Vic Raschi

Vic Raschi
Vic Raschi
	Pitcher
	Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
	September 23, 1946, for the New York Yankees
Last appearance
	September 13, 1955, for the Kansas City Athletics
Career statistics
Win–Loss record	132–66
Earned run average	3.72
Strikeouts	944
Teams
	New York Yankees (1946–1953); St. Louis Cardinals (1954–1955); Kansas City Athletics (1955);
Career highlights and awards
	4× All-Star selection (1948, 1949, 1950, 1952); 6× World Series champion (1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953);

Victor John Angelo "Vic" Raschi (March 28, 1919 – October 14, 1988) was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He is best-known for allowing Hank Aaron's first career home run.

He was born in West Springfield, Massachusetts (thus the nickname "The Springfield Rifle") and went on to graduate from the College of William and Mary.

His debut on the New York Yankees was September 23, 1946, wearing uniform number 12. The next year he wore three different numbers (17, 19, and 43) but number 17 became his from then on during his Yankee career. He was one of the top pitchers for the Yankees in the late 1940s and early 1950s, forming (with Allie Reynolds, and Eddie Lopat) the "Big Three" of the Yankees' pitching staff. From 1946 to 1953, Raschi won 120 games while losing 50. He led the American League in won/lost percentage with a .724 record in 1950, and in strikeouts with 164 in 1951. And he was a better hitter than most pitchers, with a .184 career batting average, and had 7 runs batted in (RBI) in one game, an American League record for pitchers, on August 3, 1953. But on February 24, 1954, Yankee fans were surprised to see him traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. Apparently the Yankees' management knew what they had done, because in the remaining two years of his career, with the Cardinals and Kansas City Athletics (who signed him as a free agent on April 28, 1955 when the Cardinals released him), Raschi won only 12 games while losing 16.

On April 23, 1954, Raschi gave up the first of Hank Aaron's 755 career home runs. Aaron, Major League Baseball′s future home run king, had also notched his first career hit off Raschi eight days earlier.

He kept his uniform number 17 on the Cardinals, but on the A's took number 16.

While playing with the Yankees, he and his wife Sally lived in a home in Hillsdale, New Jersey.^[1] He died in Groveland, New York.

References

^ Gittleman, Sol. Reynolds, Raschi and Lopat: New York's Big Three and Great Yankee Dynasty of 1949-1953, p. 44. McFarland, 2007. ISBN 0786430559. Accessed February 5, 2011.

External links

Baseball Almanac
Baseball Library
Career statistics from Baseball Reference
The Deadball Era
Vic Raschi at Find a Grave

Preceded by Bob Lemon	American League Strikeout Champion 1951	Succeeded by Allie Reynolds

Template:Persondata

[1] Gittleman, Sol. Reynolds, Raschi and Lopat: New York's Big Three and Great Yankee Dynasty of 1949-1953, p. 44. McFarland, 2007. ISBN 0786430559. Accessed February 5, 2011.

[1]

v t e New York Yankees 1947 World Series champions
1 Snuffy Stirnweiss 3 Allie Clark 5 Joe DiMaggio (AL MVP) 6 Bobby Brown 8 Aaron Robinson 9 George McQuinn 10 Phil Rizzuto 11 Joe Page 12 Charlie Keller 14 Lonny Frey 15 Tommy Henrich 16 Bill Bevens 17 Vic Raschi 18 Randy Gumpert 19 Karl Drews 20 Spec Shea 21 Spud Chandler 22 Allie Reynolds 24 Billy Johnson 25 Charley Wensloff 26 Don Johnson 27 Johnny Lindell 29 Sherm Lollar 32 Ralph Houk 34 Bobo Newsom 35 Yogi Berra 36 Jack Phillips
Manager 37 Bucky Harris Coaches 2 Frankie Crosetti 7 Chuck Dressen 31 Red Corriden 33 Johnny Schulte
Regular season Dodgers–Yankees rivalry Subway Series

v t e New York Yankees 1949 World Series champions
1 Snuffy Stirnweiss 5 Joe DiMaggio 6 Bobby Brown 7 Cliff Mapes 8 Yogi Berra 10 Phil Rizzuto 11 Joe Page 14 Gene Woodling 15 Tommy Henrich 17 Vic Raschi 22 Allie Reynolds 24 Billy Johnson 25 Hank Bauer 27 Johnny Lindell 28 Tommy Byrne 29 Charlie Silvera 30 Ed Lopat 36 Johnny Mize 38 Gus Niarhos 42 Jerry Coleman
Manager 37 Casey Stengel Coaches 2 Frankie Crosetti 31 Jim Turner 33 Bill Dickey
Regular season Dodgers–Yankees rivalry Subway Series

v t e New York Yankees 1950 World Series champions
5 Joe DiMaggio 6 Bobby Brown 7 Cliff Mapes 8 Yogi Berra 10 Phil Rizzuto (AL MVP) 11 Joe Page 12 Billy Martin 14 Gene Woodling 15 Tommy Henrich 17 Vic Raschi 19 Whitey Ford 21 Fred Sanford 22 Allie Reynolds 24 Billy Johnson 25 Hank Bauer 26 Tom Ferrick 28 Tommy Byrne 29 Charlie Silvera 30 Ed Lopat 32 Ralph Houk 35 Joe Ostrowski 36 Johnny Mize 38 Johnny Hopp 40 Jackie Jensen 41 Joe Collins 42 Jerry Coleman
Manager 37 Casey Stengel Coaches 2 Frankie Crosetti 31 Jim Turner 33 Bill Dickey
Regular season

v t e New York Yankees 1951 World Series champions
1 Billy Martin 5 Joe DiMaggio 6 Bobby Brown 7 Mickey Mantle 8 Yogi Berra (AL MVP) 10 Phil Rizzuto 11 Johnny Sain 12 Gil McDougald (AL ROY) 14 Gene Woodling 17 Vic Raschi 19 Spec Shea 20 Art Schallock 21 Bob Kuzava 22 Allie Reynolds 24 Stubby Overmire 25 Hank Bauer 28 Tom Morgan 29 Charlie Silvera 30 Ed Lopat 32 Ralph Houk 35 Joe Ostrowski 36 Johnny Mize 38 Johnny Hopp 40 Bobby Hogue 41 Joe Collins 42 Jerry Coleman
Manager 37 Casey Stengel Coaches 2 Frankie Crosetti 15 Tommy Henrich 31 Jim Turner 33 Bill Dickey
Regular season Giants–Yankees rivalry Subway Series

v t e New York Yankees 1952 World Series champions
1 Billy Martin 7 Mickey Mantle 8 Yogi Berra 9 Hank Bauer 10 Phil Rizzuto 11 Johnny Sain 12 Gil McDougald 14 Gene Woodling 17 Vic Raschi 18 Ray Scarborough 21 Bob Kuzava 22 Allie Reynolds 24 Tom Gorman 25 Irv Noren 29 Charlie Silvera 30 Ed Lopat 32 Ralph Houk 36 Johnny Mize 40 Ewell Blackwell 41 Joe Collins
Manager 37 Casey Stengel Coaches 2 Frankie Crosetti 31 Jim Turner 33 Bill Dickey
Regular season Dodgers–Yankees rivalry Subway Series

See also

References

External links