Dan Pasqua | |
---|---|
Outfielder / First baseman | |
Born: Yonkers, New York, U.S. | October 17, 1961|
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
MLB debut | |
May 30, 1985, for the New York Yankees | |
Last MLB appearance | |
May 1, 1994, for the Chicago White Sox | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .244 |
Home runs | 117 |
Runs batted in | 390 |
Teams | |
Daniel Anthony Pasqua (born October 17,1961) is an American professional baseball outfielder and first baseman who played in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox from 1985 through 1994. He works as a community representative for the White Sox.
Pasqua is a native of Harrington Park,New Jersey. He attended Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan,then William Paterson University in Wayne,New Jersey. [1] He was an All-American outfielder for William Paterson in 1981 and 1982,and New Jersey Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 1982. [2] He was drafted by the New York Yankees in the third round of the 1982 Major League Baseball draft. [3]
Through his first three years in the Yankees' farm system,Pasqua batted .267 with 70 home runs and 242 runs batted in. A hot start with the International League's Columbus Clippers his fourth season earned him a promotion up to the Bronx early in the 1985 season.
Pasqua made his major league debut on May 30 against the California Angels. After lining into a double play in his first major league at bat,he hit a home run in his second. [4] This was followed by a 3-for-26 slump that got him sent back to Columbus for more seasoning. In his second game back with the Yankees,Pasqua had his first career two home run game. [5] He was demoted back to Columbus again at the start of August, [6] and returned in the middle of the month to bat .203 with five home runs and fifteen RBIs over the remainder of the season. All told,Pasqua batted .209 with nine home runs and 25 RBIs with the Yankees. In three stints in Columbus,he compiled a .321 batting average,eighteen home runs &69 RBIs to earn IL Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player honors. [7] During the off-season,the Montreal Expos were rebuked in their offer of Andre Dawson for Pasqua.
Although Yankees Manager Lou Piniella (who was,himself,a left fielder during his playing days) named Pasqua his starting left fielder during Spring training 1986, [8] 1985 left fielder Ken Griffey,Sr. ended up winning the job when Pasqua batted .102 that Spring. Pasqua began the season with Columbus,and batted .291 with six home runs and twenty RBIs to get recalled by the Yankees on May 18. [9] In his first start back in pinstripes,Pasqua went 2-for-3,with a home run,double and four RBIs. [10] The next day,he had his second career two home run game. [11] With his batting average hovered around .300 through most of June,he made his first career appearance at first base on June 28 in order to get his bat in the line up more frequently. [12] As rising All-Star Don Mattingly had a firm grip on the first base job,the Yankees shipped Griffey to the Atlanta Braves on June 30 in order to open a regular position for Pasqua in their line-up. With the left field job genuinely his now,Pasqua batted .296 with twelve home runs and 35 RBIs over the remainder of the season.
While Pasqua clubbed six home runs through May 1987,he struggled to keep his batting average over .200. By the end of June,the left field job was Gary Ward's,and Pasqua was once again in Columbus. He returned to the Yankees in mid July,and batted .268 with nine home runs and nineteen RBIs over the rest of the season. At the Winter meetings,Pasqua,pitcher Steve Rosenberg and catcher Mark Salas were dealt to the Chicago White Sox for pitchers Richard Dotson and Scott Nielsen. [13]
In 1988,Pasqua hit a career-high twenty home runs. He also demonstrated versatility when he was shifted into right field following a season ending injury to right fielder Iván Calderón. [14]
In 1989,it was Pasqua whose season was cut short by injuries. In the second game of the season,he suffered a right wrist injury that kept him out of the line-up until May 14. [15] On August 4,he twisted his knee in the outfield. After which,he made two pinch hitting appearances and three starts at designated hitter before being shut down for the season. This knee injury limited Pasqua through the start of the 1990 season. When he did return,he mostly pinch hit or served as designated hitter.
