Tom Tischinski was born on July 12, 1944 in Kansas City, Missouri and passed away at the age of 79 on April 23, 2024 at Northcare Hospice House in Kansas City. He attended De La Salle High School, graduating in 1962. According to the back of Tischinski’s rookie 1970 Topps baseball card (#379) he lettered in four sports and was captain of his baseball and basketball team getting all-league honors in both sports.
Following high school, he was signed by the Kansas City Athletics baseball organization, beginning a 13 year career in professional baseball. After just one season in the Kansas City Athletics organization he was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the November 1962 first-year draft. Tischinski played in AAA for the Reds in San Diego but struggled hitting the ball and when the Reds drafted some guy named Johnny Bench in June of 1965, things didn’t look good. Then in November of 1967 he caught a break when the Minnesota Twins drafted him in the minor league draft.