Art Rico
Encyclopedia
Arthur Ramon "Art" Rico (July 23, 1895 – January 3, 1919) was an Italian American
professional baseball
player whose career spanned two seasons (1916–17), including parts of those seasons in Major League Baseball
with the Boston Braves. Over his major league career, Rico, a catcher
, compiled a .222 batting average
with four hits in 18 at-bats. He also played in the minor leagues
with the Class-B Springfield Green Sox. Rico batted and threw right-handed.
career with the Boston Braves in 1916. He made his debut in Major League Baseball
on July 31, 1916. That season, Rico played in four games, getting no hits
in four at-bats. On defense, he played all of his four games as a catcher
, committing five putout
s in six total chances
. At the start of the 1917 season., Rico joined the minor league
Springfield Green Sox, who were members of the Class-B Eastern League. With the Green Sox, Rico batted
.240 with 25 hits in 30 games played
. As a catcher for the Green Sox, Rico committed nine errors
in 142 total chances. He also played in the majors that season with the Boston Braves. Rico batted .286 with one runs
, four hits, one doubles
and two runs batted in in 13 games played with the Braves. On defense, Rico played 11 games as a catcher and two games in the outfield
. As a catcher, he committed one error, four assists
and 15 put outs in 20 total chances.
. He was an Italian American
. Rico died on January 3, 1919 in Boston, Massachusetts and was buried at Holyhood Cemetery
in Brookline, Massachusetts
.
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
professional baseball
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
player whose career spanned two seasons (1916–17), including parts of those seasons 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...
with the Boston Braves. Over his major league career, Rico, a catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
, compiled a .222 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 four hits in 18 at-bats. He also played in the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
with the Class-B Springfield Green Sox. Rico batted and threw right-handed.
Professional career
Rico accomplished the rare feat of going directly to the major leagues when he began his professional baseballProfessional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
career with the Boston Braves in 1916. He made his debut 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...
on July 31, 1916. That season, Rico played in four games, getting no 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....
in four at-bats. On defense, he played all of his four games as a catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
, committing five putout
Putout
In baseball statistics, a putout is given to a defensive player who records an out by one of the following methods:* Tagging a runner with the ball when he is not touching a base...
s in six total chances
Total chances
In baseball statistics, total chances , also called chances offered, represents the number of plays in which a defensive player has participated. It is calculated as follows: Total Chances = assists + putouts + errors. Chances accepted refers to the total of putouts and assists only. Fielding...
. At the start of the 1917 season., Rico joined the minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
Springfield Green Sox, who were members of the Class-B Eastern League. With the Green Sox, Rico batted
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 :...
.240 with 25 hits in 30 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,...
. As a catcher for the Green Sox, Rico committed nine errors
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
in 142 total chances. He also played in the majors that season with the Boston Braves. Rico batted .286 with one 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...
, four hits, one 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....
and two runs batted in in 13 games played with the Braves. On defense, Rico played 11 games as a catcher and two games in the 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...
. As a catcher, he committed one error, four assists
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
and 15 put outs in 20 total chances.
Personal
Rico was born on July 23, 1895 in Roxbury, MassachusettsRoxbury, Massachusetts
Roxbury is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was one of the first towns founded in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, and became a city in 1846 until annexed to Boston on January 5, 1868...
. He was an Italian American
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
. Rico died on January 3, 1919 in Boston, Massachusetts and was buried at Holyhood Cemetery
Holyhood Cemetery
Holyhood Cemetery is a cemetery located in Brookline, Massachusetts, United States. Laid out in 1857, the cemetery was designed to reflect the mid-19th century influence of romantic landscape cemetery planning begun at Cambridge's Mount Auburn Cemetery. It was the first such cemetery in Brookline...
in Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
.