Al Santorini – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

Al Santorini’s name doesn’t exactly ring out in baseball’s hall of fame, but his six-year run in Major League Baseball is a pretty fascinating story about grit and sticking it out. Born in Irvington, New Jersey, on May 19, 1948, Alan Joel Santorini managed to carve out a solid career as a pitcher during one of baseball’s wildest eras.

Santorini hung up his cleats in 1973 after suiting up for three major league teams: the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, and St. Louis Cardinals. From 1968 to 1973, he racked up 268 strikeouts and posted a 17-38 win-loss record over 127 games. Sure, those numbers might not turn heads, but his journey from high school standout to big-league pitcher sheds some light on what pro baseball really looked like in the late ’60s and early ’70s.

He went from dominating high school games in New Jersey to being the San Diego Padres’ first-round expansion draft pick. Santorini’s story is really about the ups and downs of a working major league pitcher. He bounced around three different organizations and had some memorable moments, like starting both games of a doubleheader and tossing four complete game shutouts in 1972. His career gives us a peek at how baseball changed during that time.

Early Life and Amateur Career

Alan Joel Santorini started life on May 19, 1948, in Irvington, New Jersey. He grew up to become one of the state’s most dominant high school pitchers.

His skills at Union High School got him noticed all over New Jersey. He became the state’s first-ever first-round MLB draft pick.

Family Background

Alan Joel Santorini was born in Irvington, New Jersey, on May 19, 1948. His family later settled in Union, New Jersey, where he spent his childhood.

The Santorini family really supported Alan’s athletic dreams. Living in Union gave him access to some pretty competitive sports programs.

His Italian-American background was a big part of who he was. Moving to Union turned out to be a game changer for his baseball growth, since it landed him in a town that cared a lot about high school sports.

Union High School Achievements

Alan joined Union High School and by his sophomore year, he’d already become the top pitcher for Gordon LeMatey’s Farmers team. His baseball dominance was obvious from the jump.

Across four varsity seasons, Alan racked up an amazing 35-1 record. He struck out over 500 batters and kept his ERA under 1.00.

He just kept piling up great outings. In 1965, he led Union to a 10-2 win over Westfield in the county title game.

The 1966 season was probably his best. Alan threw two separate 19-strikeout games and allowed only three earned runs all year. He even beat Richie Zisk’s Parsippany High team 2-1 in the final.

Union High’s record during Alan’s last two varsity years was 49-9. His pitching was a huge reason for their success.

His last high school game was in the Greater Newark Tournament. Alan pitched all four games, struck out 62, and even threw a no-hitter as Union won the state title.

High School Sports and Awards

Alan didn’t just shine on the baseball field at Union High. He took over as the starting quarterback for the football team as a junior, showing off his all-around athleticism.

He also helped the school’s bowling team win a state championship. One of his teammates was future big-leaguer Elliott Maddox, which says a lot about Union’s sports scene.

Baseball Honors:

• First-team All-State honors three years running
• Metro Player of the Year by the Daily News
• Union County Athlete of the Year as a senior
• Padres Rookie of the Year (1969)
• Named to Newark Star-Ledger’s All-Century Team (1999)

The Milwaukee Braves picked Alan 11th overall in the 1966 draft. That made him the first first-round draft pick ever from New Jersey and the fourth pitcher chosen that year.

His high school career basically made him a New Jersey prep legend. With his “crackling fastball” and consistency, he was almost unbeatable in high school.

Draft and MLB Debut

Al Santorini’s pro baseball life kicked off when the Atlanta Braves grabbed him with the 11th pick in the 1966 MLB June Amateur Draft. He made his big-league debut two years later and then headed to the San Diego Padres in the 1968 expansion draft.

Atlanta Braves First Round Selection

The Atlanta Braves picked Al Santorini in the first round of the 1966 MLB June Amateur Draft, 11th overall. He came straight out of Union High School.

That pick was a pretty big deal for Union High. Santorini became the first player from his school ever drafted by an MLB team.

He stood six feet tall and threw right-handed. The Braves clearly thought this 18-year-old had real promise.

After the draft, Santorini spent two years climbing the Braves’ minor league ladder. He worked on his craft as a starting pitcher during that time.

Major League Baseball Debut

Santorini got his MLB debut on September 10, 1968, pitching for the Atlanta Braves. He took the mound against the San Francisco Giants.

