Rico Petrocelli

Infobox MLB retired
name=Rico Petrocelli


position=Third baseman / Shortstop
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1943|6|27
Brooklyn, New York
debutdate=September 21
debutyear=by|1963
debutteam=Boston Red Sox
finaldate=July 15
finalyear=by|1976
finalteam=Boston Red Sox
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.251
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=210
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=773
teams=
* Boston Red Sox (by|1963-by|1976)
highlights=
* 2x All-Star selection (1967, 1969) Americo Peter "Rico" Petrocelli (born June 27, 1943 in Brooklyn, New York) is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman who played his entire career in the American League for the Boston Red Sox (1963-1976). After a brief stint in 1963, he joined the team full time in 1965.

In 1967 Petrocelli was selected to the All-Star game and was a strong performer during the Carl Yastrzemski-led Red Sox' "Impossible Dream" year. In Game 6 of the World Series, he belted two home runs against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Sox ultimately lost the series 4 games to 3.

In 1968 and 1969 Petrocelli led the league shortstops in fielding percentage. In 1969 he set a record (since broken) for home runs by a shortstop with 40 and repeated as an All-Star. He had another good season in 1970, hitting 29 home runs and a high-career 103 RBI.

When the Red Sox acquired Luis Aparicio in 1971, Petrocelli moved to third base. At his new position he once again was the leader in fielding percentage making only 11 errors in 463 total chances for a fielding percentage of .976.

In the 1975 Fall Classic , which Boston lost to the Cincinnati Reds, Petrocelli hit .308 with four RBI and three runs, and played errorless defense.

After a series of injuries, Petrocelli retired at the end of the 1976 season. Following his playing career, he has been involved with baseball as a minor league manager-coach and also in broadcasting. Petrocelli spent one year (1979) as a color commentator on Red Sox broadcasts and three years (1980-1983) hosting the TV game show "Candlepins for Cash" on WXNE Channel 25 in Boston, Massachusetts. The show had just moved from WNAC-TV, which had lost their FCC licence, and incumbent host Bob Gamere was not available to continue hosting the show due to contract terms. In 1992 Petrocelli managed the Pawtucket Red Sox minor league baseball team, leading the club to the International League playoffs.

In his career, Petrocelli hit 210 home runs with 773 RBI and 653 runs in 1553 games. He was inducted to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1997.

Petrocelli graduated Brooklyn's Sheepshead Bay High School in 1961.

ee also

*1965 Topps All-Star Rookie Roster
*List of top 500 Major League Baseball home run hitters

External links

*baseball-reference|id=p/petrori01