In 1991,Pasqua made 83 appearances as a first baseman,versus just 59 in both corner outfield positions. Regardless of where he played on the field,he hit,as 1991 was his best season with the bat. He had a career high 108 hits that produced a career high 71 runs and a career high 66 RBIs. He also hit eighteen home runs with a career high five triples.[ citation needed ]
Pasqua was set to hit free agency after the season. Just before his filing date,he was issued a summons by police when a package allegedly containing marijuana and an unused pipe was delivered to his Dumont,New Jersey home. [16] He reached a settlement,in which he paid a $545 fine and submitted to random drug testing in exchange for having the two minor disorderly conduct charges dropped [17] shortly after re-signing with the Chisox.
With Frank Thomas then at first,Pasqua shifted back to right field for 1992. He got off to an exceptional start,with his batting average climbing as high as .379 toward the end of April. However,he soon stopped hitting (.107 avg.,0 HR,3 RBIs in May). He went on the disabled list in June with a strained right hamstring. [18] He returned at the end of the month only to suffer an ankle injury that knocked him out of the line-up for two weeks in July. [19] All told,he was limited to 93 games,in which he batted .211 with six home runs and 33 RBIs. His .347 slugging percentage was a career low.
He found himself without a position in 1993;he made his way into 78 games between pinch hitting,and backing up first base,DH and the corner outfield positions. His 206 plate appearances were his least since his rookie season. Despite poor stats (.205 avg.,5 HR,20 RBIs),1993 was a memorable year for Pasqua in that he made his only postseason in his career.
He appeared in games one and two of the 1993 American League Championship Series against the Toronto Blue Jays,and walked and scored in the fourth inning of game one. [20] In game two,he committed a first inning error that led to an unearned run. The Sox tied it in the bottom of the inning,and left runners on second and third when Pasqua struck out to end the inning. After the Jays took a 3-1 lead,Pasqua hit a weak fly to center with the bases loaded and no outs in the fifth. The Sox were unable to score,and went on to lose the game,3-1. [21]
His performance invited criticism from teammate Bo Jackson. Jackson did not appear in either of the first two games,and commented afterward,"We've been playing for two days one man short," alluding to Pasqua. [22] Pasqua did not appear in any of the four remaining games,and ended the series 0-for-6 with a walk and a run scored. Jackson was the DH in games three through five,and went 0-for-10 with three walks and six strikeouts.
He appeared in eleven games in 1994 before being shut down for the season by arthroscopic knee surgery, [23] and never returned to the majors.
In 1987,a former high school classmate of Pasqua was sentenced to six months in jail by a Rockland County,New York judge for impersonating Pasqua in order to swindle two women out of a combined $8,000 (equivalent to $21,500in 2023). [24]
Jesse Lee Barfield is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a right fielder from 1981 to 1992 for the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Yankees.
Elston Gene Howard was an American professional baseball player who was a catcher and a left fielder. During a 14-year baseball career,he played in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball from 1948 through 1968,primarily for the New York Yankees. A 12-time All-Star,he also played for the Kansas City Monarchs and the Boston Red Sox. Howard served on the Yankees' coaching staff from 1969 to 1979.
Saturnino Orestes "Minnie" Armas Arrieta Miñoso,nicknamed "the Cuban Comet",was a Cuban professional baseball player. He began his baseball career in the Negro leagues in 1946 and became an All-Star third baseman with the New York Cubans. He was signed by the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball (MLB) after the 1948 season as baseball's color line fell. Miñoso went on to become an All-Star left fielder with the Indians and Chicago White Sox. The first Afro-Latino in the major leagues and the first black player in White Sox history,as a 1951 rookie he was one of the first Latin Americans to play in an MLB All-Star Game.
David Lee Henderson,nicknamed "Hendu",was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners,Boston Red Sox,San Francisco Giants,Oakland Athletics,and Kansas City Royals during his 14-year career,primarily as an outfielder.
