Chuck Ricci
Encyclopedia
Charles Mark "Chuck" Ricci (born November 20, 1968) is a former professional baseball
player. During an 11-season professional career, Ricci appeared in Major League Baseball
during one year, pitching for the National League
Philadelphia Phillies
in 1995. He was listed as standing 6 in 2 in (187.96 cm) and weighing 180 pounds (81.6 kg).
Having played for eleven different minor league teams affiliated with five major league franchises (Baltimore Orioles
, Phillies, Boston Red Sox
, Oakland Athletics
, and Montreal Expos
), Ricci also appeared as a member of the Cleveland Indians
in the 1994 film Major League II
; although he never played for the Indians, he worked for the franchise as a scout after retiring as a player.
. In the 1987 Major League Baseball Draft
, he was selected in the fourth round by the Baltimore Orioles
, the first player drafted by a Major League Baseball club in Shawnee's history. Ricci was offered a full scholarship to the University of Hawaii
, but chose to begin his professional career.
in West Virginia
, where he began his career by playing two seasons. For the Appalachian League
club, he collected a 5–5 win–loss record, averaging 6.50 earned runs per game
in his 13 appearances
(12 starts
). His five victories were tied for the second-highest total on the team, and he allowed a team-high 11 home run
s in his appearances. He struck out
40 batters in innings pitched
, walking
38. The next season, Ricci amassed a 4–6 record and a 6.66 earned run average (ERA), the club's second-worst mark. He played in 14 games, all starts, and struck out 73 batters in a like number of innings, allowing 48 bases on balls.
In 1989, Ricci was promoted to the A-level Waterloo Diamonds
, an unaffiliated team at the time. He increased his number of appearances from the previous year more than twofold, starting 25 of his 29 games and completing 9 of those contests. Ricci pitched a career-high innings that season, posting a 10–12 record; his loss total was tied for the team high in that category. He was third on the team, and tops among the regular starters, in ERA, with a 2.98 mark, and walked 59 batters while striking out 89. After advancing to the Frederick Keys
for the 1990 season, Ricci again led that team with 12 defeats, as compared to his 7 victories. His ERA rose to 4.41, but his strikeout-to-walk ratio improved to 97:49. In June of that year, Ricci pitched a complete-game
shutout
of the Prince William Cannons, winning 5–0.
allowed—and his 144 strikeouts were second to Kip Yaughn. Ricci split the 1992 season between Frederick and the AA-level Hagerstown Suns
, spending more time at the latter. He began to transition to the bullpen with Hagerstown, making only 6 starts in 20 appearances. Ricci pitched innings for the Suns, amassing a 5.77 ERA and a 1–4 record. The Bowie Baysox
became the Orioles' Eastern League
affiliate in 1993, and Ricci played most of that season with them; he won seven games and lost four, amassing a 3.20 ERA. He struck out 83 batters against 20 walks in innings, but was granted free agency in October of that year.
signed Ricci to a contract, assigning him to the double-A Reading Phillies
. He recorded one victory for Reading, allowing no runs in 14 innings pitched. Earning a promotion to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
, Ricci earned four more wins against three losses, collecting a 4.04 ERA. On the season, he amassed six saves, striking out 95 batters while walking 26 of the 345 he faced that year. During the 1994 season, Ricci also appeared in the film Major League II
as one of the Cleveland Indians
baseball players.
Ricci duplicated his Red Barons record the next season, posting a 4–3 mark in 1995. His 2.49 ERA was the best on the team among players making more than 10 appearances, and he led all International League
pitchers with 68 games played. Striking out 66 batters in 65 innings, Ricci finished 48 games for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, saving 25 of them, by far the team's highest total that season. After the International League season concluded, Ricci was promoted to the major league club.
on September 8, 1995. In his debut, he walked two batters (John Cangelosi
and Andy Stankiewicz
), struck out one (Jeff Bagwell
), and allowed one earned run and two hits, with the score coming on a sacrifice fly
by Ricky Gutiérrez
. Ricci's next appearance also came against the Astros, when he threw a perfect inning two days later. Against the rival New York Mets on September 15, Ricci was chosen to complete the game in a 4–1 Phillies defeat; he allowed two hits and struck out one batter, lowering his ERA to 1.93. In a 13–10 victory over the Florida Marlins
on September 18, Ricci pitched a portion of the third inning and all of the fourth, striking out three of the five batters he faced and hitting one
.
