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00:00We're interviewing Johnny Antonelli, March 21, 2002, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
00:12You were born in Rochester. I was born in Rochester, New York, in 1930. April 12, 1930.
00:21Were your parents first generation, second generation?
00:24My father was born in Italy. He came over in, let's see, 1913.
00:35His father was the first Italian immigrant from their hometown in Italy.
00:41He came over in the 1800s, his father.
00:45My mother was born in Buffalo, born in North Ogden Street, in Buffalo, New York,
00:53of Italian parentage, of course.
00:57Her father and mother were both born in Italy.
01:00Where was your father from?
01:02My father was from a town called Casal Portino.
01:05It's in Abruzzi, provincia di Chieti.
01:11That's where my mother was born.
01:12Good cooks, right? The best cooks in the world.
01:16That's right.
01:16Have you been home?
01:17Yes, I was there. My wife and I both went over.
01:20We didn't get to her hometown where her father came from.
01:24Her father was also born in Italy.
01:27He came over the same time my father did.
01:29They didn't know each other.
01:30One was from the Naples area.
01:31My father, of course, from Abruzzi.
01:33And my mother-in-law was born in this country.
01:38So we've had two parents born in the old country and two born here.
01:43So, growing up, did your folks speak Italian at all?
01:46The only time my father and mother spoke Italian
01:49was when they didn't want us to know what they were talking about.
01:52And, in fact, my mother didn't speak any Italian.
01:55My father taught me how to speak Italian.
01:59But he spoke perfect English.
02:01My father, you would think that he was born in this country.
02:04Never would think he was ever from the old country.
02:07He never had an accent whatsoever.
02:10Was he a baseball fan?
02:12My father was a baseball fan.
02:15He liked bowling.
02:18He never played baseball, but he was a baseball fan
02:21and would go to spring training every year
02:24when the Braves were in Bradenton.
02:27And when I started playing in Rochester,
02:31he started bringing my write-ups to Florida.
02:35And that's how I got involved with playing this game of baseball.
02:40Because had it not been for him, I probably never would have made it,
02:44let's say, to the Major Leagues.
02:45He really went out and pushed me.
02:50And it got me what I got today.
02:52I mean, I became a Major League ball player primarily because of my father.
02:56What did he do?
02:58My father was a contractor.
02:59He was a railroad contractor.
03:01He would, if you had a factory and you needed a siding,
03:07he would switch into the main line and bring the loading dock,
03:11bring the track right to your loading dock.
03:13And, of course, I worked with him myself when I was younger.
03:17My dad was a railroad man.
03:18Oh, really?
03:19Yeah.
03:20A foreman.
03:21My father was actually a foreman on the New York Central,
03:25and he was an engineer.
03:26And he did a lot of things before he got in business for himself.
03:30In fact, his father was brought here from Italy.
03:33I told you, he was the first one from their hometown in Italy.
03:36He was a foreman on the New York Central
03:38before it became the Penn Central many, many years ago.
03:42So here you are still in high school when you were assigned as a bonus player, right?
03:47I was 18 years old, right?
03:49And so you go straight to the majors,
03:51never played in the minor leagues, right?
03:53What was that like?
03:54Well, in those days, if you received more than, I think it's $5,000,
04:00you were called a bonus player.
04:02And to protect the teams from not all going, let's say, to the Yankees
04:08or the teams with money,
04:09they had a limit on how many you could sign
04:11because how many players could you have
04:12that were signed for more than $5,000,
04:15you wouldn't have had much of a ball club.
04:17So consequently, that rule was put in,
04:20and I was one of the fortunate, I guess,
04:24people to have received the money.
04:27And again, with my father, I probably would never receive it.
04:32Was that the first year?
04:341948?
04:35No, it was, I think it was 47,
04:40because Robin Roberts and Kurt Simmons both signed in 47,
04:45and I signed in 1948.
04:48And did that mean the team had to keep going to major league roster for?
04:52Forever.
04:52Forever.
04:53Yes, that's why it protected some of these teams from,
04:58you know, if you wanted to sign one or two, fine,
05:01but the Yankees would have had them all.
05:03Right.
05:03Even in those days.
05:05Yeah.
05:05Amazing.
05:06So what was it like as an 18-year-old being an eventually glider?
05:10Well, it was exciting because I was flown in by Lou Ferrini,
05:15who was the owner at that time.
05:17He had a Beechcraft twin-engine airplane,
05:21and he took my father and I and brought us into Boston.
05:24And the first night, we went right to the ballpark,
05:28and of course, they were fighting for the penalty.
05:30And I saw 38,000 people in the stands.
05:32I thought that was all the people in the world.
05:34You know, I was 18 years old.
05:36I had never really been out of Rochester.
05:38So consequently, I was very impressed.
05:41You know, I had never seen.
