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| Rick Lancellotti | |
|---|---|
| First baseman | |
| Born: (1956-07-05)July 5, 1956 (age 69) Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| Professional debut | |
| MLB: August 27, 1982, for the San Diego Padres | |
| NPB: April 10, 1987, for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp | |
| Last appearance | |
| NPB: August 30, 1988, for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp | |
| MLB: August 18, 1990, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .169 |
| Home runs | 2 |
| Runs batted in | 11 |
| NPB statistics | |
| Batting average | .207 |
| Home runs | 58 |
| Runs batted in | 133 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Richard Anthony Lancellotti (born July 5, 1956) is an American formerfirst baseman-outfielder inMajor League Baseball who played for theSan Diego Padres (1982),San Francisco Giants (1986) andBoston Red Sox (1990). He batted and threw left-handed.
Lancellotti moved frequently in his youth, leavingConcord, New Hampshire, forCherry Hill, New Jersey, as a teenager[1] and transferred toCherry Hill High School East in his junior year where he made the baseball team as a pitcher.[1][2]
A giftedslugger who led four different leagues in home runs,[1] Lancellotti received only limited opportunities on the Major League level to showcase the power he displayed in theminor leagues. A perennial minor-league All-Star, he played in 15 different leagues and several countries, including stints inCanada,Colombia,Italy,Japan,Mexico andVenezuela.[3]
In 1979, Lancellotti was named theEastern League most valuable player after he led the league with 41home runs and 107runs batted in while playing for theBuffalo Bisons, the Double-A affiliate of thePittsburgh Pirates. On August 5, 1980, Lancellotti, along withLuis Salazar, was traded to theSan Diego Padres for a player to be named later andKurt Bevacqua. The Padres later sentMark Lee to Pittsburgh to complete the trade. He made his Major League debut with the San Diego Padres in1982, appearing in 17 games. His career-highlight[according to whom?] came in1984, when he led all professional baseball with 131 RBI and hit 29 home runs while playing for the Triple-ALas Vegas Stars, a Padres affiliate.
In1986, Lancellotti led thePacific Coast League with 31 home runs while playing for thePhoenix Firebirds, the Giants' Triple-A affiliate. At 30, he was promoted to the majors and hit .222 with two home runs and six RBI in 18at-bats. In1987 and1988 he played in Japan, hitting 58 home runs in 190 games for theHiroshima Carp, including a league-leading 39 homers in 1987. Two years later, he played in the now defunctSenior Professional Baseball Association, though he lied about his age, claiming he was older than he actually was to qualify for the league.[1]
Lancellotti did not get another chance in the majors until August 1990, when he played four games for theBoston Red Sox and went 0-for-8. Lancellotti was a major player in the Red Sox famous Rally Cap game where several teammates used cups on their ears, hats on catcher-style, and shave cream on their faces.Dwight Evans homered to turn the game around during this comedic mêlée. Before the promotion he had 10 home runs for Triple-APawtucket. He returned to finish the month with 11 home runs to win theInternational League title with 21. Lancellotti was named the best player in the Red Sox farm system by the Boston Sportswriters Association.[citation needed] At the same time, Boston released him. In1992, he played for theParma Angels ofItaly, being named the Best Hitter during theEuropean Cup, held in theNetherlands. He retired after the season and settled inBuffalo, New York, where he established a baseball school in 1993.[4] In 1995, he was areplacement player in spring training for theFlorida Marlins during theongoing strike.[5]
In a three-season major league career, Lancellotti was a .169 hitter with two home runs and 11 RBI in 36 games. He belted 276 home runs in his minor league career.[6]
Lancellotti was inducted into theBuffalo Baseball Hall of Fame in August 1995 and the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2024.[6]
Lancellotti's daughter, Katie, played collegesoftball atCanisius College from 2009 to 2012. He and his wife Debbie also have a son, Joe.[7] His father-in-law Jimmy Ludtka played minor league baseball in the 1950s.[1][8] Ludtka founded a sporting goods company that Debbie later took over before selling the company in 2021.[9]
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