Xavier Rescigno

Who was Xavier Rescigno?

Xavier Frederick Rescigno was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1943 to 1945. The 5 ft 10 1⁄2 in, 175 lb. right-hander was a native of New York, New York. He attended St. Ann's academy in New York, NY

Rescigno is one of many ballplayers who only appeared in the major leagues during World War II. He started out as a member of the New York Yankees's farm system, and was notably a member of the 1937 Newark Bears squad that is often mentioned as one of the greatest minor league teams in history, but he had difficulty working his way into a spot on the deep Yankee roster. The enrollment of many players in the armed forces brought opportunity, however, and at the age of 30, Rescigno made his major league debut as a relief pitcher for the Pirates against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on April 22, 1943. He started 14 games that season and relieved in 23. The best start of his career came on September 12, 1943, when he hurled a 7–0 complete game shutout against the Cincinnati Reds in the second game of a doubleheader at Crosley Field.