Pete Coscarart
Encyclopedia
Peter Joseph Coscarart was a second baseman
/shortstop
in Major League Baseball
who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers
(1938–1941) and Pittsburgh Pirates
(1942–1946). Coscarart batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Escondido, California
. His older brother, Joe
, was an infielder
who played for the Boston Braves
(1935–1936).
Signed out of San Diego State University
, Coscarart debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1938. Considered the top defensive second baseman in the National League
in 1939, he finished with a .277 batting average
, 22 doubles
and 10 stolen base
s. He followed that season with an All-Star Game appearance the next year, while hitting 24 doubles with career-highs in home run
s (9), runs batted in (58) and games played
(143). He also was a member of the Brooklyn team that faced the New York Yankees
in the 1941 World Series
, but as his hitting declined, he was replaced by Billy Herman
and then traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates before the 1942 season. In his first year with Pittsburgh, Coscarart started at shortstop and switched to second base for the next three seasons. In 1944 he hit .264 with 30 doubles and 10 stolen bases in 139 games and also posted career-numbers in hits
(146) and doubles (30). He was named to the National League All-Star team but didn't play in the game.
In a postwar era that foretold the sometimes rancorous relationship between major league players and owners, Coscarart was ahead of his time as he strongly supported efforts in 1946 to form a players union that could negotiate pension benefits. He voted, along with a minority of his Pirates teammates, to strike
, but he found himself out of the major leagues, sold to the San Diego Padres
of the Pacific Coast League
. Although a pension plan was adopted in 1947, it was too late for Coscarart, who never gave up fighting for the benefits he believed he deserved.
Following his baseball career, Coscarart worked as a scout
for the Minnesota Twins
and the Yankees. While he was working with Minnesota, he signed Graig Nettles
. He later worked in real estate
for 30 years.
In 1996, Coscarart was inducted into the Brooklyn Dodgers Hall of Fame. The same year, he joined Frank Crosetti, Dolph Camilli
, Al Gionfriddo
, and 72 other players from his era, in suing major league baseball for lost benefits and rights of players to receive royalties for use of their images and memorabilia without the players consent. "There's no way of proving it, but I've always felt I was cheated," Coscarart said in an interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune
.
A California Appeals Court
ruled against the players in December 2001 as Coscarart was informed by Commissioner
Bud Selig
that he was not entitled to $10,000 in annual pension benefits because of his suit against major league baseball. But many other pre-1947 major leaguers eventually received their benefits, in no small part thanks to Coscarart's efforts. After that, he received widespread media exposure in his appeals to Selig, but sympathy and support didn't translate into success.
A few months later, Coscarart died of an aneurysm
in Escondido, California, at the age of 89.
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
/shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
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...
who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
(1938–1941) and Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
(1942–1946). Coscarart batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Escondido, California
Escondido, California
Escondido is a city occupying a shallow valley ringed by rocky hills, just north of the city of San Diego, California. Founded in 1888, it is one of the oldest cities in San Diego County. The city had a population of 143,911 at the 2010 census. Its municipal government set itself an operating...
. His older brother, Joe
Joe Coscarart
Joseph Marvin Coscarart was an infielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Braves from 1935-36. Coscarart batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Escondido, California...
, was an infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
who played for the Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
(1935–1936).
Signed out of San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
, Coscarart debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1938. Considered the top defensive second baseman in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
in 1939, he finished with a .277 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 :...
, 22 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....
and 10 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s. He followed that season with an All-Star Game appearance the next year, while hitting 24 doubles with career-highs in home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s (9), runs batted in (58) and games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
(143). He also was a member of the Brooklyn team that faced the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in the 1941 World Series
1941 World Series
The 1941 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers, with the Yankees winning in five games to capture their fifth title in six years, and their ninth overall....
