Rico Petrocelli

Americo Peter "Rico" Petrocelli, born June 27, 1943, is an American former professional baseball player and minor league manager. He played his entire Major League Baseball career as a shortstop and third baseman for the Boston Red Sox, where he became a fan favorite for his powerful hitting and solid defensive play.

Petrocelli was born to Italian immigrant parents in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City. His father was a garment worker in Manhattan, and he was the youngest of seven children. He graduated from Sheepshead Bay High School in 1961 and was signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent in July of that year.

He spent the 1962 season with Boston's Class B farm team, the Winston-Salem Red Sox, batting .277 with 17 home runs and 80 RBIs in 137 games. In 1963, he played 137 games for the Double-A Reading Red Sox, hitting .239 with 19 home runs and 78 RBIs before earning a September call-up.

A two-time All-Star shortstop, Petrocelli appeared in two World Series with the Red Sox, in 1967 and 1975. He was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1997.