Marius Russo
Encyclopedia
Marius Ugo Russo was a starting pitcher
in Major League Baseball
who played for the New York Yankees
(1939–43, 1946). Russo batted right-handed and threw left-handed.
, and both were complete game
wins. He joined the army
in 1944, and pitched briefly in 1946.
After graduating, Russo played for the Newark Bears
, International League
farm team of the Yankees. In his rookie season for New York, he finished with an 8-3 record and a 2.41 ERA in 116.0 innings including two shutout
s and nine complete games. A noted control ace, in 1940 Russo issued just 55 walks
in 189.1 innings for a 2.61 W 9/I percentage while compiling a 14-8 mark with a 3.28 ERA and 15 complete games in 24 starts.
In Retirement he moved with his wife Stacia to Florida.
Russo enjoyed a career year in 1941. He compiled a 14-10 mark with three shutouts and 27 complete games in 1941. His 3.09 ERA was the best of the Yankees pitching staff and the 4th best in the American League
, being surpassed only by Thornton Lee
(2.37), Al Benton
(2.97) and Charlie Wagner
(3.07). He also led his team in strikeouts (105), games started (27), complete games (17) and innings pitched (209.2), and finished second in victories (14) behind Lefty Gomez
and Red Ruffing
(15 each). In the same season, he pitched a one-hit shutout and made the AL All-Star
team.
win over the Brooklyn Dodgers
. In Game 3, with the Series tied 1-1, Russo was locked in a scoreless duel with Dodgers' pitcher Freddie Fitzsimmons
when, with two out in the seventh inning, Russo hit a line drive that caught Fitzsimmons flush on the knee. While shortstop
Pee Wee Reese
caught the deflected ball on the fly to end the inning, Fitzsimmons was through for the day. Then, Dodgers reliever
Hugh Casey
was cuffed for four hits and two runs in the eighth, and Brooklyn, able to get only four hits off Russo, lost 2-1.
The reports on Russo from 1942 were not good. A sore arm limited him to pitch in only 45.1 innings, ending with a 4-1 record and a 2.78 ERA in nine games (five as a starter). In 1943, he never had control problems, his arm wasn't hurting, but his fastball
was losing velocity while trying to simplify his delivery, and finished 5-10. Unfortunately, the Yankees provided him with 3.50 runs per game in offense, pretty close to his 3.72 ERA in that season. Moreover, Russo responded with a brilliant offseason.
In the 1943 World Series
, Russo limited the St. Louis Cardinals
to seven hits in Game 4, and helped himself with the bat, hitting two doubles
and scored the winning run in the eighth inning as New York won 2-1.
After the 1943 season, Russo left his team and his family to serve in the Army Signal Corps
in Hawaii. When he returned two years later, he played for the Yankees again briefly.
with 25 RBI
and 23 runs
. In the post season, Russo compiled a 2-0 record with a 0.50 ERA in two complete games.
in Bethpage, New York
. Ending the 1970s, he retired and spent time traveling with his wife, Stasia Russo. "We'd take trips to Europe, stay a while in Phoenix
and go up to The Berkshires
", she said in an interview. The couple moved to Florida
in 2001.
Marius Russo died of heart illness in a hospital near his home in Fort Myers, Florida
, at 90 years of age.
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....
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 New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
(1939–43, 1946). Russo batted right-handed and threw left-handed.
Profile
On June 6, 1939, Russo debuted with the New York Yankees. He gave four years of good services for his team, winning 14 games in both 1940 and 1941, and was their best pitcher in 1941. Beside this, he made two postseason starts in the 1941 and 1943 World SeriesWorld Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, and both were 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...
wins. He joined the army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
in 1944, and pitched briefly in 1946.
Career
Russo, known as "The Kid From LI", was born in Ozone Park, Queens, New York He played baseball for Richmond Hill High School in Queens. Later, he attended Brooklyn College and Long Island University in Brooklyn.After graduating, Russo played for the Newark Bears
Newark Bears
The Newark Bears are an American professional baseball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are a member of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since the 1999 season, the Bears have played their home games at Bears &...
, 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...
farm team of the Yankees. In his rookie season for New York, he finished with an 8-3 record and a 2.41 ERA in 116.0 innings including two 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....
s and nine complete games. A noted control ace, in 1940 Russo issued just 55 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...
in 189.1 innings for a 2.61 W 9/I percentage while compiling a 14-8 mark with a 3.28 ERA and 15 complete games in 24 starts.
In Retirement he moved with his wife Stacia to Florida.
Russo enjoyed a career year in 1941. He compiled a 14-10 mark with three shutouts and 27 complete games in 1941. His 3.09 ERA was the best of the Yankees pitching staff and the 4th best in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
, being surpassed only by Thornton Lee
Thornton Lee
Thornton Starr Lee , also nicknamed "Lefty", was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cleveland Indians , Chicago White Sox and New York Giants . Lee batted and threw left-handed. He is the father of pitcher Don Lee, a former big leaguer.-Career:Lee was born in Sonoma,...
(2.37), Al Benton
Al Benton
John Alton Benton was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who played with the Philadelphia Athletics , Detroit Tigers , Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox ....
