Marius 'Lefty' Russo...1914-2005...RIP

[Gehrig]

Marius Russo, born in Brooklyn, passed away near his home in Ft. Myers FLA. He was 90...

Pitched a 1 hitter in June of '41 at the stadium.

Russo twice won 14 for the Yankees, but was particularly effective in the World Series. In Game Three of 1941, he matched elderly Dodger Freddie Fitzsimmons through seven scoreless innings. In the eighth, Russo's line drive hit Fitzsimmons in the knee, causing him to limp off the diamond, and the Yankees scored two runs to win 2-1. In 1943 Russo held the Cardinals to one unearned run in Game Four, then doubled and scored the winning run...

After the '43 season he left the Bombers and joined the Army Signal Corp. After the Signal Corp he pitched briefly for the Yankees again and then became an expediter for Grumman Corp in Bethpage...

Fewer left of the "old guard"...

Rest you gentle...sleep you sound...

[Tifoso]

May he rest in peace.

[Casey37]

R.I.P. Mr. Russo, and thank you.

[hellonewman]

Another one of those folks I didn't realize was still alive. RIP.

[penguin4]

No!!!

They're dropping faster than flies...

Tommy Heinrich and Bill Werber (he's still alive, right?) may be the only living Gehrig teammates left that I can think of now...

[wexy]

R.I.P

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/Prussm101.htm

[#7forever]

R.I.P., Mr. Russo. A charter member of my all time
all italian YANKEES team.

[thecaptain]

R.I.P. Lefty

[Jersey Yankee]

Marius Russo, 90, Yankees Pitcher, Dies

By RICHARD GOLDSTEIN
Published: April 4, 2005

Marius Russo, a leading Yankees pitcher of the early 1940's who is best remembered for a bizarre and game-turning at-bat in the World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers, died March 26 in Fort Myers, Fla. He was 90.

His death was announced by his wife, Stasia.

Russo, a native of Brooklyn signed by the Yankees out of Long Island University, appeared with four of the Yankees' pennant-winning teams. A left-hander, he pitched for the Yankees from 1939 to 1943 and in 1946, when he returned from military service.

[jimmyclark]

Game 3 of world series..the first between the Yankees and Dodgers. In the 7th inning of a 0-0 game Russo hits a line-drive off Dodger Pitcher Fat Freddie Fitzsimmons. While Russo is retired, Fitzsimmons has to leave the game and relief pticher Hugh Casey gives up 2 runs in the 8th while the Dodgers can only counter with one. The next day Casey has the famous "3rd strike 3rd out passed ball" to Tommy Henrich and melts down while Dodger manager Leo Durocher sits numbed in the dugout and doesn't go out to calm down Casey or remove him.
Granted the Yankees were favorites..they won 4 world series 1936-9 while losing only 3 games but Durocher's managing in 1941 is the classic case of outsmarting yourself. He had two big pitchers that year in Kirby Higbie (22-9, 3.14 era) and Whit Wyatt (22-10, 2.34 era) yet tries to emulate Connie Mack/Howard Ehmke of 1929 by starting Curt davis in game 1 (who pitches decent but loses) and Fitzsimmons in game 4..leaving him to start Wyatt in Game 2 and Higbie in game 4, lessening the number of times you can start your big 2 at a time when there was no "travel day" for subway world series. Durocher later came up with the saying.."pitch your best pitcher today..it may rain tomorrow". He probably would have lost if he had started Wyatt games 1,4,7 and Higbie games 2, 5..relief in game 7 if needed but he would have had lost using his best. I have never criticized Torre for using Rivera in game 4 of 1997 ALDS or Game 7 2001 WS but have for using Weaver game 4 in 2003 WS..

[thecaptain]

http://forums.nyyfans.com/showthread.php?t=80777