Vic Raschi


Victor John Angelo Raschi was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He was one of the top pitchers for the New York Yankees in the late 1940s and early 1950s, forming the "Big Three" of the Yankees' pitching staff. He was nicknamed "The Springfield Rifle".
Later in his career, as a pitcher with the St. Louis Cardinals, he was responsible for allowing Hank Aaron's first career home run.

Early life

Raschi was born in West Springfield, Massachusetts one of four children born to Massimino and Eugizia Raschi. He then went on to graduate from the College of William and Mary.

Career

New York Yankees

Raschi's debut on the New York Yankees was on September 23, 1946, wearing uniform number 12. The next year he wore three different numbers but number 17 became his from then on during his Yankee career. From 1946 to, Raschi won 120 games while losing 50, a.706 winning percentage. He led the American League in won/lost percentage at.724 in, and in strikeouts with 164 in. Hall of Famer Monte Irvin, who faced Raschi in the 1951 World Series, thought that Raschi was one of the best pitchers he had ever seen.
Raschi had a.184 career batting average, with seven runs batted in in one game, an American League record for pitchers, on August 3, 1953. While playing with the Yankees, he and his wife Sally lived in Hillsdale, New Jersey.
He was a better than average fielding pitcher, recording a.977 fielding percentage, committing only 8 errors in 351 total chances, which was 19 points higher than the league average at his position.

Post-Yankees career

On February 24, 1954, Yankee fans were surprised to see Raschi traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. In the remaining two years of his career, with the Cardinals and Kansas City Athletics, Raschi won only 12 games while losing 16.
On April 23, 1954, while with the Cardinals, 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.

Post-retirement

Raschi retired to Geneseo, New York, where he ran a liquor store and served as a baseball coach at Geneseo State College. In 1975, the college dedicated the Victor J. Raschi Baseball Field, which is now used as a softball field. Raschi died in Groveland, New York.