Tom Gatto

From BR Bullpen

Thomas J. Gatto

Bats Left, Throws Left

Born 1923 Armonk, NY USA
Died March 10, 1947 in Mount Kisco, NY USA

A professional baseball player for just one season, Tom Gatto served in the US Army during World War II. He played ball with an Army team in Panama. Beginning his career after the war, he went 1-0 for the 1946 Trenton Giants and spent most of the season with the Oshkosh Giants. He went 10-7 for Oshkosh with a 3.18 ERA. He walked 73 in 139 innings and allowed 127 hits in 21 games. He struck out 162, fourth in the Wisconsin State League. The impressive accomplishment was when he set two Wisconsin State League records that year. He struck out 20 Green Bay Bluejays on August 10 in a 10-inning contest to set one record and tied another when he whiffed 17 players in a 7-inning game. A drinking man, Gatto died at age 23 before he played another season when he got into a car crash in March 9, 1947. Gatto was scheduled to train with the Fort Smith Giants of the Western Association in 1947.