Tommy Giordano, Legendary Scout Known As ‘T-Bone,’ Dead At 93 After Blood Infection

Though he only played 11 MLB games, Tommy Giordano’s death is being mourned around the league. The longtime scout passed away on Friday, February 15. He spent several decades in a variety of roles contributing to the sport of baseball.

Tommy ‘T-BOne’ Giordano Dies At 93

Known as “T-bone,” the 93 year old got a blood infection in December. Just two months later, he passed in his daughter Gail Przeclawski’s Orlando, Florida, home. The family had previously decided against treatment.

Giordano’s last year in baseball, his 71st, was spent with the Atlanta Braves. Before the illness, he had intended to come back and help develop the emerging contender’s farm system. “I can’t wait to get up in the morning and go to the ballpark,” he once said in a 2016 interview with The Associated Press. “I’m still in baseball, so I must have been doing a pretty good job.”

Though a brief playing career, Giordano’s was memorable. His second at-bat was a home run off 20-game winner Virgil Trucks. Earlier in that season, T-bone led the Sally league in homers with 24. In second place, two behind him was future home run champion, Hank Aaron.

Seven years later, Giordano would crack into scouting with the Kansas City Athletics. He loved combing through stats and driving out to ball fields to find prospects. The scout was credited with finding Cal Ripken Jr and Manny Ramirez.

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Among his most famous tips were “get in the house.” Knowing for checking out a prospect’s family, T-bone would look for any red-flags he could find.

“See what kind of furniture they have in the house. See how many cars they have. See what kind of dad he has. Does he drink? Does he smoke? Are there any problems in the house? Get to know that family. I love doing that kind of work,” he said.

In his last days, Giordano was visited by a steady flow of Hall of Famers in his daughter’s home. He’s survived by two children, two grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and two brothers. His wife Bernice passed away last year. The two were married for 70 years.

A memorial service is scheduled in Orlando on March 10. The family also plans memorial services in Newark and on Long Island, where Giordano and his wife lived for many years before moving to Florida.