Rico Petrocelli interview

[kartvelo]

Edit: The book came out in 2018, but the interview was this year.


My favorite player when I was a kid is still out there making things happen. He sat for an hour-long virtual interview about the book in May with Bruce Markusen, from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Lots of stories, for those who like that kind of thing.

"Join former Boston Red Sox standout Rico Petrocelli as he discusses his book, An All-Star’s Cardboard Memories. Petrocelli played in both the 1967 and 1975 World Series for the Red Sox.
Through images of baseball cards, the book details the personalities and playing careers of 56 Hall of Famers, all of whom Petrocelli had the chance to play with or against during his career. We will talk to Rico about his relationships with some of these legendary players, including Mickey Mantle, Carlton Fisk, and Dennis Eckersley."

 

[StMic]

This was great! Thanks for sharing.

 

[MtPleasant Paul]

I watched it. Lots of good stuff here about Sox players of his era. Never knew that Rico was an accomplished drummer who used to sit in on jazz sessions around the league especially in the DC area. A very personable guy, I can see why he was, for a while, on the Red Sox broadcast team.

Thanks for posting.

 

[Al Zarilla]

Rico was one of my favorites. I was at a game with coworkers when he was playing. The Sox got a lead early, but as in what seems like so many other games I've ever attended, the other team came back to tie it. Then, Rico hit one off the monster in the ninth to score a guy from second. A walkoff before the term walkoff was invented! Crowd went home happy.

 

[cantor44]

Thanks for posting!

 

[Mugsy's Jock]

Buddy of mine grew up with Rico and Joe Pepitone and played sandlot ball with them when they were all teenagers. They’re friends, and he’s nostalgic, so what do you expect… but from his stories it sounds like a great crew and a great time to be alive.

 

[Larry Gardner]

I watched it. Lots of good stuff here about Sox players of his era. Never knew that Rico was an accomplished drummer who used to sit in on jazz sessions around the league especially in the DC area. A very personable guy, I can see why he was, for a while, on the Red Sox broadcast team.

Thanks for posting.

Paul, there was a picture in one of the old yearbooks, I think it might have been '67 (so was after the '66 season), with Rico playing the drums during Spring Training. I hadn't ever heard that he played gigs, but definitely remembered that he played the drums. If I can find the old yearbook, I'll post a pic...

 

[LoweTek]

Rico does a show on MLB Radio on Sirius XM Saturday mornings 8-10AM Called "Remember When."

 

[phenweigh]

On July 15, 1971 when I was an 11-year old, Rico hit a 3-run homer in the bottom of the 13th for a walk off 3-0 victory. What I also remember from that game was that Luis Tiant started and held the Twins scoreless despite plenty of traffic on the base paths. Reggie Smith took a home run away from the Twins. We were sitting in the RF grandstands and it was very cool seeing the ball land in Reggie's glove above the top of the wall. My cousin missed the play because he and his buddy were at the concession stand. (Going through the game log there were a few flyouts to right field so I'm not sure who hit it. It may have been off the bat of Jim Holt in the 4th, (I don't remember him.) In the 5th both Killebrew and Nettles flied out to right. (I remember those guys.)

What I didn't recall but baseball-reference reminded me:

• Tiant pitched 10 innings allowing 10 hits, walking 3, and striking out 9.
• Bill Spaceman Lee pitched 3 hitless innings in relief to pick up the win.
• Rod Carew, one of favorite non-Sox players of the time, tripled with 1 out in the 10th. The triple was to left field with Yaz playing left. How did Carew triple to left in Fenway? Tiant then struck out Lee Cardenas and Jim Nettles to leave him stranded.
• Rico struck out in the 11th with one out and the bases loaded, becoming a temporary goat before becoming the hero two innings later.

Living in western Mass, (Chicopee), I didn't get to many games in Fenway. Pretty sure it was my second trip to a Sox game. Rico certainly provided a great ending to a long night. (I think a curfew was looming.) Awesome to see that he's doing great all these years later!