Al Gionfriddo
Encyclopedia
Albert Francis "Al" Gionfriddo (March 8, 1922 - March 14, 2003) was a slightly built 5' 6" and 165 lb. professional
baseball
outfielder
who batted and threw left-handed. He made his major league
debut on September 23, at the age of 22 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was a career .266 hitter whose best year was in 1945
when he hit .284 with 9 triples
and 74 runs
scored for the Pirates. He played in the majors for four years.
He was acquired by the Brooklyn Dodgers
from the Pirates midway through the season, and he is most famous for his heroic catch of a drive
off the bat
of the New York Yankee's Joe DiMaggio
in Game 6 of the 1947 World Series
. The Dodgers led the Yankees 8-5 going into the bottom of the 6th inning
when Gionfriddo was brought in as a defensive replacement. Snuffy Stirnweiss
and Yogi Berra
were on base when DiMaggio drove the ball to the 415 marker. Gionfriddo raced across the field and caught the ball several steps before crashing into the bullpen gate. In one of the most famous images in baseball history, the taciturn DiMaggio shook his head and kicked at the dirt in frustration. At the time, there was no instant replay, and Gionfriddo was widely believed to have robbed DiMaggio of a home run. However, the game film, when developed later, clearly showed Gionfriddo catching the ball several steps shy of the wall, and thus actually robbing DiMaggio of a double or triple instead of a home run. Still photos of the catch contributed to the misconception that it was a potential home run, since the images showed Gionfriddo with his glove behind the bullpen gate, and the ball inside the glove. However, these photos were taken several seconds after the play, when Gionfriddo's momentum had carried his arm over the gate.
Gionfriddo was also involved in the even more famous Game 4 of the 1947 Series when Cookie Lavagetto
's pinch hit double
not only broke up Bill Bevens
' no hitter with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, but won the game as well when Gionfriddo (who had entered the game as a pinch runner
for Carl Furillo
and stole
second) and Eddie Miksis
scored on the play.
The 1947 World Series proved to be Gionfriddo's swan song
in the big leagues, as he was returned to the minor leagues
in 1948. After spending four years with the Dodgers' AAA Montreal Royals
and a season with the Class AA Fort Worth Cats
, Gionfriddo was given a chance to play for and manage the Drummondville, Quebec
Royals of the Class C Provincial League
in 1953. Unaffiliated with any major-league club, the Royals finished last and Gionfriddo was replaced as manager
in mid-season; he rejoined the Dodgers organization, playing for their Class B team in Newport News, Virginia
. Drifting west, Gionfriddo played three years for teams in the California League
, and then spent three years as the General Manager
of the Dodgers' Santa Barbara
minor league club, before finally retiring from pro baseball after the 1959 season.
Al Gionfriddo died in Solvang, California
on March 14, 2003 while golfing, at the age of 81.
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....
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
who batted and threw left-handed. He made his major league
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...
debut on September 23, at the age of 22 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was a career .266 hitter whose best year was in 1945
1945 Pittsburgh Pirates season
- Offseason :* Prior to 1945 season: Tod Davis was acquired by the Pirates from the Hollywood Stars as part of a minor league working agreement.- Roster :- Starters by position :...
when he hit .284 with 9 triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
and 74 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...
scored for the Pirates. He played in the majors for four years.
He was acquired by the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
from the Pirates midway through the season, and he is most famous for his heroic catch of a drive
Line drive
In baseball, a line drive is a type of batted ball, sharply hit, and on a level trajectory. The threshold between a line drive and a fly ball can be subjective....
off the bat
Baseball bat
A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal club used in the game of baseball to hit the ball after the ball is thrown by the pitcher. It is no more than 2.75 inches in diameter at the thickest part and no more than 42 inches in length. It typically weighs no more than 33 ounces , but it...
of the New York Yankee's Joe DiMaggio
Joe DiMaggio
Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak , a record that still stands...
in Game 6 of the 1947 World Series
1947 World Series
The 1947 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers, with the Yankees winning the Series in seven games for their first title since , and the eleventh championship in team history...
