Ronald Andrew Necciai
Ronald Andrew Necciai (born June 18, 1932 in Gallatin, Pennsylvania), is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher who played with the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1952 season. He was the third of four children of the former Anna Gondoly and Attilio Necciai (pronounced NETCH-eye), both first-generation Americans from Italy. After Attilio, a steel mill worker, died of pneumonia at 31, Anna struggled to provide for her family. She worked in a mill and cleaned houses, and the children got after-school jobs. Ron caddied at a country club and swept up in local stores. “My mother, she was my hero,” he said.
Ron earned his brief major league appearance after completing one of the most improbable pitching feats in the history of professional baseball. On May 13, 1952, while pitching for the Bristol Twins in the Appalachian League, he threw a complete game no-hitter that featured 27 strikeouts (he had previously had games where he struck out 20 and 19 in back-to-back appearances).
Through 8 2/3 innings, Necciai had “only” 25 strikeouts, but his catcher dropped strike three for what would have been the last out of the game, giving him an opportunity to face one more batter, who he struck out for number 27. For the game, only two batters put the ball in play. Bob Ganung grounded out to first base in the 2nd inning and Whitehead reached on an error in the 9th.
