Ricky Bottalico, baseball player, 1994-2005

Ricky Bottalico

Born: 8/26/1969 in New Britain, CT, USA

MLB Debut: 1994-07-29 | Final Game: 2005-07-22

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 200 lbs

Full name: Ricky Paul Bottalico

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Biography

Ricky Bottalico, born in 1969, was a notable American professional baseball pitcher who made his mark in Major League Baseball from 1994 until his retirement in 2005. Bottalico's career was defined by his effectiveness as a reliever, particularly in high-pressure situations, which earned him a single All-Star selection during his time in the league. Over the course of his career, he compiled a record of 33-42 and maintained a respectable earned run average (ERA) of 3.99, while striking out 575 batters and securing 116 saves. His ability to close games and contribute in late innings was a testament to his skill and tenacity on the mound. Bottalico's playing style was characterized by a powerful fastball and a sharp slider, which allowed him to dominate hitters during the height of his career in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He was an integral part of the bullpens for several teams, including the Philadelphia Phillies, where he initially gained prominence. His performance helped shape the competitive landscape of the league during the era, contributing to the resurgence of the Phillies as a playoff contender. Bottalico's legacy continues to resonate among fans and players alike, as he remains a respected figure in baseball history for his contributions to the game.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
33 42 562 0 0 0 116 628.7 561 279 71 316 575 3.99 0

Career ERA 3.99 vs. league average 4.48 across their career seasons — 10.8% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1994 PHI NL 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 3.0 3 0 1 3 0.00 — 0.0
1995 PHI NL 5 3 62 0 0 0 1 87.7 50 24 42 87 2.46 4.45 (+45%) 1607.4
1996 PHI NL 4 5 61 0 0 0 34 67.7 47 24 23 74 3.19 4.61 (+31%) 2342.1
1997 PHI NL 2 5 69 0 0 0 34 74.0 68 30 42 89 3.65 4.39 (+17%) 1262.4
1998 PHI NL 1 5 39 0 0 0 6 43.3 54 31 25 27 6.44 4.43 (-45%) -1488.0
1999 STL NL 3 7 68 0 0 0 20 73.3 83 40 49 66 4.91 4.71 (-4%) -
2000 KCR AL 9 6 62 0 0 0 16 72.7 65 39 41 56 4.83 4.77 (-1%) -
2001 PHI NL 3 4 66 0 0 0 3 67.0 58 29 25 57 3.90 4.42 (+12%) -616.3
2002 PHI NL 0 3 30 0 0 0 0 27.3 33 14 13 24 4.61 4.28 (-8%) -0.7
2003 AZ NL 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 1.7 3 1 2 2 5.40 — -
2004 NYN NL 3 2 60 0 0 0 0 69.3 54 26 34 61 3.38 4.46 (+24%) 1702.3
2005 MIL NL 2 2 40 0 0 0 2 41.7 43 21 19 29 4.54 4.29 (-6%) -1161.0

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
562 17 1 2 2 0 0 1 0 0 8 0.118 0.118 0.235 0.353 0.0

Career AVG .118 vs. league average .267 across their career seasons — 55.9% below league average.

Career OBP .118 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — 65.0% below league average.

Career SLG .235 vs. league average .424 across their career seasons — 44.6% below league average.

Career OPS 0.353 vs. league average 0.761 across their career seasons — 53.6% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1994 PHI NL 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1995 PHI NL 62 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1996 PHI NL 61 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.333 — — — — 0.0
1997 PHI NL 69 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1998 PHI NL 39 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1999 STL NL 68 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2000 KCR AL 62 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2001 PHI NL 66 3 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0.333 — — — — 0.0
2002 PHI NL 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2003 AZ NL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2004 NYN NL 60 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2005 MIL NL 40 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 562 0 38 66 3 8

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1994 PHI P 3 0 0 0 0 0
1995 PHI P 62 0 6 7 0 1
1996 PHI P 61 0 1 5 0 1
1997 PHI P 69 0 4 5 0 1
1998 PHI P 39 0 5 6 0 1
1999 SLN P 68 0 4 9 0 2
2000 KCA P 62 0 6 7 1 1
2001 PHI P 66 0 3 10 1 0
2002 PHI P 30 0 2 3 0 0
2003 ARI P 2 0 0 0 0 0
2004 NYN P 60 0 5 8 0 0
2005 MIL P 40 0 2 6 1 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 562

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2005 MIL NL $800,000
2002 PHI NL $1,500,000
2001 PHI NL $1,500,000
2000 KCA AL $1,500,000
1999 SLN NL $2,300,000
1998 PHI NL $2,200,000
1997 PHI NL $425,000
1996 PHI NL $185,000
1995 PHI NL $109,000
Total Career Earnings $10,519,000

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Central Connecticut State University New Britain CT 1990, 1991