Eddie Pellagrini
Encyclopedia
Edward Charles Pellagrini (March 13, 1918 – October 11, 2006) was an American
infielder
in Major League Baseball
from to for the Boston Red Sox
, St. Louis Browns
, Philadelphia Phillies
, Cincinnati Reds
, and Pittsburgh Pirates
. He went on to become a longtime coach at Boston College
.
. On April 22, 1946 he hit a home run
in his first major league at bat with the Red Sox, helping the team to a 5-4 win over the Washington Senators
, but he played in only 22 games that year and did not appear in the World Series
; it would remain his only pennant-winning team.
to Boston, he enjoyed his most consistent play in St. Louis, appearing in 184 games over two years and batting
.238 in both campaigns. He returned to the minor leagues in 1950, and spent the final four years of his career with three National League
teams, peaking with a 1953 season in which he hit .253 for the Pirates.
, 167 runs
, 133 runs batted in
and 13 stolen base
s in 563 games. Primarily a shortstop
, he also saw significant playing time at second
and third base
.
, in , and , as well as NCAA tournament
appearances in and .
In 1960, his Eagles
defeated Connecticut
and Holy Cross
in the regional tournament to advance to the CWS, where they beat Northern Colorado
before losing to USC
and Oklahoma State. In 1961, BC beat Springfield
and took two games out of three against Connecticut in the regionals, again moving on to the CWS; they beat Western Michigan
and Duke
, but lost twice to eventual champion USC and fell one game short of the championship contest.
The 1962 tournament saw BC eliminated with regional losses to Vermont
and Bridgeport
, and they were again eliminated in 1966 with a regional loss to Northeastern
after beating UMass
. But he took his team back to the College World Series in 1967, taking two games out of three against both Dartmouth
and UMass in the regionals. An opening-round CWS win against Rider
was followed by losses to eventual champion Arizona State
and Houston
, the latter a 3-2 decision in 13 innings, ending the Eagles' play. As of 2006, Boston College has not returned to the CWS. In a ceremony on May 3, , BC's baseball field was formally rededicated as Eddie Pellagrini Diamond at John Shea Field.
Pellagrini died at age 88, but the cause and place of death were not immediately revealed http://cbs.sportsline.com/mlb/story/9721775.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
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...
from to for the 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"...
, 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...
, Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, and Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. He went on to become a longtime coach at Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
.
Early Baseball Years
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Pellagrini began his professional baseball career in 1938 and worked his way up through the minor leagues before being acquired by the Red Sox in September 1941, but spent 1942-45 in the military during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. On April 22, 1946 he hit a 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...
in his first major league at bat with the Red Sox, helping the team to a 5-4 win over the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, but he played in only 22 games that year and did not appear in the World Series
1946 World Series
-Game 1:Sunday, October 6, 1946 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, MissouriThe Red Sox won Game 1 when Rudy York hit a home run into the left field bleachers.-Game 2:Monday, October 7, 1946 at Sportsman's Park in St...
; it would remain his only pennant-winning team.
Traded to St. Louis
Traded to the Browns after the 1947 season in the deal which brought Vern StephensVern Stephens
Vernon Decatur Stephens was an American shortstop in professional baseball who played 15 seasons in the American League for four different teams. A native of McAlister, New Mexico, Stephens batted and threw right-handed...
to Boston, he enjoyed his most consistent play in St. Louis, appearing in 184 games over two years and batting
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 :...
.238 in both campaigns. He returned to the minor leagues in 1950, and spent the final four years of his career with three National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
teams, peaking with a 1953 season in which he hit .253 for the Pirates.
Statistics
He ended his career with a .226 batting average, 20 home runs, 321 hitsHit (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....
, 167 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...
, 133 runs batted in
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...
and 13 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 in 563 games. Primarily a shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
, he also saw significant playing time at second
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
and third base
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
.
Coach
Pellagrini went on to become the baseball coach at Boston College from 1958 to 1988 (although he missed the 1969 season due to illness), compiling a record of 359-345-6. He guided the team to three appearances in the College World SeriesCollege World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
, in , and , as well as NCAA tournament
NCAA Division I Baseball Championship
The NCAA Division I Baseball Championship tournament is held each year from May through June and features 64 college baseball teams in the United States, culminating in the College World Series....
appearances in and .
In 1960, his Eagles
Boston College Eagles
The Boston College Eagles are the athletic teams representing Boston College. They compete in NCAA Division I as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The men's and women's ice hockey teams compete in Hockey East. The women's crew team competes in the Eastern Association of Women's Rowing...
defeated Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
and Holy Cross
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
in the regional tournament to advance to the CWS, where they beat Northern Colorado
University of Northern Colorado
-Organization:The University of Northern Colorado offers 100 undergraduate programs and more than 100 graduate programs. The university has a satellite campus in Denver, Colorado...
before losing to USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
and Oklahoma State. In 1961, BC beat Springfield
Springfield College
Springfield College is a private, coeducational university located in the City of Springfield, Massachusetts. Springfield College is most famous as the site where the sport of basketball was invented...
and took two games out of three against Connecticut in the regionals, again moving on to the CWS; they beat Western Michigan
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
and Duke
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
, but lost twice to eventual champion USC and fell one game short of the championship contest.
The 1962 tournament saw BC eliminated with regional losses to Vermont
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
and Bridgeport
University of Bridgeport
The University of Bridgeport is a private, independent, non-sectarian, coeducational university located on the Long Island Sound in the South End neighborhood of Bridgeport, Connecticut. The University is fully Accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges...
, and they were again eliminated in 1966 with a regional loss to Northeastern
Northeastern University, Boston
Northeastern University , is a private, secular, coeducational research university in Boston, Massachusetts. Northeastern has eight colleges and offers undergraduate majors in 65 departments...
after beating UMass
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
. But he took his team back to the College World Series in 1967, taking two games out of three against both Dartmouth
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
and UMass in the regionals. An opening-round CWS win against Rider
Rider University
Rider University is a private, coeducational and nonsectarian university located chiefly in Lawrenceville, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States...
was followed by losses to eventual champion Arizona State
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
and Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
, the latter a 3-2 decision in 13 innings, ending the Eagles' play. As of 2006, Boston College has not returned to the CWS. In a ceremony on May 3, , BC's baseball field was formally rededicated as Eddie Pellagrini Diamond at John Shea Field.
Pellagrini died at age 88, but the cause and place of death were not immediately revealed http://cbs.sportsline.com/mlb/story/9721775.
See also
- Home run in first Major League at-batHome run in first at-batThis is a list of Major League Baseball players who hit a home run in their first major league at bat.Bill Duggleby, Jeremy Hermida, Kevin Kouzmanoff, and Daniel Nava are the only players to hit a grand slam in their first at bat...
- Boston Red Sox all-time rosterBoston Red Sox all-time rosterThe following is a list of players, past and present, who have appeared in at least one competitive game for the Boston Red Sox American League franchise , also known previously as the Boston Americans ....
External links
- Eddie Pellagrini at Find a GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...