Rugger Ardizoia

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Rugger Ardizoia

|position=Pitcher

|image=Rugger Ardizoia 1948.jpg

|image_size=160px

|caption=Ardizoia, circa 1948

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date|1919|11|20}}

|birth_place=Oleggio, Italy

|death_date={{Death date and age|2015|7|19|1919|11|20}}

|death_place=San Francisco, California, United States

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=April 30

|debutyear=1947

|debutteam=New York Yankees

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=April 30

|finalyear=1947

|finalteam=New York Yankees

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Win–loss record

|stat1value=0–0

|stat2label=Earned run average

|stat2value=9.00

|stat3label=Innings pitched

|stat3value=2

|teams=

New York Yankees (1947)

}}

Rinaldo Joseph "Rugger" Ardizoia (November 20, 1919 – July 19, 2015) was a Major League Baseball pitcher. The 5"11", 180 lb. right-hander was one of only seven Italian natives to ever play in the big leagues. He appeared in one game for the New York Yankees in 1947 and, at the time of his death, was the oldest living former member of the team.

Biography

Ardizoia was born in Oleggio, Italy.{{cite web|first=Louie |last=Lazar|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/28/sports/baseball/rinaldo-ardizoia-the-oldest-living-yankee-reflects-on-his-career.html|title=Rinaldo Ardizoia, the Oldest Living Yankee, Reflects on His Career|work=The New York Times|date=April 27, 2015|accessdate=April 27, 2015}} The 27-year-old rookie took the mound on April 30, 1947, at Sportsman's Park in the bottom of the seventh inning with the Yankees trailing the St. Louis Browns. He pitched two innings for New York and faced a total of 10 batters, giving up four hits, a walk, and two earned runs. The final score was Browns 15, Yankees 5. Ardizoia was credited with a game finished.

Ardizoia's minor league baseball career spanned fifteen seasons, starting in {{baseball year|1937}} with the Mission Reds. He missed three seasons while serving in World War II in 1943–45, then played for the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League in {{baseball year|1946}}. Following his major league appearance, he returned to the PCL until {{baseball year|1950}}, then ended his career with the Dallas Eagles of the Texas League in {{baseball year|1951}}.

Ardizoia died on July 19, 2015, after a stroke suffered one week prior. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living former member of the New York Yankees, as well as the oldest in a group of nearly 1,500 players who have appeared in exactly one Major League game.[http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Rinaldo-Ardizoia-one-time-big-leaguer-6396206.php Rinaldo Ardizoia — one-time big-leaguer, longtime San Franciscan]. SFGate.com. Retrieved on July 21, 2015.