ST. LOUIS -- Joe Cunningham, who got off to a smashing start with the St. Louis Cardinals and later became a minor league manager, major league coach, key figure in their front office and team ambassador, has died. He was 89.
Popularly called as "Smokey" Joe, he died Thursday in St. Louis, the Cardinals said.
Cunningham homered and drove in five runs during his big league debut against Cincinnati in 1954. The next day, he homered twice off future Hall of Famer Warren Spahn and drove in four runs at Milwaukee.
Cunningham was an All-Star in 1959 when he led the majors with a .