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Card: 1977 TCMA Reds #36
Position: RF
![](https://www.baseballamore.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Bongiovanni_Nino_1977_TCMAReds_36_Back_small.jpg)
playerbio
Player Bio:
Anthony Thomas "Nino" Bongiovanni (December 21, 1911 – January 6, 2009) was a professional baseball player and manager. He played two seasons in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds.
Bongiovanni was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, he started his professional baseball career in 1933 with the Pacific Coast League's Seattle Indians. He played in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) for five seasons, batting over .300 in three of them. In 1937, he batted .322 and led the league with 236 hits. He was then drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in October of that year.
Bongiovanni appeared in two games for the Reds in 1938 but spent most of the season with the International League's Syracuse Chiefs, where he batted .321 with 12 home runs. In 1939, he returned to the Reds. Cincinnati won the National League pennant, and Nino appeared in the 1939 World Series against the New York Yankees. He made an out in his only at bat, which came in game 3.
In January 1940, Bongiovanni was traded to the Yankees. He went into the Yankee farm system that year and never played in the majors again. Bongiovanni's career was interrupted during World War II, when he was in the military. He returned to professional baseball in 1946, and in 1947, he batted a career-high .363 in the California League. In 1948, he became a player-manager for the Far West League's Oroville Red Sox, and then finished his career the following season as a player-manager for the California League's Stockton Ports.
In later years, Bongiovanni owned a business and worked for the Santa Clara Unified School District. He died in San Jose, California, in 2009.
(excerpted from Baseball Almanac, BR Bullpen & Wikipedia)
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![](https://www.baseballamore.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Bongiovanni_Nino_1933_ZeenutPCL_NA_Front_small.jpg)
tourstops
Listen to Larry Baldassaro’s interview with Nino here – or view the Next Stop on the Baseball Italian Style Tour
Nino Bongiovanni is also part of the Military Service during Wartime Tour – go to the Next Stop
Nino is part of the Cincinnati Reds Player Tour – Go to the Next Stop
View more of Nino’s baseball cards at TCDB
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