Carl Furillo

Lore & Background

Furillo was born in Stony Creek Mills, Pennsylvania, to Italian immigrants from Campania. His father was from the province of Caserta and his mother from the province of Benevento. He was affectionately called "Skoonj", a nickname derived from the Italian word scungilli ("conch"), which was his favorite dish. He dropped out of school in the eighth grade and worked various jobs, including apple-picking and work in a woolen mill. After his mother's death when he was eighteen, he decided to pursue baseball professionally. In 1940, he signed with the Reading Chicks of the Interstate League, earning the nickname "the Reading Rifle" for his powerful arm; the Dodgers were so impressed they purchased the entire minor league franchise to acquire him. His career was interrupted by World War II; he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942, served three years, saw combat in the Pacific Theater, and received three battle stars and the Purple Heart. After returning, he made the major leagues in 1946. He was diagnosed with cataracts in 1952, had surgery, and returned to win the 1953 batting title. On September 6, 1953, a brawl with the Giants led to a fractured knuckle on his little finger. The Dodgers released him in May 1960 while he was injured with a torn calf muscle; he sued the team, collecting $21,000, and later maintained he was blackballed from baseball. After retiring, he worked installing elevators at the World Trade Center, owned a deli in Flushing, Queens, and later worked as a night watchman. He died of leukemia and an apparent heart attack at age 66 in Stony Creek Mills, Pennsylvania.

In Their Own Story

The late afternoon sun dipped low over Ebbets Field, turning the brick walls of the right-field bleachers a deep, dusty orange. The crowd held its breath as a line drive screamed toward the gap in right-center. Furillo didn't sprint; he flowed, his legs eating up the grass with a deceptive, gliding efficiency that belied his power. His eyes locked onto the ball, tracking it with an almost predatory calmness. He reached the wall just as the ball arrived, his glove snapping shut before the echo of the crowd's gasp could fade. He turned instantly, planting his feet on the warning track like a pivot point in a machine. The runner from second was rounding third, believing he had a chance to score. Furillo wound up, not with a wild heave, but with the mechanical precision of a cannon. The ball tore through the humid Brooklyn air, a white blur that seemed to defy gravity, cutting straight across the diamond. It hit the catcher's mitt with a thunderous crack just as the runner slid into home. The umpire's arm shot down: 'Out!' A hush fell over the stands before erupting into cheers. Furillo simply tipped his cap, never breaking stride, already walking back to his position as if he hadn't just silenced the entire stadium.

Reader's Guide

Furillo played 15 seasons (1946–1960) for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers. He was a member of seven NL pennant-winning teams (1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1959) and won World Series titles in 1955 and 1959. He was selected to two All-Star teams (1952 and 1953). He led the NL in batting average in 1953 (.344) and led the league in hits once (1953) and in doubles once (1953). He led the NL in assists in 1950 (18) and 1951 (24). In 40 World Series games, he batted .266 with 2 home runs and 13 RBI. His career batting average was .299 with 192 home runs, 1,910 hits, and 1,058 RBI.

Did You Know?

• Furillo's nickname "Skoonj" came from the Italian word for conch, his favorite dish.
• He threw out a runner at first base from right field on August 27, 1951.
• In the 1952 World Series, he made a spectacular catch over the fence to rob Johnny Mize of a home run in the 11th inning.
• He drove in the tying run with a 2-run homer in the ninth inning of Game 6 of the 1953 World Series.
• After baseball, he worked installing elevators at the World Trade Center.