Ricci earned his only major league victory on September 23 against the Cincinnati Reds
, becoming the beneficiary of three ninth-inning walks by Xavier Hernandez, including the winning run walked in from the bases loaded
with two outs. The next night, he faced the Reds again, allowing a run on a Hal Morris
double in the ninth inning of a 6–4 loss. His final appearance came against the Marlins in Florida, when he allowed two hits and a walk in two innings pitched, striking out three batters on October 1. Despite finishing his short stint
with an undefeated record and a 1.80 ERA, Ricci was released into free agency at the end of the 1995 season.
of the International League, posting a career-best .667 winning percentage
(8–4 record). His 3.01 ERA was best among the PawSox pitchers with more than 15 appearances, and his 13 saves were a team high. Ricci pitched innings that season, walking 32 and striking out 79. In 1997, he split his appearances between the Oakland Athletics
-affiliated Edmonton Trappers
, where he notched a 16.88 ERA in four games, and the Ottawa Lynx
, a Montreal Expos
affiliate, for whom he won 2 games and lost 2 in 22 appearances. For Ottawa, Ricci pitched 27 innings, striking out 27, walking 25, and allowing 22 hits
.
from 2000 to 2003. He later co-founded The Athlete's Edge, an organization offering baseball clinics for private and group instruction. , Ricci is the Indians' national cross-checker in their scouting department and lives in Greencastle, Pennsylvania
.
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...
player. During an 11-season professional career, Ricci appeared 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...
during one year, pitching for the 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...
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...
in 1995. He was listed as standing 6 in 2 in (187.96 cm) and weighing 180 pounds (81.6 kg).
Having played for eleven different minor league teams affiliated with five major league franchises (Baltimore Orioles
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...
, Phillies, 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"...
, Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, and Montreal Expos
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
), Ricci also appeared as a member of the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
in the 1994 film Major League II
Major League II
Major League II is a 1994 sequel to the 1989 film Major League. Major League II stars most of the same cast from the original, including Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, and Corbin Bernsen. Absent from this film is Wesley Snipes, who played Willie Mays Hayes in the first film and who by 1994 had become...
; although he never played for the Indians, he worked for the franchise as a scout after retiring as a player.
High school and draft
Ricci attended Shawnee High School in Medford, New Jersey, part of the Lenape Regional High School DistrictLenape Regional High School District
The Lenape Regional High School District is a regional public high school district that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from eight municipalities in Burlington County, New Jersey...
. In the 1987 Major League Baseball Draft
1987 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1987 Major League Baseball draft.-Supplemental First Round Selections:-External links:*...
, he was selected in the fourth round by the Baltimore Orioles
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...
, the first player drafted by a Major League Baseball club in Shawnee's history. Ricci was offered a full scholarship to the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
, but chose to begin his professional career.
1987–1990
The Orioles assigned Ricci to the rookie-league Bluefield OriolesBluefield Orioles
The Bluefield Blue Jays are a minor league baseball team of the Rookie Appalachian League representing the twin cities of Bluefield, West Virginia, and Bluefield, Virginia. Beginning in 2011, Bluefield will be affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays. The team plays their home games at Bowen Field, a...
in West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, where he began his career by playing two seasons. For the Appalachian League
Appalachian League
The Appalachian League is a Rookie-class minor league that began play in 1937 with one year of inactivity in 1956. From 1937 to 1962, it was a Class D League. Teams are located in the Appalachian regions of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Tennessee...
club, he collected a 5–5 win–loss record, averaging 6.50 earned runs per game
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in his 13 appearances
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,...
(12 starts
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
). His five victories were tied for the second-highest total on the team, and he allowed a team-high 11 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 in his appearances. He struck out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
40 batters in innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
, walking
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...
38. The next season, Ricci amassed a 4–6 record and a 6.66 earned run average (ERA), the club's second-worst mark. He played in 14 games, all starts, and struck out 73 batters in a like number of innings, allowing 48 bases on balls.
