Edo Vanni

Edo Vanni (1918—2007) was an American player, coach, manager and front office executive in minor league baseball. A lifelong resident of the Seattle area, he was called "the face of Seattle baseball" upon his passing, at 89, of heart failure in Bellevue, Washington, on April 30, 2007. [The Seattle Times, May 10, 2007]

Vanni attended Seattle's Queen Anne High School and the University of Washington before beginning his professional playing career as an outfielder with the 1938 Seattle Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League. Vanni would play 11 seasons for the Rainiers, coach for the AAA club for many years, and manage them in 1964 when they were the top affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.

He also played and managed in the Class A Western International League with the Vancouver Capilanos (1952) and the Kennewick-based Tri-City Braves (1953-54) and the Class B Northwest League, the WIL's successor, with the Wenatchee Chiefs (1955-56).

After he hung up his uniform, he was the general manager of the AAA Seattle Angels (1965-68) and director of group ticket sales for the Seattle Pilots during their lone American League season, 1969.

References

*Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., "The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball," 1997 edition. Durham, N.C.: Baseball America.
*The Seattle Times, "Loss of Vanni Leaves Void in Seattle," May 10, 2007.