Marion John Fricano (July 15, 1923 – May 18, 1976) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia and Kansas City Athletics.

Fricano hit Chicago White Sox hitter and former teammate Cass Michaels in the head on August 27, 1954, effectively ending his career.

The Athletics traded Fricano to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a deal for fellow pitcher Jack Crimian.

The Chicago White Sox would acquire Fricano in May 1956 before losing him in the Minor League Draft to the Seattle Rainiers, a Cincinnati Reds affiliate.

After leaving baseball, Fricano became a science teacher in Angola, New York before being elected as a Democratic Party member to the position of North Collins Town Supervisor.

The 6 ft (1.8 m), 170 lb (77 kg) right-hander was born in Brant, New York, and raised in nearby North Collins.

[2] The following Spring, Fricano impressed A's manager Jimmy Dykes enough to earn himself a bullpen job for the start of the 1953 season.

[3] He made five relief appearances (all in losses) before making his first start in the second game of a May 22 doubleheader with the Boston Red Sox.

[5] The 1953 A's finished seventh of eight American League teams in runs scored (only the St. Louis Browns were worse) on their way to 95 losses.

Minnie Miñoso hit a bases-clearing triple off Fricano, though he would be thrown out at the plate during George Kell's at bat.

[9] X-Rays stated that the impact fractured the skull of Michaels on the opposite side of where Fricano's pitch struck him.

The doctor told White Sox manager Paul Richards that Michaels would have died on the spot if not for the plastic protection in his cap.

Gromek, in response, charged the mound, punching at Fricano before putting him in a headlock and the two pitchers fell to the ground.

[12] After Schoolboy Rowe and Johnny Hopp broke up most of the fighting, they worked to split Fricano and Gromek, who were still on the ground.

[15] For the 1955 season, the White Sox announced that all players would wear protective batting helmets in the future, to prevent further situations from occurring.

On Sunday, September 26, 1954, the closing day of the Athletics' nightmarish, 103-loss campaign, Fricano took the mound at Yankee Stadium in the sixth inning in relief of Art Ditmar; the bases were loaded, with one out, and Philadelphia was clinging to a 6–4 lead.

A complicated process that included an 11th-hour bid by Philadelphia interests to buy the Athletics ultimately saw Connie Mack's legendary franchise sold to industrialist Arnold Johnson and moved to Kansas City, Missouri, in the autumn of 1954.

On October 11, 1955, the Athletics traded Fricano the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League in a package along with a player to be named later and cash totaling around $60,000 (1955 USD).

[24] Fricano would suffer from arm issues during the 1956 season, but managed to make the playoffs with the Chicks, finishing with a 5-3 win/loss record.

[25] Reporting to Spring Training in March 1957 at Perris Hill Park in San Bernardino, California, Lefty O'Doul announced that Fricano had agreed to terms for a contract for the 1957 season.

[27] Fricano would get his first victory with the Giants on June 5 against his former team, after Felipe Alou hit a game-winning double off Ted Wieand.

[29] Fricano told The Buffalo Evening News after the season that the fight with Werle helped spark the team to clinch the Pacific Coast League pennant.

[32] Fricano made the American Association All-Star Team on July 7, 1959, replacing Dean Stone, who was called up to the St. Louis Cardinals.

In a game on July 4, 1960 against the Charleston Senators, Fricano entered in relief and gave up a grand slam to Zoilo Versalles.

The next batter, catcher Sam Mauney, would have a pitch thrown near his face that tipped off his bat, resulting in a foul ball.

The home plate umpire, Barney Deary, noted that if Fricano threw at Mauney again, he would ejected along with his manager, Jim Fanning.

[37] During the 1955 World Series, the New York State Teachers College at Potsdam announced that they hired Fricano to be an assistant professor of health and physical education.

[41] Fricano died on May 20, 1976 in a Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico hospital after being diagnosed with pneumonia while on vacation with his family.

Geiger noted that the town purchased the land along U.S. Route 62 in 1970 for the intent of creating a park in North Collins.

[44] Fricano, along with amateur players Phil Smolinski, Sam Gallineau and journalist Maury May were inducted in the inaugural class of the Western New York Baseball Hall of Fame in September 1997.