Robert Peter "Mickey" Micelotta (October 20, 1928 – October 9, 2022) was an American

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB). He played 13 total seasons of professional baseball, two of which were spent in the

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...

with the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

. In 17 career MLB games, Micelotta posted a batting average of .000 and had two runs in nine

plate appearances In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting. Under Rule 5.04(c) of the Official Baseball Rules, a player completes a turn batting when he is put out or becomes a runner ...

. Born and raised in New York, Micelotta first played professionally with the

Dayton Indians The Central League was a minor league baseball league that operated sporadically from 1903–1917, 1920–1922, 1926, 1928–1930, 1934, and 1948–1951. In 1926, the league merged mid-season with the Michigan State League and p ...

and Carbondale Pioneers in 1947. Over the next three seasons, he played for various minor league teams in the Phillies organization before missing the 1951 and 1952 seasons, serving in the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

. He returned and played for the

Terre Haute Phillies The Terre Haute Phillies were a baseball team in Terre Haute, Indiana from 1946 to 1954. They were a Three-I League team affiliated with the Philadelphia Phillies. They became the Terre Haute Tigers for the 1955–1956 seasons when the affiliati ...

in 1953 and the

Syracuse Chiefs Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...

from 1954 to 1955, splitting time between the Chiefs and the Phillies' major league squad. Micelotta spent the next three seasons with the

Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The franc ...

and three seasons after that with the

Birmingham Barons The Birmingham Barons are a Minor League Baseball team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox and plays at Regions Field in downtown Birmingham. The current ...

before retiring from baseball.

Early baseball career

Born in Corona, New York, Micelotta made his professional debut in 1947 at the age of 18 and played for two different teams that year. He played in 40 games for the

of the

Ohio State League The Ohio State League was a minor league baseball league that operated in numerous seasons between 1887 and 1947, predominantly as a Class D level league. League franchises were based in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. Histo ...

and in 25 games for the Carbondale Pioneers of the

North Atlantic League The North Atlantic League was the name of two minor baseball leagues. The first was a Class D affiliated system that operated from 1946 until 1950, and the second was an independent minor league that played from 1995 until 1996. Three of that le ...

. Micelotta spent the 1948 season with two teams in the

minor league system. He spent 58 games with the

Bradford Blue Wings Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...

of the

New York–Penn League The New York–Penn League (NYPL) was a Minor League Baseball league that operated in the northeastern United States from 1939 to 2020. Classified as a Class A Short Season league, its season started in June, after major-league teams signed th ...

and 60 games with the Dover Phillies of the Eastern Shore League, both D-class teams. In 1949, Micelotta was promoted to the C-class

Vandergrift Pioneers The Vandergrift Pioneers were a minor league baseball team based in Vandergrift, Pennsylvania from 1947 until 1950. The team played in the Middle Atlantic League and won the league title in 1947. The club was also a class-C affiliate of the Phila ...

of the

Middle Atlantic League The Middle Atlantic League (or Mid-Atlantic League) was a lower-level circuit in American minor league baseball that played during the second quarter of the 20th century. History The Middle Atlantic League played from 1925 through 1951, with t ...

; in 129 games for the Pioneers, he hit .287 and hit a then-career high seven

triples TripleS (stylized as tripleS; Help:IPA/English, /ˈtɹɪpəl:ɛs/; ) is a South Korean girl group formed by MODHAUS. They aim to be the world's first decentralized K-pop idol group. The members will rotate between the group, sub-unit, and solo ac ...

. Micelotta moved to the

Schenectady Blue Jays The Schenectady Blue Jays baseball club was an American minor league baseball franchise based in Schenectady, New York, for 12 consecutive seasons, 1946–57. It was a member of the Class C Canadian–American League through 1950, and the Class ...

of the

Canadian–American League The Canadian–American League, nicknamed the Can-Am League, was a class C level minor league baseball circuit which ran from 1936 through 1951, with a three-year break during World War II. Teams *Amsterdam Rugmakers, 1938–1942, 1946–19 ...

the following season, where he had a three-hit game against the

Gloversville-Johnstown Glovers The Gloversville-Johnstown Glovers were a minor league baseball team based in Gloversville, New York and Johnstown, New York. They played in the Canadian–American League and were affiliated with the Brooklyn Dodgers (1939), Albany Senators (1 ...

