Valentino Pascucci

Infobox MLB player


width = 150px
name=Valentino Pascucci
position=Outfielder
team=New York Mets
number=37
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1978|11|17
debutdate=April 26
debutyear=2004
debutteam=Montreal Expos
statyear=2007
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=2
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.177
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=6
teams=
*Montreal Expos (by|2004)
*Chiba Lotte Marines (by|2005-by|2006) (NPB)

Valentino Martin Pascucci (born November 17, 1978 in Bellflower, California) is a professional baseball player who currently plays for the New York Mets organization. He bats and throws right-handed.

Pascucci was originally drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 11th round of the by|1996 amateur entry draft, but he chose to go to college instead. He attended college at the University of Oklahoma for two years, from by|1997-by|1998. He was originally a pitcher, compiling a 4-0 win-loss record with two saves and 64 strikeouts in 58 innings pitched. The Montréal Expos selected him in the 15th round of the 1999 amateur entry draft. He began his professional career as a position player.

Pascucci's pro career began in by|1999, with the Single-A Vermont Expos. In by|2000, with a 20-game stint with the Cape Fear Crocs, the Single-A affiliate of the Expos, Pascucci batted .319 with 3 home runs and 10 RBI and was called up to the High-A Jupiter Hammerheads later that season. He played 113 games for Jupiter, hitting .284 with a .394 on-base percentage. Val was promoted to the Double-A Harrisburg Senators for the by|2002 season, where he sent a minor league career high 27 home runs out of the park. He played with the Triple-A Edmonton Trappers for all of by|2003 and parts of by|2004.

On April 26, 2004, Pascucci was called up by Montréal from Triple-A Edmonton. He debuted for the Expos in right field later that day. Val, however, was sent back down to the minor leagues on May 28. Pascucci wasn't called back up to the Majors until September 1, when MLB rosters expanded. He hit his first career home run on September 15, 2004 and also played in the final game of the Expos' history on October 3. He was released by the Washington Nationals on December 10, 2004, and has not played in the big leagues since.

Pascucci spent the by|2006 season with the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan's Pacific League. On April 6, by|2007, Pascucci was signed by the Florida Marlins and spent the season with their Triple-A affiliate, the Albuquerque Isotopes. In December 2007, Pascucci signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies' AAA affiliate, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. After being released by the Phillies on April 29, Pascucci signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets a few days later.

He currently plays for the New Orleans Zephyrs, the New York Mets AAA affiliate.

External links