, but as his hitting declined, he was replaced by Billy Herman
Billy Herman
William Jennings Bryan "Billy" Herman was an American second baseman in Major League Baseball during the 1930s and 1940s. He was known for his stellar defense and consistent batting...
and then traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates before the 1942 season. In his first year with Pittsburgh, Coscarart started at shortstop and switched to second base for the next three seasons. In 1944 he hit .264 with 30 doubles and 10 stolen bases in 139 games and also posted career-numbers in 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....
(146) and doubles (30). He was named to the National League All-Star team but didn't play in the game.
In a postwar era that foretold the sometimes rancorous relationship between major league players and owners, Coscarart was ahead of his time as he strongly supported efforts in 1946 to form a players union that could negotiate pension benefits. He voted, along with a minority of his Pirates teammates, to strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
, but he found himself out of the major leagues, sold to the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres (PCL)
The San Diego Padres were a minor league baseball team which played in the Pacific Coast League from 1936 through 1968. The team that would eventually become the Padres was well traveled prior to moving to San Diego. It began its existence in 1903 as the Sacramento Solons, a charter member of the PCL...
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...
. Although a pension plan was adopted in 1947, it was too late for Coscarart, who never gave up fighting for the benefits he believed he deserved.
Following his baseball career, Coscarart worked as a scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
for the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
and the Yankees. While he was working with Minnesota, he signed Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles , nicknamed "Puff", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 22-year baseball career, he played for the Minnesota Twins , Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , San Diego Padres , Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos .Nettles was one of the best...
. He later worked in real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
for 30 years.
In 1996, Coscarart was inducted into the Brooklyn Dodgers Hall of Fame. The same year, he joined Frank Crosetti, Dolph Camilli
Dolph Camilli
Adolph Louis Camilli was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball who spent most of his career with the Philadelphia Phillies and Brooklyn Dodgers. He was named the National League's Most Valuable Player in after leading the league in home runs and runs batted in as the Dodgers won the...
, Al Gionfriddo
Al Gionfriddo
Albert Francis "Al" Gionfriddo was a slightly built 5' 6" and 165 lb. professional baseball outfielder who batted and threw left-handed. He made his major league debut on September 23, at the age of 22 with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
, and 72 other players from his era, in suing major league baseball for lost benefits and rights of players to receive royalties for use of their images and memorabilia without the players consent. "There's no way of proving it, but I've always felt I was cheated," Coscarart said in an interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune
The San Diego Union-Tribune
-Predecessors:The predecessor newspapers of the Union-Tribune were:* San Diego Sun, founded 1861 and merged with the Evening Tribune in 1939.* San Diego Union, founded October 10, 1868.* Evening Tribune, founded December 2, 1895.-Ownership:...
.
A California Appeals Court
Supreme Court of California
The Supreme Court of California is the highest state court in California. It is headquartered in San Francisco and regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sacramento. Its decisions are binding on all other California state courts.-Composition:...
ruled against the players in December 2001 as Coscarart was informed by Commissioner
Baseball Commissioner
The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball and its associated minor leagues. Under the direction of the Commissioner, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball hires and maintains the sport's umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts...
Bud Selig
Bud Selig
Allan Huber "Bud" Selig is the ninth and current Commissioner of Major League Baseball, having served in that capacity since 1992 as the acting commissioner, and as the official commissioner since 1998...
that he was not entitled to $10,000 in annual pension benefits because of his suit against major league baseball. But many other pre-1947 major leaguers eventually received their benefits, in no small part thanks to Coscarart's efforts. After that, he received widespread media exposure in his appeals to Selig, but sympathy and support didn't translate into success.
A few months later, Coscarart died of an aneurysm
Aneurysm
An aneurysm or aneurism is a localized, blood-filled balloon-like bulge in the wall of a blood vessel. Aneurysms can commonly occur in arteries at the base of the brain and an aortic aneurysm occurs in the main artery carrying blood from the left ventricle of the heart...
in Escondido, California, at the age of 89.