Matt DeSalvo
Encyclopedia
Matthew Thomas DeSalvo is a Major League Baseball
pitcher
who is with the independent York Revolution
. He made his major league debut with the New York Yankees
on May 7, , against the Seattle Mariners
going 7 innings and only giving up 3 hits
.
DeSalvo graduated from Marietta College
in Marietta, Ohio
with a bachelor's degree in environmental science in 2003. He holds the NCAA Division III record for career wins
(53), strikeout
s in a season (205), and strikeouts in a career (603.) His records for career wins and career strikeouts are NCAA All-Division records.
During the summer, DeSalvo was an All-League player for the Delaware Cows of the Great Lakes League, He also played for the Danbury Westerners of the NECBL (New England Collegiate Baseball League.)
DeSalvo was signed as an undrafted free agent
by the New York Yankees
in .
In , he posted a 9-5 record and a 17.02 ERA
in 24 starts with the Trenton Thunder
.
In , his control deserted him, as he averaged 15 and 7.9 walks
per 9 innings in, respectively, 78 innings at Trenton and 38.2 innings at Triple-A Columbus Clippers
.
In the minor leagues from 2003–06, he averaged 7 hits, 5 walks, and 8 strikeouts per 9 innings.
On January 26, 2007, DeSalvo was designated for assignment
. He cleared waivers, and was sent outright to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on February 1.
At spring training
for the Yankees in 2007, his pitching turned heads. "I was in shock, that's how filthy his [stuff] was" Jason Giambi
said. "How can another team not take him when he was off the roster?" Larry Bowa
asked.
DeSalvo made his major league debut for the Yankees on May 7, against the Seattle Mariners. He pitched 7 innings giving up 3 hits and 1 run, but received a no decision in the Yankees' 3-2 loss.
On May 13, 2007, DeSalvo got his first MLB win against the Mariners. He went 6.2 innings with 2 strikeouts, while only giving up 7 hits and 2 runs
.
On January 5, , he signed a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves. On August 15, he was called up from the Richmond Braves
to replace Tom Glavine
on the Braves roster, and was briefly used in the bullpen before being sent back down on August 23. DeSalvo was released on September 4 after refusing an outright assignment to the minors.
On January 29, , he signed a minor league deal with the New York Mets
. He was released by the Mets on April 4. On May 25, DeSalvo was signed to a minor league deal by the Tampa Bay Rays
. On August 12, 2009 DeSalvo was released by the Tampa Bay Rays
. On August 15, 2009, DeSalvo signed a minor league contract with the Florida Marlins
. On May 3, 2010, DeSalvo was released by the Florida Marlins.
On August 15, 2010, he signed and was activated by the York Revolution of the independent Atlantic League. He started that same day against the Lancaster Barnstormers. He pitched 5 innings, striking out 7 and giving up 6 earned runs. He was the winning pitcher thanks to a 18 run outburst by the York team.
On February 10, 2011, he signed a contract with the York Revolution. Despite being injured for much of the second half, he finished the season third in the Atlantic League in strikeouts with 108 and fourth in ERA at 3.89. He returned to pitch an inning in the final regular season game. He then pitched in both the divisional series win against Lancaster and the championship series win vs. Long Island. He was on the mound when the final out was recorded.
' Myth of Sisyphus and Christa Wolf
's In Search of Christa.
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...
who is with the independent York Revolution
York Revolution
The York Revolution is an American professional baseball team based in York, Pennsylvania. It is a member of the Freedom Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent league not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
. He made his major league debut with the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
on May 7, , against the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
going 7 innings and only giving up 3 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
.
Baseball career
DeSalvo graduated from Union Area High School located in New Castle, Pennsylvania in 1998.DeSalvo graduated from Marietta College
Marietta College
Marietta College is a co-educational private college in Marietta, Ohio, USA, which was the first permanent settlement of the Northwest Territory. The school offers 42 majors along with a large number of minors, all of which are grounded in a strong liberal arts foundation...
in Marietta, Ohio
Marietta, Ohio
Marietta is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Ohio, United States. During 1788, pioneers to the Ohio Country established Marietta as the first permanent American settlement of the new United States in the Northwest Territory. Marietta is located in southeastern Ohio at the mouth...
with a bachelor's degree in environmental science in 2003. He holds the NCAA Division III record for career wins
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
(53), strikeout
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....
s in a season (205), and strikeouts in a career (603.) His records for career wins and career strikeouts are NCAA All-Division records.
