Frank Octavius Mancuso (May 23, 1918 - August 4, 2007) was a catcher in Major League Baseball who played for two teams between 1944 and 1947. Listed at 6' 0", 195 lb., Mancuso batted and threw right handed. He was born in Houston, Texas. His older brother, Gus Mancuso, also was a major league catcher. Following his 18-year baseball career, Mancuso almost certainly had the longest continuous tenure of any elected city official in Houston history. is the 143rd day of the year (144th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... is the 216th day of the year (217th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... The position of the catcher Catcher is also a general term for a fielder who catches the ball in cricket. ... Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1944 throughout the world. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1947 throughout the world. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: , Country United States State Texas Counties Harris County Fort Bend County Montgomery County Incorporated June 5, 1837 Government  - Mayor Bill White Area  - City  601. ... August Rodney (Gus) Mancuso (December 5, 1905 - October 26, 1984), nicknamed Blackie, was a catcher in Major League Baseball who played with the St. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: , Country United States State Texas Counties Harris County Fort Bend County Montgomery County Incorporated June 5, 1837 Government  - Mayor Bill White Area  - City  601. ...

Frank Mancuso autograph on a St. Louis Browns commemorative card (#23)

Mancuso began playing baseball in 1937 in the minor league system of the New York Giants. After hitting .417 for Fort Smith in 1938, the Giants moved him up to their major league roster for the entire 1939 season as a third string catcher, but he did not get into a single game during the regular season. That disappointment was offset by the opportunity he had to warm up pitcher Carl Hubbell, and sharing the company of other great Giants like OF Mel Ott and manager Bill Terry. He was sent back to the minors before the 1940 season. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Minor League Baseball. ... Major league affiliations National League (1883–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers NY, NY, 3, 4, 11, 24, 27, 30, 36, 42, 44 Name San Francisco Giants (1958–present) New York Giants (1885–1957) New York Gothams (1883–1885) Other nicknames Jints, Gigantes, G-Men Ballpark AT... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Carl Owen Hubbell (June 22, 1903 - November 21, 1988) was a left-handed screwball pitcher in Major League Baseball who played with the New York Giants in the National League from 1928 to 1943. ... Austin Kearns, an outfielder, catches a fly ball. ... Melvin Thomas (Mel) Ott (March 2, 1909 – November 21, 1958), nicknamed Master Melvin, was a right fielder in Major League Baseball who played his entire career in the National League for the New York Giants (1926-1947). ... New York Yankees manager Joe Torre returning to the dugout (September 2005). ... William Harold Terry (October 30, 1898 _ January 9, 1989) was a Major League Baseball first baseman and manager. ...

After hit .300 or more in three minor league seasons, Mancuso entered the U.S. Army as a paratrooper at Fort Benning, Georgia in December 1942 and was on his way to an accident that forever altered the course of his baseball career. In 1943, he suffered a broken back and leg when his chute opened late and improperly. He almost died from his injuries and was subsequently discharged from the service for medical reasons. A part of his injury was an unfortunate condition for a catcher, where in looking straight up caused him to lose the flow of oxygen to the brain, and he would pass out. As a result, he never regained all of his mobility after the parachute jump and was never responsible for catching pop-ups. The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... Fort Benning is a base facility of the United States military outside Columbus, Georgia. ... Dozens of pop-up ads cover a desktop. ...

Mancuso spent the rest of his life with back and legs pains, but he worked himself back into shape and returned to baseball in 1944 as one of two catchers for the only St. Louis Browns club to ever win an American League pennant. He shared duties with Red Hayworth, hitting .205 with one home run and 24 RBI in 88 games. The Browns lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1944 World Series in six games, but Mancuso hit .667 (2-for-3) and collected one RBI in injury-limited pinch-hitting duty. His most productive season came in 1945, when he posted career-numbers in games (119), batting average (.268), RBI (38) and runs (39). In 1946 he hit .240 with a career-high three home runs in 87 games, playing his last majors season with the Washington Senators in 1946. Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 4, 5, 8, 20, 22, 33, 42 Name Baltimore Orioles (1954–present) St. ... American League The American League (or formally the American League of Professional Baseball Clubs) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States of America and Canada. ... This article is about the baseball concept. ... In baseball statistics, a run batted in (RBI) is given to a batter for each run scored as the result of a batters plate appearance. ... Major league affiliations National League (1892–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20, 42, 42, 45, 85 Name St. ... The 1944 World Series featured a crosstown matchup between the St. ... In baseball, a pinch hitter is a common term for a substitute batter. ... Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively. ... Bengie Molina of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (in gray and red) scores a run by touching home plate after rounding all the bases. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 6, 14, 29, 34, 42 Name Minnesota Twins (1961–present) Washington Nationals/Senators (1901-1960) Other nicknames The Twinkies Ballpark Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 1982-present Metropolitan Stadium (1961-1981) Griffith Stadium (1903-1960...