, which the Blue Jays won, 8–7. Micelotta finished the season with a .257 batting average in 133 games. He missed the 1951 and 1952 seasons as a result of serving in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

during the

. Micelotta returned to baseball in 1953, and played for the

of the

Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League was a Minor League Baseball organization that operated for the better part of 60 seasons, with teams based in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin. The league began pla ...

. In 115 games for them, he had a .297 batting average and 15

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s. After the season ended, the

purchased his contract, adding him to their roster for the upcoming season.

Major league career

As the 1954 season began, the Phillies noted that Micelotta had a good chance at winning a major league roster spot due to manager

Steve O'Neill Stephen Francis O'Neill (July 6, 1891 – January 26, 1962) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, most notably with the Cleveland Indians. As a manager, he led the Detroit Tig ...

being impressed with his fielding and hitting power. His performance during

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...

was regarded highly, and he was noted on a list of promising rookies throughout the majors. Micelotta made the roster for the 1954 Phillies and made his major league debut on April 20. Micelotta played in 13 games for the Phillies that year, served primarily as a

pinch runner In baseball, a pinch runner is a player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing another player on base. The pinch runner may be faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been sub ...

, and scored two runs in three total

at-bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a bat ...

s. In June, he was demoted to the

of the

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...

, where he finished the season. In 95 games for the Chiefs, Micelotta hada .229 batting average and 38

runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...

. Micelotta remained on the Phillies'

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, and ...

to start the 1955 season, but near the end of spring training, the Phillies chose to send him and three others to Syracuse for the season. He spent the first three months of the season with the Chiefs, then was called back up to the Phillies due to both

Granny Hamner Granville Wilbur "Granny" Hamner (April 26, 1927 – September 12, 1993) was an American professional baseball shortstop and second baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). Hamner was one of the key players on the "Whiz Kids", the National Leag ...

and

Roy Smalley Jr. Roy Frederick Smalley Jr. (June 9, 1926 – October 22, 2011) was a shortstop in Major League Baseball. From 1948 through 1958, Smalley played for the Chicago Cubs (1948–1953), Milwaukee Braves (1953–69), Milwaukee Braves (1954) and Philad ...

getting injured. He played in four games during his time with the club, going hitless in four at-bats and playing his final major league game on August 2. After Hamner and Smalley returned from the

disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...

, Micelotta was sent back to Syracuse, where he finished out the year. In 127 games for Syracuse in 1955, Micelotta had a .244 batting average and a career-high nine triples.

Later baseball career

Micelotta was still considered a promising prospect in 1956, and spent spring training trying to fight his way back on the roster. By the end of March, with a couple of weeks to go until the season began, he was noted as playing very well, and the Phillies were considering keeping him on the major league roster for the season. He ended up not making the team, and spent the season with the

. During his time with Miami in 1956, Micelotta was known for his defensive plays at the shortstop position, making three good ones in a 6–1 loss against the

Havana Cubans The Havana Sugar Kings were a Cuban-based minor league baseball team that played from 1946 to 1960. From 1954 until 1960, they belonged in the Class AAA International League, affiliated with Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds. Their home s ...

in late May. He finished the season with a .236 batting average and 12 home runs in 146 games. Due to Micelotta's "very mediocre" hitting and being unable to help the Phillies as a result, he remained with Miami for the 1957 season. He,

Woody Smith Forest Elwood "Woody" Smith (born February 25, 1927 in University City, Missouri, United States; died February 4, 2005) was a baseball figure who spent 18 seasons playing in the minor leagues and another 12 managing at that level. A third baseman, ...

