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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 Dodgers, and Pittsburgh Pirates. "Val Picinich Statistics and History". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
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.
Picinich may have had his best season for the Cincinnati Reds in 1928. He played in a major league career-high 96 games that year and hit .302. The next year, Picinich appeared in 93 games, but his batting average dropped to .260. He seemed to struggle defensively that year, leading the league in two dubious categories: passed balls (9) and stolen bases allowed (75).
After 1929, Picinich never played in more than 41 major league games in any season. He last appeared in the major leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1933. In 1934, he wrote to Ford Frick to say that he was creating a baseball school in Brooklyn. Picinich then spent four seasons managing in the minor leagues.
His daughter was married to Roland L. Bragg, U.S. Army paratrooper and the namesake of Fort Bragg.
Later life
After leaving baseball, Picinich bought a chicken farm in Maine. He then worked as the personnel service and morale director for Bath Iron Works. In 1942, Picinich contracted bronchial influenza and was diagnosed with pneumonia a few days later. He died in Nobleboro, Maine, at the age of 46. He was survived by his parents, a wife, and a daughter, Barbara.
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Categories: 1896 Births, 1942 Deaths, Atlanta Crackers Players, Baltimore Orioles Players, Baseball Players From New York City, Boston Red Sox Players, Brooklyn Dodgers Players, Brooklyn Robins Players, Charleston Senators Players, Cincinnati Reds Coaches, Cincinnati Reds Players, Jersey City Skeeters Players, Major League Baseball Catchers, Minor League Baseball Managers, New York Giants Scouts, Philadelphia Athletics Players, 20th-century American Sportsmen, Pittsburgh Pirates Players, Toronto Maple Leafs Players, Washington Senators Players, People From Nobleboro, Maine, Deaths From Influenza In The United States, Deaths From Pneumonia In Maine
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