Carmen Cali
Encyclopedia
Carmen Salvatore Cali is a Major League Baseball
relief pitcher
, who is currently a free agent.
Cali graduated in 1997 from Naples (Fla.) High School after lettering and starring four years in both football
and baseball
. He went on to graduate, and letter in baseball, at Florida Atlantic University
.
He was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals
in the 10th round of the 2000 MLB Draft
and made his minor league debut with the New Jersey Cardinals
. He continued through the Cards minor league system, playing with the Peoria Chiefs
, Potomac Cannons, Palm Beach Cardinals
and Memphis Redbirds
. (In 2002, while with the Cannons, Cali was featured in a Washington Post column by humorist Gene Weingarten
.)
Cali made his major league debut with the St. Louis Cardinals on September 8, against the San Diego Padres
, working 2/3 of an inning and giving up three runs. He appeared in 10 games for the Cards that September and another six in 2005.
He spent the whole season in the minors and went on to sign a minor league deal with the Minnesota Twins
on December 7, 2006. He spent the season splitting time between the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings
and the Twins, appearing in 24 games in the Majors with a record of 0-1 and a 4.71 ERA.
After spending 2008 back in the minors, he became a free agent
and signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers
. He pitched in seven games for the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts
and nine games for the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes
before he was released on June 27.
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...
relief pitcher
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...
, who is currently a free agent.
Cali graduated in 1997 from Naples (Fla.) High School after lettering and starring four years in both football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. He went on to graduate, and letter in baseball, at Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public, coeducational, research university located in , United States. The university has six satellite campuses located in the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie, and in Fort...
.
He was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
in the 10th round of the 2000 MLB Draft
MLB Draft
The First-Year Player Draft, also known as the Rule 4 Draft, is Major League Baseball's primary mechanism for assigning amateur baseball players, from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs, to its teams. The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings, with...
and made his minor league debut with the New Jersey Cardinals
New Jersey Cardinals
The New Jersey Cardinals were a Short-Season A minor league baseball team affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals. They were a member of the New York - Penn League and played at Skylands Park in Augusta, New Jersey from 1994-2005.-History:...
. He continued through the Cards minor league system, playing with the Peoria Chiefs
Peoria Chiefs
The Peoria Chiefs are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, from Peoria, Illinois. They play in the Midwest League....
, Potomac Cannons, Palm Beach Cardinals
Palm Beach Cardinals
The Palm Beach Cardinals are a minor league baseball team based in Jupiter in Palm Beach County, Florida.The team, which plays in the Florida State League, is the High-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals major-league club....
and Memphis Redbirds
Memphis Redbirds
The Memphis Redbirds are the Triple-A minor league baseball affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They play their home games at AutoZone Park in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. The stadium's capacity is 14,320. They entered the Pacific Coast League as an expansion team in 1998, and were owned as a...
. (In 2002, while with the Cannons, Cali was featured in a Washington Post column by humorist Gene Weingarten
Gene Weingarten
Gene Weingarten is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist known for both his serious and humorous work...
.)
Cali made his major league debut with the St. Louis Cardinals on September 8, against the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
, working 2/3 of an inning and giving up three runs. He appeared in 10 games for the Cards that September and another six in 2005.
He spent the whole season in the minors and went on to sign a minor league deal with the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
on December 7, 2006. He spent the season splitting time between the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
and the Twins, appearing in 24 games in the Majors with a record of 0-1 and a 4.71 ERA.
After spending 2008 back in the minors, he became a 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....
and signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. He pitched in seven games for the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts
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...
and nine games for the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes
Albuquerque Isotopes
The Albuquerque Isotopes are a minor league baseball team based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers...
before he was released on June 27.