John Cangelosi took his small size to 13 majors seasons

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John Cangelosi 1990 Score baseball card

After going hitless in the five games of his 1985 call up, the White Sox' John Cangelosi waited until his second game of 1986 to get his first hit. 

It ended up being a home run.

"I was really pressing for that first hit; I didn't think it would ever come," Cangelosi told his hometown Miami Herald after the April 1986 homer. "Now, I think I'll be more relaxed at the plate. My second  hit won't take nearly as long to get."

Cangelosi did continue getting hits. He ultimately got enough to return to the majors over 13 seasons with seven organizations. In 1997, he helped his hometown Marlins win the World Series. He even wrote 

Cangelosi's career began in 1982, taken by the White Sox in the fourth round of the January draft out of Miami Dade College. He's also listed as a native of Brooklyn.

Cangelosi started with the White Sox at short-season Niagara Falls. He moved to single-A Appleton for 1983, then AAA Buffalo by 1985.

He debuted with the White Sox in June 1985 and saw those five games. He went 0 for 2.

Cangelosi returned to Chicago for all of 1986, hitting .235 in 137 games. He also stole 50 bases. He moved to the Pirates for 1987 in a trade. He hit .275 in 104 games.

At 5 foot, 6 inches tall, Cangelosi was among the shortest in the game. He spoke to UPI in April 1987 about having to prove himself.

"I guess, in part because of my size, that I'm going to always have to prove things to people," Cangelosi told UPI. "That doesn't bother me. I'm used to it. Like I said, there are others out there not blessed with a lot of size. They can make it just like I did."

Cangelosi continued with Pittsburgh through 1990. He also saw time at AAA Buffalo in 1988 and 1990. 

In June 1989, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote of Cangelosi's role of coming in to games for the Pirates to get key hits.

"I don't know how many times in the last three years he's come of the bench and sparked us," Pirates Manager Jim Leyland told The Post-Gazette. "He's done an excellent job. John Cangelosi, when our team is in sync and healthy, is one of the most valuable players on our ballclub."

He moved to the Brewers and White Sox systems for 1991, seeing AAA. He then returned to the majors with the Rangers in 1992. After not seeing the bigs again in 1993, he made the Mets for 62 games in 1994.

Cangelosi played 1995 and 1996 with the  Astros, then joined the Marlins for 1997. He saw 103 games and hit .245. He also picked up a hit in three at bats in the World Series.

He played one more season with the Marlins, then seven final games with the Rockies in 1999 to end his career.

Cangelosi went on to write a book about his career, published in 2019, "John Cangelosi: The Improbable Baseball Journey of the Undersized Kid from Nowhere to World Series Champion."

In 2025, he is listed as hitting coach and founder of Cangelosi Baseball in Lockport, Ill.

John Cangelosi 1990 Score baseball card


1990 Minor League Tally 
Players/Coaches Featured:4,495
Made the Majors:1,428-31.8%-X
Never Made Majors:3,067-68.2%
5+ Seasons in the Majors:579-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors:357

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