Tito Nanni
Encyclopedia
Tito Angelo Nanni is a former professional baseball
player. Over his career, Nanni primarily played first base and outfield
. Nanni played in the Seattle Mariners
organization for the majority of his career, but also spent part of a season in the California Angels organization, and the Toronto Blue Jays
organization. Despite playing for the aforementioned organizations and being a high draft pick, Nanni never made an appearance in Major League Baseball
. He is considered to be one of the worst first-round draft picks of all-time. Nanni played seven seasons in minor league baseball
, and had a career batting average
of .253 with a .384 slugging percentage, 701 hits
, 122 doubles
, 22 triples
, and 66 home runs in 2775 at-bats.
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Nanni is a hall of fame
member at his school. During his athletics career at Chestnut Hill, Nanni played baseball, basketball
, and football
. He was captain
and the most valuable player
for each sport he played. He was an All-City selection if football, an All-Inter-Ac for basketball, and All-City and All-American for baseball.
. He was signed on August 22, and was assigned to the Arizona League Mariners. The chief scout for the Seattle Mariners who signed Nanni, Mel Didier
, was later fired because the Mariners claimed Nanni's $100,000 contract violated Major League Baseball
regulations. Nanni began his professional career with the Class-A Alexandria Mariners of the Carolina League
in 1979. He batted .226 with 91 hits, 19 doubles, 1 triple, and 6 home runs. The next season, 1980, Nanni batted a combined .229 between the Class-A Wausau Timbers
and the Class-A San Jose Missions
. With the Missions, Nanni batted .199 with 38 hits, 6 doubles, 2 triples, and 3 home runs. With the Timbers, he batted .253 with 60 hits, 8 doubles, and 12 home runs. His 12 home runs that year were tied for third on the Wausau club with Jim Presley
.
, Nanni was assigned to the Triple-A Spokane Indians
, however, he played only for the Double-A Lynn Sailors
that season. With Lynn, Nanni batted .249 with 90 hits, 14 doubles, 1 triple, 7 home runs, 40 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases in 116 games. On March 11, 1982, the Mariners re-signed Nanni. That season, Nanni continued to play for the Double-A Lynn Sailors. He batted .293 with 71 runs scored, 139 hits, 25 doubles, 5 triples, 16 home runs, 77 RBIs, and 32 stolen bases in 134 games. He was first on the team in hits; tied for first in doubles; second in home runs, RBIs, and runs scored; and was third in triples. In 1983, Nanni was promoted to the Triple-A Salt Lake City Gulls
of the Pacific Coast League
. He batted .240 with 100 hits, 18 doubles, 5 triples, 11 home runs, 52 RBIs, and 28 stolen bases in 122 games. Nanni's last season in the Mariners' organization would come in the 1984 season with the Triple-A Salt Lake City Gulls. He batted .273 with 127 hits, 23 doubles, 7 triples, and 6 home runs in 135 games. Nanni was tied for first with Jamie Allen in doubles; and was third in hits, and triples.
and on March 22, he was reassigned to their minor league camp. On April 2, before the start of the season, Nanni was traded to the California Angels for pitcher
Ángel Moreno
. California then assigned Nanni to the Double-A Midland Angels of the Texas League
. He batted .263 with 44 hits, 6 doubles, and 4 home runs in 53 games with Midland that season. Nanni later wound-up in the Toronto Blue Jays
organization where he was assigned to the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs. He finished out the 1985 season with the Chiefs batting .200 with 12 hits, 3 doubles, 1 triple, and 1 home run in 18 games.
, special reporter to ESPN.com
, rated Nanni as the sixth worst baseball draft pick of all-time, and claimed that Jerry Krause
, a scout for the Mariners at the time of the draft, insisted the Mariners pick Kirk Gibson
. On June 5, 2006, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
named Nanni was the worst pick of all-time made by the Mariners citing the fact that they could have chosen Ryne Sandberg
, Cal Ripken, Jr.
, Kirk Gibson or Dave Stieb
, all of whom were in the same draft and were selected after Nanni. Larry Stone, writer for The Seattle Times
, described Nanni and players Stone claimed were like Nanni, including Bucky Jacobsen
, Jim Maler
, and Paul McAnulty
, as "...guys that can hit the ball a mile, that put up tremendous minor-league statistics, but for some reason or another...can't make their mark in the major leagues."
baseball team.
