Francisco Cervelli
From BR Bullpen
Francisco Cervelli
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 1", Weight 210 lb.
- Debut September 18, 2008
[edit] Biographical Information
Catcher Francisco Cervelli was seriously injured in a collision at home plate during spring training 2008 in a game against the Tampa Bay Rays. He was a top New York Yankees prospect at that point after hitting .279 with an OBP 100 points higher for the Class-A Tampa Yankees in 2007. However, the injury shortened his 2008 season to 27 games for three different minor league teams. Still, he showed that he remained on track for the majors during his time with the AA Trenton Thunder, where he put up a line of .315/.432/.816 in 21 games. That earned him a late-season call-up to the big leagues in September, and he went 0 for 5 in 3 games in his cup of coffee in pinstripes.
While Cervelli was born in Venezuela, his family background is Italian. He was recruited by the Italian national baseball team for the 2009 World Baseball Classic and started his team's second game behind the plate against Canada. He was called up by the Yankees early in the 2009 season when regualr catchers Jorge Posada and Jose Molina were sidelined in turn by injuries.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- Won a World Series with the New York Yankees in 2009 (he did not play in the World Series)
