Vinnie Pestano
| Vinnie Pestano | |
|---|---|
 Pestano with the Cleveland Indians | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: February 20, 1985 Huntington Beach, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 23, 2010, for the Cleveland Indians | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 11, 2015, for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 6–8 |
| Earned run average | 2.98 |
| Strikeouts | 244 |
| Teams | |
Vincent "Vinnie" William Pestano (born February 20, 1985) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Angels.
Early life[edit]
Pestano attended Canyon High School (Anaheim, California) and California State University, Fullerton before being drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 20th round of the 2006 MLB draft. Since 2007, Pestano has played in minor league baseball with the Columbus Clippers, Akron Aeros, Mahoning Valley Scrappers, Lake County Captains, and Kinston Indians.
Major league career[edit]
Pestano's contract was purchased from Triple-A Columbus by the Indians on September 23, 2010. He made his MLB debut the same day, pitching one scoreless inning in relief.
On August 7, 2014, Pestano was traded to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in exchange for Class-A pitcher Mike Clevinger.[1] He was recalled by the Angels on August 10 after one game with the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees, but was sent back down on August 16 after just one appearance with the Angels.[2] On July 28, 2015, he was designated for assignment to make roster room for David DeJesus and David Murphy.
On February 5, 2016, Pestano signed a minor league deal with the New York Yankees.[3]
On April 4, 2017, Pestano signed with the Bridgeport Bluefish of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.
On November 1, 2017, Pestano was drafted by the Long Island Ducks in the Bridgeport Bluefish dispersal draft. On March 29, 2018, Pestano signed with the Ducks for the 2018 season. He announced his retirement on June 13, 2018.[4]
Pitching style[edit]
Pestano throws three pitches. His main pitch is a four-seam fastball that is typically thrown between 90 and 93 mph. His secondary pitch is a breaking ball in the low 80s that is referred to by various sources as a curveball[5] or a slider.[6] He also occasionally throws a two-seam fastball.
In popular culture[edit]
Pestano was referenced in season 8, episode 4 (Who Wants to be a Godparent?) of How I Met Your Mother. After Barney supposedly throws a brick through an upper-story window in a flashback, Ted doubtingly says, "Yeah right. I've seen Barney throw, he's no Vinnie Pestano, am I right? ...Beloved Indians middle reliever!"
References[edit]
- ^ Hoynes, Paul (August 7, 2014). "Cleveland Indians trade Vinnie Pestano to Angels for RHP Mike Clevinger". Retrieved August 7, 2014.
- ^ Twitter / Angels: The Halos today have reinstated RHP Mike Morin from the DL and optioned RHP Vinnie Pestano to Salt Lake. #Angels
- ^ "Kozma, Pestano, Swarzak sign minor league deals with Yanks". ESPN.com. Associated Press. February 5, 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
- ^ @LIDucksGM (June 13, 2018). "RHP Colton Murray has been signed & activated. RHP Vinnie Pestano has retired" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "PITCHf/x Player Card: Vinnie Pestano". BrooksBaseball.net. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
- ^ "Vinnie Pestano". FanGraphs. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
External links[edit]
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Vinnie Pestano on Twitter
- 1985 births
- Living people
- Akron Aeros players
- Baseball players from Huntington Beach, California
- Bridgeport Bluefish players
- Cleveland Indians players
- Columbus Clippers players
- Kinston Indians players
- Lake County Captains players
- Long Island Ducks players
- Los Angeles Angels players
- Mahoning Valley Scrappers players
- Major League Baseball pitchers
- Peoria Saguaros players
- Salt Lake Bees players
- World Baseball Classic players of the United States
- 2013 World Baseball Classic players