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
player. Over his career, Nanni primarily played first base and outfield
Outfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
. Nanni played in the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
organization for the majority of his career, but also spent part of a season in the California Angels organization, and the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
organization. Despite playing for the aforementioned organizations and being a high draft pick, Nanni never made an appearance in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. He is considered to be one of the worst first-round draft picks of all-time. Nanni played seven seasons in minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
, and had a career batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of .253 with a .384 slugging percentage, 701 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, 122 doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, 22 triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, and 66 home runs in 2775 at-bats.
Amateur career
For high school, Nanni attended Chestnut Hill AcademyChestnut Hill Academy
Chestnut Hill Academy, commonly referred to as CHA, is a Pre-K to 12 all-male independent college preparatory school located in northwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Nanni is a hall of fame
Hall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
member at his school. During his athletics career at Chestnut Hill, Nanni played baseball, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
. He was captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
and the most valuable player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
for each sport he played. He was an All-City selection if football, an All-Inter-Ac for basketball, and All-City and All-American for baseball.
1978–1980 seasons
Nanni was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the first round (sixth pick overall) of the 1978 Major League Baseball Draft1978 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1978 Major League Baseball draft.- Background :In 1978, four players made the jump from amateur baseball to the major leagues, including Arizona State third baseman Bob Horner, who was selected number one overall by the Atlanta...
. He was signed on August 22, and was assigned to the Arizona League Mariners. The chief scout for the Seattle Mariners who signed Nanni, Mel Didier
Mel Didier
Melvin Joffron Didier is a former minor league baseball pitcher who later served as a baseball coach, scout and executive.He pitched from 1948 to 1949, going 11-15 with a 6.33 ERA in his two-year career....
, was later fired because the Mariners claimed Nanni's $100,000 contract violated Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
regulations. Nanni began his professional career with the Class-A Alexandria Mariners of the Carolina League
Carolina League
The Carolina League is a minor league baseball affiliation which operates in the South Atlantic Coast of the United States. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
in 1979. He batted .226 with 91 hits, 19 doubles, 1 triple, and 6 home runs. The next season, 1980, Nanni batted a combined .229 between the Class-A Wausau Timbers
Wausau Timbers
The Wausau Timbers were a minor league baseball team.The team began as the Wausau Mets in 1978, but left the affiliation with the New York Mets and went co-op...
and the Class-A San Jose Missions
San Jose Missions
The San Jose Missions were a minor league baseball team which played in the Pacific Coast League in 1977 and 1978. The team had been known as the Sacramento Solons prior to 1977, and played its home games in a football stadium there...
. With the Missions, Nanni batted .199 with 38 hits, 6 doubles, 2 triples, and 3 home runs. With the Timbers, he batted .253 with 60 hits, 8 doubles, and 12 home runs. His 12 home runs that year were tied for third on the Wausau club with Jim Presley
Jim Presley
James Arthur Presley is a former Major League Baseball infielder with an eight year career from 1984 to 1991. He played for the Seattle Mariners of the American League and the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres of the National League. He was primarily a third baseman but also saw some time...
.
1981–1984 seasons
On March 27, 1981, after spring trainingSpring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
, Nanni was assigned to the Triple-A Spokane Indians
Spokane Indians
The Spokane Indians are a minor league baseball team located in Spokane, Washington, United States. They are a Short-Season A classification team in the Northwest League and have been a farm team of the Texas Rangers since 2003. The Indians play home games at Avista Stadium...
, however, he played only for the Double-A Lynn Sailors
Lynn Sailors
The Lynn Sailors were a class AA American minor league baseball team affiliated with the Seattle Mariners and Pittsburgh Pirates. They were a member of the Eastern League and played at Fraser Field in Lynn, Massachusetts from 1980-1983....
that season. With Lynn, Nanni batted .249 with 90 hits, 14 doubles, 1 triple, 7 home runs, 40 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases in 116 games. On March 11, 1982, the Mariners re-signed Nanni. That season, Nanni continued to play for the Double-A Lynn Sailors. He batted .293 with 71 runs scored, 139 hits, 25 doubles, 5 triples, 16 home runs, 77 RBIs, and 32 stolen bases in 134 games. He was first on the team in hits; tied for first in doubles; second in home runs, RBIs, and runs scored; and was third in triples. In 1983, Nanni was promoted to the Triple-A Salt Lake City Gulls
Salt Lake City Gulls
leftThe Salt Lake City Gulls, a former member of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, were based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They were a minor league affiliate of the California Angels from 1975 to 1981, and of the Seattle Mariners from 1982 to 1984...