, Bobby Young, and

Pancho Herrera Juan Francisco Herrera Villavicencio (June 16, 1934 – April 28, 2005), nicknamed "Pancho" and "Frank", was a Cuban-born professional baseball player. He appeared in an even 300 games over all or part of three seasons in Major League Baseball f ...

were considered to be one of the best infields in the International League, with one writer saying, "they make plays the Phillies couldn't make." Micelotta finished the year with a .216 batting average in 143 games. He again played a full season with Miami in 1958 after spending the offseason playing in the Dominican Winter League. His performances that season included a triple late in a game against the

Richmond Virginians The Richmond Virginians was the name of a minor league baseball franchise that played in Richmond, Virginia, from 1954 through 1964. The team competed at the Triple-A level as members of the International League, and were affiliated with the ...

to win it, 3–2, and a

walk-off home run In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. For a home run to end the game, it must be hit in the bottom of the final inning of the game and generate enough runs to exceed the opponent's score. Because the opponent will not ...

against the

Montreal Royals The Montreal Royals were a minor league professional baseball team in Montreal, Quebec, during 1897–1917 and 1928–1960. A member of the International League, the Royals were the top farm club (Class AAA) of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1939; pi ...

to win that game, 2–1. He finished the season with a .201 batting average in 127 games played. After the season ended, Micelotta was released from the Marlins, and he joined the

, a

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

affiliate in the

Southern Association The Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A (1902–1935), Cl ...

, where he spent the final three seasons of his professional career. In 1959, Micelotta played in all 154 games for Birmingham and had a batting average of .239, as well as career highs in

stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or ...

s (10) and

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...

s (117). The following season, Micelotta was named to the Southern Association All-Star Team alongside fellow Barons

Stan Palys Stanley Francis Palys (May 1, 1930 – February 8, 2021) was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Blakely, Pennsylvania. He appeared in 138 games over all or parts of four seasons in the majors, from 1953 through 1956, for ...

and

Ron Nischwitz Ronald Lee Nischwitz (born July 1, 1937 in Dayton, Ohio) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played from 1961 to 1963, and again in 1965, for the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians. A switch-hitter, he threw left-handed, was ...

. He finished the season with a .253 batting average in 150 games and career highs in home runs (20) and runs batted in (87). Micelotta's comeback season in 1960 resulted in the Detroit Tigers bringing him into spring training as someone who could serve as a utility infielder on the major league roster. After spending March with the Tigers, he was sent back to Birmingham, where he spent the 1961 season. In a match against the Atlanta Crackers, Micelotta had three runs batted in as Birmingham won, 11–2. He finished his final season of professional baseball with a .237 batting average, seven home runs, and 55

in 112 games while splitting time between shortstop and

third base A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...

Later life and death

After retiring from baseball, Micelotta worked in the carpet business in New York, then later moved to

Greenacres, Florida Greenacres is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. Situated in the east-central portion of the county, Greenacres is located northwest of Atlantis, east of Wellington, and borders Palm Springs to its east. As of the 2010 United Sta ...

. Micelotta died in

Henderson, Nevada Henderson is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States, about southeast of downtown Las Vegas. It is the second largest city in Nevada, after Las Vegas, with an estimated population of 320,189 in 2019. The city is part of the Las Vegas Vall ...

on October 9, 2022, at the age of 93.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Micelotta, Mickey 1928 births 2022 deaths Philadelphia Phillies players Major League Baseball shortstops Baseball players from New York (state) Carbondale Pioneers players Dayton Indians players Dover Phillies players Bradford Blue Wings players Vandergrift Pioneers players Schenectady Blue Jays players Terre Haute Phillies players Syracuse Chiefs players Miami Marlins (International League) players Birmingham Barons players United States Army personnel of the Korean War American people of Italian descent People from Corona, Queens People from Greenacres, Florida Baseball players from Palm Beach County, Florida