Carl Furillo – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

Carl Anthony Furillo spent all 15 years of his Major League Baseball career with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers before he finally hung up his cleats in 1960. People called him “The Reading Rifle” and “Skoonj,” and for good reason—he stood out as one of the most reliable right fielders in baseball during the 1940s and 1950s.

His throwing arm packed serious power, and he hit consistently, making him a key piece of the Dodgers dynasty. That team grabbed seven National League pennants and two World Series titles while he was around.

Furillo ended up retiring under pretty controversial circumstances in May 1960. The Dodgers cut him loose while he was nursing a torn calf muscle. He sued them and eventually won $21,000. Furillo believed the organization blackballed him after he challenged them, which pretty much ended his pro career at 38. When he left, it really felt like the end of an era for the Dodgers—he’d been a huge part of their success on both coasts.

Growing up in Pennsylvania, Furillo dropped out after eighth grade, but that didn’t stop him. He became a .299 career hitter, smacked 192 home runs, and drove in 1,058 runs. His story is all about grit and natural skill.

His legacy? It goes way beyond the stats. He mastered Ebbets Field’s tricky right field wall and built a reputation as one of the most accurate outfield arms ever. Furillo’s career spanned the golden age of Brooklyn baseball and the big move to Los Angeles.

Carl Furillo’s Retirement in 1960

Carl Furillo’s baseball career came to a sudden halt in May 1960. Persistent leg injuries forced the Los Angeles Dodgers to let him go.

He played his final game on May 7, 1960, against Philadelphia. He got one hit in one at-bat and picked up an RBI.

Context and Circumstances of Retirement

Furillo didn’t choose to retire. Physical limitations and team decisions pushed him out. His legs hurt so much during the 1960 season that he struggled to move and play.

The Los Angeles Dodgers put Furillo on the inactive list on May 12, 1960, just five days after his last game. The team had moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958, and Furillo made that journey with them.

By May 17, 1960, the Dodgers gave him an unconditional release. That move had a real financial impact on the veteran outfielder.

Key Financial Impact:

• If he’d finished the 1960 season, he would’ve qualified for a $285 monthly pension at age 50
• Because of the early release, he only got $255 per month
• Losing $30 a month added up to a big loss over his retirement

Furillo sued the Dodgers for letting him go while he was still injured. He won $21,000 in a settlement, but that lawsuit pretty much shut the door on his baseball career.

Final Games and Performance

Furillo’s last season was short, but he still showed flashes of what made him great. On May 7, 1960, he faced the Philadelphia Phillies at age 38.

Final Game Statistics:

• 1 at-bat
• 1 hit
• 1 RBI
• 0 home runs
• 0 stolen bases

That last at-bat? Classic Furillo—coming through when it mattered.

Over his 15-year MLB career, Furillo played in 1,806 games. He racked up 1,910 hits, 192 home runs, and 1,058 RBIs.

He only wore Dodgers uniforms—first in Brooklyn, then in Los Angeles. From 1946 through 1960, he stuck with the organization and followed them across the country.

Impact on Dodgers and MLB

Furillo’s exit really closed a chapter for the Dodgers. He was one of the last links to those legendary Brooklyn teams from the ‘40s and ‘50s.

His lawsuit against the Dodgers set a precedent for player rights when it comes to injuries and releases. The case put a spotlight on the need for better protections for players in MLB.

After he won in court, Furillo said baseball blackballed him. He couldn’t land another job in the sport, despite his wealth of experience.

Post-Baseball Career:

• Ran a butcher shop in Flushing, Queens in the mid-1960s
• Installed elevators at the World Trade Center
• Never worked in professional baseball again

The Dodgers lost one of their best defensive players. Furillo’s arm and his knack for handling Ebbets Field’s right field wall became the stuff of legend.

His retirement signaled the Dodgers’ shift from their Brooklyn roots to a new identity in Los Angeles. Not many players bridged both eras quite like Furillo.

Prolific Career with the Dodgers

Carl Furillo spent all 15 years of his Major League career with the Dodgers. He built a reputation as one of the franchise’s most dependable players.

He played on seven National League championship teams and helped win two World Series. He batted over .300 five times while wearing Dodger blue.

Brooklyn Dodgers Era

Furillo debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 16, 1946, at age 24. He started in center field, went 2-for-4, and finished his rookie season batting .284.

People started calling him “The Reading Rifle” thanks to his outstanding throwing arm. Over his career, he tallied 151 outfield assists, with a whopping 24 in 1951.

He figured out every nook and bounce of Ebbets Field’s right field wall. Even though he never went to high school, he knew the wall better than anyone. Roger Kahn once said fans would show up early just to watch Furillo’s warm-up throws.