05:42We went, we used to go to,
05:43my father took me to a lot of ballgames in Rochester,
05:45and we always drew well.
05:48Rochester Red Wings were always a good drawing team.
05:50But, you know, if we drew 7,000, 8,000, or 9,000,
05:53that was a good crowd.
05:55Well, 38, that was unbelievable.
05:58Did you ever encounter any kind of prejudice
06:01because you were Italian?
06:03Any slurs that directed you off the day go?
06:06I can't remember that.
06:09You know, maybe by 48,
06:11things were getting a little bit better in this country.
06:14Things were not what they used to be back in the old days,
06:17let's say.
06:18But, no, I never really remember anything like that at all.
06:23What about this being a bonus for 18 years?
06:27Was there any resentment?
06:28The only reason, the only resentment, never against, toward me,
06:33in fact, Johnny Sane came up to me at the 19,
06:38the 50th anniversary of the 48th raves,
06:41and he said, I want to make something clear.
06:43He said, I never, I never said a thing about you or against you,
06:46nor was I ever against you for receiving the money.
06:49He said, my only problem was, I wanted a raise,
06:51and they wouldn't give it to me,
06:53and they gave you the money,
06:54so I want to thank you for giving me my raise.
06:57And the same thing with Spahn.
06:59Spahn was the same way.
06:59They weren't paying big money in those days.
07:02For sure.
07:03So, 54, you traded for the Giants for Bobby Thompson.
07:09A big disappointment at the time,
07:10because I felt that the Milwaukee team was really going to go somewhere.
07:15We had a great team in 53.
07:18We probably could have or should have won it,
07:21but we didn't.
07:22But you knew there were things to come.
07:25Nobody knew about Aaron up until now, up until that time.
07:28And that's why they traded for Bobby Thompson.
07:31I was traded for Bobby Thompson and a few others of us,
07:36and some money, too, I guess.
07:38And Bobby came here to Milwaukee,
07:42and then a fellow by the name of Hank Aaron,
07:46who was playing second base somewhere in the minor leagues,
07:48came here, and, of course, Hank, I mean,
07:51Bobby Thompson broke his ankle that year
07:53and never really played for your team
07:57for the Braves.
07:59And then he came to New York,
08:00and we became roommates.
08:01Yeah, he came back to New York
08:05to play for the Giants,
08:05and he and I became very good friends and roommates.
08:09The 54 was an amazing year for you, though.
08:12Everyone asked me what my most exciting thing in baseball,
08:19I say, 1954, and I'll tell you why.
08:24You know, when you're growing up,
08:26you're in baseball,
08:27you want to be on an all-star team.
08:30I was chosen that year.
08:32You want to win 20.
08:33I won 20.
08:35You want to be in a World Series.
08:36I was in a World Series.
08:37You want to win a World Series.
08:39I won a World Series.
08:40And a save.
08:41And a save.
08:42But you also want to become Pitcher of the Year.
08:45And before the big award for Cy Young Award,
08:50they had Sporting News,
08:52Pitcher of the Year,
08:53and I won that in 54.
08:54So really,
08:55I did everything that a lot of pitchers,
08:58even Bob Feller,
08:59never accomplished in one year.
09:01He was a great pitcher.
09:03We know that.
09:03But he never won a World Series game.
09:05So consequently,
09:06I even did that.
09:07So I was very thrilled with that.
09:09And that year,
09:10you won that award.
09:11You had some pretty stiff competition
09:12for Warren Spahn
09:13and Robin Roberts.
09:15We had Robin Roberts,
09:16Warren Spahn,
09:18we had Don Newcomb,
09:20we had Hershkin,
09:23and many others.
09:25One of your teammates on that 54 team
09:28was Sal Magley.
09:29Right.
09:29And there weren't a lot of Italian pitchers
09:31in the major leagues
09:32when you really think about it.
09:34And here you were,
09:35you and Magley won,
09:36what,
09:3715,
09:3714,
09:3815 games also.
09:40He won 14,
09:41I think,
09:41in 1950.
09:44right.
09:44And you pitched the first.
09:46Why did he get the start
09:47of the first game of the series?
09:49Well,
09:51I don't,
09:52I don't really know that
09:53except I think
09:54he was a season
09:56general,
09:57so to speak,
09:57on our fishing staff.
09:58I may have been
09:59what they consider
10:00the ace of the staff
10:01that had that year,
10:02but
10:04no,
10:04I think,
10:05I think
10:06Leo DeRocher,
10:07who plays a lot of hunches,
10:08felt that
10:09he wanted to
10:10start Sal
10:11and I couldn't disagree with him.
10:13He had beaten
10:13the Dodgers that year,
10:14I think,
10:15eight times.
10:16He won 14 games
10:17and beat the Dodgers
10:18eight times.