In 1989, Ricci was promoted to the A-level Waterloo Diamonds
Waterloo Diamonds
Located in Waterloo, Iowa, the Waterloo Diamonds were a baseball team that formed in 1989 and lasted until 1993. A member of the Midwest League, they were affiliated with two teams in 1989-the Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres. From 1990 to 1993, they were affiliated solely with the Padres....
, an unaffiliated team at the time. He increased his number of appearances from the previous year more than twofold, starting 25 of his 29 games and completing 9 of those contests. Ricci pitched a career-high innings that season, posting a 10–12 record; his loss total was tied for the team high in that category. He was third on the team, and tops among the regular starters, in ERA, with a 2.98 mark, and walked 59 batters while striking out 89. After advancing to the Frederick Keys
Frederick Keys
The Frederick Keys minor league baseball team is the "High-A" class A baseball affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. The Keys are based in Frederick, Maryland. The franchise is named for Star Spangled Banner poet Francis Scott Key, a native of Frederick County. The team mascot is a coyote known as...
for the 1990 season, Ricci again led that team with 12 defeats, as compared to his 7 victories. His ERA rose to 4.41, but his strikeout-to-walk ratio improved to 97:49. In June of that year, Ricci pitched a complete-game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
of the Prince William Cannons, winning 5–0.
1991–1993
The 1991 season saw Ricci continue with the Keys, when he earned a 12–14 record, leading the team in both wins and losses. His innings pitched were the team's highest total—as were his 90 runsRun (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...
allowed—and his 144 strikeouts were second to Kip Yaughn. Ricci split the 1992 season between Frederick and the AA-level Hagerstown Suns
Hagerstown Suns
The Hagerstown Suns are a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. They play in Municipal Stadium, which was opened in 1930 and seats 4,600 fans....
, spending more time at the latter. He began to transition to the bullpen with Hagerstown, making only 6 starts in 20 appearances. Ricci pitched innings for the Suns, amassing a 5.77 ERA and a 1–4 record. The Bowie Baysox
Bowie Baysox
The Bowie Baysox are a minor league baseball team located in Bowie, Maryland. They are the class-AA affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, and play in the Eastern League...
became the Orioles' Eastern League
Eastern League
Eastern League may refer to:*Eastern League , a professional baseball minor league in the United States*International League, a baseball minor league known as the Eastern League from 1884 to 1912...
affiliate in 1993, and Ricci played most of that season with them; he won seven games and lost four, amassing a 3.20 ERA. He struck out 83 batters against 20 walks in innings, but was granted free agency in October of that year.
1994–1995
On April 7, 1994, the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia 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...
signed Ricci to a contract, assigning him to the double-A Reading Phillies
Reading Phillies
The Reading Phillies are a minor league baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League. Since the 1967 season, they have been the AA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies....
. He recorded one victory for Reading, allowing no runs in 14 innings pitched. Earning a promotion to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons
The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees are a professional minor league baseball club located based in the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre area. They currently play in the International League's Northern Division and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees Major League Baseball club...
, Ricci earned four more wins against three losses, collecting a 4.04 ERA. On the season, he amassed six saves, striking out 95 batters while walking 26 of the 345 he faced that year. During the 1994 season, Ricci also appeared in the film Major League II
Major League II
Major League II is a 1994 sequel to the 1989 film Major League. Major League II stars most of the same cast from the original, including Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, and Corbin Bernsen. Absent from this film is Wesley Snipes, who played Willie Mays Hayes in the first film and who by 1994 had become...
as one of the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
baseball players.
Ricci duplicated his Red Barons record the next season, posting a 4–3 mark in 1995. His 2.49 ERA was the best on the team among players making more than 10 appearances, and he led all International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
pitchers with 68 games played. Striking out 66 batters in 65 innings, Ricci finished 48 games for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, saving 25 of them, by far the team's highest total that season. After the International League season concluded, Ricci was promoted to the major league club.
Major league career
Ricci began his Phillies career with his longest appearance, pitching three innings against the Houston AstrosHouston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
on September 8, 1995. In his debut, he walked two batters (John Cangelosi
John Cangelosi
John Anthony Cangelosi , is a former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues primarily as an outfielder from 1985–1990, 1992, and 1994-1999. He graduated from Miami Springs High School in Miami Springs, Florida...
and Andy Stankiewicz
Andy Stankiewicz
Andrew Neal Stankiewicz in Inglewood, California, U.S. is a retired Major League Baseball middle-infielder, presently minor league field coordinator for the Seattle Mariners...