Key Brooklyn Statistics:

• Batting Average: .299 career
• Hits: 1,910
• RBIs: 1,058
• Assists: 24 in 1951 (his best year)

His teammates called him “Skoonj,” short for the Italian word for snail, poking fun at his careful base running.

Transition to Los Angeles Dodgers

When the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958, Furillo went with them at age 36. He had to adjust to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which was a totally different setup from Ebbets Field.

That move to California kicked off the last chapter of Furillo’s career. He kept showing off his defensive skills and clutch bat, even in a new ballpark.

Furillo’s experience helped the younger players get used to life on the West Coast. He led by example and kept the team focused during a big transition.

He stayed a key contributor through the 1959 season. His final game came on May 7, 1960, against Philadelphia, and he notched a hit in his only at-bat.

World Series Contributions

Furillo played in seven World Series, winning rings in 1955 and 1959. His clutch hits and defense really mattered in those high-stakes games.

In 1955, the Dodgers finally beat the Yankees for Brooklyn’s only championship. Furillo’s steady play helped them get over the hump.

By 1959, with the team now in Los Angeles, Furillo added another World Series title. The Dodgers took down the Chicago White Sox in six games, and Furillo brought veteran leadership to the clubhouse.

He played in World Series on both coasts, proving he could handle the pressure. His defense in right field was especially valuable when the stakes were highest.

Major Achievements

Furillo’s biggest individual moment came in 1953 when he grabbed the National League batting title with a .344 average. He edged out Red Schoendienst (.342) and Duke Snider (.336) for the top spot.

He made the All-Star team twice, earning recognition for his steady play on both sides of the ball. Five times, he finished a season hitting above .300.

Defensively, Furillo’s arm stood out: 151 career assists, with at least 10 in nine different seasons. He turned 34 double plays and even threw out seven runners at first base.

He finished with 192 home runs and 1,058 RBIs in 15 seasons. Roy Campanella once said Furillo had the best throwing arm of any right fielder he ever saw.

The Reading Rifle’s consistency anchored the Dodgers throughout the 1940s and 1950s.

Career Statistics and Milestones

Carl Furillo put up some impressive numbers during his 15 years in the majors. He hit .299, launched 192 home runs, and drove in 1,058 runs. His defense earned him the nickname “the Reading Rifle” for a reason.

Batting Average and Hitting Records

Furillo kept his .299 career batting average across 1,806 games from 1946 to 1960. He came painfully close to a .300 average—just one more hit would have done it.

His best year was 1953, when he took the National League batting title with a .344 average. That made him the best right-handed Dodger hitter since Oyster Burns in 1894.

He hit over .300 five times. Some of his best years included 1949 (.322), 1950 (.305), 1955 (.314), and 1957 (.306).

Furillo collected 1,910 hits in his career, ranking among the top hitters of his era. He also hit 324 doubles and 56 triples, showing he could drive the ball to the gaps.

Home Runs and Offensive Impact

Furillo hit 192 home runs in his 15-year career, providing steady power for the Dodgers. His top power year was 1955, when he hit 26 home runs for the World Series champs.

He drove in 1,058 RBIs, often landing in the 80-100 RBI range per season. In 1949 and 1950, he hit 106 RBIs each year, placing him among the league leaders.

He scored 895 runs and posted a .458 slugging percentage. His offense helped the Dodgers win seven National League pennants between 1947 and 1959.

Furillo drew 514 walks, giving him a .355 on-base percentage. His patience at the plate balanced out his ability to make solid contact.

Notable Defensive Skills

People called Furillo “the Reading Rifle” because of his strong, accurate arm. He led the National League in assists twice, with 18 in 1950 and 24 in 1951.

For nine straight seasons, he posted at least ten assists, making base runners think twice before testing him. One memorable moment came on August 27, 1951, when he threw out Pittsburgh pitcher Mel Queen at first on what looked like a single.

Furillo became a master at playing balls off Ebbets Field’s high right-field wall. His defense earned him 3,322 putouts and a .979 fielding percentage.

When he retired, he ranked fifth in National League history with 1,408 games in right field. His steady defense was a big reason for the Dodgers’ success in the 1950s.

Career Longevity and Consistency

Furillo played his entire 15-year career with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers, showing rare loyalty and consistency. He made it to seven World Series, winning titles in 1955 and 1959.

World War II interrupted his career—he served in the Pacific and earned three battle stars and a Purple Heart. He came back to baseball in 1946 after three years in the military.

Furillo played in 40 World Series games, hitting .266 with 13 RBIs. He came up big in several Fall Classics, including a game-tying homer in the 1953 World Series.

He made the All-Star team in 1952 and 1953, representing the National League during his best years. His steady bat and glove made him a cornerstone of the Dodgers’ dynasty.

