Art Ceccarelli

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Arthur Edward Ceccarelli
(Chic)

• Bats Right, Throws Left
• Height 6' 0", Weight 190 lb.
• School Southern Connecticut State University
• High School West Haven High School
• Debut May 3, 1955
• Final Game May 17, 1960
• Born April 2, 1930 in New Haven, CT USA
• Died July 11, 2012 in Orange, CT USA

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Biographical Information

"I did not mature as a pitcher... I threw too many fastballs. I lacked maturity on the mound but I had a good arm. My biggest thrill was shutting out the Dodgers at the Los Angeles Coliseum. My biggest disappointment was not playing in the majors longer. If Lou Boudreau hadn't taken over the Cubs in 1960, I would have been with them two or three more years." - Art Ceccarelli

"It wears pitchers down. The winds are unbelievable. Willie Kirkland once hit a home run off me that Ernie Banks called for at shortstop." - Art Ceccarelli on Wrigley Field

The Brooklyn Dodgers signed Art Ceccarelli, an 18-year-old left-handed pitcher, as an amateur free agent before the 1948 season. He spent his first three years in baseball with the Olean Oilers, the Valdosta Dodgers and the Elmira Pioneers, amassing a 24-20 record and a 4.83 ERA. Ceccarelli then spent the next two years (1951-1952) in the United States Military during the Korean War. He returned for two seasons (1953-1954) back in the minors, now under the employ of the Kansas City Athletics who acquired him in the 1954 Rule V Draft.

Art went 4-7 with a 5.31 ERA in a personal best 31 appearances for the Athletics in 1955. He appeared in three games the following season with no decisions, seeing the bulk of his time on the farm, going 2-6 for the Columbus Jets and 0-3 for the Birmingham Barons. The Baltimore Orioles acquired Art in a multi-player trade on October 11, 1956. He went 0-5 for the Birds in 20 appearances and 2-0 for the Vancouver Mounties in 1957. The Chicago Cubs drafted him from the Orioles on December 1 in the 1958 Rule V Draft. Ceccarelli had his best year in the majors for the Cubs in 1959, going 5-5 with a 4.76 ERA in 18 games (15 starts). On September 6, 1959, Art became the only left-handed pitcher to defeat Sandy Koufax at the L.A. Coliseum. He did the deal in a 10 inning complete game shutout, scattering just 6 hits (all to Charlie Neal and Joe Pignatano), with a Ernie Banks three-run home run propelling him to a 3-0 victory in the first game of a doubleheader.

In 1960, Art made his final seven big league appearances, with a 5.54 ERA. In parts of 5 big league seasons (79 games), Art was 9-18 with a 5.05 ERA. Art was also with the Richmond Virginians in 1960, where he was 9-4 with a 3.96 ERA. He spent three more years in pro ball, all in the International League, going 25-21 with a strong 3.04 ERA. Art had been in professional baseball for 14 active seasons from 1948 through 1963. His minor league record includes 272 games, 1,588 innings, a 100-88 record with a 3.75 ERA.

Art earned a degree at New Haven State Teacher's College, now Southern Connecticut State University. The native of New Haven coached the baseball team at SCSU for a time and taught at Milford High School for many years. He lived in Orange, Connecticut at the time of his death at age 82.

Sources

Baseball-Reference.com
Baseball Players of the 1950s
SABR MILB Database:page