Abbaticchio was the first prominent player of obvious Italian ancestry. He led the
National League with 610 at-bats for Boston in 1905. When the 1908 season ended with
a playoff between the Cubs and Giants, Abbaticchio's Pirates were a half-game out.
They had lost the pennant when Abbaticchio's apparent grand slam against the Cubs
was called foul. Later, a woman who was struck by the ball sued for damages and swore
in court that the ball had been fair.
(JK)
FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
»February 3, 1900:
A writer for the New York Clipper, reflecting the anti-immigrant feelings spreading across the United States, asks, “What is baseball coming to? For nearly half a century things ran smoothly enough until they began to rope in a few ringers, such as [Eddie] Abbaticchio, [Louis] Sockalexis, [Ossee] Schreckengost and now Accorsini.”
»July 14, 1905: With runners on 1B and 3B and no outs in the 9th, Boston's Ed Abbaticchio lines into a game ending triple play against the Reds Bob Ewing.
»December 11, 1906:
In a good trade for Boston (NL), they acquire lefty Patsy Flaherty, 2B Claude Ritchey, and OF Ginger Beaumont from the Pirates for good-fielding 2B Ed Abbaticchio. Abbaticchio will lead the NL in fielding in 1908, but Ritchey will lead in '07, and the other pair will be mainstays.
»August 23, 1907: The Pirates top the Giants 4-2 in 10 innings, then win the 2nd game, 1-0, when Howie Camnitz spins a 5-inning no-hitter. The Bucs score when Ed Abbaticchio singles home Honus Wagner, who had singled and stolen 2B. The Giants also lose Frank Bowerman, hit on the head by a Camnitz pitch. The doctors predict that the burly catcher will miss the season, but he is back in action in three days.
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