Frank Louis Bertaina (April 14, 1944 – March 3, 2010) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Baltimore Orioles (1964–67, 1969), Washington Senators (1967–69), and St. Louis Cardinals (1970). Listed at tall and , Bertaina batted and threw left-handed.
Early life
Bertaina was born on April 14, 1944, in
San Francisco. He attended Sacred Heart Catholic Preparatory School, which won baseball championships in 1960 and 1961. As a junior (1960) he was Player of the Year, and as a senior (1961) he led the team with league records in pitching with a 10–0 win–loss record, and an 0.27 earned run average (ERA). He also led the team in hitting, with a .451 batting average. During his high school career he had an 18-
strikeout game and a
no-hitter.
He has been inducted into Sacred Heart's Athletic Hall of Fame, as have the 1960 and 1961 teams he led to championships.
Professional baseball career
Minor league
Many professional teams pursued Bertaina.
Jim Gentile, a Sacred Heart alumni (and hall of fame member
), played first base for the Baltimore Orioles and recommended that Bertaina sign with the Orioles, which he did.
In 1962, the Orioles assigned Bertaina to the Aberdeen Pheasants of the Class-C Northern League, where he had a 13–10 record and 3.40 ERA. He played in the Orioles minor league system for all or parts of the following four years (1963-1966). In 1964, playing for the Double-A
Elmira Pioneers, Bertaina had an 11–4 record and 1.99 ERA.
His manager that season was Earl Weaver,
Major league
Bertaina made his major league debut on August 1, 1964, against the Kansas City Athletics at Municipal Stadium in Kansas City. Earlier that year, he had done a good job pitching in an Orioles exhibition game against the Philadelphia Phillies.
In Kansas City, he started and gave up two
earned runs in seven
innings pitched, but did not receive a decision in the 5–2 Orioles victory.
On September 12, he one-hit the Kansas City Athletics, winning 1-0, while opposing losing pitcher
Bob Meyer allowed the Orioles just one hit as well.
This was the fourth double one-hitter pitched in the modern era (since 1901) in MLB history and to date, the most recent.
He pitched in a total of six games for the Orioles in 1964, and only two games for them in 1965. In 1966, the year the Orioles won the World Series, Bertaina pitched in 16 games, with a 2–5 record and 3.13 ERA. He did not pitch in the World Series.
In 1967, he had pitched in five games for the Orioles when he was traded on May 29 to the Washington Senators, along with rookie slugger Mike Epstein, for veteran left-handed pitcher Pete Richert.
He pitched a full season for the Senators in 1968, with a 7–13 record and 4.66 ERA, and 23 starts. In 1969, he was pitching less for the Senators, mostly as a relief pitcher, when he was traded back to the Orioles on June 16, 1969 for Paul Campbell.
Career
In a seven-year major league career, Bertaina posted a 19–29 record with 3.84 ERA in 100 pitching appearances, including 66
games started, five shutouts, six
and 10
games finished, giving up 208 runs (176 earned) on 399 hits, while striking out 280 and walking 214 in 413
innings pitched.
During his minor league career, Bertaina led the Eastern League in winning percentage (.733) in 1964 while pitching for the Elmira Pioneers,
Personal life
Bertaina co-founded Fishing International, one of the first travel agencies in the world dedicated to those who enjoyed fishing. He also co-owned and operated Lava Creek Lodge in Fall River Mills for many years.
Death
Bertaina died in Santa Rosa, California at the age of 65, following complications from a heart attack.
[ Frank Bertaina, former Red Wings pitcher, dies]
External links
