Thanks to eagle-eye Greg Spira for provided the information.
Necciai was a legendary minor league pitcher, who regularly struck out opposing batters in the double digits. His record-setting performance came as a 19-year-old in a 7-0 no-hitter in 1952.
Author George Stone (not to be confused with pitcher for the Atlanta Braves/NY Mets or the outfielder for the St. Louis browns at the turn of the 20th century) describes the atmosphere of the event, and the sad tale of Necciai, who was brought up to the Pittsburgh Pirates a few months after his feat, going 1-6 with a 7.08 ERA in 54.7 innings. He struck out 31 but walked 32. Drafted into the armed forces, he tried to come back too quickly after he was discharged and hurt his shoulder, never to return.
The writer, from the Virginia Bristol Herald-Courier, also praises Stone for “an excellent job of depicting what Bristol was like in the early 1950s. Such landmarks as Bunting’s Drug Store, Trayer’s Restaurant, the Hotel Bristol and of course, Shaw Stadium, are mentioned and are sure to bring back memories for anyone who lived in the area during that period.”
I think we big-city snobs tend to forget that most of America is like this. I think there’sa ot more Mayberry than Manhattan out there.
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