Joe Cunningham

Joseph Robert Cunningham Jr. (August 27, 1931 – March 25, 2021) was an American baseball first baseman and outfielder who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1954 to 1966. He batted and threw left-handed and was a two-time All-Star.

Born in Paterson, New Jersey, Cunningham was raised in Saddle River Township, since renamed Saddle Brook. He attended Lodi High School in nearby Lodi and was signed as an amateur free agent by the St. Louis Cardinals before the 1949 season. He played four seasons in the minor leagues from 1949 to 1951 and the first part of 1954, and served two years in the military during the Korean War.

Cunningham made his major league debut on June 30, 1954, at the age of 22, going 2-for-5 with his first major league home run and five runs batted in during an 11–3 win over the Cincinnati Redlegs. Over his career he played for the Cardinals, the Chicago White Sox, and the Washington Senators.

In 1,141 career games he batted .291 with 980 hits. He finished with more walks (599) than strikeouts (369), a mark of his disciplined approach at the plate.