One of the greatest baseball players in program history, John “Rocky Gianvito compiled statistics that still rank among the all-time career records despite the fact that his team never played more than 17 games in a season. Over four years, Gianvito played in 58 career games, a total reached in 1½ seasons by the current schedule. A hard-hitting centerfielder who also saw time on the mound, Gianvito compiled a .337 career batting average and ranks among the all-time leaders in home runs (8, tied for fifth place), triples (6, tied for eighth) and saves (2, tied for ninth). His totals for stolen bases (22, tied for 10th) and sacrifice flies (5, tied for eighth) also rank among the career leaders despite two seasons where those categories weren’t even recorded. Gianvito is tied for the program single-game record with two triples (against LaSalle University, April 14, 1958) and still holds the mark with five walks in a game against Philadelphia Textile, May 2, 1961. His single-season stats include an amazing three seasons with a slugging percentage .545 or higher, including .646 in 1959 (seventh all-time) and .609 in 1960 (12th). He had a .413 batting average in 1960 (sixth all-time) on-base percentages of .552 and .509 (third and seventh) in 1961 and 1960, respectively, and 1961 totals of 22 walks (tied for 14th), 15 stolen bases (tied for 8th) and three sacrifice flies (tied for seventh).
Gianvito earned MVP and Co-MVP awards for Rutgers baseball, hit a pair of career grand slams (including one measured at 450 feet against St. Joseph’s University in 1958), stole second, third and home consecutively against Drexel University (1960) and won a pair of games in relief in 1961. His accomplishments helped the Raptors win three consecutive Delaware Valley Conference championships from 1959-61.
During his freshman and sophomore years, Gianvito also earned two varsity letters in both soccer (goaltender) and basketball (guard).
A 1961 graduate of Rutgers College of South Jersey, Gianvito was an Economics major. He received his Master’s of Education in Educational Administration (Business) from Glassboro State College in 1980.
The owner of his own marketing consultant business, Gianvito Consulting Services, he is a Medford resident.
