Cronin, Joe (1906-1984), was one of the greatest hitters in baseball history. He was also an outstanding shortstop and manager. From 1959 to 1974, Cronin was president of the American League, the first former player to serve as president of a major league.
Joseph Edward Cronin was born on Oct. 12, 1906, in San Francisco. He was a bank clerk before entering baseball in 1926 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Pittsburgh traded Cronin to the Washington Senators in 1928. He soon became a star, hitting .346 and batting in 126 runs in 1930. Cronin became player-manager of the Senators in 1933. At the age of 27, he was one of the youngest managers in major league history. Cronin’s team won the pennant in 1933.
In 1935, Cronin was sold to the Boston Red Sox, where he continued as a player-manager. A broken leg ended his playing career in 1945, but he managed the Red Sox through 1947, leading his team to the American League pennant in 1946. Cronin had a lifetime batting average of .301 for his 20-year major league career. He was an executive with the Red Sox from 1948 to 1959, when he became American League president. Cronin was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1956. He died on Sept. 7, 1984.
