Major League Baseball Player, Coach, Scout. Born Kenneth Joseph Silvestri, he spent 55 years in the sport and was primarily known for his fielding and for his handling of pitchers. His nickname was Hawk. A native of Chicago, he was All-City and All-State in football at Schurz High School in 1932 and 1933. He attended Purdue University for two years. He broke into the major leagues at age 22 with the Chicago White Sox. He was a backup catcher in the major leagues for 8 seasons, on the active player roster from 1939 to 1951, with the White Sox (1939-1940), New York Yankees (1941, 1946-1947) and Philadelphia Phillies (1950-1951). He played on two pennant-winning teams, the 1941 Yankees and the 1950 Phillies. During World War II, he missed 4 seasons from the Yankees in the prime of his career, 1942 to 1945, in order to serve in the U.S. Army 24th Infantry Division in the Pacific. Following his playing career, he managed in the minor league teams for the Yankees (1954-58), was pitching and bullpen coach for several major league teams: the Phillies (1952-53; 1959-60), Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves (1963-75) and the White Sox (1976; 1982), and was manager of the Braves for the final three games of the 1967 season. The rest of his career was spent serving as a minor league coach and instructor for several teams. At the team of his death, he was a scout and minor league instructor for the White Sox.
Major League Baseball Player, Coach, Scout. Born Kenneth Joseph Silvestri, he spent 55 years in the sport and was primarily known for his fielding and for his handling of pitchers. His nickname was Hawk. A native of Chicago, he was All-City and All-State in football at Schurz High School in 1932 and 1933. He attended Purdue University for two years. He broke into the major leagues at age 22 with the Chicago White Sox. He was a backup catcher in the major leagues for 8 seasons, on the active player roster from 1939 to 1951, with the White Sox (1939-1940), New York Yankees (1941, 1946-1947) and Philadelphia Phillies (1950-1951). He played on two pennant-winning teams, the 1941 Yankees and the 1950 Phillies. During World War II, he missed 4 seasons from the Yankees in the prime of his career, 1942 to 1945, in order to serve in the U.S. Army 24th Infantry Division in the Pacific. Following his playing career, he managed in the minor league teams for the Yankees (1954-58), was pitching and bullpen coach for several major league teams: the Phillies (1952-53; 1959-60), Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves (1963-75) and the White Sox (1976; 1982), and was manager of the Braves for the final three games of the 1967 season. The rest of his career was spent serving as a minor league coach and instructor for several teams. At the team of his death, he was a scout and minor league instructor for the White Sox.
Bio by: William Seitz
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