That's Ron in the picture above—and his story is one of those brief, blazing flashes in baseball history.
He was born in 1932. As for what happened to him: After that legendary 27-strikeout game on May 13, 1952, Necciai looked like a future star. The Pittsburgh Pirates quickly brought him up to the majors, where he actually showed real promise. But his career was derailed almost immediately by serious arm and health problems, including a stomach ulcer and shoulder issues.
Back then, there was little in the way of modern sports medicine or rehab. By 1956, he was out of professional baseball—his career essentially over before it began. He later lived a quiet life in Pennsylvania, staying largely out of the spotlight. Necciai passed away in 2003 at the age of 70.
So in the end, he remains one of baseball’s great “what ifs”—a man who, for one night, was absolutely unhittable, and then vanished almost as quickly as he arrived.
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