Stanley Julián Antonio Javier [hah-ve-ERR] is a Dominican former professional baseball outfielder,who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1984 to 2001. A switch-hitter with good production from both sides of the plate,he also had a strong arm with the ability to play all three outfield positions exceptionally well. Javier is the son of former major league player Julián Javier,and was named after his father's teammate and close friend,Stan Musial.
Troy Franklin O'Leary is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played with the Milwaukee Brewers (1993-1994),Boston Red Sox (1995-2001),Montreal Expos (2002) and Chicago Cubs (2003).
Melky Cabrera Astacio,nicknamed "the Melkman",is a Dominican former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees,Atlanta Braves,San Francisco Giants,Toronto Blue Jays,Chicago White Sox,Kansas City Royals,Cleveland Indians,and Pittsburgh Pirates. While primarily a left fielder throughout his career,Cabrera spent a significant amount of his playing time as a center fielder for the Royals and Yankees.
Raúl Javier Ibañez is an American former professional baseball left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) now serving as vice president of baseball development and special projects for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played 11 of his 19 big league seasons for the Seattle Mariners,while also playing for the Kansas City Royals,Philadelphia Phillies,New York Yankees,and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. While primarily a left fielder,Ibañez often saw considerable time as a designated hitter (DH),throughout his career.
Gerald Floyd Williams was an American professional baseball outfielder who played in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees,Milwaukee Brewers,Atlanta Braves,Tampa Bay Devil Rays,and New York Mets from 1992 to 2005.
Michael Anthony Easler,nicknamed "the Hit Man",is an American former professional baseball outfielder,designated hitter,and coach,who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros,California Angels,Pittsburgh Pirates,Boston Red Sox,New York Yankees,and Philadelphia Phillies,from 1973 to 1987.
Robert Hayes Veach was an American professional baseball player from 1910 to 1930 including 14 seasons in the major leagues. He was the starting left fielder for the Detroit Tigers from 1912 to 1923 and also played for the Boston Red Sox (1924–1925),New York Yankees (1925),and Washington Senators (1925).
John Patsy Francona was a Major League Baseball player. As a child,he was nicknamed "Tito" by his father. His son,Terry Francona,is also often referred to as "Tito."
James Henry Delsing was an American Major League Baseball outfielder who is most remembered for having been the pinch runner for 3 ft 7 in (1.09 m)-tall Eddie Gaedel on August 19,1951. He also was the centerfielder replaced by Hall of Famer Al Kaline in Kaline's major league debut on June 25,1953. During his career,which spanned 822 games over 10 seasons,Delsing played for the Chicago White Sox,New York Yankees,St. Louis Browns,Detroit Tigers,and Kansas City Athletics.
Daryl Lamont Boston is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder,and the former first base coach for the Chicago White Sox.
Mark Bruce Salas is a former professional catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1984-1991. Salas,who is of Mexican descent,also worked for the Chicago White Sox as a bullpen catcher.
David Matthew Murphy is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox,Texas Rangers,Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Larry DeWayne Wise is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He graduated from Chapin High School in 1997 and was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the fifth round of the 1997 Major League Baseball draft. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays,Atlanta Braves,Cincinnati Reds,Chicago White Sox,Florida Marlins,and New York Yankees. He is best known for robbing Gabe Kapler of a home run to preserve Mark Buehrle's perfect game in 2009.
JoséVidal Nicolás,nicknamed "Papito",was a Dominican Major League Baseball outfielder. He was signed by the San Francisco Giants as an amateur free agent before the 1958 season. He played for the Cleveland Indians (1966–1968) and Seattle Pilots (1969). He also played one season in Japan for the Nishitetsu Lions (1971). During a four-year major league baseball career,Vidal hit .164 with three home runs and 10 runs batted in (RBI) in 88 career games.
Jeffrey William Abbott is an American former professional baseball player who played outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1997 to 2001. He played for the Chicago White Sox and Florida Marlins.
Charles Richard McKinney is an American former professional baseball player. He played all or part of seven seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1970 and 1977. Originally an infielder when he came up with the Chicago White Sox,he became more of a utility player as his career progressed.