), struck out one (Jeff Bagwell
Jeff Bagwell
Jeffrey Robert Bagwell , is a former American professional baseball player and coach. He played his entire fifteen-year Major League Baseball career as a first baseman for the Houston Astros and was a four-time All-Star...
), and allowed one earned run and two hits, with the score coming on a sacrifice fly
Sacrifice fly
In baseball, a sacrifice fly is a batted ball that satisfies four criteria:* There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.* The ball is hit to the outfield....
by Ricky Gutiérrez
Ricky Gutiérrez
Ricardo "Ricky" Gutiérrez a Cuban-American is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played from through for the San Diego Padres , Houston Astros , Chicago Cubs , Cleveland Indians , New York Mets and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...
. Ricci's next appearance also came against the Astros, when he threw a perfect inning two days later. Against the rival New York Mets on September 15, Ricci was chosen to complete the game in a 4–1 Phillies defeat; he allowed two hits and struck out one batter, lowering his ERA to 1.93. In a 13–10 victory over the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
on September 18, Ricci pitched a portion of the third inning and all of the fourth, striking out three of the five batters he faced and hitting one
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
.
Ricci earned his only major league victory on September 23 against the 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....
, becoming the beneficiary of three ninth-inning walks by Xavier Hernandez, including the winning run walked in from the bases loaded
Bases loaded
In the sport of baseball, the bases are loaded when there is a runner on each base . This presents a great scoring opportunity for the batting team, but it also presents an easy double play opportunity for the defense. Causing the bases to become loaded is called loading the bases...
with two outs. The next night, he faced the Reds again, allowing a run on a Hal Morris
Hal Morris
William Harold Morris III is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Cincinnati Reds. He attended Munster High School in Munster, Indiana, and the University of Michigan. Morris was the Player of the Year while attending Munster High School...
double in the ninth inning of a 6–4 loss. His final appearance came against the Marlins in Florida, when he allowed two hits and a walk in two innings pitched, striking out three batters on October 1. Despite finishing his short stint
Cup of coffee
A "cup of coffee" is North American sports terminology for a short time spent by a minor league player at the major league level. The idea behind the term is that the player was only in the big leagues long enough to have a cup of coffee before being returned to the minors, or simply to describe a...
with an undefeated record and a 1.80 ERA, Ricci was released into free agency at the end of the 1995 season.
1996–1997
In 1996, Ricci began play with the Pawtucket Red SoxPawtucket Red Sox
The Pawtucket Red Sox are the minor league baseball Triple-A affiliates of the Boston Red Sox and belong to the International League...
of the International League, posting a career-best .667 winning percentage
Winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...
(8–4 record). His 3.01 ERA was best among the PawSox pitchers with more than 15 appearances, and his 13 saves were a team high. Ricci pitched innings that season, walking 32 and striking out 79. In 1997, he split his appearances between the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
-affiliated Edmonton Trappers
Edmonton Trappers
The Edmonton Trappers were a minor league baseball team in the Pacific Coast League, ending with the 2004 season. Home games were played at Telus Field in downtown Edmonton, Alberta, Canada....
, where he notched a 16.88 ERA in four games, and the Ottawa Lynx
Ottawa Lynx
The Ottawa Lynx were a minor league baseball team that formerly competed in the Triple-A International League from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field was Lynx Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. Over the team's 15 seasons, it was the Triple-A Minor League affiliate of the Montreal Expos , Baltimore...
, a Montreal Expos
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
affiliate, for whom he won 2 games and lost 2 in 22 appearances. For Ottawa, Ricci pitched 27 innings, striking out 27, walking 25, and allowing 22 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....
.
After retirement
After leaving baseball as a player, Ricci worked for the Indians as a scoutScout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
from 2000 to 2003. He later co-founded The Athlete's Edge, an organization offering baseball clinics for private and group instruction. , Ricci is the Indians' national cross-checker in their scouting department and lives in Greencastle, Pennsylvania
Greencastle, Pennsylvania
Greencastle is a borough in Franklin County in south-central Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,722 at the 2000 census.-History:...
.