Deaths on February 8

Tony Malinosky, American baseball player and soldier (b. 1909)

Anthony Francis Malinosky (October 7, 1909 – February 8, 2011) was an American baseball player. He played third baseman and shortstop in Major League baseball in 35 games for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1937 season. Listed at 5' 10", Weight: 165 lb., he batted and threw right-handed.Born in Collinsville, Illinois, Tony Malinosky attended Whittier College, where he played baseball and was a classmate of future US President Richard Nixon.The Pittsburgh Pirates signed Malinosky to his first professional contract, and then sold his rights to the Dodgers in 1936.During World War II, Malinosky was drafted by the United States Army, with which he saw combat in the Battle of the Bulge.The Los Angeles Dodgers honored Malinosky at Dodger Stadium in 2009, on the occasion of his 100th birthday. In a statement released after his death, the Dodgers said "Tony lived an incredibly full life, both on and off the field, He remained a Dodger fan his whole life and his visit to Dodger Stadium in 2009 gave the organization a great opportunity to celebrate not only his 100th birthday, but the Dodger chapter of his life that meant so much to him. He will be most certainly missed by all who knew him."

Malinosky was a longtime resident of Oxnard, California since moving to the area in 1976. At 101 years, 124 days, he was the oldest living former Major League Baseball player at the time of his death on February 8, 2011.