Frank Dasso
Encyclopedia
Frank Joseph Nicholas Dasso (August 31, 1917 – June 8, 2009) was a pitcher
in Major League Baseball
who played for the Cincinnati Reds
during the 1945
and 1946
seasons.
, Illinois
. He was sent to a Roman Catholic orphanage for boys when he was six years old, where a nun named Mary Rouck first got him involved in tossing around the baseball. He attended Chicago's Lane Technical College Prep High School
, where he never lost a game during his four years there as the team's starting pitcher
. Dasso led Lane High to the Chicago high school championship, throwing 10 strikeouts and hitting a single and triple, as he led the team to a 4-2 win over Austin High School.
in 1936, and had fellow-rookie Ted Williams
as his roommate when he arrived in Boston
. In 1936, Dasso played in the Red Sox organization for the Canton Terriers of the Class C Middle Atlantic League
, finishing with a 4-7 record in 16 games and an Earned run average
(ERA) of 3.86. He was promoted in 1937 to the Class B Rocky Mount Red Sox of the Piedmont League
, where he had a 10-12 record and an ERA of 4.48 in 40 games. He pitched for the Class A Hazelton Red Sox of the Eastern League in 1938, with a record of 13-14 in 38 games and an ERA of 3.89. Dasso led the Eastern League that season, with 179 strikeouts in 243 innings of work.
He started the 1939 season in the Eastern League with the Scranton Red Sox
, and had a 4-3 record and an ERA of 2.91 in 12 games. While pitching for the Little Rock Travelers
of the Southern Association
later that season, Dasso threw a perfect game against the Memphis Chicks
on April 21, 1939. The Travelers won the game 7–0, with the only Chicks reaching base on a walk and two errors. With Little Rock, Dasso had a record of 4-7 in 27 games, to go along with an ERA of 4.86.
The Red Sox sent Dasso to the San Francisco Seals as part of the deal in which the Red Sox acquired outfielder Dom DiMaggio
.
For the 1940 season, Dasso headed west to begin what turned out to be a 10-season long stretch with four different California
-based teams in the Pacific Coast League
, playing five seasons before his brief major league career and another five seasons in the PCL after it ended. With the San Francisco Seals in 1940, Dasso had a 10-15 record and an ERA of 3.31. He played for the Hollywood Stars
in 1942, with a 15-15 record for the season in 43 games and an ERA of 3.91. He spent the 1942 through 1944 seasons pitching for the San Diego Padres
(no connection to the major league team of the same name) and had records of 15-18, 12-8 and 20-19 in the three seasons and ERAs each year of around 2.80.
bought the his rights from the Padres, after Dasso led the Pacific Coast League in strikeouts for the 1944 season.
Dasso first played at the major league level on April 22, 1945. Dasso appeared in 18 games for the Reds during his career. He started 12 games for the Reds in 1945 compiling a record of 4-5, and made two appearances in 1946.
, finishing the combined season with the teams with a record of 9-18 and an ERA of 4.69. He appeared in only six games with the Solons in 1948, losing his only decision and ending with an ERA of 7.00. He came back in 1949 at Sacramento and had a 17-10 record with an ERA of 3.74 in 38 games. On the 1949 Solons, Dasso was part of a rotation that included Bob Gillespie
, Orval Grove
and Ken Holcombe
, described by John B. Old of Sporting News as "the best any Coast League club ever had." His final season at Sacramento was in 1950, where he declined to a 4-9 season record in 31 games and a 5.49 ERA.
As general manager of the Wenatchee Chiefs
, Dasso organized a promotion in July 1953 called "Bust Down the Fences Night" in a game against the Tri-City Braves, in which attendees at the game were told that you could "pay what you like; no regular admission". Gate receipts from the 3,200 in attendance at the game was $1,251, an average of 40 cents per fan, earning the team more in profit from that one game than any three games they had played in that season to-date.
in 1952 as a player, and later as a coach and general manager, with the Wenatchee Chiefs, and settled there with his family after retiring from baseball. He later worked for as an Allstate Insurance
agent and as a property manager for a bank, retiring when he was 85 years old.