(2.97) and Charlie Wagner
Charlie Wagner
Charles Thomas Wagner was an American right-handed pitcher and coach in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Boston Red Sox . Nicknamed "Broadway," he went on to a 50-year career as a scout and minor league instructor...
(3.07). He also led his team in strikeouts (105), games started (27), complete games (17) and innings pitched (209.2), and finished second in victories (14) behind Lefty Gomez
Lefty Gómez
Vernon Louis "Lefty" Gomez was an American left-handed major league pitcher who played in the American League for the New York Yankees between 1930 and 1942. Considered one of the great pitchers of the day, Gomez was a seven-time All-Star and a five-time World Series Champion with the Yankees...
and Red Ruffing
Red Ruffing
Charles Herbert "Red" Ruffing was a Major League Baseball pitcher most remembered for his time with the highly successful New York Yankees teams of the 1930s and 1940s...
(15 each). In the same season, he pitched a one-hit shutout and made the AL All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
team.
The World Series
Russo also started and won a complete game 2-1 victory in the Yankees 1941 World Series1941 World Series
The 1941 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers, with the Yankees winning in five games to capture their fifth title in six years, and their ninth overall....
win over 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...
. In Game 3, with the Series tied 1-1, Russo was locked in a scoreless duel with Dodgers' pitcher Freddie Fitzsimmons
Freddie Fitzsimmons
Frederick Landis Fitzsimmons , nicknamed "Fat Freddie," was an American right-handed pitcher, manager and coach in Major League Baseball who played from 1925 to 1943 with the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers...
when, with two out in the seventh inning, Russo hit a line drive that caught Fitzsimmons flush on the knee. While shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
Pee Wee Reese
Pee Wee Reese
Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted...
caught the deflected ball on the fly to end the inning, Fitzsimmons was through for the day. Then, Dodgers reliever
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
Hugh Casey
Hugh Casey
Hugh Thomas "Fireman" Casey was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Chicago Cubs , the Brooklyn Dodgers , the Pittsburgh Pirates , and the New York Yankees ....
was cuffed for four hits and two runs in the eighth, and Brooklyn, able to get only four hits off Russo, lost 2-1.
The reports on Russo from 1942 were not good. A sore arm limited him to pitch in only 45.1 innings, ending with a 4-1 record and a 2.78 ERA in nine games (five as a starter). In 1943, he never had control problems, his arm wasn't hurting, but his fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
was losing velocity while trying to simplify his delivery, and finished 5-10. Unfortunately, the Yankees provided him with 3.50 runs per game in offense, pretty close to his 3.72 ERA in that season. Moreover, Russo responded with a brilliant offseason.
In the 1943 World Series
1943 World Series
The 1943 World Series matched the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals against the New York Yankees, in a rematch of the 1942 Series. The Yankees won the Series in five games for their tenth championship in 21 seasons. It was Yankees' manager Joe McCarthy's final Series win...
, Russo limited the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
to seven hits in Game 4, and helped himself with the bat, hitting two doubles
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....
and scored the winning run in the eighth inning as New York won 2-1.
After the 1943 season, Russo left his team and his family to serve in the Army Signal Corps
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
in Hawaii. When he returned two years later, he played for the Yankees again briefly.
Career statistics
In a six-season career, Russo posted a 45-34 record with 311 strikeouts and a 3.13 ERA in 680.2 innings. A solid hitter, he went 50-for-235 for a .213 batting averageBatting 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 :...
with 25 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
and 23 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...
. In the post season, Russo compiled a 2-0 record with a 0.50 ERA in two complete games.
Last years
Following his retirement as a player, Russo worked as an expediter for Grumman Aircraft Eng. Corp.Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation
The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, later Grumman Aerospace Corporation, was a leading 20th century U.S. producer of military and civilian aircraft...
in Bethpage, New York
Bethpage, New York
Bethpage is a hamlet located on Long Island within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, United States, as well as a census-designated place with borders slightly different from those of the hamlet...
. Ending the 1970s, he retired and spent time traveling with his wife, Stasia Russo. "We'd take trips to Europe, stay a while in Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
and go up to The Berkshires
The Berkshires
The Berkshires , is a highland geologic region located in the western parts of Massachusetts and Connecticut.Also referred to as the Berkshire Hills, Berkshire Mountains, and Berkshire Plateau, the region enjoys a vibrant tourism industry based on music, arts, and recreation.-Definition:The term...
", she said in an interview. The couple moved to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in 2001.
Marius Russo died of heart illness in a hospital near his home in Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers is the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. Its population was 62,298 in the 2010 census, a 29.23 percent increase over the 2000 figure....
, at 90 years of age.
Fact
- I remember going to New York early that year (1941), and why they didn't pull the shift on me that day I'll never know. Marius Russo was pitching, a left-hander with a sidearm fastballFastballThe fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
that sank. He was good in the Stadium because right-handers couldn't get the ball in the air off him. - Ted WilliamsTed WilliamsTheodore 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...
, excerpt of his book My Turn at Bat - The Story of My Life, 1988.
