Fred Caligiuri
Encyclopedia
Frederick John Caligiuri (born October 22, 1918) is a former pitcher
in Major League Baseball
who played from through for the Philadelphia Athletics
. Listed at 6' 0", 190 lb., he batted and threw right-handed.
A native of West Hickory
, Pennsylvania
, Caligiuri was one of many major leaguers who saw his baseball career interrupted by a stint in the army during World War II
. A late-season 1941 call-up from Wilmington of the Interstate League
, he entered the baseball record books while starting
the last game of the season against the Boston Red Sox
at Shibe Park. It was the game in which Ted Williams
was 2-3 and finished this historic season with a .406. batting average
, the most recent in the majors. Williams went 2-for-3 against Caligiuri, who did not yield a run until the ninth inning, and finished with a complete game
, six-hit, 7–1 victory over Lefty Grove
and the Red Sox. This game also marked the last start for Grove, who retired before the 1942 season.
In a two-season career, Caligiuri posted a 2-5 record with a 4.52 ERA
in 18 appearances, including seven starts, giving up 49 runs (nine unearned) on 90 hits and 32 walks
while striking out
27 in 79 ⅔ innings of work.
From 1943 to 1945 Caligiuri served in the military during World War II
.
Caligiuri is recognized as one of the oldest living major league ballplayers.
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 from through for the Philadelphia 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....
. Listed at 6' 0", 190 lb., he batted and threw right-handed.
A native of West Hickory
Hickory Township, Forest County, Pennsylvania
Hickory Township is a township in Forest County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 525.-Geography:...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, Caligiuri was one of many major leaguers who saw his baseball career interrupted by a stint in the army during World War II
World 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...
. A late-season 1941 call-up from Wilmington of the Interstate League
Interstate League
The Interstate League was the name of five different American minor baseball leagues that played intermittently from 1896 through 1952. The longest tenured of these was the last incarnation, which played in the Middle Atlantic States from 1939 through 1952, and was one of the few mid-level minor...
, he entered the baseball record books while starting
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....
the last game of the season against 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"...
at Shibe Park. It was the game in which 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...
was 2-3 and finished this historic season with a .406. 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 :...
, the most recent in the majors. Williams went 2-for-3 against Caligiuri, who did not yield a run until the ninth inning, and finished with 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...
, six-hit, 7–1 victory over Lefty Grove
Lefty Grove
Robert Moses "Lefty" Grove was a professional baseball pitcher. After having success in the minor leagues during the early 1920s, Grove became a star in Major League Baseball with the American League's Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox, winning 300 games in his 17-year MLB career...
and the Red Sox. This game also marked the last start for Grove, who retired before the 1942 season.
In a two-season career, Caligiuri posted a 2-5 record with a 4.52 ERA
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 18 appearances, including seven starts, giving up 49 runs (nine unearned) on 90 hits and 32 walks
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...
while striking 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....
27 in 79 ⅔ innings of work.
From 1943 to 1945 Caligiuri served in the military during World War II
World 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...
.
Caligiuri is recognized as one of the oldest living major league ballplayers.