Little League® International mourns the passing of Carmine Grieco Jr., who played catcher in the 1947 Little League Baseball® World Series Championship game for Lock Haven (Pa.) Little League. He was 86.
A native of Lock Haven, and resident of Hughesville, Pennsylvania, at the time of his passing, Mr. Grieco’s Lock Haven Little League (LHLL) team played the Maynard Little League for the 1947 World Series championship. Despite two doubles off the bat of Mr. Grieco, the Lock Haven Little Leaguers® were defeated by Maynard Little League, 16-7, in what is recognized as the first Little League Baseball World Series title game.
In 2017, Little League International invited Mr. Grieco, and his 1947 LHLL teammates Chuck Osborn and Carl Russell to that summer’s Little League Baseball World Series to honor the 70th anniversary of that historic first World Championship game. He was a longtime, vocal supporter of the Little League program.
Mr. Grieco graduated from Williamsport (Pa.) High School in 1952, and Lycoming College (Williamsport, Pa.) in 1957. Relocating to Hughesville that same year (1957), Mr. Grieco began his 35-year teaching career in the borough at Wolf Elementary School. After retirement, he gave his time to a wide variety of volunteer activities, including as a Little League coach; and operated the sports apparel company, CarmCo.
Preceded in death by his parents, Carmine Sr., and Gertrude Grieco; first wife, Patricia Ann, and second wife Ruth; brothers, Henry and Brian; and grandchild, Geordan; Mr. Grieco is survived by his daughter, Tami; sons, George, Tim, and Vince; brothers, Larry, and Tom; nine grandchildren; and eight great grandchildren.