In a four-season career, Mancuso was a .241 hitter (241-for-1002) with five home runs and 98 RBI in 337 games, including 85 runs, 37 doubles, seven triples, and two stolen bases. In baseball, a double is the act of a batter safely reaching second base by striking the ball and getting to second before being made out, without the benefit of a fielders misplay (see error) or another runner being put out on a fielders choice. ... In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base by striking the ball and getting to third before being made out, without the benefit of a fielders misplay (see error) or another runner being put out on a fielders choice. ... The all-time stolen base leader, Rickey Henderson, swipes third in 1988. ...

From 1948-1955, Mancuso earned further respect as a catcher for top minor league clubs like Toledo and Beaumont, among others, and with the 1953 Houston Buffs, a minors club that preceded the Colt .45s & Astros. He also played winter baseball in the Venezuelan League during the 1950-51 and 1951-52 seasons. In his first season, he hit .407 with 49 RBI and also became the first player in the league to hit 10 home runs in a 42-game schedule. Class-Level Triple-A (1902-1913, 1916-1955, 1965-Present) Minor League affiliations International League (1965-Present) West Division American Association (1902-1913, 1916-1955) Major League affiliation Detroit Tigers (1967-1973, 1987-present) Minnesota Twins (1978-1986) Cleveland Indians (1976-1977) Philadelphia Phillies (1974-1975) New York Yankees (1965... The Houston Buffaloes or Buffs were an American minor league baseball team that played in the Texas League from 1907-58 (excluding 1943-45, when the league suspended operations during World War II) and in the American Association from 1959-61. ... Major league affiliations National League (1962–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 24, 25, 32, 33, 34, 40, 42, 49 Name Houston Astros (1965–present) Houston Colt . ... The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League or Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional (LVBP) is the highest level baseball league in Venezuela. ...

After baseball retirement, Mancuso served for 30 consecutive years (1963-93) on the Houston City Council. During his political life, he gave of himself generously to the needs of the young people and to causes benefiting disadvantaged children. He also supported the creation of Lake Livingston and Lake Conroe reservoir to meet the city's long-term water needs; the construction of Houston Intercontinental Airport, and was chairmanship of a special committee that recommended the Houston Fire Department have its own ambulance service. Beside this, Mancuso also was the only Italian-American on the council; the Italian-American heads of city departments; and other high-ranking city, county and state employees. The Houston City Council is the a city council for the city of Houston, Texas. ... Lake Conroe is a 21,000 acre (85 km²) lake in Conroe, Texas. ... George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IATA: IAH, ICAO: KIAH, National LID: IAH)[2] is an international airport serving the Greater Houston area. ... Houston Fire Department (HFD) is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Houston, Texas, United States. ...

In the late 1990s, Harris County built the Frank Mancuso Sports Complex, a facility that strategically reaches out to the needs of inner city kids, in his honor. His 2003 induction into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame reunited him with his older brother, Gus Mancuso (1905-1984), as the second member of the family to be inducted. Harris County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. ...

Mancuso died in Pasadena, Texas at the age of 89. Nickname: Strawberry Capitol Location in the state of Texas. ...

Sources

• Baseball Almanac
• Baseball Library
• Baseball Reference
• BR Bullpen
• Houston Press
• Houston & Texas News
• Retrosheet
• St. Louis Cardinals Scout
• Texas Baseball Hall of Fame
• Gutiérrez, Daniel. Enciclopedia del Béisbol en Venezuela – 1895-2006 . Caracas, Venezuela: Impresión Arte, C.A., 2007