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
. He batted .240 with 100 hits, 18 doubles, 5 triples, 11 home runs, 52 RBIs, and 28 stolen bases in 122 games. Nanni's last season in the Mariners' organization would come in the 1984 season with the Triple-A Salt Lake City Gulls. He batted .273 with 127 hits, 23 doubles, 7 triples, and 6 home runs in 135 games. Nanni was tied for first with Jamie Allen in doubles; and was third in hits, and triples.
Later career
In 1985, Nanni spent spring training with the Chicago CubsChicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
and on March 22, he was reassigned to their minor league camp. On April 2, before the start of the season, Nanni was traded to the California Angels for pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Ángel Moreno
Angel Moreno
Angel Veneroso Moreno is a former professional baseball player who played two seasons for the California Angels of Major League Baseball.-References:...
. California then assigned Nanni to the Double-A Midland Angels of the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
. He batted .263 with 44 hits, 6 doubles, and 4 home runs in 53 games with Midland that season. Nanni later wound-up in the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
organization where he was assigned to the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs. He finished out the 1985 season with the Chiefs batting .200 with 12 hits, 3 doubles, 1 triple, and 1 home run in 18 games.
Legacy
Alan SchwarzAlan Schwarz
Alan Schwarz is a Pulitzer Prize-nominated reporter at the The New York Times best known for writing more than 100 articles that exposed the seriousness of concussions among football players of all ages...
, special reporter to ESPN.com
ESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
, rated Nanni as the sixth worst baseball draft pick of all-time, and claimed that Jerry Krause
Jerry Krause
Jerry Krause is a former professional basketball scout and general manager for, among other franchises, the Baltimore Bullets and, most notably, the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association. He is a two-time recipient of the NBA's Executive of the Year award.-Early career:Krause was...
, a scout for the Mariners at the time of the draft, insisted the Mariners pick Kirk Gibson
Kirk Gibson
Kirk Harold Gibson is a former Major League Baseball player and currently the manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. As a player, Gibson was an outfielder who batted and threw left-handed...
. On June 5, 2006, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
named Nanni was the worst pick of all-time made by the Mariners citing the fact that they could have chosen Ryne Sandberg
Ryne Sandberg
Ryne Dee Sandberg , nicknamed "Ryno" is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. During a 16-year baseball career, he played from 1981–1994 and 1996–97, spending nearly his entire career with the Chicago Cubs. He was named after relief pitcher Ryne Duren, and is recognized as one of the best...
, Cal Ripken, Jr.
Cal Ripken, Jr.
Calvin Edwin "Cal" Ripken, Jr. , nicknamed "Iron Man", is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles ....
, Kirk Gibson or Dave Stieb
Dave Stieb
David Andrew Stieb [STEEB] is a former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays.-Playing career:Born in Santa Ana, California, Stieb played varsity baseball at Southern Illinois University as an outfielder...
, all of whom were in the same draft and were selected after Nanni. Larry Stone, writer for The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times is a newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, US. It is the largest daily newspaper in the state of Washington. It has been, since the demise in 2009 of the printed version of the rival Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle's only major daily print newspaper.-History:The Seattle Times...
, described Nanni and players Stone claimed were like Nanni, including Bucky Jacobsen
Bucky Jacobsen
Larry William "Bucky" Jacobsen is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and designated hitter. He also attended Hermiston High School in Oregon...
, Jim Maler
Jim Maler
James Michael Maler is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Seattle Mariners from to .He was 6'4" tall and he weighed 230 pounds.-The draft and minor league career:...
, and Paul McAnulty
Paul McAnulty
Paul Michael McAnulty is a Major League Baseball infielder. He played college baseball at Long Beach State.-San Diego Padres:...
, as "...guys that can hit the ball a mile, that put up tremendous minor-league statistics, but for some reason or another...can't make their mark in the major leagues."
Personal
Tito Nanni is the uncle of Ryan Nanni who played for the University of DelawareUniversity of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
baseball team.