Better known throughout his professional baseball career as Ping Bodie, Francesco Stephano Pezzolo was a first-generation outfielder who helped pave the way for future New York Yankees’ stars like Joe DiMaggio, Tony “Push 'em up” Lazzeri, Frankie Crosetti, Phil Rizzuto, Yogi Berra, and others.

Ping got his name from the “ping” noise made when his 52-ounce bat hit the horsehide, and “Bodie” from the Sierra Mountain mining town he once lived in. A ghost town now, in its day, Bodie was quite the place. As a bustling gold mining center, Bodie was akin to San Francisco in the necessities and temptations it offered.