Joe Valentine
Encyclopedia
Joseph John Valentine is a Major League Baseball
pitcher
, currently pitching for the Rojos del Aguila de Veracruz
of the Mexican League. He is a 1997 graduate of Deer Park High School in Deer Park, New York, where he led the Falcons to the State championship title game. He married his high school sweetheart. He is 6'2" tall, weighs 195 pounds and bats and throws right-handed.
in the 26th round of the 1999 amateur draft
out of Jefferson Davis Community College
, Valentine began his professional career that year. Splitting time between the Arizona League White Sox
and Bristol White Sox
, Valentine went a combined 0-0 with a 5.57 ERA
in 14 relief
appearances.
He missed part of the season while pitching for Bristol, appearing in just 19 games with a record of 2-1 with 7 saves. Valentine greatly improved in 2001, going a combined 7-3 with a 1.79 ERA in 57 relief appearances. He split time between the Kannapolis Intimidators
and Winston-Salem Warthogs
, saving 22 total games and striking out
83 batters in 75 1/3 innings of work. His time with the Warthogs was especially impressive - with them, he appeared in 27 games, saving eight games and posting a 5-1 record with a 1.01 ERA.
On December 13, 2001, Valentine was drafted in the rule 5 draft
by the Montreal Expos
. That same day, the Detroit Tigers
purchased him. On April 5, 2002, he was returned to the White Sox by the Tigers.
In 2002, Valentine was a Double-A All-Star, Baseball America
1st team Minor League All-Star, and Southern League
All-Star. He spent that entire season with the Birmingham Barons
, making 55 relief appearances, posting a 4-1 record with a 1.97 ERA and saving 36 games. He also struck out 63 batters in 59 1/3 innings of work.
Following his outstanding 2002 season, Valentine was involved in a major trade that sent Keith Foulke
, Mark Johnson
, cash and himself to the Oakland Athletics
for players to be named later and Billy Koch
. The players to be named later ended up being Neal Cotts
and minor leaguer Daylan Holt.
for José Guillén
. In nine games with the Louisville Bats
, he went 1-0 with a 0.79 ERA, prompting his promotion to the majors. Facing the Houston Astros
on August 24, Valentine appeared in his first big league game, allowing one run
in one inning of work. He appeared in two games in the majors in , posting an ERA of 18.00. Overall in the minors, he went 2-3 with a 4.10 ERA.
was the first season in which Valentine had ever started
a game professionally. He made 24 appearances for the Reds that year, making one start (which he lost) and posting a 2-3 record with a 5.22 ERA. In 30 minor league appearances (nine starts), all with the Bats, he went 5-5 with a 5.01 ERA.
Valentine had a poor year in . In 16 major league appearances with the Reds, he went 0-1 with a 8.16 ERA. In 49 relief appearances with the Bats, he went 0-7 with a 5.70 ERA. Combined, he went 0-8 with a 6.22 ERA. He was granted free agency
in December.
Signed by the Houston Astros, Valentine made 20 appearances with their Triple-A affiliate, the Round Rock Express
. With them, he went 1-2 with a 4.70 ERA. In June, he was released, and in early July he was picked up by the Milwaukee Brewers
. In 22 games with their Double-A affiliate the Huntsville Stars
, he went 2-0 with a 2.97 ERA, saving 13 games. Combined, he went 3-2 with a 3.84 ERA in 61 innings that season.
Despite pitching well during the second half of the season, Valentine was granted free agency by the Brewers. He was not picked up by any major league baseball team, so he went to pitch in Japan
with the Chunichi Dragons
(he never actually pitched for them; he pitched for their farm team). They released him in June, and the Long Island Ducks
of the independent Atlantic League
picked him up. In 37 relief appearances with them, he went 4-2 with a 1.54 ERA, striking out 37 batters in 35 innings of work.
Valentine started the season with the Ducks, making 14 appearances with them, saving six games and posting a 2-1 record and 1.62 ERA. In May, the Phillies signed him and assigned him to their Double-A affiliate, the Reading Phillies
. After his release in June, Valentine re-signed with the Ducks, but on August 4 his contract was purchased by the Cincinnati Reds, where he was assigned to Double-A Chattanooga
. He became a free agent at the end of the season. He returned to the Ducks in , and in signed with Veracruz.
