{{Short description|American baseball player (1931–2021)}} {{other people|Joseph Cunningham}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2021}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=Joe Cunningham |image=Joe Cunningham 1960.png |caption=Cunningham in 1960 |position=First baseman / Right fielder |bats=Left |throws=Left |birth_date={{Birth date|1931|8|27}} |birth_place=Paterson, New Jersey, U.S. |death_date={{death date and age|2021|3|25|1931|8|27}} |death_place=Chesterfield, Missouri, U.S. |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=June 30 |debutyear=1954 |debutteam=St. Louis Cardinals |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=April 17 |finalyear=1966 |finalteam=Washington Senators |statleague = MLB |stat1label=Batting average |stat1value=.291 |stat2label=Home runs |stat2value=64 |stat3label=Runs batted in |stat3value=436 |teams= *St. Louis Cardinals ({{mlby|1954}}, {{mlby|1956}}–{{mlby|1961}}) *Chicago White Sox ({{mlby|1962}}–{{mlby|1964}}) *Washington Senators ({{mlby|1964}}–{{mlby|1966}}) |highlights= *2× All-Star (1959, 1959²) }} '''Joseph Robert Cunningham Jr.''' (August 27, 1931 – March 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,<ref name=BR/> and was raised in Saddle River Township (since renamed as Saddle Brook, New Jersey).<ref name=SLPD1965>Russo, Neal. [https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/142269530/ "Mrs. Cunningham: Great Catch by Joe"], ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'', February 14, 1965. Accessed December 28, 2017. "When Kathy Dillard was driving Joe Cunningham to meet her parents in Mammoth Spring, Ark., for the first time, she knew that Joe was a big city boy even though his home town in New Jersey was Saddle River Township. Big Hackensack is close to Saddle River."</ref> 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.<ref name=BR>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cunnijo01.shtml|title=Joe Cunningham Statistics and History|work=Baseball-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=March 26, 2021}}</ref>
==Professional career== Cunningham played four seasons in the minor leagues from 1949 to 1951, and the first part of the 1954 season.<ref name=BRm>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=cunnin002jos|title=Joe Cunningham Minor League Statistics and History|work=Baseball-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=March 26, 2021}}</ref> He served in the military for two years during the Korean War.<ref name="MLB obit">{{cite news|title=Cards franchise icon Cunningham dies at 89|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/smokey-joe-cunningham-89-dies|first=Zachary|last=Silver|date=March 26, 2021|work=MLB.com|publisher=MLB Advanced Media|access-date=March 26, 2021}}</ref><ref name=AP>{{cite news|title=Cunningham, who boosted Cards at bat and as exec, dies at 89|url=https://apnews.com/article/mlb-st-louis-hank-aaron-missouri-tigers-mens-basketball-archive-c5e7f67507af6fe7fb4c9762cc71766a|date=March 26, 2021|access-date=March 26, 2021|work=Associated Press}}</ref> He made his MLB debut on June 30, 1954, at the age of 22,<ref name=BR/> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN195406300.shtml|title=June 30, 1954 St. Louis Cardinals at Cincinnati Redlegs Box Score Play by Play and Box Score|work=Baseball-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|date=June 30, 1954|access-date=March 26, 2021}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/diaz-s-pinch-hit-hr-blasts-cards-over-braves-c171232816 |title=Diaz's pinch-hit HR blasts Cards over Braves |work=MLB.com |date=April 9, 2016 |access-date=April 9, 2016 |archive-date=April 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421211804/http://m.mlb.com/news/article/171232816/diazs-pinch-hit-hr-blasts-cards-over-braves?game_pk=446924 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Cunningham's 1959 season was arguably his best individual year. He led the National League in on-base percentage at .453 and batted .345 to finish second to Hank Aaron for the NL batting title.<ref name=BR/><ref name=Hummel>{{cite news|title=Former Cardinal Joe Cunningham, who challenged Aaron for batting title, dies at 89|url=https://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/former-cardinal-joe-cunningham-who-challenged-aaron-for-batting-title-dies-at-89/article_4aefce80-7dfd-592a-88b8-faa8ca97af8a.html|first= Rick|last=Hummel|date=March 26, 2021|access-date=March 26, 2021|newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch}}</ref> He was selected to both the first and second All-Star game that season.<ref name=BR/>
