This is the famous school the Mets John Franco & Dodgers Sandy Koufax graduated from as well as 21 other major leaguers including brothers, Bob & Ken Aspromonte, Al Ferrara, Kevin Baez, Luis Lopez & Mets owner Fred Wilpon.
Falcone is also second cousin to long time Mets coach Joe Pignatano. After high school Falcone attended to Kingsborough College in Brooklyn, getting drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the first round of the 1973 draft. That year he we was 8-1 in the Pioneer Rookie league posting a 1.50 ERA. In 1974, he jumped through all three levels of the minor leagues going 12-8, averaging 11 strikeouts per nine innings. He was brought up to the Giants staff the next year.
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In his 1975 Rookie season the southpaw went 12-11 finishing up third on the third place Giants team in staff in wins. He lost out to his young, Giants teammate John Montefusco in the Rookie Pitcher of the Year voting. Falcone struck out 131 batters in 190 innings walking 111 while posting a 4.17 ERA. After the season, the Giants traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals for infielder Ken Reitz.
He dropped to 4-8 the next season and spent some time in the bull pen where he pitched five games in relief earning one save. He missed more time in 1978, pitching in only 19 games dropping to 2-7 with a 5.76 ERA.
That off season he was traded to the New York Mets for Tom Grieve & minor leaguer Kim Seamen. Prior to joining the Mets, Falcone was 0-9 with three no decisions while pitching against them in his career.
Mets Coach & Cousin: Arriving at Shea Stadium he was reunited with his second cousin, Coach Joe Pignatano, as well as fellow Italian American Brooklyn boys Lee Mazzilli & manager Joe Torre.
Falcone debuted in the fourth game of the 1979 season, at Shea Stadium pitching eight strong innings against the Montreal Expos. Even though he only gave up two runs he earned no decision and the Mets lost the game 3-2.
His Mets career started out on a losing note going 0-5 not earning his first victory until the end of June on the 25th. That night he pitched a five hit shutout against the eventual World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates. His best month was in August, where he won three games (going 3-3) including back to back victories.

Overall In his first year as a Met he led the team in losses with 14, going 6-14 posting a 4.16 ERA. He gave up 24 long balls (6th most in the league) & had control problems, leading the team in walks (76) & wild pitches (10) fourth most in the league. He would finish in the top ten in that category three times in the next four seasons. Falcone struck out 113 batters in 184 innings pitched, good enough to average 5.5 K’s per nine innings, 10th best in the league.
Falcone with Keith Hernandez |
He won his next two starts beating Atlanta & then the Houston Astros where he only allowed one run in eight innings pitched. In June he had a rough month not pitching beyond the 5th inning in four different starts going 0-2. He also made three relief appearances that month.
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By the last month of the season, Joe Torre was using him out of the bull pen where he earned a save against the Expos on September 17th. In his last two outings of the year he was back in the starting rotation. On September 30th Falcone threw a complete game, two run victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Overall for the 1980 fifth place Mets, he finished 7-10, with a 4.52 ERA, leading the team with 109 strikeouts as well as 89 runs allowed.
In 1979 he held hitters to a .210 average with runners in scoring position. In 1980 & 1981 the league hit just .220 &.211 respectively against him with runners in scoring position.
In the 1981 strike shortened season, he was used as a reliever for most of the year, until getting some starts at the end of August. He pitched strongly at the end of September going 3-0, all complete game performances.
On September 29th he pitched a four hit shutout against the Phillies at Veterans Stadium. He also hit his only HR of the year & drove in three runs in the win.
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In 1982 he had a good start to the year going 3-0 with two holds, while posting a 3.39 ERA by June 1st. On May 19th he beat Burt Hooton & the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 while pitching into the 9th inning. That night he struck out seven Dodgers in the game at Shea Stadium. He then went 1-4 in June & was on a personal four game losing streak entering the month of July.
On September 12th he pitched his best game of the season, a three hit one run win over the Cardinals which was to be his last career Mets win. 1982 would be his last year with the Mets, appearing in 40 games on the season going 8-10 with two saves & a 3.63 ERA.
In 1983 he signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Braves rejoining manager Joe Torre & his Cousin, Coach Joe Pignatano, whom had both gone to Atlanta the previous year.
In his Mets career Falcone went 26-37 in 145 games with a 3.91 ERA. For the 1983 Braves, Falcone went 9-4 with a 3.64 ERA striking out 59 batters pitching in 106 innings while holding batters to a .235 average with runners in scoring position. 1984 would be his final season; he was 5-7 with a 4.12 ERA.
That September he told an Atlanta paper he planned to retire after the season at age 30; “I’m just tired of baseball, I’m tired of the life style, and I can’t see any reason to go on doing it.”
Falcone left the game after a ten year career, going 70-90 with 865 strikeouts, 671 walks, and a 4.07 ERA in 1435 innings pitched in 325 appearances. He held batters to a .234 batting average with runners in scoring position.
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Joey & Pete Falcone |
Family: Pete's son Joey Falcone is a U.S. War veteran, who saw his best friend die in the hills of Afghanistan during battle. Joey Falcone then became an outfield slugger playing in college at Staten Island.
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