Reference.com
Baseball Players of the 1950s
SABR MILB Database:page
