Val Picinich

Val Picinich
Picinich, circa 1924
Catcher
Born: (1896-09-08)September 8, 1896
New York, New York, U.S.
Died: December 5, 1942(1942-12-05) (aged 46)
Nobleboro, Maine, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
July 25, 1916, for the Philadelphia Athletics
Last MLB appearance
August 28, 1933, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
MLB statistics
Batting average.258
Home runs26
Runs batted in298
Stats at Baseball Reference 
Teams

Valentine John Picinich (September 8, 1896 – December 5, 1942) was an American professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1916 to 1933 for the Philadelphia Athletics, Washington Senators, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Brooklyn Robins / Dodgers, and Pittsburgh Pirates.

In 18 seasons, Picinich played in 1,037 games and hit .258 with 26 home runs and 298 RBI. He caught three no-hitters in his first eight major league seasons and he was the personal catcher for Walter Johnson for four seasons. Picinich was a minor league manager after his playing career ended. He died of pneumonia in 1942.