Former Seventies Italian / American Player: Bob Coluccio (1973-1978)

Robert Pasquali Coluccio was born to Italian immigrants on October 2, 1951 in Centralia Washington. The five foot eleven right hand hitting outfielder starred in two sports getting offered both college football & baseball contracts. In 1969 he chose baseball signing with his home state baseball team the Seattle Pilots in their only year of existence.

Coluccio hit .277 at A ball Clinton in 1970. In 1971 he went between A & AA ball but only hit .214. The Pilots moved to Milwaukee by 1973 & Coluccio beat out a young Gorman Thomas for their regular outfielder position in his rookie season. Coluccio was a speedy outfielder labeled “The Macaroni Pony” by the Brewers announcers. He only hit .224 but hit 15 HRs showing the most power he had until that point of his career. He also hit 21 doubles & drove in 58 runs.

The next year he played in a few more games but got fewer at bats and his numbers fell off. He hit six HRs with 18 doubles & 31 RBIs. His 1975 baseball card showed him looking at a called strike, although it was a kool action shot. That year he was traded to the Chicago White Sox and only hit .205 overall in 83 games. He missed all of the bicentennial year playing at AAA Iowa batting .244.

In 1977 he spent most of the years in the minors, appearing in 20 games at the major league level hitting .270. He was released by the White Sox & got picked up by the Houston Astros but was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals by 1978. He went 0-4 for the Cardinals in 1978 before being traded to the New York Mets for Paul Siebert after the last day of the regular season.

Retirement: Unfortunately Coluccio didn't make the club. In the 1980’s he moved to Southern California and became a real estate agent in Newport Beach, California. In his five year career, he hit .220 with 241 hits 26 HRs 38 doubles 114 RBIs & a .305 on base % in 370 career games. Coluccio will always be remembered for his famous late seventies thick moustache.