Highlighted Year: Johnny Antonelli, 1959

Pitcher, San Francisco Giants

Age:  29 (April 12)

6^th season with Giants

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 185 

Prior to 1959:

A native of Rochester, New York, Antonelli starred in three sports at Jefferson High School (basketball and football in addition to baseball). While playing semipro baseball in the Vermont League in 1947 he developed an outstanding curveball. Tossing three no-hitters in high school he drew the attention of prominent major league scouts. Taken to observe spring training by his father, he learned a great deal and his father rented out Silver Stadium, Rochester’s minor league ballpark to showcase his son’s pitching talent against a good semipro team after he had graduated from high school. Nine scouts and 7000 fans attended and Antonelli put on an impressive performance. He was signed by the Boston Braves for a near $50,000 bonus, a record amount at the time. Forced by the rules of the time to go directly to the major league roster for at least two years he initially rode the bench as the Braves battled for the 1948 NL pennant. The so-called “bonus baby” pitched a total of four innings in ’48, giving up two hits and a run. The Braves dropped to fourth place in 1949 but Antonelli saw more action, appearing in 22 games, 10 of them starts. He posted a 3-7 record and a 3.56 ERA with three complete games and 48 strikeouts. Following a 1950 season in which his innings dropped to 57.2 on his way to a 2-3 tally, Antonelli went into the Army for two years, missing all of 1951 and ’52. Playing service baseball at Fort Myer, Virginia during his military stint, he went 42-2 and revived his pitching career. With an effective fastball, curve, and changeup he returned to the Braves in 1953, who were now transplanted to Milwaukee. He got off to an 8-4 start but a bout with pneumonia sapped his strength in the second half of the season and he finished at 12-12 with a 3.18 ERA and 11 complete games that included two shutouts. In 1954 he was traded to the New York Giants as part of a six-player deal. The Giants won the NL pennant and Antonelli displayed tremendous poise and skill in posting a 21-7 record along with a league-leading 2.30 ERA, 18 complete games, 6 shutouts, and 152 strikeouts. In the World Series sweep of the Cleveland Indians, he went the distance in winning Game 2 and saved the decisive Game 4 by retiring the last five Cleveland batters. He received NL Pitcher of the Year honors from The Sporting News two years before the creation of the Cy Young Award. Antonelli and the Giants had a more difficult year in 1955. The Giants dropped to fifth and the star southpaw compiled a 14-16 tally and a 3.33 ERA with 14 complete games, two shutouts, and 143 strikeouts. He returned to All-Star form in 1956 by going 20-13 with a 2.86 ERA, 15 complete games, 5 shutouts, and 145 strikeouts. In 1957, the club’s last year in New York, his record was a disappointing 12-18 with a 3.77 ERA, 8 complete games, 3 shutouts, and 114 strikeouts over the course of 212.1 innings. The Giants moved to San Francisco in 1958 and Antonelli had another solid season as he produced a 16-13 tally and 3.28 ERA with 13 complete games and 143 strikeouts over 241.2 innings.

1959 Season Summary

Appeared in 43 games

P – 40, PR – 3

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 40 [18, tied with Larry Jackson, Bob Porterfield & Warren Spahn]

Games Started – 38 [2]

Complete Games – 17 [5, tied with Don Newcombe]

Wins – 19 [4]

Losses – 10

PCT - .655 [2]

Saves – 1

Shutouts – 4 [1, tied with six others]

Innings Pitched – 282 [3]

Hits – 247 [6]

Runs – 107 [8]

Earned Runs – 97 [8]

Home Runs – 29 [3]

Bases on Balls – 76 [10]

Strikeouts – 165 [4]

ERA – 3.10 [7]

Hit Batters – 3

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 1

Midseason Snapshot: 12-4, ERA - 2.66, SO – 92 in 152 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 11 (in 8.2 IP) vs. Chi. Cubs 5/31

10+ strikeout games – 1

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 3 (in 9 IP) at Philadelphia 7/16, (in 9 IP) vs. Philadelphia 7/29

Batting

PA – 108, AB – 101, R – 4, H – 16, 2B – 2, 3B – 0, HR – 2, RBI – 10, BB – 1, SO – 26, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .158, GDP – 2, HBP – 1, SH – 5, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 54

Put Outs – 8

Assists – 44

Errors – 2

DP – 3

Pct. - .963

Awards & Honors:

All-Star

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The Giants went 83-71 to finish third in the NL, 4 games behind the pennant-winning Los Angeles Dodgers. The pitching staff led the league in ERA (3.47), fewest hits allowed (1279), and fewest runs allowed (613). Embroiled in a hot three-team pennant race with the Dodgers and Milwaukee Braves, the Giants moved into first on July 4. Aided by rookie first baseman Willie McCovey’s arrival at the end of the month, they cruised into September but, losing seven of their last eight games, dropped into third at the end.

Aftermath of 1959:

Rumored to be unhappy in San Francisco, Antonelli faltered following a good start in 1960 and became a target of booing from the home fans and criticism in the press. Pulled from the starting rotation later in the season, he appeared in 41 games (31 in relief) and finished with a 6-7 tally, 3.77 ERA, along with 11 saves and 57 strikeouts over 112.1 innings. In the offseason he was traded along with outfielder Willie Kirkland to the Cleveland Indians for outfielder Harvey Kuenn. He failed to regain his form with the Indians in 1961 and after an 0-4 start with a 6.56 ERA, he was dealt to the Milwaukee Braves where he made only nine appearances (all in relief). Sold to the expansion New York Mets in 1962, he chose to retire. For his major league career, Antonelli produced a 126-110 record with a 3.34 ERA, 102 complete games, 25 shutouts, 21 saves, and 1162 strikeouts in 1992.1 innings pitched. With the Giants he was 108-84 with a 3.13 ERA, 86 complete games, 21 shutouts, 19 saves, and 919 strikeouts over 1600.2 innings. Antonelli appeared in two World Series games, both in 1954, and posted a 1-0 tally with a 0.84 ERA, one save, and 12 strikeouts in 10.2 innings pitched. A six-time All-Star, he twice received league MVP votes. After leaving baseball he operated a tire distributorship and died in 2020 at age 89.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years.