David Farina

David Farina

• Bats Right, Throws Right

• School Ohio University
• High School McKeesport High School

• Born May 20, 1956

Biographical Information

David Farina was an Olympic pitcher. He led Italy in ERA three times, wins twice and strikeouts three times in a five-year career there.

A native of McKeesport, PA, Farina pitched for Parma in Italy's top league from 1980-1984. He went 3-5 with a 2.93 ERA his first year. He was Italy's second-most-used hurler in the 1980 Amateur World Series, with 16 2/3 IP (behind Michele Romano; he was 0-1 with 9 walks, 14 hits, 13 strikeouts and 9 runs (only 3 earned). In 1981, Farina went 14-2 with 121 strikeouts in 119 1/3 innings to lead Italy in both wins and whiffs. His ERA (around 3.6) was not near the lead, costing him a pitching Triple Crown. He had a 1-1, 7.90 record in the 1981 European Championship as Italy finished second to the Netherlands.

The Ohio University alumnus improved to 17-2, 2.39 his third season with Parma. He also struck out 143, leading the league in all three departments to take the pitching Triple Crown. He was the 4th pitcher to take a Triple Crown in Italy, following Giulio Glorioso (several times), Federico Corradini (1974) and Romano (1979). Through 2012, no one else had performed the feat. Parma won the title for the second straight year. He was 1-2 with a 6.88 ERA and 1.94 WHIP in the 1982 Amateur World Series; Lou Colabello got Italy's only other win. Farina got the opening win, a 2-1 victory over eventual champion South Korea and Si-jin Kim. He later lost to Team Canada and Rod Heisler and Team USA and Mike Capel.

Farina had a 12-3, 1.87 record with 161 K in 130 IP in 1983. He led the league in ERA and was only two strikeouts shy of league leader Colabello. He went 2-0 with a 2.81 ERA when Italy won the 1983 European Championship; he tied Colabello and Romano for the tournament lead in wins. In his final season, he was 14-4 with a 2.45 ERA and 155 strikeouts in 154 1/3 innings; he led Italy in both ERA and strikeouts while finishing one win behind Colabello and a second Triple Crown. He sat out the 1984 Amateur World Series then was in the 1984 Olympics.

Overall, Farina was 60-16 with a save and a 2.59 ERA in 86 games in Italy, allowing a batting line of .215/.299/.304 and striking out 639 in 629 1/3 innings (walking 301). Through 2012, he was 48th in Italian history in wins, 26th in ERA, 49th in strikeouts and 17th in K/9 (between Juan Figueroa and Joel Lono).

Sources

• Italian Baseball Federation
• 1984 Pittsburgh Press article