Antonelli, Series winner with NY Giants, dies at 89
Johnny Antonelli, a fivetime All-Star who was a key pitcher on the World Series-winning New York Giants in 1954, has died. He was 89.
The San Francisco Giants released a statement saying Antonelli died Friday in Rochester, New York. A cause of death wasn't given.
The left-hander won 126 games over 12 seasons, including his memorable 1954, when he had a 21-7 record and National League-leading 2.30 ERA. He was also a 20-game winner in 1956.
Antonelli had a stellar performance for the Giants when they swept the Cleveland Indians in four games to win the 1954 World Series. He threw a complete game in Game 2, giving up just one run over nine innings, and then came on in relief in Game 4, getting the final five outs to earn the save and clinch the series.
“Johnny was one of the all-time great Giants and was part of our rich history in the 1950s,” Giants President Larry Baer said in a statement. “He enjoyed visiting Oracle Park for alumni reunions and other events and I'm thankful for the laughs we shared over the years. Our condolences go out to the Antonelli family for their tremendous loss and we extend our thoughts to Johnny's teammates, his friends, and to all those touched by his passing.”
The Rochester native made his debut with the Boston Braves in 1948 when he was just 18 years old. His best years came with the Giants from 1954 to 1959 and he was part of the franchise when it made the move from New York to San Francisco after the 1957 season. He missed the 1951 and 1952 seasons due to military service.
KERSHAW DEBUT
Clayton Kershaw struck out four without allowing a hit in his spring training debut Friday, the first step toward a possible openingday start for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Kershaw faced a Milwaukee Brewers lineup with five expected regulars, including Brock Holt and Keston Hiura at the top of the order. He struck out both on three pitches in the first. After two walks and a strikeout of his final batter, Kershaw left with a 1-0 lead after 1 2/3 innings.
“It was awesome. Maybe I didn't hit one spot, but physically I felt like the ball was coming out, felt like it was breaking the right say,” Kershaw said. “Now just got to figure out how to throw strikes, but other than that, it was a good first step for sure.”
Kershaw, a left-hander who turns 32 on March 19, went 16-5 with a 3.03 ERA last season. He pitched 178 1/3 innings, his highest total since 2015.
He missed the start of the season due to shoulder soreness that caused him to be shut down for most of spring training. His streak of eight straight opening day starts came to an end.