The name Tony Lupien may not be familiar to many, but he was the grandfather of WWE superstar and actor John Cena, and once played for the Philadelphia Phillies, writes Matt Breen for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Lupien’s didn’t have a long tenure with the Phillies, but his departure was a tumultuous one.
Just over a year after joining the Phillies in 1944, Lupien was drafted into the Navy during World War II.
Upon his discharge, then-Phillies general manager Herb Pennock told him he was getting traded to the Hollywood Stars of the minor leagues. Having already played in the minors previously, Lupien was irate.
Therefore, he hired a lawyer to challenge the team’s decision.
The 1945 season was an abysmal one for the Phillies, resulting in 108 losses.
While Lupien was among the only relative bright spots of the team, management wanted to completely clean house, which is why Lupien was being traded.
Lupien inquired about whether the G.I. Bill — which protects the jobs of men who entered the military for at least one year — applied to baseball players.
“I think the least the Phils might have done is give me a chance to show what I have,” Lupien said.
He reluctantly reported to the Stars and played two seasons there before returning to the majors.
Read more about Tony Lupien’s and his career in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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