So far in his big league career, Valentine is 2-4 with a 6.70 ERA.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
, currently pitching for the Rojos del Aguila de Veracruz
Rojos del Aguila de Veracruz
The Rojos del Águila de Veracruz are a AAA-level baseball team playing in the Mexican League.They play at the Estadio Universitario Beto Ávila in Veracruz, Veracruz....
of the Mexican League. He is a 1997 graduate of Deer Park High School in Deer Park, New York, where he led the Falcons to the State championship title game. He married his high school sweetheart. He is 6'2" tall, weighs 195 pounds and bats and throws right-handed.
Early career
Originally drafted by the Chicago White SoxChicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
in the 26th round of the 1999 amateur draft
1999 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1999 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 2 and 3, 1999...
out of Jefferson Davis Community College
Jefferson Davis Community College
Jefferson Davis Community College is a community college located in Brewton, Alabama. Founded in 1964, the college was named in honor of Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederate States of America.- External links :*...
, Valentine began his professional career that year. Splitting time between the Arizona League White Sox
Arizona League
The Arizona League is a minor league baseball league that operates in and around Phoenix, Arizona. It is a rookie-level professional baseball league run by Major League Baseball since 1989. Games are played at the spring training complexes of the team's parent organizations from mid-June until the...
and Bristol White Sox
Bristol White Sox
The Bristol White Sox are a minor league baseball team in Bristol, Virginia, USA. They are a Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League and have been a farm team of the Chicago White Sox since 1995. The White Sox play home games at Devault Memorial Stadium. Opened in 1969, Devault Memorial Stadium...
, Valentine went a combined 0-0 with a 5.57 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in 14 relief
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
appearances.
He missed part of the season while pitching for Bristol, appearing in just 19 games with a record of 2-1 with 7 saves. Valentine greatly improved in 2001, going a combined 7-3 with a 1.79 ERA in 57 relief appearances. He split time between the Kannapolis Intimidators
Kannapolis Intimidators
The Kannapolis Intimidators are a minor league baseball team in Kannapolis, North Carolina. The team is a Class Low-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox and has played in the South Atlantic League under various names and team affiliations since its inception in 1995.-Team history:The Intimidators...
and Winston-Salem Warthogs
Winston-Salem Warthogs
The Winston-Salem Dash is a minor league baseball team in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. They are a Class High-A team in the Carolina League and have been a farm team of the Chicago White Sox since 1997...
, saving 22 total games and striking out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
83 batters in 75 1/3 innings of work. His time with the Warthogs was especially impressive - with them, he appeared in 27 games, saving eight games and posting a 5-1 record with a 1.01 ERA.
On December 13, 2001, Valentine was drafted in the rule 5 draft
Rule 5 draft
The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to...
by the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
. That same day, the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
purchased him. On April 5, 2002, he was returned to the White Sox by the Tigers.
In 2002, Valentine was a Double-A All-Star, Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
1st team Minor League All-Star, and Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
All-Star. He spent that entire season with the Birmingham Barons
Birmingham Barons
The Birmingham Barons are a minor league baseball team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox major-league club....
, making 55 relief appearances, posting a 4-1 record with a 1.97 ERA and saving 36 games. He also struck out 63 batters in 59 1/3 innings of work.
Following his outstanding 2002 season, Valentine was involved in a major trade that sent Keith Foulke
Keith Foulke
-Career:After graduating from Hargrave High School in Huffman, Texas in 1991, he attended Galveston College and Lewis-Clark State College in Idaho. He began his career in the minor-league system of the San Francisco Giants, but was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1997 with five other prospects...
, Mark Johnson
Mark Johnson (catcher)
Mark Landon Johnson is a former professional baseball player, a catcher who played with several major league teams, but primarily with the Chicago White Sox...
, cash and himself to the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
for players to be named later and Billy Koch
Billy Koch
William Koch is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He entered the majors with the Toronto Blue Jays and most recently pitched for the Florida Marlins in 2004.- Baseball career :...
. The players to be named later ended up being Neal Cotts
Neal Cotts
Neal James Cotts is a left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who is currently a Free Agent-College career:...
and minor leaguer Daylan Holt.