During the summer, DeSalvo was an All-League player for the Delaware Cows of the Great Lakes League, He also played for the Danbury Westerners of the NECBL (New England Collegiate Baseball League.)
DeSalvo was signed as an undrafted free agent
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....
by the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in .
In , he posted a 9-5 record and a 17.02 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 24 starts with the Trenton Thunder
Trenton Thunder
The Trenton Thunder are an American Minor League Baseball team and are the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. The Thunder play in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League, and are the two-time defending league champions...
.
In , his control deserted him, as he averaged 15 and 7.9 walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
per 9 innings in, respectively, 78 innings at Trenton and 38.2 innings at Triple-A Columbus Clippers
Columbus Clippers
The Columbus Clippers are a minor league baseball team based in Columbus, Ohio. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The team is owned by the government of Franklin County, Ohio....
.
In the minor leagues from 2003–06, he averaged 7 hits, 5 walks, and 8 strikeouts per 9 innings.
On January 26, 2007, DeSalvo was designated for assignment
Designated for assignment
Designated for assignment is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball. When a player is designated for assignment, he is immediately removed from the club's 40-man roster. This gives the club 10 days to decide what to do with the player while freeing up a roster spot for another...
. He cleared waivers, and was sent outright to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on February 1.
At spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
for the Yankees in 2007, his pitching turned heads. "I was in shock, that's how filthy his [stuff] was" Jason Giambi
Jason Giambi
Jason Gilbert Giambi is an American professional baseball first baseman with the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball.He was the American League MVP in 2000 while with the Oakland Athletics, and is a five-time All-Star who has led the American League in walks four times, in on base percentage...
said. "How can another team not take him when he was off the roster?" Larry Bowa
Larry Bowa
Lawrence Robert Bowa is a former middle infielder, playing mainly as a shortstop, and manager in Major League Baseball.-Early life:...
asked.
DeSalvo made his major league debut for the Yankees on May 7, against the Seattle Mariners. He pitched 7 innings giving up 3 hits and 1 run, but received a no decision in the Yankees' 3-2 loss.
On May 13, 2007, DeSalvo got his first MLB win against the Mariners. He went 6.2 innings with 2 strikeouts, while only giving up 7 hits and 2 runs
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...
.
On January 5, , he signed a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves. On August 15, he was called up from the Richmond Braves
Richmond Braves
The Richmond Braves were the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and played in the International League. Colloquially referred to as the R-Braves, they were based in Richmond, Virginia, where they played from 1966, when the Milwaukee Braves moved to Atlanta where their AAA team, the Crackers,...
to replace Tom Glavine
Tom Glavine
Thomas Michael Glavine is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher.With 164 victories during the 1990s, Glavine was the second winningest pitcher in the National League, second only to teammate Greg Maddux's 176...
on the Braves roster, and was briefly used in the bullpen before being sent back down on August 23. DeSalvo was released on September 4 after refusing an outright assignment to the minors.
On January 29, , he signed a minor league deal with the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. He was released by the Mets on April 4. On May 25, DeSalvo was signed to a minor league deal by the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
. On August 12, 2009 DeSalvo was released by the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
. On August 15, 2009, DeSalvo signed a minor league contract with the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
. On May 3, 2010, DeSalvo was released by the Florida Marlins.
On August 15, 2010, he signed and was activated by the York Revolution of the independent Atlantic League. He started that same day against the Lancaster Barnstormers. He pitched 5 innings, striking out 7 and giving up 6 earned runs. He was the winning pitcher thanks to a 18 run outburst by the York team.
On February 10, 2011, he signed a contract with the York Revolution. Despite being injured for much of the second half, he finished the season third in the Atlantic League in strikeouts with 108 and fourth in ERA at 3.89. He returned to pitch an inning in the final regular season game. He then pitched in both the divisional series win against Lancaster and the championship series win vs. Long Island. He was on the mound when the final out was recorded.
Personal life
DeSalvo is a voracious reader, who in February 2007, was working on a selection of five books at once. He has a reading list with over 400 titles, and has read about 200 so far, including Albert CamusAlbert Camus
Albert Camus was a French author, journalist, and key philosopher of the 20th century. In 1949, Camus founded the Group for International Liaisons within the Revolutionary Union Movement, which was opposed to some tendencies of the Surrealist movement of André Breton.Camus was awarded the 1957...
' Myth of Sisyphus and Christa Wolf
Christa Wolf
Christa Wolf was a German literary critic, novelist, and essayist. She is one of the best-known writers to have emerged from the former East Germany.-Biography:...
's In Search of Christa.