CARL FURILLO visited Busch Stadium with "The Boys of Summer" and used this bat in a Dodger-Cardinal series in July of 1955. In the first of a three-game series, Furillo doubled home the winning run in a 5-4 win for the "Bums." The Dodgers went on to sweep the series with the Cardinals and solidify their stranglehold on the top spot in the National League of 15 games over the Braves.

A big contributor to that great Brooklyn team, Furillo posted a .314 average with 26 circuit clouts and 95 RBIs in the regular '55 season. He then batted .296, with a homer and three RBIs in the Dodgers' first ever World Series triumph.

CARL FURILLO

ALL-STAR: 1952 and 1953

Furillo hit over .300 five times as member of 'Boys of Summer'

Furillo was an outstanding defensive right fielder with accurate, powerful throwing arm

MAJOR LEAGUE ALL-STAR

CARL FURILLO had a lifetime .299 average, hit over .290 in 11 different years, and over .300 five times.

CARL FURILLO WEB LINKS

>BASEBALL-REFERENCE.COM

>BASEBALL-ALMANAC.COM

>BASEBALL-LIBRARY.COM

Carl Furillo began his Major League career on April 16, 1946, with the Brooklyn Dodgers at age 24. He played for 15 seasons for the Dodgers — and ended his big league playing career in 1960.

Intensely competitive and sometimes volatile, Furillo was an outstanding fielding right fielder with an accurate, powerful throwing arm. His batting during the Dodgers' pennant drives in the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s was an important factor in their winning six pennants.

Furillo led the National League in batting in 1953, hitting .344. A consistent hitter with a lifetime .299 average, he hit over .290 in 11 different years, and over .300 five times.

Defensively, Furillo was one of the all-time best. The "Reading Rifle" had a gun for an arm and read the tricky, 40'-high right field wall in Ebbets Field masterfully. He led the league in assists in 1950-1951 and thereafter base runners stopped testing his throwing arm.

In his 15 seasons with the Dodgers from 1946-60 he had a .299 lifetime, 1,190 hits, 324 doubles, 56 triples, 192 home runs, 1,058 RBIs, struck out only 436 times and was a two-time National League all-star.

DURING FURILLO's career with the Dodgers 1946-1960 he had 1,190 hits, 324 doubles, 56 triples, 192 HRs, 1,058 RBIs and struck out only 436 times.

Furillo was one of Roger Kahn's famed "Boys of Summer." Kahn described him as "The Hard Hat Who Sued Baseball." Unfortunately, his career with the Dodgers ended on a sour note when he sued the Dodgers in 1960 for dropping him while he was injured. He was awarded $21,000 as a settlement. From then on, Furillo couldn't find a job in baseball, contending that he had been blackballed. Kahn found him years later — installing Otis elevators at the World Trade Center.

CARL FURILLO: Did you know...

...Furillo's career highlights include the miraculous catch of Johnny Mize's bid for a home run in Game 5 of the 1952 World Series; a game-tying, ninth-inning homer in Game 6 of the 1953 World Series; and throwing pitcher Mel Queen out at first on a 300' shot into the right field gap at Ebbets Field.

...Furillo, three weeks before the end of the 1953 season, called out the Giants' manager Leo Durocher and met him halfway between the first base line and the dugout. In the ensuing rhubarb his left hand was stepped on and he suffered a fracture of his wrist. Furillo had been hit on the wrist by a pitch from Giant pitcher Ruben Gomez just before he challenged Durocher, claiming that Gomez had been instructed by "The Lip" to throw at him.

...Furillo, at the time of the injury, was leading the National League in hitting with a .344 average and ended up winning the batting title. He came back in the World Series and, in a losing cause, hit .333 with a homer and four RBIs against the Yankees.

...Furillo was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers in May 1960.

...Furillo was born March 8, 1922 in Stony Creek Mills, Pennsylvania. He died January 21, 1989 in Stony Creek Mills, Pennsylvania at age 66.

FURILLO, left, and teammate Duke Snider, right, compare notes with Ted Williams.

FURILLO WAS one of Roger Kahn's famed "Boys of Summer."

DEFENSIVELY, Furillo was one of the all-time best. The "Reading Rifle" had a gun for an arm and read the tricky, 40-foot high right field wall in Ebbets Field masterfully.

CARL FURILLO was the right fielder for the Brooklyn Dodgers during their glory years in the late 1940s and '50s.

CARL WAS A fan favorite with the crowds at Ebbets Field. Here he's sharing a light moment with Walter O'Malley, owner of the Dodgers.