Major leagues to present
Pitching for the Sacramento RiverCats, Valentine slumped to a 1-3 record and 4.82 ERA, and was traded to the Cincinnati Reds with minor leaguer Jeff Bruksch and Aaron HarangAaron Harang
Aaron Michael Harang is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher.-Amateur career:Harang graduated from Patrick Henry High School then went on to San Diego State University...
for José Guillén
José Guillén
José Manuel Guillén |San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic]]) is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. A prototypical league journeyman, the Giants were the tenth team for which Guillén has played since his major league debut in 1997....
. In nine games with the Louisville Bats
Louisville Bats
The Louisville Bats, which play in Louisville, Kentucky, are the AAA minor league baseball affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. The team, formerly known as the Louisville RiverBats, plays in the International League...
, he went 1-0 with a 0.79 ERA, prompting his promotion to the majors. Facing the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
on August 24, Valentine appeared in his first big league game, allowing one run
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
in one inning of work. He appeared in two games in the majors in , posting an ERA of 18.00. Overall in the minors, he went 2-3 with a 4.10 ERA.
was the first season in which Valentine had ever started
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
a game professionally. He made 24 appearances for the Reds that year, making one start (which he lost) and posting a 2-3 record with a 5.22 ERA. In 30 minor league appearances (nine starts), all with the Bats, he went 5-5 with a 5.01 ERA.
Valentine had a poor year in . In 16 major league appearances with the Reds, he went 0-1 with a 8.16 ERA. In 49 relief appearances with the Bats, he went 0-7 with a 5.70 ERA. Combined, he went 0-8 with a 6.22 ERA. He was granted free agency
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
in December.
Signed by the Houston Astros, Valentine made 20 appearances with their Triple-A affiliate, the Round Rock Express
Round Rock Express
The Round Rock Express is a class Triple-A Pacific Coast League minor league baseball team in Round Rock, Texas, owned by RSR Sports and founded by Reid Ryan, son of Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. The team is affiliated with the Texas Rangers, for whom Nolan Ryan serves as the president and...
. With them, he went 1-2 with a 4.70 ERA. In June, he was released, and in early July he was picked up by the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. In 22 games with their Double-A affiliate the Huntsville Stars
Huntsville Stars
The Huntsville Stars are a minor league baseball team of the Southern League and are the Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Huntsville, Alabama and are named for the space industry with which Huntsville is economically tied .The Stars play their home games at Joe W...
, he went 2-0 with a 2.97 ERA, saving 13 games. Combined, he went 3-2 with a 3.84 ERA in 61 innings that season.
Despite pitching well during the second half of the season, Valentine was granted free agency by the Brewers. He was not picked up by any major league baseball team, so he went to pitch in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
with the Chunichi Dragons
Chunichi Dragons
The are a professional baseball team based in Nagoya, the chief city in the Chubu region of Japan. The team is in the Central League. They won the 2007 Japan Series and 2007 Asia Series.-History:...
(he never actually pitched for them; he pitched for their farm team). They released him in June, and the Long Island Ducks
Long Island Ducks
The Long Island Ducks is an American professional baseball team based in Central Islip, New York. They are a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
of the independent Atlantic League
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball is a professional, independent baseball organization located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, especially the greater metropolitan areas of the Northeast megalopolis. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League...
picked him up. In 37 relief appearances with them, he went 4-2 with a 1.54 ERA, striking out 37 batters in 35 innings of work.
Valentine started the season with the Ducks, making 14 appearances with them, saving six games and posting a 2-1 record and 1.62 ERA. In May, the Phillies signed him and assigned him to their Double-A affiliate, the Reading Phillies
Reading Phillies
The Reading Phillies are a minor league baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League. Since the 1967 season, they have been the AA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies....
. After his release in June, Valentine re-signed with the Ducks, but on August 4 his contract was purchased by the Cincinnati Reds, where he was assigned to Double-A Chattanooga
Chattanooga Lookouts
The Chattanooga Lookouts are a minor league baseball team based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. They are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team, which plays in the Southern League, has been a Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club since the 2009 season. The Lookouts...
. He became a free agent at the end of the season. He returned to the Ducks in , and in signed with Veracruz.
So far in his big league career, Valentine is 2-4 with a 6.70 ERA.