Nick Testa
Full Name: Nicholas Testa
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Height: 5-8 Weight: 180
Born: Jun 29, 1928 in New York, New York
College: None
Major League Debut: Apr 23, 1958

CAREER BATTING STATISTICS
 BATTING
YEAR TEAM LG AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K OBP SLG
1958
SF
NL
-.---
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
-.---
-.---
Totals AVG
-.---
G
1
AB
0
R
0
H
0
2B
0
3B
0
HR
0
RBI
0
BB
0
K
0
OBP
-.---
SLG
-.---

 BATTINGBASERUNNINGMISC
YEAR TEAM LG HBP GDP TB IBB SH SF SB CS SB% AB/HR AB/K
1958
SF
NL
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
-.---
--.-
--.-
Totals HBP
0
GDP
0
TB
0
IBB
0
SH
0
SF
0
SB
0
CS
0
SB%
-.---
AB/HR
--.-
AB/K
--.-


CAREER FIELDING STATISTICS
YEAR TEAM LG POS G Ch PO A E DP FPCT
1958
SF
NL
C
1
1
0
0
1
0
0.000
Totals G
1
Ch
1
PO
0
A
0
E
1
DP
0
FPCT
0.000


Nick Testa played professional baseball in the Giants' farm system from 1946 through 1957 as a C-3b, but never hit as many as 10 HR, nor ever batted above .300. He made the major league roster as 3rd string catcher at the start of 1958, after projected regular Bill Sarni had a heart attack. He was on deck to hit in his one major league game, an extra-inning defensive stint, when Daryl Spencer ended it with a home run. Testa was then taken off the active roster and was made a coach for the balance of the 1958 season. He returned to the minors and caught and managed at various levels until 1963, when he became the first and for more than 20 years the only American to catch in Japan.

Unfortunately, Testa didn't hit Japanese pitching any better than he'd hit in the U.S. From Japan, Testa drifted to the Quebec Provincial League, where he suddenly did start hitting with authority. He was player/manager for Granby, 1965-1966-1967-1968, but in those three years he was the all-star catcher each year, twice hit over .340, and in the odd year hit .293--in a league which was well-known as a pitcher's league.

After leaving Granby, Testa caught for many years for the semi-pro New Rochelle Robins, and was strength-and-conditioning instructor for the New York Yankees. One day Dave Winfield yelled at Testa, "Hey, I'd like to be in your kind of shape when I'm 65." Returned Testa, "What's wrong with being in my kind of shape now?"