Cunningham was traded from the Cardinals to the Chicago White Sox after the 1961 season in exchange for long-time star Minnie Miñoso.<ref name=BR/> Although his first season as the White Sox first baseman was successful,<ref name=BR/> Cunningham would never fully recover from a broken collarbone suffered in a collision on June 3, 1963.<ref>{{cite web|title=Today in White Sox History: June 3|url=https://www.si.com/mlb/whitesox/history/today-in-white-sox-history-june-3|first=Mark|last=Liptak|date=June 3, 2020|access-date=March 26, 2021|work=SI.com|publisher=Sports Illustrated}}</ref> He played only 89 games in 1964 and 95 games in 1965, with his batting average dropping to .231 and .229, respectively. He played his final major league game on April 17, 1966, at the age of 34.<ref name=BR/>
In a 12-season career, Cunningham posted a .291 batting average (980-3362) with 64 home runs, 525 runs scored, and 436 RBI in 1141 games played. His on-base percentage was .403 (#48 all time) and slugging percentage was .417. He compiled a .989 fielding percentage. His primary position was first base, in which he played in 608 games. He also played in the outfield, appearing in 404 games in right field and 46 games in left field.<ref name=BR/> Cunningham collected 599 walks in his career and struck out only 369 times.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cards franchise icon Cunningham dies at 89|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/smokey-joe-cunningham-89-dies|access-date=2021-03-29|website=MLB.com|language=en}}</ref>
==Post-playing career== After retiring as a player, Cunningham returned to the Redbirds and managed in their farm system at the Class A level from 1968 to 1971.<ref name=BRm/> He was subsequently appointed as director of sales of the Cardinals in 1972. In that capacity, he oversaw the establishment of the group and season ticket departments. He was also influential in starting up team programs such as community nights and high school games at Busch Memorial Stadium.<ref name="MLB obit"/> He went on to work as a coach for the Cardinals during the 1982 season.<ref>[https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/C/Pcunnj101.htm Joe Cunningham at Retrosheet]</ref>
Cunningham acted as the Cardinals' community relations director in the early 1990s. He collaborated closely with schools in the St. Louis area and in devising the "Say No To Drugs" program (which later became the Fredbird & Friends Elementary School Program). In recognition of his work for the franchise, the Cardinals dedicated a new section of Busch Stadium as "Cunningham Corner" in 2015.<ref name="MLB obit"/>
==Personal life== Cunningham was married to Kathe Dillard for 60 years until his death.<ref name="MLB obit"/><ref name=SLPD1965/> One of their two sons, Joe III, played in the minor leagues from 1984 to 1988 and also worked as a batting instructor and manager in the Cardinals' farm system.<ref name="MLB obit"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=cunnin003jos|title=Joe Cunningham Minor League Statistics and History|work=Baseball-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=March 26, 2021}}</ref>
Cunningham died on March 25, 2021, at his home in Chesterfield, Missouri.<ref name=Hummel/> He was 89.<ref name="MLB obit"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Baseballstats |mlb=112944 |espn= |br=c/cunnijo01 |fangraphs=1002881 |brm=cunnin002jos |retro=C/Pcunnj101}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cunningham, Joe}} Category:1931 births Category:2021 deaths Category:Baseball players from Paterson, New Jersey Category:Chicago White Sox players Category:Johnson City Cardinals players Category:Lodi High School (New Jersey) alumni Category:Major League Baseball first basemen Category:Major League Baseball outfielders Category:Minor league baseball managers Category:National League All-Stars Category:Omaha Cardinals players Category:People from Saddle Brook, New Jersey Category:Rochester Red Wings players Category:St. Joseph Cardinals players Category:St. Louis Cardinals coaches Category:St. Louis Cardinals players Category:Washington Senators (1961–1971) players Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:Winston-Salem Cardinals players Category:Baseball players from Bergen County, New Jersey