Vito John Valentinetti (September 16,1928 – August 5,2021) was an American professional baseball pitcher. His nine-year career included one full season and parts of four others in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Chicago White Sox (1954),Chicago Cubs (1956–57),Cleveland Indians (1957),Detroit Tigers (1958),and Washington Senators (1958–59).
Valentinetti was born in West New York,New Jersey. A graduate of Iona College,he entered pro baseball in 1950 in the White Sox system,and missed two seasons (1952–53) while serving in the military during the Korean War. [1]
Valentinetti made his MLB debut with the White Sox on June 20,1954,and that was the only game he ever pitched for the team. He surrendered six runs on four hits and two bases on balls in one inning in a 16–6 loss to the New York Yankees. [2] Sent back to the minor leagues,he was acquired by the crosstown Cubs in the 1955 Rule 5 Draft.
Valentinetti spent the entire 1956 season with the Cubs,working in 42 games,40 in relief,and posting a 6–4 win–loss record,a 3.78 earned run average and one save. The following season,however,he began to bounce around:between 1957 and 1960,he was a member of four MLB teams,five minor league clubs and seven different organizations. Although he spent part of 1958 in the minors,he pitched in 38 MLB games that season for Detroit and Washington. He made ten starts for the Senators,and notched two complete games. After only seven games in 1959,however,Valentinetti was sent back to the minors at the May cutdown,finishing his career in Triple-A in 1960.
In 108 MLB games,including 15 starts,and 257 innings pitched,Valentinetti allowed 266 hits and 122 walks,with 96 strikeouts,three complete games and three saves. [3]
Following baseball,Valentinetti worked in construction and in city and state government positions in New York. [4] He died on August 5,2021, at age 92. [5]
The following are the baseball events of the year 2003 throughout the world.
Richard William Tidrow was an American professional baseball pitcher and the senior vice president of player personnel and senior advisor to the general manager for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Donald Ray Elston was an American relief pitcher who appeared in 450 games in Major League Baseball,all but one of them as a member of the Chicago Cubs. Elston batted and threw right-handed,stood 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and weighed 165 pounds (75 kg). He was born in Campbellstown,Ohio,and attended Camden High School. His 18-season professional baseball career began in the Cub farm system in 1948.
Virgil Oliver "Fire" Trucks was an American Major League Baseball pitcher with the Detroit Tigers,St. Louis Browns,Chicago White Sox,Kansas City Athletics and New York Yankees between 1941 and 1958. He batted and threw right-handed.
The following are the baseball events of the year 1959 throughout the world.
John Lester Moss was an American professional baseball player,coach,scout and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the St. Louis Browns for the most significant portion of his career,and was a backup catcher almost all his career.
Russell Charles Meyer was an American professional baseball player. A right-handed pitcher,Meyer's professional career lasted for 16 seasons,including 319 games pitched over all or part of 13 years in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs,Philadelphia Phillies (1949–52),Brooklyn Dodgers (1953–55),Cincinnati Redlegs (1956),Boston Red Sox (1957) and Kansas City Athletics (1959). The native of Peru,Illinois,was listed as 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and 175 pounds (79 kg). His hot temper earned him the nickname "Mad Monk".
Duane Xavier "Dee" Pillette was an American professional baseball pitcher,who played all or part of eight seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for four different teams from 1949 through 1956. Listed at 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m),195 lb (88 kg),Pillette batted and threw right-handed. He attended Santa Clara University.
Harold Joseph Woodeshick was an American left-handed pitcher who spent eleven seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Detroit Tigers,Cleveland Indians (1958),the original modern Washington Senators franchise (1959–60),the expansion Washington Senators club (1961),Houston Colt .45s / Astros (1962–65),and St. Louis Cardinals (1965–67). He was the first closer in the history of the Astros' franchise. He was also a member of the Cardinals' 1967 World Series Championship team. He was nicknamed "The Switchman" for his ability to "turn out the lights" on opposing batters.
Donald Roy Johnson was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. The 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m),200 lb (91 kg) right-hander was signed by the New York Yankees before the 1944 season and played for the Yankees,St. Louis Browns (1950–51),Washington Senators (1951–52),Chicago White Sox (1954),Baltimore Orioles (1955),and San Francisco Giants (1958).
Randall Pennington Gumpert was an American professional baseball pitcher,manager,scout and coach. A right-hander,he appeared in 261 games over ten seasons in Major League Baseball as a member of the Philadelphia Athletics,New York Yankees,Chicago White Sox,Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators. The native of Monocacy Station,Pennsylvania,was listed as 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall and 185 pounds (84 kg).
James Robert Hughes was an American professional baseball player. The right-handed pitcher appeared in all or part of six seasons (1952–1957) in Major League Baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers,Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox and worked in 172 games,all but one as a relief pitcher. In 1954,he led the National League in saves with 24 and tied for the league leadership in games pitched with 60. Hughes was a native of Chicago who was listed as 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and 200 pounds (91 kg). His baseball career began in 1946,after he had served in the United States Marine Corps in the Pacific theatre of World War II.
The 1958 Washington Senators won 61 games,lost 93,and finished in eighth place in the American League,31 games behind the New York Yankees. They were managed by Cookie Lavagetto and played home games at Griffith Stadium.
The 1955 Chicago White Sox season was the team's 55th season in the major leagues,and its 56th season overall. The White Sox started the season with a plus 40 run-differential in their first 8 games. Good for 2nd best in the modern era. They finished with a record of 91–63,good enough for third place in the American League,5 games behind the first place New York Yankees.
The 1957 Cleveland Indians season was a season in American baseball. The team finished sixth in the American League with a record of 76–77,21+1⁄2 games behind the New York Yankees
The 1958 Cleveland Indians season was the 58th season for the franchise,the 44th as the Indians and the 27th season at Cleveland Stadium. They improved upon their 76–77 campaign from the previous season,but missed the playoffs for the 4th consecutive season,finishing the season at 77–76.
The 1958 Detroit Tigers season was a season in American baseball. The team finished fifth in the American League with a record of 77–77,15 games behind the New York Yankees.
The 1960 Major League Baseball season was played from April 12 to October 13,1960. It was the final season contested by 16 clubs and the final season that a 154-game schedule was played in both the American League and the National League. The AL began using the 162-game schedule the following season,with the NL following suit in 1962.
William Taylor Phillips,nicknamed "T-Bone",is an American former professional baseball left-handed pitcher,who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Braves,Chicago Cubs,Philadelphia Phillies,and Chicago White Sox,from 1956–60 and 1963. During his playing days,Phillips stood 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall,weighing 185 pounds (84 kg).
Thomas Anthony Flanigan was an American professional baseball player:a 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m),175 lb (79 kg) left-handed pitcher who appeared in three Major League Baseball games over the course of a seven-year professional career —two games for the 1954 Chicago White Sox and one for the 1958 St. Louis Cardinals.