Frank Ciaffone
| Date and Place of Birth: | circa 1925 Brooklyn, NY |
| Date and Place of Death: | March 3, 1945 Iwo Jima |
| Baseball Experience: | Minor League |
| Position: | Pitcher |
| Rank: | Private First-Class |
| Military Unit: | HQ Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, Third Marine Division US Marine Corps |
| Area Served: | Pacific Theater of Operations |
Frank J. Ciaffone, the son of Domenic (a plumber) and Lucille Ciaffone, was little short of sensational as a high school pitcher in Brooklyn, New York, in the 1940s. But it was his cousin, Larry Ciaffone, who would enjoy a long career in the minors and even a brief stint in the big leagues. Despite an apparent destiny with fame, World War II ensured that Frank Ciaffone would not become a household name for baseball fans across America.
Frank and Larry Ciaffone were born in Brooklyn, New York. Larry in
1924, while cousin Frank was born the following year. In 1940, while
Larry was at Lafayette High School and catching for the varsity baseball
team, Frank was at Coney Island’s Abraham Lincoln High School, where
coach Abe Plaut was rebuilding his Brooklyn PSAL championship team
following the graduation of many of its star players. Frank Ciaffone was
an untested 15-year-old sophomore during the pre-season tryouts,
battling for a place on the pitching staff alongside future minor league
hurler Irving Feinberg, but he soon claimed top laurels, winning eight
games.
Although he barely defeated New Utrecht High, 6-4, to claim Lincoln
High’s third straight Brooklyn PSAL title on June 7, he went on to
deliver an iron man performance, winning four play-off games in 11 days.
This included his June 15 win over James Monroe High that clinched
Lincoln’s first ever New York PSAL title. “It was the stout-hearted
pitching of 15-year-old Frank Ciaffone,” announced the New York Times,
“that helped no little in bringing the Brooklynites the crown ...
Ciaffone bore down and shut out the Bronx nine in the last four frames.”
Five days later, Ciaffone was chosen as the top pitcher on the Brooklyn
Eagle’s 1940 PSAL All-Brooklyn team. The line-up included future minor
leaguers Hal Levine, Chris Hayden, Joe Trotta and Joe Caputo, as well as
future major leaguer and Lincoln teammate Saul Rogovin. “Frank Ciaffone
. . . gets the No. 1 mound spot,” declared the Brooklyn Eagle. “His
effectiveness when the pressure was on, in spite of his lack of
experience, made him the top choice.”
In 1941, Coach Plaut worked with Frank Ciaffone on his hitting, allowing
him to be used in the outfield when not on the mound. Frank developed
into a powerful hitter and among the league’s top hitters. On April 15,
in a game against Curtis High, Frank hit a triple, two doubles and a
single while playing the outfield. While not as dominating on the mound
as in the previous year, Frank was still highly effective. On April 26,
he struck out 10 and yielded just four hits in beating George Washington
High, 3–1. On May 16, he limited Manual to five hits, fanned 12 and hit
two home runs with none aboard to aid his own cause. And the best
performance of his high school career so far – a one hitter - came four
days later.
“Sixteen-year-old Frank Ciaffone, little right-hander, who came along
just in time to pitch Lincoln to the city PSAL title in last year’s
campaign, again provided the heroics yesterday as the Honest Abes met
the first of a series of crucial tests in their title defense,” it was
declared in the Brooklyn Eagle the day after the win.
“Ciaffone has had his troubles this season, and although he did rack up
two wins before yesterday, he was hit hard in all of four appearances on
the hill. But yesterday it was a different story as the slim veteran put
the Honest Abes back in the title race with a 1-0 win over Brooklyn Tech
at Lincoln Field.
“The curve-ball artist just missed pitching a perfect game, but as it
was faced only the regulation 21 batters for seven innings. He gave up
only one single, a blow by Tech's Ray Miller with none out in the
second. Miller got as far as second on a steal, but was out at third on
another attempted theft. After that it was smooth sailing for Ciaffone.
He retired the side on strikeouts in the third and sixth and fanned a
total of 14, seven in order, and gave up no walks.”
