Carl Anthony Furillo (March 8, 1922 - January 21, 1989) was an American Major League Baseball right fielder and right-handed batter who played his entire career for the Brooklyn & Los Angeles Dodgers. He was born in Stony Creek Mills, Pennsylvania.
Nicknamed "The Reading Rifle" for his strong and infallible arm, Furillo added some pop with his bat. Arriving in the major leagues in 1946, he played an instrumental role in the Dodgers' 1949 pennant-winning season, batting .322 with 18 home runs and 106 RBI. He had another outstanding season in 1953, collecting 21 home runs, 91 runs batted in and a league-leading .344 average.
Furillo played in seven World Series with the Dodgers, winning in 1955 and 1959. The Dodgers released him in 1960 while he was injured, then Furillo sued the team, eventually collecting $21,000. He would later maintain that he was blackballed as a result and couldn't find a job within the sport – a charge later denied by Commissioner Ford Frick.
In his 15-year career, Furillo batted .299, with 192 homer uns, 1058 RBI, 895 runs, 1910 hits, 324 doubles, 56 triples, 48 stolen bases, a .458 slugging percentage and 514 walks for a .355 on base percentage. As an outfielder, he had 3322 putouts, 151 assists, 34 double plays and 74 errors in 3547 total chances, for a .979 fielding average.
Carl Furillo died in Stony Creek Mills, Pennsylvania at 66 years of age.
Highlights
- Led league in batting average (.344, 1953)
- Twice All-Star (1952-53)
- Twice Top 10 MVP (6th, 1949; 9th, 1953)
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