Joe Cunningham

Joseph Robert Cunningham Jr. (August 27, 1931March 25, 2021) was an American baseball first baseman and outfielder who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox, and Washington Senators from 1954 to 1966. He batted and threw left-handed, and was a two-time All-Star. Cunningham batted .291 with 980 hits over 1,141 career games. He finished his career with more walks (599) than strikeouts (369). Early life Cunningham was born in Paterson, New Jersey, on August 27, 1931, and was raised in Saddle River Township (since renamed as Saddle Brook, New Jersey). He attended Lodi High School in nearby Lodi and was signed as an amateur free agent by the St. Louis Cardinals before the 1949 season. Professional career Cunningham played four seasons in the minor leagues from 1949 to 1951, and the first part of the 1954 season. He served in the military for two years during the Korean War. He made his MLB debut on June 30, 1954, at the age of 22, batting 2-for-5 with his first major league home run and five runs batted in (RBI) in a 11–3 win over the Cincinnati Redlegs. In his first four major league games, Cunningham became the first Cardinals player to hit at least two home runs. This feat was equaled 62 years later on April 6, 2016, when Jeremy Hazelbaker also hit two home runs in his first four games.