Although Lincoln missed out on a fourth successive Brooklyn PSAL title
in 1941, Frank was named to the Brooklyn Eagle’s PSAL All-Brooklyn team
as a left fielder. He was joined by future minor leaguer Joe Sticco in
right and future Dodger Cal Abrams in center. Also on the 1941 all-star
team was Frank’s cousin Larry Ciaffone, who the paper described as “an
up-and-coming lad who had a great year.”
It was also announced that Larry would transfer to Lincoln High School
for 1942 to catch Frank. “Larry has a strong throwing arm,” said the
Brooklyn Eagle, “and his reputation as a catcher will make base stealers
think twice.”
Frank Ciaffone played his summer baseball in 1941 with the Industrial
Container Corporation team in the Brooklyn Amateur League. Playing at
the Parade Grounds where Brooklynites would flock in their thousands to
watch baseball’s future stars, Frank beat Maple Court, 7-0, on July 27,
allowing just one hit and adding a home run.
For the 1942 season, Frank Ciaffone was named co-captain of the Lincoln
High baseball team along with centerfielder Howie Extract. With
batterymate cousin Larry, Frank picked up where he left off. On April 6,
he made a relief appearance against Bishop Loughlin High and struck out
11 of 13 batters he faced in the 10-0 win. On April 18, he beat Tilden,
4-0, on a 2-hitter with 11 strike outs. On May 1, he hurled a 6–0
two-hitter over Manual Training, and followed that on May 12 with a 6–0
win over Madison in which he faced just 22 batters and struck out 15. He
then produced an outstanding performance on May 22 – a three-hitter to
clinch the Brooklyn PSAL title.
“It could be,” pondered the Brooklyn Eagle the following day, “that
Frank Ciaffone, sterling 17-year-old right-handed pitcher of the Abraham
Lincoln baseball nine, read up on the career of Joe Gordon of the
Yankees. Although they play different positions, the pair have much in
common in that they always manage to deliver when the chips are down or
the stakes high. When the chance to win the PSAL title of Brooklyn came
up yesterday, Frank turned in one of the best efforts of his brief but
interesting career in blanking Brooklyn Tech at Boys High Field, 6-0. He
handcuffed the Engineers with three scattered hits and sent 15 back to
the bench on strikes. The outcome was never in doubt as the Coney
Islanders clinched matters with three in the first.”
On June 4, Frank Ciaffone – aided by Larry Ciaffone, produced the
masterpiece of his career – a no-hitter in the New York PSAL
semi-finals. “The name of one Frank Ciaffone will be recorded in the
interscholastic mythical Hall of Fame,” said the Brooklyn Eagle. “Frank
earned that exalted spot by virtue of tossing Abraham Lincoln, Brooklyn
titlist, to a no-hit, no-run victory over Curtis, Richmond County ruler,
in a PSAL city semi-final yesterday on the defeated nine's field. The
final score was 10-0.
“Ciaffone accomplished something that has never been done before, as far
as a number of old-timers present could recall, in hurling that
no-hitter in the city title series. The cunning right-hander, who is
regarded as one of the best schoolboy pitchers since the days when Waite
Hoyt was making history at Erasmus Hall, and who has a number of major
league scouts already on his trail, was never better in his three years
of high school chucking. His fastball hopper and his curves broke
sharply and as a result he sat 14 down via the strike-out route. Each
member of the Staten Island nine whiffed at least once. Frank did such
an effective job that only 31 faced him. One got as far as third base
and a lone ball was hit to the outfield.”
Larry Ciaffone scored the first run in the game after reaching on an
error, and then doubled with the bases loaded in the second to score
three more. The sterling semi-final performance, however, gave Frank a
lame shoulder and he had to play the outfield the following week as
Lincoln clinched the New York PSAL title behind the two-hit pitching of
Allie Feldman, who beat George Washington High, 8-1. Feldman would later
pitch in the Dodgers organization.
Frank Ciaffone was 8-1 for the season and six of his wins were shutouts.
