Buffalo Baseball Hall of Famer Dan Carnevale Passes Away at Age 87
"On behalf of the Rich Family and the Buffalo Bisons organization, I want to extend our sympathies to Dan's family during this difficult time," said Mike Buczkowski, Bisons Vice President/General Manager. "Dan was a great friend of the organization for over 50 years as a player manager and general manger, and we'll truly miss that friendship."
A true baseball man, Carnevale began his career almost 70 years ago when he turned pro in 1937. He joined the Bisons a year later after being signed as a freshman sports star at Canisius College. The Buffalo-native also spent parts of the 1939 and 1940 seasons with the Bisons. As an infielder, Carnevale played in 1,570 minor league games in 14 different cities.
After serving in the United States Army in Europe during World War II where he attained the rank of master sergeant, Carnevale continued his baseball career as a player/manager. In 1948, his second season in the duel role, he led the North Atlantic League in batting and home runs and led his team to a playoff victory. In 1949, his last year as an active player, he won the pennant and the playoffs for the Bradford Blue Wings while leading the league in hits and RBI.
In 1955, the Detroit Tigers, then parent club of the Herd, made him Bisons manager. The team, however, lacked a strong roster and finished with a 65-89 record, sixth in the International League.
After serving as a scout for the Kansas City Athletics in 1956, Carnevale returned to take the post of General Manager of the Bisons. That year the team drew 452,000 in attendance to Offerman Stadium, a new franchise high. Carnevale also served as a vice president for the Bisons in 1961.
Throughout the rest of his career, Carnevale served as a scout for Kansas City, Oakland, Baltimore and Cleveland before retiring in 2001. He was inducted into the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.
Dan Carnevale: February 8, 1918 - December 29, 2005.