Camilo Pascual
Camilo Pascual | |
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Pitcher | |
Born: Havana, Cuba | January 20, 1934|
Batted:Right Threw:Right | |
MLB debut | |
April 15, 1954, for the Washington Senators | |
Last MLB appearance | |
May 5, 1971, for the Cleveland Indians | |
MLB statistics | |
Win–loss record | 174–170 |
Earned run average | 3.63 |
Strikeouts | 2,167 |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
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Member of the Cuban | |
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Induction | 2014 |
Camilo Alberto Pascual Lus(born January 20, 1934) is a Cuban formerMajor League Baseballright-handedpitcher.During an 18-year baseball career (1954–71), he played for the original modernWashington Senatorsfranchise (which became theMinnesota Twinsin 1961), the second edition of theWashington Senators,Cincinnati Reds,Los Angeles Dodgers,andCleveland Indians.He was also known by the nicknames "Camile" and "Little Potato."[1]
Pascual's best pitches were his fastball and devastating overhand curveball, described byTed Williamsas the "most feared curveball in the American League for 18 years".[2]His curveball has been rated in the top 10 of all-time. Over his career, he compiled 174wins,2,167strikeouts,and a 3.63earned run average.He was elected to the American LeagueAll-Starteam 5 times (from 1959 to 1962, and in 1964). In the second1961 All-Star Game,he pitched three hitless innings and struck out four. He holds the opening day strikeout record as he fanned 15 in a 10-1 win versus the Boston Red Sox in the 1960 season opener.
Playing career
[edit]As a 17-year-old, Pascual left Havana and spent the 1951 season as a minor league free agent pitching for the Class-D Chickasha Chiefs in the OklahomaSooner State Leagueand two Class-C teams, the Big Spring Broncs in theLonghorn LeagueandGeneva Robinsin the New YorkBorder League.[3]The latter team was made up largely of Cuban players signed by Washington Senator's scoutJoe Cambriaincluding future Minnesota Twins teammateJulio Bécquer.[4][5]Pascual would finish the season with a combined record of 5–4 with a 4.64 ERA and 46 walks in 64 innings. Despite his less than overwhelming stats, the 18-year-old Pascual was signed by the Washington Senators as an amateur free agent prior to the start of the 1952 season.[1]Pascual would spend the 1952 season in Class-B pitching for theHavana Cubansand theTampa Smokersin theFlorida International League,improving to an 8–6 record with a 2.88 ERA and only 66walksin 122inningsover 24 games. He would be back at Havana for the entire 1953 season and would compile similar stats as the year before (10-6, 3.00 ERA, 68 walks, 141 Inn in 25 games). Following the season, he would play for his hometownElefantes de Cienfuegoscompeting for theCaribbean World Series.He would continue to play for Cienfuegos orTigres de MarianaountilFidel Castroclosed the country in 1961.[6]
Pascual would go north with the Senators in 1954 and would make his major league debut on April 15, mopping up the last 3 innings of a 6–1 loss to theBoston Red Soxfor losing pitcherBob Porterfield.[7]the 20-year-old Pascual would put in an encouraging rookie season for the 66–88 Senators, finishing 4–7 with a 4.22 ERA, 3 saves and onecomplete gamein 48 appearances (3 starts). However, walks would continue to plague the young pitcher, as he would finish the season with astrikeout-to-walk ratioof less than one (60strikeoutsand 61 walks). Pascaul would continue to be used primarily as a reliever in 1955 and would improve his strikeout ratio, but this would be about the only statistic where he would improve on over his rookie season as he would finish with a 2–12 record and 6.14 ERA – mirroring the club as a whole which won only 53 games. However, Pascual would steadily improve, lowering his ERA and increasing his Win total every year from 1955 to 1959, and he would be named to his first of four consecutive All-Star teams in 1959. Pascual finished 1959 with 17–10 record, a 2.64 ERA, and 185 strikeouts in238+2⁄3innings. He also led the league in both complete games (17) and shutouts (6), while also receiving some support in the MVP balloting.[8]
The period from 1959 to 1964 would see Pascual's peak years. He would win at least 12 games every season while leading the league in complete games, shutouts, and strikeouts three times each and racking up all five of his All-Star games appearances. In 1962 Pascual went 20-11 and led the league in complete games, shutouts and strikeouts to help notch his first 20-win season.[9]In 1963 he had arguably his best season with a 21-9 win lost record, a 2.46 ERA, leading the league in complete games and strikeouts. 1965 would see the Twins/Washington franchise return to the World Series for the first time since Washington lost the 1933 series to theNew York Giants.However, after starting the season 8–2, injuries limited Pascual to nine relatively ineffective second-half starts and he lost his World Series matchup withClaude Osteenin Game 3. Pascual would continue to have arm problems in 1966 and would pitch only 103 innings in 21 games, both career lows.
Seeing the writing on the wall, the Twins traded Pascual and once-promising second basemanBernie Allenon December 3, 1966 to the new Washington Senators for 35-year-old relief pitcherRon Kline.Although no longer over-powering or the durable innings-eater he had once been, Pascual would have a minor renaissance during the 1967 and 1968 seasons while in Washington winning a total of 25 games while leading the Senator' staff in wins and finishing second in both innings and strikeouts both seasons.[10][11]However Pascual would get off to a brutal start in 1969 (2-5, 6.83 ERA, 38 walks in55+1⁄3innings) and Washington would sell him to the Cincinnati Reds on July 7, where he gave up seven runs in seven innings over the rest of the year. Unable to make the club in spring training 1970, the Reds released Pascual on April 13 with the Los Angeles Dodgers signing him the same day. He would pitch for the Dodgers until August and for the Cleveland Indians for the first half of the 1971 season, but would only see action in a total of 19 games and he would retire at the end of the season.
