Tito Nanni

Tito Angelo Nanni (born December 3 1959 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) 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. He also spent part of a season playing for the California Angels organization and for the Toronto Blue Jays organization. Nanni played seven seasons in minor league baseball, with a career batting average of .228 with a .338 slugging percentage hits, 112 doubles, 13 triples, and 111 home runs in 3234 at-bats.

Tito Nanni
First baseman / Outfielder
Born: (1959-12-03) December 3, 1959
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Bats: Left Throws: Left

Amateur career

Nanni attended Chestnut Hill Academy high school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Nanni is a hall of fame member at his school.[1] During his athletics career at Chestnut Hill, Nanni played baseball, basketball, and football.[1] He was captain and the most valuable player for each sport he played.[1] He was an All-City selection in football, an All-Inter-Ac for basketball, and All-City and All-American for baseball.[1] Nanni is considered to be one of Philadelphia's most astonishing athletes of the 1970s. He received countless offers in both Football and Baseball.

Professional career

1978–1980 seasons

Nanni was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the first round (sixth pick overall) of the 1978 Major League Baseball Draft.[2] He was signed on August 22, and was assigned to the Arizona League Mariners.[3][4] 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.[5] Nanni began his professional career with the Class-A Alexandria Mariners of the Carolina League in 1979. He batted .226 with 9 hits, 2 doubles, 1 triple, and 6 home runs. The next season, 1980, Nanni batted a combined .128 between the Class-A Wausau Timbers and the Class-A San Jose Missions. With the Missions, Nanni batted .199 with 3 hits, 6 doubles, 2 triples, and 3 home runs. With the Timbers, he batted .046 with 6 hits, 2 doubles, and 2 home runs. His 2 home runs that year were tied for third on the Wausau club with Jim Presley.[6]

1981–1984 seasons

On March 27, 1981, after spring training, Nanni was assigned to the Triple-A Spokane Indians,[7] however, he played only for the Double-A Lynn Sailors that season. With Lynn, Nanni batted .125 with 17 hits, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs, 4 RBIs, and 2 stolen bases in 116 games. On March 11, 1982, the Mariners re-signed Nanni.[8] That season, Nanni continued to play for the Double-A Lynn Sailors. He batted .092 with 7 runs scored, 13 hits, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs, 7 RBIs, and 3 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.[9] In 1983, Nanni was promoted to the Triple-A Salt Lake City Gulls of the Pacific Coast League. He batted .043 with 10 hits, 2 doubles, 4 triples, 1 home run, 5 RBIs, and 2 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 .013 with 17 hits, 3 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.[10]

Later career

In 1985, Nanni spent spring training with the Chicago Cubs and on March 22, he was reassigned to their minor league camp.[11] On April 2, before the start of the season, Nanni was traded to the California Angels for pitcher Ángel Moreno.[12] California then assigned Nanni to the Double-A Midland Angels of the Texas League. He batted .178 with 4 hits, 3 doubles, and 0 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 .073 with 2 hits, 0 doubles, 1 triple, and 0 home run in 18 games.

Personal

Tito Nanni is the uncle of Ryan Nanni who played for the University of Delaware baseball team. He is also the nephew of Four Seasons Band member Tommy Devito. After Nanni's baseball career, he graduated from the University of Utah. [13]

References
  1. "Athletics: Hall of Fame". Chestnut Hill Academy Athletics. Chestnut Hill Academy. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  2. "1978 Seattle Mariners Draft Picks". The Baseball Cube. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  3. "Rookie Signs". United Press International. The Bryan Times. August 22, 1978. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  4. "Pick Signs". Associated Press. Spokane Daily Chronicle. August 23, 1978. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  5. "Bench sees big overhaul of Red machine for 1979". The Montreal Gazette. September 28, 1978. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  6. "1980 Wausau Timbers". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  7. "Mariners moves". St. Petersburg Times. March 27, 1981. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  8. "Seattle Mariners sign eight". United Press International. The Montreal Gazette. March 11, 1982. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  9. "1982 Lynn Sailors". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  10. "1984 Salt Lake City Gulls". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  11. "Transactions: National League". Spokane Chronicle. March 22, 1985. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  12. "Baseball moves: National League". Reading Eagle. April 2, 1985. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  13. "Roster - Baseball: Ryan Nanni". University of Delaware Athletics. University of Delaware. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
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