10:18So we saved him
10:20for those people.
10:21So he was used to pitching
10:22important ball games.
10:24Tell me something
10:25about Magley,
10:26Barber.
10:27Well,
10:28he was a good friend.
10:30In fact,
10:31right here in Milwaukee,
10:33Sal Magley would pitch,
10:34let's say,
10:34here in Milwaukee.
10:35He had a favorite restaurant
10:38not too far from the Schroeder
10:39or the Schroeder Hotel,
10:41which was a Chinese restaurant
10:43on the second floor.
10:44I only remember that
10:45because I was,
10:45again,
10:4723 or 24,
10:48and of course,
10:49I didn't drink.
10:50But he,
10:50after pitching,
10:52would enjoy a few martinis,
10:54maybe two doubles.
10:56And he let me taste one once
10:59and I told him,
11:00I said,
11:00you know,
11:01Sal,
11:01that's like aqua belba
11:03after shaven.
11:04I said,
11:05I couldn't believe it.
11:05But anyway,
11:06he was a great guy.
11:07Nice to see,
11:08you wouldn't meet a nicer person
11:09than Sal Magley.
11:10On the field,
11:11he was the barber.
11:12He taught me to pitch
11:16with a little,
11:17be aggressive out there.
11:18You know,
11:18you can't let them
11:19walk away with you.
11:20And he,
11:20of course,
11:21was the,
11:24well,
11:25it was his only way.
11:27I mean,
11:27he only knew one way.
11:28Shave him,
11:28shave him back
11:29and,
11:30and then throw that curveball
11:32low and away.
11:33And he did it
11:33on a regular basis.
11:35He didn't wait
11:35until somebody
11:36hit a home runoff.
11:36He did it
11:38because that's how
11:39he pitched.
11:40Was there,
11:40do you think,
11:41any particular rapport
11:42between you
11:43because you were both
11:43with talent?
11:44Well,
11:45I think so,
11:45yes.
11:46He was from Niagara Falls,
11:47you know,
11:47which was only 90 miles
11:48from us.
11:49So,
11:49if they had a banquet,
11:50I would go there.
11:51If we had a banquet
11:52in Rochester,
11:53he would come there.
11:54And he always had friends
11:56from Niagara Falls
11:57come to New York
11:58and we always got together.
12:01And,
12:02he,
12:03you know,
12:04he just included me.
12:05In fact,
12:05we lived for two years
12:06in New York
12:07in the same complex.
12:09So,
12:09we were pretty close.
12:11Did you call each other
12:12by your first names
12:13or did you have nicknames?
12:14I didn't call him
12:14Mr. Magley,
12:15no.
12:16No,
12:16it was Sal
12:17and he called me John.
12:18That was it.
12:19I didn't really get
12:20a nickname.
12:22Oh,
12:22I got the name Lefty
12:23for a while,
12:24but I think all left-hands
12:25get that nickname.
12:26So,
12:27that's about it.
12:28Or in New York,
12:29they called me Anty,
12:30A-N-T-Y
12:31for whatever reason.
12:32I guess
12:32they just shortened
12:33the name a little bit.
12:34Is it the writer?
12:35Yes,
12:36the writer.
12:36You know,
12:37the old
12:39mirror
12:39and the
12:41what was it?
12:42The post.
12:43They were small papers,
12:44you know,
12:44very narrow.
12:45And the right
12:46Antonelli across there
12:47would be something else.
12:49So,
12:49they decided
12:50to give me a nickname
12:51and they called me Anty.
12:53What other Italian
12:54ballplayers
12:55do you remember
12:56from earlier?
12:57Well,
12:57Joe Malfitano
12:58was my roommate.
12:59He came up
13:00with the Giants,
13:01another bonus player.
13:03And,
13:04you know,
13:05primarily,
13:06I remember him
13:07because he was my roommate.
13:08Of course,
13:08Tom Lasorda,
13:09a good friend of mine
13:11with the Dodgers.
13:12He is really
13:13a devout
13:14Italian.
13:15And in fact,
13:15he's a devout
13:17Broussaint.
13:19He's unbelievable.
13:20But there were others.
13:22I just,
13:23you know,
13:23scored to be 60.
13:24We had Phil Macy
13:25on our team,
13:26the old Braves.
13:27He was a catcher.
13:29He caught
13:31doubleheaders
13:32day after night games.
13:34I don't care.
13:34We had Mondays
13:35off all the time.
13:36But he was never
13:38tired.
13:39He always did
13:40a great job.
13:41And I once asked him
13:42after catching,
13:43let's say,
13:44maybe 146 games
13:46out of 154,
13:47what was the best
13:48salary you ever received?
13:49He said,
13:50oh,
13:50I got $8,500
13:51one year.