Over his career, Pascual led the league in strikeouts in 1961 (221), 1962 (206), and 1963 (202) and as of the start of the 2020 season, he is 68th on the all-time strikeout list. However, he was also in the top 10 in the league in walks and home runs allowed five times in his career and is 87th and 114th all-time in those categories as of the start of the 2020 season. Pascual led the league in complete games three times (1959, 62, 63), and came in second two more times (1961, 64). Pascual was a 20-game winner twice, in 1962–63, and also finished with a career-high in complete games (18) in both of those seasons.
Pascual posted a.205batting average(198-for-967) with 71runs,32doubles,5triples,5home runs,81RBIand 46bases on balls.Defensively, he recorded a.973fielding percentage.[1]He is one of only 7 pitchers in MLB history to hit 2 grand slams, the first on August 14, 1960, in a game against the New York Yankees, and the second on August 27, 1965 in the 1st inning of a game against the Cleveland Indians.
- Pascual is the younger brother of former major league pitcherCarlos Pascual,whose nickname ofPotatoearned Pascual the nickname ofLittle Potato.[1]
Retirement
[edit]After his playing career ended, Pascual retired to Miami where he had lived since 1960.[6]From 1978 to 1980, Pascual was the Minnesota Twins pitching coach for managerGene Mauch.Since 1989, he has worked as international scout for theOakland Athletics,New York Mets,and theLos Angeles Dodgers,for whom he currently scouts Venezuela.[12][13]Among the major leaguers Pascual has signed areJose Canseco,Alex Cora,Omar Daal,Miguel Cairo,andFranklin Gutiérrez.[13]
Honors
[edit]In 1983, Pascual was elected to theCuban Baseball Hall of Fame.Then, in 1996 he gained induction into theCaribbean Baseball Hall of Fameas part of their first class. His six victories in theCaribbean Seriesties him withJosé BrachoandRubén Gómezfor the most all-time wins in the tournament.[citation needed]
On May 29, 2010, he was elected in the inaugural class of the Latino Baseball Hall of Fame at the Roman Amphitheater inAltos de Chavón,in theDominican Republic.[14]He later became the 24th former Twins player inducted into theTwins Hall of Fame,during a ceremony held on July 15, 2012.[15]
He was honored on February 18, 2017, when his name was added to the "Pitching Wall of Great Achievement" at theTed Williams Museumin St. Petersburg, Florida.[16]
See also
[edit]- List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders
Notes
[edit]- ^abcd"Camilo Pascual Statistics and History - Baseball-Reference".RetrievedJuly 6,2016.
- ^James, Bill;Neyer, Rob(2004),The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers,New York: Simon & Schuster,ISBN0-7432-6158-5,p. 336.
- ^"Camilo Pascual Register Statistics & History - Baseball-Reference".RetrievedJuly 6,2016.
- ^"1951 Geneva Robins Statistics -- Register - Baseball-Reference".RetrievedJuly 6,2016.
- ^"Reusse: Camilo and his curveball deserve spot in Twins' Hall".Star Tribune.RetrievedJuly 6,2016.
- ^ab"Camilo Pascual - Best of Miami® 2000: Your Key to the City".RetrievedJuly 6,2016.
- ^"April 15, 1954 Washington Senators at Boston Red Sox Play by Play and Box Score - Baseball-Reference".RetrievedJuly 6,2016.
- ^"1959 Awards Voting - Baseball-Reference".RetrievedJuly 6,2016.
- ^"Twins HOF honoree Pascual reminisces".Star Tribune.RetrievedJuly 6,2016.
- ^"1967 Washington Senators Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics - Baseball-Reference".RetrievedJuly 6,2016.
- ^"1968 Washington Senators Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics - Baseball-Reference".RetrievedJuly 6,2016.
- ^"Players Portal - The Baseball Cube".RetrievedJuly 6,2016.
- ^ab"TalkRadio 790 KABC-AM - Los Angeles".Archived fromthe originalon September 27, 2011.RetrievedApril 13,2011.
- ^"Salon de la Fama del Beisbol Latino".RetrievedJuly 6,2016.
- ^"Twins right fielder Revere showing athleticism".Star Tribune.RetrievedJuly 6,2016.
- ^Marc Topkin (February 19, 2017). "Ted Williams Hall welcomes a grateful Rose".Tampa Bay Times.p. 6C.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics and player information fromBaseball Reference,orFangraphs,orBaseball Reference (Minors),orRetrosheet
- Baseball Gauge
- Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
- Bio from Cool of the Evening: The 1965 Minnesota Twins
- BIography by Rogério Manzano(Spanish)
- 1934 births
- American League All-Stars
- American League strikeout champions
- Big Spring Broncs players
- Chickasha Chiefs players
- Cienfuegos players
- Cincinnati Reds players
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- Geneva Robins players
- Havana Cubans players
- Leones del Caracas players
- Cuban expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
- Living people
- Los Angeles Dodgers players
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- Major League Baseball pitchers
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