The Pecan Park Eagle

Ron Necciai
Bristol Twins
27 K’s in one No-Hitter
May 13, 1952

In five total seasons of organized baseball (1950-53. 1955), right-handed pitcher Ron Necciai struck out 427 batters in 338 innings pitched. In 1954, he was out of action with the arm injury that would far too soon end his career. During that time, Necciai posted a 18-24, 3.62 ERA for his lower minor league career record and 1-6. 7.04 ERA for his partial service in 1952 with Pittsburgh of the National League.

On May 13, 1952, Ron Necciai grabbed a great big glob of baseball history pitching for the Bristol Twins against the Welch Miners of the Class D Appalachian League by pitching a no-hit game in which he also struck out 27 batters – or, all the outs he needed – to almost totally dominate the game. 17 of the 27 Welch batter strikeouts also went down swinging.

It wasn’t a perfect game. Necciai walked one; he hit one batter; another reached first one an error; and a fourth got on base when the catch could not corral a pitch that would have been a swinging strike three. It wasn’t a perfect game, bt seems the more difficult accomplishment to you? Retiring all 27 men you face, and probably most on batted balls? Or getting all the outs on 27 strikeouts – with only four men reaching base without the help of a credited hit?

Until Ron Necciai, no pitcher in organized baseball history had struck out 27 men in a nine-inning game – no hits or not!

Throw in the fact that Necciai almost didn’t pitch that day because of a painful flare-up of his ulcerated stomach. In spite of his tender age – he was still 19 and about a month shy of age 20 on May 13, 1952 – Necciai suffered terribly from anxiety, worry, and an acidic-spewing stomach that was eating up his body and his piece of mind. He was also an extremely heavy smoker as a young man, reportedly smoking as much as three packs of cigarettes in the clubhouse prior to a pitching start. We’re not sure what his pre-game nicotine input was on May 13, 1952, but we are very certain that the kid wasn’t paying 2014 cigarette prices for his mid-20th century addiction.

Ron Necciai

Ron Necciai had a mean fastball, but when his earlier Salisbury manager, George Detore, then taught him how to throw a curve that dropped at the plate due to its unusual release point,  Ron was ready for his big moment in Bristol, his next stop up the line.

The career promotion line moved fast after Necciai fanned 27 in his no-hitter.  With the showman’s support of GM Branch Rickey, Ron Necciai was up pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates before the season ended. It was too much. The fans expected too much. And the driven young pitcher probably tried too hard. He also hurt his arm, Back in the minors in 1953, Necciai wasn’t even able to play in 1954 and, after 1955, he was done.

Ron Necciai rediscovered himself in the sporting goods retail business and, rightfully so, settled for maturity and proving to himself that we was capable of success beyond baseball as more important than anything else. A long successful major league career was not in the cards for Ron Necciai, but neither was his life hinging upon “succeed as a pitcher or its back to the coal mines for you.” Ron Necciai had achieved success in life and peace of mind. And, as he did, guess what? The cigarettes and the ulcers went away.

Ron Necciai turns 82 on June 18, 2014. This early Happy Birthday wish goes out to you today, Ron! We hope all is well. You were very important to a lot of us slightly younger pitchers of that 1952 era who got little more than “get the ball over the plate – and throw it as hard as you can for as long as you can” as coaching. With that much to go on, a lot of us discovered that it was possible to get through one inning with a little heat, but then, as you began to tire and slow down, your accuracy in finding the plate began to meet with bats that came around to tee off on your predictability. Some of were done by age 14.

If you are still up to it, Ron, please leave a public comment below on anything you would like to say. Your fans from over a half century ago would love to hear from you.