Dasso died at age 91 on June 8, 2009 in Seattle, Washington. His wife, the former Ethel Gretz, had died in 1997; The two were married in 1939. He was survived by a daughter and three sons.
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
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 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....
during the 1945
1945 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. The team finished seventh in the National League with a record of 61-93, 37 games behind the Chicago Cubs.- Offseason :...
and 1946
1946 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. The team finished sixth in the National League with a record of 87-67, 30 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals.- Roster :- Starters by position :...
seasons.
Early life
Dasso was born on August 31, 1917 in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. He was sent to a Roman Catholic orphanage for boys when he was six years old, where a nun named Mary Rouck first got him involved in tossing around the baseball. He attended Chicago's Lane Technical College Prep High School
Lane Technical College Prep High School
Albert G. Lane Technical College Preparatory High School , is a public, four-year, magnet high school located on the north side of Chicago...
, where he never lost a game during his four years there as the team's starting pitcher
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....
. Dasso led Lane High to the Chicago high school championship, throwing 10 strikeouts and hitting a single and triple, as he led the team to a 4-2 win over Austin High School.
Working towards the Majors
He was signed by the Boston Red SoxBoston 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"...
in 1936, and had fellow-rookie 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...
as his roommate when he arrived in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. In 1936, Dasso played in the Red Sox organization for the Canton Terriers of the Class C Middle Atlantic League
Middle Atlantic League
The Middle Atlantic League was a lower-level circuit in American minor league baseball that played during the second quarter of the 20th century.-History:...
, finishing with a 4-7 record in 16 games and an Earned run average
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...
(ERA) of 3.86. He was promoted in 1937 to the Class B Rocky Mount Red Sox of the Piedmont League
Piedmont League
The Piedmont League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1920 through 1955. The league operated principally in the Piedmont plateau region in the eastern United States.- Former :...
, where he had a 10-12 record and an ERA of 4.48 in 40 games. He pitched for the Class A Hazelton Red Sox of the Eastern League in 1938, with a record of 13-14 in 38 games and an ERA of 3.89. Dasso led the Eastern League that season, with 179 strikeouts in 243 innings of work.
He started the 1939 season in the Eastern League with the Scranton Red Sox
Scranton Red Sox
The Scranton Red Sox were a minor league baseball team based in Scranton, Pennsylvania. They played from 1939 to 1943 and from 1946 to 1951, and they played in the Eastern League.-Year-by-year record:...
, and had a 4-3 record and an ERA of 2.91 in 12 games. While pitching for the Little Rock Travelers
Little Rock Travelers
The Little Rock Travelers were an American minor league baseball team located in Little Rock, Arkansas and members of the Southern Association, which as a Class A, A1 or AA circuit was typically two rungs below Major League Baseball...
of the Southern Association
Southern Association
The Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A , Class A1 and Class AA...
later that season, Dasso threw a perfect game against the Memphis Chicks
Memphis Chicks
The Memphis Chicks were an American minor league baseball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Chicks were charter members of the Southern Association from 1901 until November 18, 1960, when the club folded and was transferred to Macon, Georgia for 1961.The Chicks suffered a...
on April 21, 1939. The Travelers won the game 7–0, with the only Chicks reaching base on a walk and two errors. With Little Rock, Dasso had a record of 4-7 in 27 games, to go along with an ERA of 4.86.
The Red Sox sent Dasso to the San Francisco Seals as part of the deal in which the Red Sox acquired outfielder 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...
.
