Joe Valentine | |||
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Relief pitcher | |||
Born: Las Vegas, Nevada |
December 24, 1979 |||
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MLB debut | |||
August 23, 2003, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
MLB statistics (through 2008 season) |
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Win–loss record | 2–4 | ||
Earned run average | 4.70 | ||
Strikeouts | 39 | ||
Teams | |||
Joseph John Valentine (born December 24, 1979 in Las Vegas, Nevada) is a Major League Baseball pitcher, is currently retired from baseball. 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 is 6'2" tall, weighs 195 pounds and bats and throws right-handed.
Originally drafted by the Chicago White Sox 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 2000 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.