13:53But you must have
13:54known him
13:54in the latter part
13:55it was clear.
13:56Yes.
13:56Well,
13:56of course,
13:57I was 18
13:57and when I got there
13:59and a lot of them
14:00were already
14:00in their late 20s
14:01and 30s.
14:02In fact,
14:03Sibi Sisti
14:04is going to be 82.
14:05I'm going to be 72.
14:07So,
14:08and I'm sure
14:09Phil Macy
14:10was older than
14:10Sibi Sisti.
14:11So consequently,
14:14Sibi,
14:14of course,
14:14is going to be
14:15probably about
14:1510 years older
14:16than I am.
14:17And that was
14:18Carl Ferrello.
14:19Oh,
14:19Carl,
14:19good friend again.
14:20You know,
14:21I think Italians
14:22like all nationalities,
14:23they kind of
14:23seek each other out.
14:25I think it's kind of
14:25an unwritten
14:28law or whatever
14:29that we do
14:31get along pretty well.
14:32So there was
14:32some kind of bond?
14:34Always.
14:35Always.
14:35Yes.
14:36No problem.
14:36Refer to each other
14:37as Tyson or anything?
14:38Well,
14:39once in a while.
14:41They would call
14:46in a nice way,
14:47Diggs,
14:48you know,
14:48Dago.
14:49But coming from them,
14:50it wasn't a slur,
14:51you know,
14:52of course.
14:53But,
14:53you know,
14:53I see you on the
14:54street,
14:54hey Diggs,
14:55how you doing?
14:55You know,
14:55that type of thing.
14:56So,
14:56yeah,
14:56we got along fine.
14:58You managed
14:59after you
15:01finished your play career.
15:02No,
15:02that was another
15:03John Antonelli.
15:04There was a
15:05Johnny Antonelli
15:06who played
15:06third base
15:07for the Philadelphia
15:08Phillies,
15:09I believe,
15:09or the Athletics,
15:10going back a little ways.
15:12And he
15:16managed,
15:16not in the majors,
15:17but he managed
15:18for Tidewater
15:19in the
15:22International League.
15:23And I used to see him
15:24when he came to Rochester.
15:25Now,
15:26maybe you're thinking
15:27of Joe Altebelli.
15:28No,
15:28no,
15:29I don't know.
15:29But there was a
15:31Johnny Antonelli.
15:32There was,
15:33there's an error,
15:34and I think I pulled it
15:35off a website
15:36very recently.
15:37They were talking
15:38about you
15:40and the Mets
15:41organization,
15:42so that was
15:42the other Johnny Antonelli.
15:44No,
15:44I went with the Mets,
15:45you know.
15:45I did go with the Mets
15:46at the end,
15:47but he was probably
15:48with Tidewater.
15:49Maybe there was
15:51affiliated with them.
15:52I'm not too sure.
15:53Okay,
15:53well,
15:53that cleared that up.
15:54So,
15:54what did you do
15:55when your career
15:56was over?
15:58My career
15:58was not over.
15:59I went into business
16:01when I,
16:01in 19,
16:02at the end of 1954,
16:05I became a Firestone
16:07tire dealer
16:09in the Rochester area,
16:10and of course,
16:10we worked hard at it.
16:13I remember asking,
16:15you know,
16:15the players would say,
16:16boy,
16:16you're lucky,
16:16you've got a business.
16:17I said,
16:17well,
16:17I'm lucky.
16:18They said,
16:18what do you do
16:19when you go home?
16:20Oh,
16:20I go hunting and fishing.
16:22I said,
16:23well,
16:23I go home
16:23and change tires.
16:25There you go.
16:25I said,
16:26so I'm lucky,
16:27I guess.
16:27But the point is,
16:28we did grow
16:29to a pretty good
16:30sized business.
16:31We had 28 stores.
16:34So,
16:35consequently,
16:35we did grow.
16:36We went into
16:37the southern tier.
16:38I used to go
16:38to John's hometown,
16:39John Logan,
16:42in Endicott,
16:43New York.
16:43I had some stores
16:44in Endicott,
16:45Binghamton,
16:48Elmira,
16:49and of course,
16:50primarily,
16:50Rochester,
16:51New York.
16:52So looking back,
16:53what would you say
16:54that baseball
16:55meant to you?
16:56Baseball meant
16:57everything to me.
16:57I met my wife.
16:59I later married
17:0050 years ago.
17:01We're married
17:0150 years now.
17:02We had our family,
17:04four children,
17:05ten grandchildren.
17:07I was able
17:08to get in the business
17:09because of baseball.
17:12Fairly successful.
17:13We never made
17:14a lot of money,
17:14but we were comfortable.
17:16So other than that,
17:19without baseball,
17:20I don't know
17:20what I would have
17:22achieved in life.
17:24You should be right.
17:25Thanks.
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