For the 1940 season, Dasso headed west to begin what turned out to be a 10-season long stretch with four different California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
-based teams in the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
, playing five seasons before his brief major league career and another five seasons in the PCL after it ended. With the San Francisco Seals in 1940, Dasso had a 10-15 record and an ERA of 3.31. He played for the Hollywood Stars
Hollywood Stars
The Hollywood Stars were a minor league baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League during the early and mid 20th century. They were the arch-rivals of the other Los Angeles based PCL team, the Los Angeles Angels.-Hollywood Stars :...
in 1942, with a 15-15 record for the season in 43 games and an ERA of 3.91. He spent the 1942 through 1944 seasons pitching for the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres (PCL)
The San Diego Padres were a minor league baseball team which played in the Pacific Coast League from 1936 through 1968. The team that would eventually become the Padres was well traveled prior to moving to San Diego. It began its existence in 1903 as the Sacramento Solons, a charter member of the PCL...
(no connection to the major league team of the same name) and had records of 15-18, 12-8 and 20-19 in the three seasons and ERAs each year of around 2.80.
Major leagues
The Cincinnati RedsCincinnati 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....
bought the his rights from the Padres, after Dasso led the Pacific Coast League in strikeouts for the 1944 season.
Dasso first played at the major league level on April 22, 1945. Dasso appeared in 18 games for the Reds during his career. He started 12 games for the Reds in 1945 compiling a record of 4-5, and made two appearances in 1946.
After the majors
With the Hollywood Stars in 1946, Dasso had a 12-5 record and a 3.27 ERA in 26 games. He split the 1947 season between Hollywood and the Sacramento SolonsSacramento Solons
The Sacramento Solons were a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Pacific Coast League during several periods . The current Sacramento River Cats began play in 2000...
, finishing the combined season with the teams with a record of 9-18 and an ERA of 4.69. He appeared in only six games with the Solons in 1948, losing his only decision and ending with an ERA of 7.00. He came back in 1949 at Sacramento and had a 17-10 record with an ERA of 3.74 in 38 games. On the 1949 Solons, Dasso was part of a rotation that included Bob Gillespie
Bob Gillespie
Robert William Gillespie [Bunch] was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played between and for the Detroit Tigers , Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox . Listed at 6' 4", 187 lb., Gillespie batted and threw right-handed...
, Orval Grove
Orval Grove
Orval Leroy Grove was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for ten seasons in the American League with the Chicago White Sox...
and Ken Holcombe
Ken Holcombe
Kenneth Edward Holcombe was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for five different teams between and . Listed at 5' 11.5", 169 lb., he batted and threw right-handed...
, described by John B. Old of Sporting News as "the best any Coast League club ever had." His final season at Sacramento was in 1950, where he declined to a 4-9 season record in 31 games and a 5.49 ERA.
As general manager of the Wenatchee Chiefs
Wenatchee Chiefs
The Wenatchee Chiefs were a minor league baseball team based in Wenatchee, Washington. The team was founded in 1937, and was a part of the Western International League from its founding until 1954, although the team did not operate in 1941 and the entire league was suspended during World War II,...
, Dasso organized a promotion in July 1953 called "Bust Down the Fences Night" in a game against the Tri-City Braves, in which attendees at the game were told that you could "pay what you like; no regular admission". Gate receipts from the 3,200 in attendance at the game was $1,251, an average of 40 cents per fan, earning the team more in profit from that one game than any three games they had played in that season to-date.
Personal
Dasso came to Wenatchee, WashingtonWenatchee, Washington
Wenatchee is located in North Central Washington and is the largest city and county seat of Chelan County, Washington, United States. The population within the city limits in 2010 was 31,925...
in 1952 as a player, and later as a coach and general manager, with the Wenatchee Chiefs, and settled there with his family after retiring from baseball. He later worked for as an Allstate Insurance
Allstate
The Allstate Corporation is the second-largest personal lines insurer in the United States and the largest that is publicly held. The company also has personal lines insurance operations in Canada. Allstate was founded in 1931 as part of Sears, Roebuck and Co., and was spun off in 1993...
agent and as a property manager for a bank, retiring when he was 85 years old.
Dasso died at age 91 on June 8, 2009 in Seattle, Washington. His wife, the former Ethel Gretz, had died in 1997; The two were married in 1939. He was survived by a daughter and three sons.