When the Fort Wayne, IN Zollner Pistons played, the opposition knew Piston outfielder Sam Lombardo would drive them up a tree with his aggressive, flamboyant style. That’s the way Lombardo played and teams knew what to expect. They expected Lombardo to lay down a bunt or two. Lombardo perfected the “chop” bunt and was someone who would make an easy catch look difficult. He also would make a catch at his shoe tops, tumble and come up with the ball. Lombardo started his career with Detroit’s Briggs Beautyware and helped the team win the 1937 ASA national title. Two years later, Lombardo batted .389 for Briggs. In 1945 he joined the Pistons and remained with the team until it disbanded following the 1954 season. In 1947, Sam collected 55 hits in 54 games to lead the National Fastball League in batting with a .343 batting average. In 1948, his average slipped to .251, but he batted .311 in 1949 and .394 in 1951 in the National Industrial Fastball League to lead the league in batting. He earned all-league honors four times, 1946-1949. When the men’s pitching distance was increased from 43 feet to 46 feet in 1950, Lombardo regularly batted .300 or higher, hitting .339 overall in 1951 to lead the team, .302 in 1952 and .297 in 1954. After the Pistons disbanded, Lombardo went back to his hometown of Detroit, MI to play for Burch Gage Tool and Die and twice was named an All-American (1955 and 1961). In 1971, Lombardo joined Nothdurft Tool and Manufacturing as a player-coach before retiring in 1977. Sam passed away on January 9, 2013 at the age of 92.
