Al Zarilla
Encyclopedia
Allen Lee Zarilla (May 1, 1919 - August 28, 1996) was a right fielder
in Major League Baseball
who played for the St. Louis Browns
(-, -), Boston Red Sox
(-, -) and Chicago White Sox
(-). Zarilla batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was born in Los Angeles, California
.
In a ten-season career, Zarilla posted a .276 batting average
with 61 home run
s and 456 RBI
in 1120 games played
.
A solid outfielder with a strong arm and basically a line-drive hitter, Zarilla started his Major League career in with the St. Louis Browns. In he hit .299 in 100 games, scoring and driving in a run in Game Three of the World Series
. After that, he served in the military, returning to the Majors in .
Zarilla had his most productive season in , when he posted career-highs in average (.329, fourth in the American League
), hits
(174), home run
s (12), doubles
(39), stolen base
s (11) and games (144), while scoring 77 runs with 74 RBI and made his only appearance in the All-Star Game.
By , Zarilla was the lone member of the pennant-winning Browns still on the roster. That year, the team sent Zarilla to the Boston Red Sox. He hit .281 in 124 games for his new team, and enjoyed another fine season in with a .325 average (fifth in AL), joining Dom DiMaggio
(.328) and Ted Williams
(.317) in the Boston all-.300 outfield
. He also collected career-highs in slugging percentage (.493), runs
(92) and walks
(76), and tied a Major League record with four doubles in a game (June 8).
On December 10, 1950, Zarilla was traded by the Boston Red Sox with Joe Dobson
and Dick Littlefield
to the Chicago White Sox for Bill Wight
and Ray Scarborough
. Zarilla and Gus Zernial
teamed up in April to become the only players whose last names started with "Z" to play together in the same outfield. Zarilla and Zernial played right and left field, respectively, as part of a White Sox outfield unit in four games. At the end of April, Zernial was traded to the Philadelphia A's.
In , Zarilla divided his playing time between the White Sox, Browns and Red Sox. He played his final Major League game with Boston in the season.
Zarilla is probably best remembered for a call by Dizzy Dean
, the former Cardinals pitching ace turned Browns broadcaster, who saw him slide into third base, and yelled, "Zarilla slud into third!"
Zarilla died in Honolulu, Hawaii
, at the age of 77.
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who played for the St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
(-, -), Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
(-, -) and Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
(-). Zarilla batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was born in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
In a ten-season career, Zarilla posted a .276 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
with 61 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 456 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in 1120 games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
.
A solid outfielder with a strong arm and basically a line-drive hitter, Zarilla started his Major League career in with the St. Louis Browns. In he hit .299 in 100 games, scoring and driving in a run in Game Three of the World Series
1944 World Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 4, 1944 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, MissouriGeorge McQuinn hit the Brown's only home run of the series to put his team ahead in the fourth inning, while Denny Galehouse outpitched World Series veteran Mort Cooper to hold on for the win.-Game 2:Thursday, October 5,...
. After that, he served in the military, returning to the Majors in .
Zarilla had his most productive season in , when he posted career-highs in average (.329, fourth in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
), hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
(174), home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s (12), doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
(39), stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s (11) and games (144), while scoring 77 runs with 74 RBI and made his only appearance in the All-Star Game.
By , Zarilla was the lone member of the pennant-winning Browns still on the roster. That year, the team sent Zarilla to the Boston Red Sox. He hit .281 in 124 games for his new team, and enjoyed another fine season in with a .325 average (fifth in AL), joining Dom DiMaggio
Dom DiMaggio
Dominic Paul DiMaggio , nicknamed "The Little Professor", was a Major League Baseball center fielder. He played his entire 11-year baseball career for the Boston Red Sox...
(.328) and Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
(.317) in the Boston all-.300 outfield
Outfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
. He also collected career-highs in slugging percentage (.493), runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
(92) and walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
(76), and tied a Major League record with four doubles in a game (June 8).
On December 10, 1950, Zarilla was traded by the Boston Red Sox with Joe Dobson
Joe Dobson
Joseph Gordon Dobson , nicknamed "Burrhead," was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who played with the Cleveland Indians , Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox ....
and Dick Littlefield
Dick Littlefield
Richard Bernard "Dick" Littlefield was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for nine teams between 1950 and 1958.Born in Detroit, Michigan, he died there at age 71....
to the Chicago White Sox for Bill Wight
Bill Wight
William Robert Wight was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the New York Yankees , Chicago White Sox , Boston Red Sox , Detroit Tigers , Cleveland Indians , Baltimore Orioles , Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals . Listed at 6' 1", 180 lb...
and Ray Scarborough
Ray Scarborough
Rae Wilson Scarborough was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Washington Senators , Chicago White Sox , Boston Red Sox , New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers . Scarborough batted and threw right-handed...
. Zarilla and Gus Zernial
Gus Zernial
Gus Edward Zernial was a Major League Baseball left-fielder and right-handed batter who played for the Chicago White Sox , Philadelphia Athletics , Kansas City Athletics and Detroit Tigers...
teamed up in April to become the only players whose last names started with "Z" to play together in the same outfield. Zarilla and Zernial played right and left field, respectively, as part of a White Sox outfield unit in four games. At the end of April, Zernial was traded to the Philadelphia A's.
In , Zarilla divided his playing time between the White Sox, Browns and Red Sox. He played his final Major League game with Boston in the season.
Zarilla is probably best remembered for a call by Dizzy Dean
Dizzy Dean
Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the last National League pitcher to win 30 games in one season. Dean was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953....
, the former Cardinals pitching ace turned Browns broadcaster, who saw him slide into third base, and yelled, "Zarilla slud into third!"
Zarilla died in Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
, at the age of 77.