Over three years he had won 23 of 26 games and both he and Larry were
named to the Brooklyn Eagle’s PSAL All-Brooklyn team. During the summer
months the cousins played for the Dodger Rookies – a team of Dodger
hopeful that included future Dodger outfielder Cal Abrams. The Dodger
Rookies played at the Celtic Oval in Sheepshead Bay. It was a strange
park with an asphalt right field because a 200-pound movable fence was
pushed out half an hour before game time every Sunday afternoon, to
close off Homecrest Avenue. After the game, Homecrest Avenue ceased to
be right field and resumed its original identity.
In July, Frank Ciaffone was chosen as the PSAL’s most valuable player
and was given the opportunity to make a road trip with one of three
major league clubs. Surprisingly, he chose the Yankees. “I went with the
Yankees," the youngster explained sheepishly to the Brooklyn Eagle,
"because the road trip lasted a couple of days longer."
Nevertheless, he was back with the Dodger Rookies as soon as he returned
and both Frank and Larry prepared to join Larry MacPhail’s organization
for the 1943 season. They were expected to play for the Newport News
Dodgers of the Class B Piedmont League. Frank also married his high
school sweetheart, Rita, that summer.
Meanwhile, war raged across Europe, North Africa and the Pacific.
Perhaps Frank Ciaffone was caught up in the moment because he postponed
his chance to play professional baseball by enlisting with the Marines
in April 1943. And while he was pitching for the Marine Corps Recruit
Depot team at Parris Island, South Carolina, during the spring months of
that year, Larry entered service with the Army.
During 1944, Larry Ciaffone was stationed at Camp Shelby in southeast
Mississippi. Playing for the 288th Field Artillery Observation Battalion
team in the 219th Field Artillery Group baseball league, he ably
demonstrated his worth as a multi-position player throughout the season.
In addition to his defensive skills behind the plate, he hurled a
three-hitter and played superb defense in left field. He was also a
menace at the plate. Over two games he collected nine hits in 10 at-bats
and hit for the cycle in another game.
Later in the year, Larry was sent to Europe with the 288th. The
battalion's mission was to locate enemy gun positions by direct
observation, sound or by observing the flash of enemy gunfire. The
battalion joined General George Patton's 3rd Army in late 1944 near
Bastogne, where, on December 16, the Battle of the Bulge was just
beginning. This was Hitler’s last desperate roll of the dice, with the
optimistic aim to reach the port of Antwerp on the North Sea, trap four
allied armies, and force a negotiated peace on the Western front.
Thinking the Ardennes was the least likely spot for a German offensive,
the line was held by just three U.S. divisions and part of a fourth. The
German offensive, aided by thick fog, achieved total surprise.
Within three weeks, however, the determined Allied stand and the arrival
of powerful reinforcements insured that the ambitious German goal was
beyond reach. The Germans failed to meet their objective and all that
they accomplished was to create a bulge in the Allied line, hence the
name “The Battle of the Bulge.” The Germans lost irreplaceable men,
tanks and equipment, and on January 25, 1945, after heavy losses on both
sides, the Bulge ceased to exist. The Ardennes Offensive was the most
bloody of the battles American forces experienced in Europe in World War
II, with 81,000 casualties, including 23,554 captured and 19,000 killed.
Thankfully, Larry Ciaffone was not among the casualties.
Meanwhile, Private First Class Frank Ciaffone was with the 9th Marines
of the 3rd Marine Division in the Pacific. On February 25, 1945, the 9th
Marines went ashore at Iwo Jima, where they faced well-organized and
determined enemy resistance. Just 750 miles south of Tokyo, the tiny
island had great tactical importance. There were two airfields on the
island from which Japanese fighter planes had been menacing American
B-29 bombers on their way to bomb Japan. If Iwo Jima could be taken, the
airfields would serve as emergency landing strips for crippled bombers,
and as bases for fighter planes to escort the bombers to the Japanese
mainland. The island, however, was about as inhospitable as could
possibly be imagined. Five miles long with Mount Suribachi at the
southern tip, the sulfur-reeking chunk of rock was scattered with steep
and broken gullies that cut across the surface and were covered by
scraggy vegetation and a fine layer of black volcanic ash.
The Japanese had no doubt about the importance of Iwo Jima, one of their
last outer defenses shielding the home islands, and were determined to
keep control. With a garrison of around 22,000 under the control of
Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, the Japanese took advantage of
the island’s natural features and turned it into a fortress of
underground tunnels and defensive bunkers, riddled with concrete
pillboxes, machinegun pits, trenches and mortar sites.
