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Remembering Johnny Antonelli, baseball hero and businessman from Rochester

Johnny Antonelli
Scott Pitoniak
Johnny Antonelli

A Rochester sports legend has died. Johnny Antonelli, a star at Jefferson High School who went from graduation to the major leagues in 1948 died on Friday in Rochester. He was 89.

Local sportswriter Scott Pitoniak co-wrote a memoir with Antonelli about the baseball player’s life several years ago.

Pitoniak notes that Antonelli won many accolades for his pitching, especially when he played for the Giants.

“He was a World Series hero in 1954, a team with Willie Mays when they swept the Cleveland Indians, 4 straight, in ’54,” Pitoniak said.

Antonelli later moved back to Rochester, and had a successful chain of tire stores across the state. More than just baseball and business, Pitoniak says Antonelli should be remembered for being a special person to those around him.

Johnny Antonelli and Willie Mays
Credit Scott Pitoniak
Johnny Antonelli and Willie Mays

“John was a tremendous ambassador for Rochester, the city of Rochester, where he was born, came back and lived here and was just one of the most generous , kindhearted people I’ve ever met in 47 years of covering sports,” Pitoniak remembered.

Pitoniak says that Antonelli often enjoyed meeting fans when they came up to him at games Antonelli would attend at Frontier Field.

“Whenever we would go to a ballgame at Frontier Field and people would come up to him and he would immediately take off his 1954 World Series ring and ask if they wanted to try it on, and that was just kind of who John was; always would sign autographs, never charged for an autograph,” Pitoniak said.

“Johnny was one of the all-time great Giants and was part of our rich history in the 1950s," Giants President Larry Baer said in a statement. “He enjoyed visiting Oracle Park for alumni reunions and other events and I’m thankful for the laughs we shared over the years. Our condolences go out to the Antonelli family for their tremendous loss and we extend our thoughts to Johnny’s teammates, his friends, and to all those touched by his passing.”

Funeral arrangements have not been announced yet.

This story includes reporting by the Associated Press.

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.