He started the game but, honestly, struggled in his first big-league outing. He gave up four runs, with three coming off a Willie McCovey home run.

The Braves dropped the game, so Santorini took the loss in his debut. Still, he had made it to the majors at just 20 years old.

Injuries ended his debut season early. He started only one game in 1968 and spent most of the year on the disabled list.

Expansion Draft to San Diego Padres

Major League Baseball decided to add four new teams for the 1969 season. That meant current teams had to make some players available in an expansion draft.

The San Diego Padres picked Al Santorini from the Braves’ roster in the 1968 expansion draft. The Braves left him unprotected, so he was up for grabs.

That move completely shifted Santorini’s career. Instead of staying with the Braves, he joined a brand-new team.

The Padres liked his potential, even though he didn’t have much major league experience. He’d get more chances to pitch with the Padres than he probably would’ve with the Braves.

San Diego Padres Career

Al Santorini became one of the original Padres after the 1968 expansion draft and had his best major league years in San Diego. In his 1969 rookie season, he tied for the team lead in wins and later had standout moments like starting both games of a doubleheader against Houston.

Padres Rookie of the Year Season

Santorini picked up his first MLB win on April 18, 1969, at Candlestick Park. He beat the San Francisco Giants 3-1, which was a pretty big breakthrough.

He finished the Padres’ first season with an 8-14 record. That tied him with Joe Niekro for most wins on the staff that year.

Santorini struck out 111 batters, the second-best mark on the team. His 3.95 ERA showed he had decent control for a rookie.

He threw 12 wild pitches that season, ranking sixth in the National League. So, command was still a work in progress.

Pitching Highlights and Team Impact

The 1970 season didn’t go so well for Santorini with the Padres. He finished 1-8 with a 6.07 ERA.

The team sent him down to the minors after that rough stretch. The San Diego Padres needed steadier pitchers in their rotation.

Santorini came back to the majors in 1971, but the struggles continued. He posted an 0-2 record through June.

His run with San Diego ended when the team traded him to St. Louis. The Padres got Fred Norman and Leron Lee in return.

Double Header Against Houston Astros

In May 1971, manager Preston Gomez made a pretty unusual call. He started Santorini in both games of a doubleheader against the Houston Astros.

Santorini faced just one batter in the opener. Gomez then brought in Dave Roberts to pitch against seven straight lefties in Houston’s lineup.

Santorini came back in the second game and threw six solid innings. He allowed two runs and showed more stamina than in the first game.

The Padres lost both games, even with Santorini’s better second outing. That doubleheader still stands out as one of the most unique pitching setups in Padres history.

Trade to and Years With St. Louis Cardinals

Al Santorini landed with the St. Louis Cardinals in June 1971 through a trade that sent him from San Diego for outfielder Leron Lee and pitcher Fred Norman. His time with the Cardinals became the high point of his career, with three shutouts in 1972 and a spot in the rotation alongside Hall of Famers Bob Gibson and Steve Carlton.

Trade Details and Transition

The Cardinals picked up Santorini from the Padres on June 11, 1971. In exchange, San Diego got Leron Lee and Fred Norman.

Santorini was having a tough time with the Padres before the trade, sitting at 0-2 in June 1971. Manager Preston Gomez had even used him in both games of a doubleheader against Houston a couple weeks earlier.

Despite the bad win-loss record, the Cardinals saw something in Santorini. He’d posted a 2.86 ERA in 28.1 innings against St. Louis when pitching for the Padres, and that caught their eye. The trade also reunited him with his old Braves teammate Joe Torre, who was the National League MVP in 1971.

Performance with the Cardinals

Santorini pitched for the Cardinals from 1971 to 1973, going 8-13 overall. His 1971 season in St. Louis showed some promise: he went 0-2 but picked up two saves and had a 3.81 ERA.

The 1972 season was his best. He finished 8-11 with a 4.11 ERA. After Scipio Spinks went down with a knee injury in July, Santorini moved into the starting rotation.

He improved after dropping his weight from 202 to 190 pounds, thanks to Torre’s constant reminders. “Every time Joe caught me with a high-calorie soft drink or eating junk, he’d call me fatso or slob,” Santorini once told reporters.

