Babe Pinelli

Ralph Arthur Pinelli
born Rinaldo Angelo Paolinelli

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 9", Weight 165 lb.

• Debut August 3, 1918
• Final Game June 17, 1927
• Born October 18, 1895 in San Francisco, CA USA
• Died October 22, 1984 in Daly City, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Babe Pinelli played his last major league game in 1927, but played in the Pacific Coast League through 1932.

After his playing career, Pinelli became a PCL umpire in 1933 and 1934. He was then an umpire in the National League from 1935 to 1956, working 3,394 games. He called balls and strikes for three no-hitters, including Don Larsen's perfect game - Pinelli's last game behind the plate. Pinelli worked six World Series (1939, 1941, 1947, 1948, 1956 and 1956) and four All-Star Games (1937, 1941, 1950 and |1956).

Further Reading

• Associated Press: "Good Guys Do Succeed, Says Pinelli", The Tuscaloosa News, October 23, 1956, p. 9. [1]
• Les Biederman: "Pinelli Recalls Funny Incidents During 12 Years Of Umpiring", The Pittsburgh Press, June 11, 1946, p. 22. [2]
• Russell J. Newland: "Pinelli Says Nationals Play Best Ball", The Prescott Evening Courier, February 3, 1938, p. 5. [3]
• Joe Reichler: "Perfect Game Was Last for Babe Pinelli", The Gettysburg Times, October 9, 1956, p. 5. [4]

Related Sites

• Babe Pinelli at the SABR Bio Project
• Babe Pinelli at Retrosheet.org