The Marine’s faced fanatical resistance from the moment they hit the
beach. Progress was slow and casualties were heavy. On March 3, 1945,
under heavy fire from small arms and mortars, the 9th Marines advanced
no more than 400 yards, and Ciaffone lost his life. He was 19 years old.
By the time the Japanese capitulated on March 16, a staggering 4,500
Marines were dead including Second Lieutenant Bob Holmes, a pitcher with
Joplin of the Western Association in 1942; Private Jimmy Trimble, a
promising young pitcher who had been signed by the Washington Senators;
Private Jack Nealy, a first baseman with Birmingham of the Southern
Association in 1943; First Lieutenant Harry O’Neill, who had caught one
game for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1939, and First Lieutenant Jack
Lummus, an outfielder with Wichita Falls of the West Texas-New Mexico
League in 1941, who also played football with the New York Giants, and
was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
It was almost a month before news of Frank’s death reached home. Larry
was serving in Germany at the time and Frank’s loss came as a terrible
shock to everyone. “Ciaffone, Dodger Farm Hand, Killed,” announced the
Brooklyn Eagle on May 4, 1945.
In March 1946, an anniversary mass was held for Frank at Our Lady of
Grace Roman Catholic Church in New York. Among those in attendance were
his widow, Rita, his parents Domenic and Kate Ciaffone and sister
Lucille. At about the same time, Larry Ciaffone was discharged from
military service and reported to the Newport News club for spring
training.
Larry, 21, had a strong season with Newport News. In 136 games as an
outfielder he batted .281 with six home runs. The Dodgers assigned him
to the Mobile Bears of the Class AA Southern Association for 1947, but
before he could report he was claimed by the St. Louis Cardinals in the
draft and joined the Rochester Red Wings of the Triple-A International
League. Also playing in the International League that year was Saul
Rogovin, a teammate of cousin Frank at Lincoln High. Rogovin had been a
first baseman in high school and at the beginning of his minor league
career back in 1941. He was now developing into an effective relief
pitcher with the Buffalo Bisons, a Tigers farm club.
Larry Ciaffone, who married Lucy D’Ambrosio the same year, appeared in
54 games with the Red Wings in 1947; he batted a disappointing .231 and
was assigned to the Allentown Cardinals of the Class B Interstate League
in 1948. This was the season Larry came into his own. He tore up the
league with his hitting and was batting an incredible .434 by mid-June.
Under first-year manager and former major league pitcher Al
Hollingsworth, Larry played 122 games, belted 14 home runs, drove in 92
and batted .373 to earn league MVP honors. He also made six appearances
for Rochester and played against Montreal in the Shaughnessy play-offs.
Larry’s hopes of playing in the major leagues appeared to be heading in
the right direction but on December 23, 1948, thoughts were turned to
cousin Frank who had left those hopes and dreams on the battlefields of
World War II. The remains of Private First Class Frank Ciaffone, having
made the more than 7,000 mile journey from the military cemetery in Iwo
Jima, was finally laid to rest with full military honors at Holy Cross
Cemetery, Brooklyn, following a solemn requiem mass at Our Lady of Grace
Roman Catholic Church.
At the beginning of 1949, Larry Ciaffone was being heralded as a top
prospect to take over catching duties for the St. Louis Cardinals.
“Ciaffone was rated as one of the best all-around receivers in the
minors last season,” declared the Brooklyn Eagle, “and stands an
excellent chance of taking over the first string job with the Cardinals,
according to a number of scouts who saw him operate. Larry is a master
at holding up pitchers, paces them nicely and calls his pitches almost
letter perfect. In addition he has a strong throwing arm and prevents
base occupants from taking liberties with him. His heady work is what
caused the Cardinal scouts to recommend that the Brooklyn boy be brought
up to the parent body.”
Having played a number of games for St. Louis in spring training it was
somewhat surprising that he was back with Allentown for the 1949 season.
