Former Mets Coach: Italian/American- Cookie Lavagetto (1962-1963)

Harry Arthur Lavagetto (known as "Cookie") was an Italian American born on December 1, 1912 in Oakland, California. He debuted with the Pirates in 1934 as a third baseman & second baseman. He spent three seasons there hitting .290 in 1935.

He was traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers and secured the third base position for the next decade except for the years he served in the military (1942-1945). Lavagetto made four straight All Star teams (1938-1941) drove in over 70 runs in his three seasons and batted .300 in 1939. In 1941 he hit .277 and played in his first World Series. He went 1-10 with 3 walks playing in three games. He returned to baseball in 1946 after four years of military service during WW II, playing in 88 games with a .236 average. He was a back up to Spider Jorgenson in his final year hitting .261 and getting to another World Series.

He is most famous for breaking up a no hitter in Game #4 of the 1947 World Series at Ebbetts Field. With two outs and two on , Cookie blasted a pinch hit double off Bill Bevans breaking up the no hitter and winning the game for the Dodgers. It was his last major league hit, as the Dodgers released him at the end of the Series. Lifetime he hit 40 HRs 486 RBIs batted .269 in 1043 career games.

After his playing days, he returned to the Brooklyn Dodgers when Charlie Dressen was named manager. In a famous photograph, Lavagetto is seen sitting next to Ralph Branca holding his cap and his head in his hand at the steps of the Polo Grounds locker room, right after Branca gave up Bobby Thomson’s Shot Heard Round the world. He followed Dressen to Washington, coaching the Senators from 1955-1957, then succeeded him as manger from 1957-1960. His best finish was fifth place in 1960, the teams last season in D.C. As the franchise moved to Minnesota, Lavagetto became their first manager but was fired in June in ninth place.

He joined Casey Stengel and became an original Mets coach in the team’s first two years of existence (1962-1963). In the classic June game when Marv Throneberry was called out for missing second base after hitting a triple, Stengel was stopped by Cookie as he was arguing the call. Cookie agreed with the ump and told Casey that Marvelous Marv had missed first base too. He then went home to the Bay area and coached the Giants through 1967. On August 10, 1990 he passed away in his sleep at age 77.