In 1973, things got rough. He pitched in only six relief games with a 5.50 ERA before the team traded him to Kansas City on May 8, 1973, for pitcher Tom Murphy.

Notable Games and Achievements

Santorini’s big highlight with the Cardinals was throwing three shutouts in 1972. The first came on August 6, 1972, when he beat Philadelphia 6-0, even though his arm stiffened up in the sixth.

On September 16, he blanked Pittsburgh 4-0. He struck out Richie Zisk, his old New Jersey rival, with runners on second and third in the seventh.

His last and best shutout came on September 27, 1972, against the New York Mets. There were only 3,380 fans in the stands, the smallest crowd at Busch Memorial Stadium since 1966. Santorini threw 149 pitches and struck out a career-high 12 batters in that 4-0 win.

That outing stretched his scoreless streak to 20 innings. “My buddies back in New Jersey were probably watching the game on TV, just off the golf course and drunk,” Santorini joked after the game.

Pitching Style, Statistics and Legacy

Al Santorini pitched six seasons from 1968 to 1973, finishing with a 17-38 record and a 4.29 ERA over 127 games for three National League teams. He focused more on control than pure power, though his numbers show just how tough it can be to stick in the majors for long.

Career MLB Statistics

Santorini put together his stats across three teams as a major league pitcher. He had his best season in 1969 with the San Diego Padres, where he went 8-14 with a 3.95 ERA over 32 games.

He started 70 games in his career and pitched in 127 total contests. Over 493.1 innings, he struck out 268 batters and walked 194.

San Diego saw his most productive stretch from 1969 to 1971. During those three years, he picked up 9 wins and 24 losses with a 4.46 ERA.

Career Totals:

• Record: 17-38 (.309 winning percentage)
• ERA: 4.29
• Strikeouts: 268
• Innings Pitched: 493.1
• Complete Games: 5
• Shutouts: 4

Analysis of Pitching Style

Santorini focused on command and location rather than pure velocity. His strikeout-to-walk ratio of 1.38 shows he had decent control for his era.

He averaged 4.9 strikeouts per nine innings during his career. That’s not a huge strikeout rate, but it fits his style—he got hitters to put the ball in play.

He gave up just 0.7 home runs per nine innings, so he managed to keep the ball in the park. Santorini leaned on a ground ball approach, which helped limit home runs even during a high-scoring era.

His 1.474 WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) shows his command was about average. Allowing baserunners often put him in tough spots, which probably bumped up his ERA.

Honors and Recognitions

Santorini’s big league career didn’t bring much formal recognition, partly because he played on struggling teams and didn’t stick around long. He never made an All-Star team or picked up major awards during his six seasons.

His biggest achievement came in 1969, when he worked as a regular starter for the expansion San Diego Padres. That year stands out as his most consistent run in the majors.

He threw four career shutouts, and three of them came in 1972 with St. Louis. Those complete games showed he could really take over when his command was on.

Baseball reference books and retrosheet data still keep his stats alive as part of the Padres’ early history. He helped shape the team’s pitching staff in those first few years.

Life After Baseball and Personal Reflections

Alan Joel Santorini moved from pro baseball to youth coaching and community service after he retired in 1973. People recognized him for his high school accomplishments and his ongoing charity work in New Jersey.

Post-Retirement Careers

After wrapping up his major league career at just 26, Santorini stayed close to the game by teaching and coaching. He worked as a youth baseball and softball instructor, passing on what he’d learned to younger players.

Six seasons in the majors gave him plenty of experience to share. He played with three different teams—the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, and St. Louis Cardinals.

Switching from playing pro ball to teaching let him keep his connection to the sport he loved. He focused on building fundamental skills for youth players all across New Jersey.

Reflections and Community Honors

Santorini’s high school achievements got some major recognition long after his playing days wrapped up. In 1999, the Newark Star-Ledger actually picked him for their All-Century Team, spotlighting the best athletes from 1900 to 1999.

He really leaned into charitable work after baseball. Santorini often gave his time to New Jersey charities and wanted to give back to the community where he grew up.

The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2015. He joined folks like Jeffrey Hammonds, Jeff Torborg, Art Still, Gary Williams, Clary Anderson, and the late Frank Budd.

His high school career honestly was legendary. With 35 wins in 36 decisions and more than 500 strikeouts, he always took a lot of pride in those years.