Nevertheless, he responded well and in 117 games he hit .327 – third
best in the league - with 15 home runs and 96 RBIs, helping Allentown
take the Interstate League pennant. In October he played a number of
games with the World Series Stars against the Brooklyn Bushwicks,
batting third in a line-up that included Cal Abrams, Phil Rizzuto and
Gene Hermanski.
Larry joined the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings for the 1950 season where
his bat remained as hot as it had in Class B ball. In 97 games he hit
.324 – third best in the league - with 10 home runs and an 18-game
hitting streak to help the Red Wings to the pennant. He also proved that
he was no pushover on the field. On June 14, as the pennant race really
began to heat up. Larry was involved in an on-field fracas with Jersey
City Giants pitcher Roger Bowman that had to be broken up by the police.
“The Red Wings' Ciaffone didn't like what he thought was a ‘dust off’
pitch by Bowman,” wrote the Amsterdam Evening Recorder the following
day. “Ciaffone grounded out but ran toward the pitcher's box instead of
first and began slugging it out with [Bowman]. Players from both teams
rushed into the melee and police were forced to restore order.”
In October 1950, it was announced that Larry was one of 11 minor
leaguers that had been purchased by the St. Louis Cardinals. It looked
like the beginning of his major league career was just around the
corner. And at about the same time it was announced that Frank
Ciaffone’s name would appear on the Brooklyn War Memorial that was being
built at Cadman Plaza. The dedication was to take place the following
November.
Larry Ciaffone had a good spring training with the Cardinals in 1951 and
found himself with the club on opening day April 17. With snow in the
air, he made his major league debut – aged 26 – before 25,894 fans at
Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field, as a substitute left fielder and was hitless
in two at-bats. He was to make a further four appearances as a pinch
hitter for the Cardinals, his last on May 3 against the Phillies, before
rejoining the Rochester Red Wings for the remainder of the season. With
Del Rice doing the catching and Stan Musial, Peanuts Lowrey and Enos
Slaughter in the outfield there was little room for Larry. In a major
league career that spanned just 17 days, he was 0-for-5 with a walk and
two strike outs.
The disappointment of not succeeding as a major league player also
affected his season with Rochester. In 53 games he batted .240 – 84
points below his previous season mark. Nevertheless, he was recalled by
the Cardinals on September 7 and although he did not make an appearance
he hoped to stick with the club in 1952.
Larry spent spring training with the Cardinals in 1952, a period that
was marked by the death of Frank Ciaffone’s father on March 25. Domenic
Ciaffone, a plumbing contractor, had spent all his life in Brooklyn and
was a veteran of World War I. His dream would have been to see his son,
Frank, play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. That dream ended in 1945, but he
did get to see his nephew, Larry, make it to the big leagues with the
Cardinals.
Larry was on option to Rochester for the regular season - his third year
with the club – and although he failed to find the hitting stride he had
enjoyed in previous years he still helped the club to the Governor’s Cup
with a .279 batting average and solid defense in the outfield.
In 1953, 28-year-old Larry Ciaffone joined the Houston Buffaloes – the
Cardinals affiliate in the Class AA Texas League. The new surroundings
revitalized his batting and he hit .304 in 141 games but it was his last
season with the Cardinals. In 1954, he joined the Washington Senators
organization and played for the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Southern
Association, where he hit .309 in 91 games. With former Brooklyn Dodgers
manager Chuck Dressen at the helm of the Washington Senators in 1955,
Larry was given a spring trial by the capital city club but was unable
to earn a place and was back with Chattanooga for the regular season. On
April 5, in an exhibition game for Chattanooga against the New York
Yankees, Larry drove in five runs with three singles, but he appeared in
just 21 regular season games for the Lookouts, batting .353 to end his
professional playing career on a high.
Larry Ciaffone played 10 seasons in the minor leagues. He had appeared
in 978 games, collected 1030 base hits and 65 home runs for a career
batting average of .304. He later worked as a New York area scout and
passed away in Brooklyn on December 14, 1991, aged 67.
|
Year |
Team |
League |
Class |
G |
IP |
ER |
BB |
SO |
W |
L |
ERA |
| 1942 |
Brooklyn |
National |
MLB |
Signed but did not play | |||||||
Thanks to Frank Dechiaro for help with this biography.
Date Added January 27, 2012 Updated July 25, 2016
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