. The Dodgers led the Yankees 8-5 going into the bottom of the 6th inning
Inning
Inning is a municipality in the district of Erding in Bavaria in Germany....
when Gionfriddo was brought in as a defensive replacement. Snuffy Stirnweiss
Snuffy Stirnweiss
George Henry "Snuffy" Stirnweiss was an American second baseman in Major League Baseball. From through , Stirnweiss played for the New York Yankees , St. Louis Browns and Cleveland Indians...
and Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
were on base when DiMaggio drove the ball to the 415 marker. Gionfriddo raced across the field and caught the ball several steps before crashing into the bullpen gate. In one of the most famous images in baseball history, the taciturn DiMaggio shook his head and kicked at the dirt in frustration. At the time, there was no instant replay, and Gionfriddo was widely believed to have robbed DiMaggio of a home run. However, the game film, when developed later, clearly showed Gionfriddo catching the ball several steps shy of the wall, and thus actually robbing DiMaggio of a double or triple instead of a home run. Still photos of the catch contributed to the misconception that it was a potential home run, since the images showed Gionfriddo with his glove behind the bullpen gate, and the ball inside the glove. However, these photos were taken several seconds after the play, when Gionfriddo's momentum had carried his arm over the gate.
Gionfriddo was also involved in the even more famous Game 4 of the 1947 Series when Cookie Lavagetto
Cookie Lavagetto
Harry Arthur "Cookie" Lavagetto was a third baseman, manager and coach in American Major League Baseball. He is most widely known as the pinch hitter whose double ruined Bill Bevens' no-hitter in Game 4 of the 1947 World Series and gave his Brooklyn Dodgers a breathtaking victory over the New...
's pinch hit double
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....
not only broke up Bill Bevens
Bill Bevens
Floyd Clifford "Bill" Bevens was a former right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher. He stood 6' 3" and weighed 210 lb. Bevens was signed by the New York Yankees at the age of 20 in , and spent seven seasons in the minor leagues, where he threw two no-hitters for the Wenatchee Chiefs...
' no hitter with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, but won the game as well when Gionfriddo (who had entered the game as a pinch runner
Pinch runner
A pinch runner is a baseball player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing a player on base. In the typical case, the pinch runner is faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been substituted...
for Carl Furillo
Carl Furillo
Carl Anthony Furillo , nicknamed "The Reading Rifle" and "Skoonj," was a right fielder in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers...
and stole
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...
second) and Eddie Miksis
Eddie Miksis
Edward Thomas Miksis was an American Major League Baseball player. Born in Burlington, New Jersey, he stood 6' 0" and weighed 185 lbs...
scored on the play.
The 1947 World Series proved to be Gionfriddo's swan song
Swan song
"Swan song" is a metaphorical phrase for a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement. The phrase refers to an ancient belief that the Mute Swan is completely silent during its lifetime until the moment just before death, when it sings one beautiful song...
in the big leagues, as he was returned to 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...
in 1948. After spending four years with the Dodgers' AAA Montreal Royals
Montreal Royals
The Montreal Royals were a minor league professional baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec, that existed from 1897–1917 and from 1928–60 as a member of the International League and its progenitor, the original Eastern League...
and a season with the Class AA Fort Worth Cats
Fort Worth Cats
The Fort Worth Cats are a professional baseball team based in Fort Worth, Texas, in the United States. The Cats are a member of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since the 2002 season the Cats...
, Gionfriddo was given a chance to play for and manage the Drummondville, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
Royals of the Class C Provincial League
Provincial League
Provincial League also known as Pro League is the old regional Football league in Thailand in 1999-2008. It was founded in 1999 under the name "Provincial League" organized by Sports Authority of Thailand and Ministry of Tourism and Sports...
in 1953. Unaffiliated with any major-league club, the Royals finished last and Gionfriddo was replaced as manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
in mid-season; he rejoined the Dodgers organization, playing for their Class B team in Newport News, Virginia
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
. Drifting west, Gionfriddo played three years for teams in the California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
, and then spent three years as the General Manager
General manager (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....
of the Dodgers' Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
minor league club, before finally retiring from pro baseball after the 1959 season.
Al Gionfriddo died in Solvang, California
Solvang, California
Solvang is a city in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. It is one of the communities that make up the Santa Ynez Valley. The population was 5,245 at the 2010 census, down from 5,332 at the 2000 census...
on March 14, 2003 while golfing, at the age of 81.