Background
He was born and grew up in Newark, New Jersey, and attended Montclair State University, where he earned bachelor"s degrees in physical education and English. He then received a master"s degree in music from Trenton State College.
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Sonny Senerchia
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He also performed as a violinist with Pearl Bailey, Jack Benny and others As a jazz musician, he played clarinet, saxophone, flute and piano in ensembles and big bands. Senerchia"s professional baseball career lasted for eight seasons (1949.
1952–1958).
He threw and batted right-handed, stood 6 feet 1 inch (185 m) tall and weighed 195 pounds (88 kg). Mostly a third baseman early in his career, he later converted to pitcher as a minor leaguer. However, he appeared in the Major Leagues almost exclusively as a third baseman, starting 26 games at the position for the last place Pirates during the final six weeks of the 1952 season, in which they lost 112 out of the 154 games they played.
Although he would collect only 22 hits in an even 100 at bats, Senerchia had some shining moments.
On August 24 at Forbes Field, he had three hits in four at bats, including his first Major League home run (off future television broadcaster Ernie Johnson), which proved to be decisive in a 4–3 victory over the Boston Braves. He hit his final MLB homer off future Baseball Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm of the New York Giants on September 11.
After his playing days ended, Senerchia became a teacher and head baseball coach of Monmouth University, as well as a professional musician. He also was a race car driver and private pilot, and appeared on local television and radio as a sports personality, living in Long Branch, Ocean Township and Spring Lake, where he lived for 20 years.
He died from injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident in Freehold Township, New Jersey, at age 72.
