Jim Pagliaroni
Encyclopedia
James Vincent Pagliaroni (December 8, 1937 - April 3, 2010) was an American
professional
baseball
player. He played in Major League Baseball
as a catcher
from 1955-1969 for the Boston Red Sox
, Pittsburgh Pirates
, Oakland Athletics
and the Seattle Pilots
.
in 1955
. He was only 17 years old when he made his debut with the Red Sox that same year. He then spent the next few years playing in the minor leagues
before returning to the Red Sox in 1960
, where he played as back up to Russ Nixon
. By the 1961
season, Pagliaroni had taken over as the starting catcher. Pagliaroni was the Red Sox catcher on June 18, 1961 when the team rallied from 8 runs down with two outs
in the ninth inning
to defeat the Washington Senators
. Pagliaroni hit a grand slam
home run
to tie the game.
The Red Sox traded Pagliaroni to the Pittsburgh Pirates after the 1962
season. He was the Pirates starting catcher from 1963
to 1966
, taking the job from an aging Smoky Burgess
. His 17 home runs in 1965
was a Pirates team record for catchers. By the 1967
season, Jerry May
had taken over the starting catcher's position, and Pagliaroni was traded to the Oakland Athletics. He played two seasons in Oakland as back up to Dave Duncan
, before being traded to the Seattle Pilots in May, 1969
. This was the season immortalized by the book Ball Four
, written by his Seattle team mate, Jim Bouton
.
, accumulating 622 hits
in 2465 at bats for a .252 career batting average
, along with 90 home runs and 326 runs batted in. He had a career fielding percentage
of .991. Pagliaroni led National League catchers with a .997 fielding percentage
in 1966
, committing only 2 errors
in 118 games. He caught two no-hitter
s during his career (Bill Monbouquette
in 1962, Catfish Hunter
's perfect game
in 1968
).
On April 3, 2010, Pagliaroni died of cancer in Grass Valley, California.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional
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...
player. He played 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...
as a catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
from 1955-1969 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"...
, 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...
, 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 the Seattle Pilots
Seattle Pilots
The Seattle Pilots were an American professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington for one season, . The Pilots played home games at Sick's Stadium and were a member of the West Division of Major League Baseball's American League...
.
Playing career
Pagliaroni was contracted by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agentFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
in 1955
1955 Boston Red Sox season
The 1955 Boston Red Sox season involved the Red Sox finishing 4th in the American League with a record of 84 wins and 70 losses.- Offseason :* October 14, 1954: Owen Friend was purchased by the Red Sox from the Cleveland Indians.- Regular season :...
. He was only 17 years old when he made his debut with the Red Sox that same year. He then spent the next few years playing in 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...
before returning to the Red Sox in 1960
1960 Boston Red Sox season
The 1960 Boston Red Sox season involved the Red Sox finishing 7th in the American League with a record of 65 wins and 89 losses, 32 games behind the New York Yankees.- Regular season :...
, where he played as back up to Russ Nixon
Russ Nixon
Russell Eugene Nixon is a former catcher, coach and manager in American Major League Baseball. A veteran of 55 years in professional baseball, Nixon has managed at virtually every level of the sport, from the lowest minor league to MLB assignments with the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves...
. By the 1961
1961 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox season involved the Red Sox finishing sixth in the American League with a record of 76 wins and 86 losses.- Regular season :Future Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski made his major league debut on Opening Day, April 11...
season, Pagliaroni had taken over as the starting catcher. Pagliaroni was the Red Sox catcher on June 18, 1961 when the team rallied from 8 runs down with two outs
Out (baseball)
In baseball, an out occurs when the defensive, or fielding, team effects any of a number of different events, and the umpire rules a batter or baserunner out. When a player is called out, he is said to be retired...
in the ninth inning
Inning
Inning is a municipality in the district of Erding in Bavaria in Germany....
to defeat the Washington Senators
1961 Washington Senators season
The Washington Senators season was a season in American baseball. The team was in its inaugural season, having been established as a replacement for the previous franchise of the same name, which relocated to the Twin Cities of Minnesota following the 1960 season, becoming the Minnesota Twins...
. Pagliaroni hit a grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
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...
to tie the game.