Personal Biography and Legacy

Carl Anthony Furillo’s life went way beyond his 15-year baseball career. He carried his Italian-American heritage, fierce determination, and a strong sense of fair play everywhere he went.

He grew up in a Pennsylvania mill town, made it to Ebbets Field, and later fought a legal battle that changed his relationship with baseball for good. Furillo never really backed down from a fight, and that stubborn streak defined both his career and his legacy.

Early Life and Background

Carl Anthony Furillo was born March 8, 1922, in Stony Creek Mills, Pennsylvania. His parents, Michael and Filomena Furillo, had immigrated from Italy.

The family lived just a few miles outside Reading, Pennsylvania. Carl honed his baseball skills there, skills that eventually brought him fame.

Growing up in a blue-collar Italian-American home, Carl picked up a strong work ethic and a stubborn sense of determination. Losing his mother at 18 hit him hard and shaped his early adulthood.

He stood six feet tall and threw right-handed, playing for the local team in Reading. Scouts noticed his raw talent and his cannon of an arm. That small-town start stuck with him, influencing both his nickname and the way he played.

Nickname: The Reading Rifle

People called Furillo “The Reading Rifle” because of his powerful, accurate throws from right field. Roy Campanella, his longtime teammate and catcher, once said Furillo had “the best throwing arm of any right fielder I ever played with or against.”

His teammates also called him “Skoonj,” a nickname that came from the Italian word for snail. That one poked fun at his super-cautious baserunning, which was pretty different from the way he hit or played defense.

The “Reading Rifle” name stuck, becoming almost legendary for his defense. National League players and fans knew him for throwing out runners from right field.

Post-Retirement Life and Lawsuit

Early in the 1960 season, Furillo hurt his calf. The Dodgers let him go so they could bring up Frank Howard, a young prospect. That move led Furillo to take them to court.

He sued the Dodgers for the rest of his $30,000 contract, saying they’d treated him unfairly by releasing him while he was injured. He actually won and got a $21,000 settlement, but it came at a heavy price.

Afterward, baseball basically shut him out. He couldn’t get a job anywhere in the sport. For two decades, he turned down every invitation to old-timers’ games and stayed away from baseball.

Furillo tried a bunch of different jobs after baseball. He ran a butcher shop in Queens for a while, then worked as an installer for Otis Elevators. He even helped install elevators at the World Trade Center in New York City. Later, he worked as a security guard at a nylon factory back home in Stony Creek Mills.

Family and Personal Life

Furillo married Fern Reichart, and they built a life together far from the glare of the baseball world. They had two sons—Carl A. Furillo Jr. of Temple, Pennsylvania, and Jon M. Furillo of Stony Creek Mills.

He became a grandfather to five and kept close ties with his two sisters. His brother Nicholas, who had played minor league baseball too, died at 70 just a few weeks before Carl passed away.

After decades of keeping his distance, Carl finally accepted an invitation from Dodgers president Peter O’Malley about nine years before he died. That led to him working as an instructor at the Dodgers’ adult fantasy camps in Vero Beach, Florida.

Carl Furillo died January 21, 1989, at his home in Stony Creek Mills. He was 66. He’d come full circle, living out his last years in the same Pennsylvania area where everything began.

Memorials and Final Resting Place

Carl Furillo rests at Forest Hills Memorial Park in Reiffton, Pennsylvania, not far from Reading. The baseball community has remembered him in different ways, honoring what he brought to the game.

Forest Hills Memorial Park

Carl’s grave is at Forest Hills Memorial Park in Reiffton, Pennsylvania. The cemetery sits in the Reading area, close to where he grew up and later returned after his baseball days ended.

Forest Hills Memorial Park became his final resting place. It’s in eastern Pennsylvania, near Stony Creek Mills where he was born and raised.

Furillo moved back to the Reading area not long after retiring from professional baseball. He stayed in his hometown region until he died on January 21, 1989.

Fans and visitors can still pay their respects at his memorial site. His grave connects him to his Pennsylvania roots and to the community where he first picked up a baseball.

Community Tributes and Honors

People around Reading, Pennsylvania have celebrated Carl Furillo’s baseball achievements with local tributes. Folks still call him “The Reading Rifle,” which just shows how much the community feels connected to him.

You can find Furillo’s legacy in baseball memorabilia and historical records. Local baseball historians and longtime fans keep his story alive, looking back on his days as a Brooklyn Dodger and as a proud Pennsylvania native.

Members of the waymarking community put together digital tributes to keep Furillo’s memory going. These online memorials make sure future baseball fans can discover his story.

People in Reading still see him as a hometown hero. Furillo stands out as one of the most successful major league players to come from eastern Pennsylvania in the mid-20th century.