Ronald Michael Diorio was born in St. Mary’s hospital in Waterbury, Connecticut, on July 15, 1946. His parents, Charles and Gilda (Follachio) Diorio, were first generation Americans, with roots in the Calabria and Abruzzi regions of Italy. Charles, a Waterbury native born in 1906, worked as a plumber. Gilda worked in the shop as well.

Ron was drafted in the 16th round in 1969 and moved his way up the Phillies organization. He had an excellent partial season with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1973, appearing in 23 games with a 2.33 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. He also pitched with the team briefly in 1974.

Ron played winter ball with Caguas after the 1973 season, on a team which included Gary Carter, Mike Schmidt and other major leaguers. He also played in Mexico after his major league days. After baseball he worked for the City of Waterbury and then for a real estate appraisal and development company.

Ron was inducted into the University of New Haven Sports Hall of Fame in 1985.

(excerpted from SABR, Baseball Almanac, BR Bullpen & Wikipedia)