The Red Sox traded Pagliaroni to the Pittsburgh Pirates after the 1962
1962 Boston Red Sox season
The 1962 Boston Red Sox season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Red Sox finishing 8th in the American League with a record of 76 wins and 84 losses.- Offseason :* October 20, 1961: Joe Ginsberg was released by the Red Sox....
season. He was the Pirates starting catcher from 1963
1963 Pittsburgh Pirates season
- Offseason :* November 19, 1962: Dick Groat and Diomedes Olivo were traded by the Pirates to the St. Louis Cardinals for Don Cardwell and Julio Gotay.- Regular season :...
to 1966
1966 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The 1966 Pittsburgh Pirates season involved the team's third-place finish in the National League at 92-70, three games behind the NL Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.- Offseason :* November 22, 1965: Bill Virdon was released by the Pirates....
, taking the job from an aging Smoky Burgess
Smoky Burgess
Forrest Harrill "Smoky" Burgess was an American professional baseball player, coach and scout. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1949 to 1967. Later in his career, he became known for his ability as a pinch hitter, setting the major league career record for career pinch-hits...
. His 17 home runs in 1965
1965 Pittsburgh Pirates season
- Notable transactions :* June 8, 1965: Tom Dettore was drafted by the Pirates in the 26th round of the 1965 Major League Baseball Draft, but did not sign.* June 20, 1965: Don Money was signed as an amateur free agent by the Pirates....
was a Pirates team record for catchers. By the 1967
1967 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The Pittsburgh Pirates season was the 86th season in franchise history. The sixth-place Pirates finished at 81-81, 20½ games behind the National League and World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals.- Offseason :...
season, Jerry May
Jerry May
Jerry Lee May , was an American professional baseball player who played as a catcher in the Major Leagues from 1964 to 1973. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets, and Kansas City Royals...
had taken over the starting catcher's position, and Pagliaroni was traded to the Oakland Athletics. He played two seasons in Oakland as back up to Dave Duncan
Dave Duncan (baseball)
David Edwin Duncan is an American former professional baseball player and current pitching coach for the St. Louis Cardinals...
, before being traded to the Seattle Pilots in May, 1969
1969 Seattle Pilots season
The Seattle Pilots season was a season in American baseball. It was the team's inaugural season, having entered Major League Baseball as an expansion team during the offseason...
. This was the season immortalized by the book Ball Four
Ball Four
Ball Four is a book written by former Major League Baseball pitcher Jim Bouton in . The book is a diary of Bouton's 1969 season, spent with the Seattle Pilots and then the Houston Astros following a late-season trade. In it Bouton also recounts much of his baseball career, spent mainly with the...
, written by his Seattle team mate, Jim Bouton
Jim Bouton
James Alan "Jim" Bouton is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher. He is also the author of the controversial baseball book Ball Four, which was a combination diary of his season and memoir of his years with the New York Yankees, Seattle Pilots, and Houston Astros.-Amateur and college...
.
Career statistics
In an 11 year career, Pagliaroni played in 849 gamesGames 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,...
, accumulating 622 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....
in 2465 at bats for a .252 career 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 :...
, along with 90 home runs and 326 runs batted in. He had a career fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
of .991. Pagliaroni led National League catchers with a .997 fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
in 1966
1966 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The 1966 Pittsburgh Pirates season involved the team's third-place finish in the National League at 92-70, three games behind the NL Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.- Offseason :* November 22, 1965: Bill Virdon was released by the Pirates....
, committing only 2 errors
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
in 118 games. He caught two no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
s during his career (Bill Monbouquette
Bill Monbouquette
William Charles Monbouquette is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher...
in 1962, Catfish Hunter
Catfish Hunter
James Augustus "Catfish" Hunter , was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1965-1979 for both the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees...
's perfect game
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
in 1968
1968 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics season was the team's first season in Oakland, following their relocation from Kansas City. Their first season in the Bay Area involved the A's finishing sixth in the American League with a record of 82 wins and 80 losses, 21 games behind the eventual World Series champion...
).
On April 3, 2010, Pagliaroni died of cancer in Grass Valley, California.
External links
- Pagliaroni interview from 2009
- Where Are They Now?: Jim Pagliaroni Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 6, 2010