Jason Simontacchi
Encyclopedia
Jason William Simontacchi (born November 13, 1973 in Mountain View, California
) is a baseball
starting pitcher
for the Lancaster Barnstormers
of the independent Atlantic League
. He has played four years in the major leagues, from - and . He pitched in the minors from - and from -2004, in the minor league organizations of the Kansas City Royals
(1996-), Pittsburgh Pirates
(1999), Minnesota Twins
(2001), and St. Louis Cardinals
(2002–2004), where he made his debut.
from 1994–1996 and pledged the Cal Iota chapter of the Phi Delta Theta
fraternity as a member of the Alpha Theta pledge class. Simontacchi completed his collegiate baseball career at the College of Idaho.
champions, the Springfield Capitals, going 10-2 with an ERA
of 2.95. He also played in the Italian Professional League
for Rimini Baseball Club
and went 12-1 with a 1.17 ERA in , where he played well enough to make the roster for Italy
at the 2000 Sydney Olympics where he was the winning pitcher vs. South Africa
, pitched in relief vs. USA and was the losing pitcher vs. The Netherlands with a 1.17 ERA and 10 Strikeouts in 15.1 innings
.
, a year in which he was mostly up with the 2002 St. Louis Cardinals as a 28-year-old rookie. Through his first 13 starts with the Cardinals, he went 7-1 with a 2.82 ERA. He finished the season with an 11-5 record in 24 starts, and ninth in Rookie of the Year voting. In , he was 9-5, as a part time starter with 16 starts, with an ERA of 5.56.
Simontacchi considered playing for Italy at the 2006 World Baseball Classic, but didn't. He signed a minor-league deal with the Chicago Cubs
for the season, but his contract was voided. However, he pitched 10 games in the independent Atlantic League
for the Bridgeport Bluefish
with an ERA of 0.84. He then pitched for the Estrellas Orientales
in the Dominican Winter Baseball League and in his five starts went 3-1 with a 2.02 ERA over 27 innings.
in spring training
, and was projected to be in the Nationals starting rotation, until a groin injury sidelined him. He rehabbed in AAA, and when starters Jerome Williams
and John Patterson both went on the 15-day disabled list
in the space of 10 days, he was called up and started against the Milwaukee Brewers
on May 8, a game he pitched well until giving up a 3 run home run
in the sixth inning and getting tagged with the loss.http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIL/MIL200705080.shtml In his second start, on May 13, 2007, Mother's Day
, he pitched 5-1/3 innings, and collected his first major league win
since 2003.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/13/AR2007051300818.html By mid-July, he was 6-7 with an ERA of 6.37. He experienced elbow soreness after a start on July 15, and five days later landed on the disabled list due to right elbow tendinitis. Simontacchi became a free agent
at the end of the season.
and will be on the Venezuelan team in the 2010 Caribbean World Series. On February 3, Jason pitched against Puerto Rico. He went 4.2 innings, gave up only 1 earned run, and had 5 strikeouts.
Mountain View, California
-Downtown:Mountain View has a pedestrian-friendly downtown centered on Castro Street. The downtown area consists of the seven blocks of Castro Street from the Downtown Mountain View Station transit center in the north to the intersection with El Camino Real in the south...
) is a 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...
starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
for the Lancaster Barnstormers
Lancaster Barnstormers
The Lancaster Barnstormers is an American professional baseball team based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They are a member of the Freedom Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
of the independent Atlantic League
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball is a professional, independent baseball organization located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, especially the greater metropolitan areas of the Northeast megalopolis. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League...
. He has played four years in the major leagues, from - and . He pitched in the minors from - and from -2004, in the minor league organizations of the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
(1996-), Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
(1999), 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...
(2001), and 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...
(2002–2004), where he made his debut.
College
Jason attended San Jose State UniversitySan José State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...
from 1994–1996 and pledged the Cal Iota chapter of the Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta , also known as Phi Delt, is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 169 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S...
fraternity as a member of the Alpha Theta pledge class. Simontacchi completed his collegiate baseball career at the College of Idaho.
Minor Leagues
He was pitcher of the year in for the independent Frontier LeagueFrontier League
The Frontier League, based in Sauget, Illinois, is a professional, independent baseball organization located in the Midwestern United States, Western Pennsylvania, and Southern Ontario. It operates mostly in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either...
champions, the Springfield Capitals, going 10-2 with an 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...
of 2.95. He also played in the Italian Professional League
Serie A1 (baseball)
The Italian Baseball League is a professional baseball league that is governed by FIBS , which has its headquarters in Rome...
for Rimini Baseball Club
Rimini Baseball Club
Rimini Baseball Club is a baseball team based in Rimini. It plays in IBL, Italy's professional baseball league. It has won 11 national championships during its entire history....
and went 12-1 with a 1.17 ERA in , where he played well enough to make the roster for Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
at the 2000 Sydney Olympics where he was the winning pitcher vs. South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, pitched in relief vs. USA and was the losing pitcher vs. The Netherlands with a 1.17 ERA and 10 Strikeouts in 15.1 innings
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
.
The Majors - Rookie Year: 2002
He had an ERA of 2.34 and a record of 5-1 in 2002 for the Triple-A Memphis RedbirdsMemphis 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...
, a year in which he was mostly up with the 2002 St. Louis Cardinals as a 28-year-old rookie. Through his first 13 starts with the Cardinals, he went 7-1 with a 2.82 ERA. He finished the season with an 11-5 record in 24 starts, and ninth in Rookie of the Year voting. In , he was 9-5, as a part time starter with 16 starts, with an ERA of 5.56.
2004-2006
Simontacchi suffered right shoulder problems from a torn labrum in 2004, and was released by the Cardinals at the end of the year and he missed the season.Simontacchi considered playing for Italy at the 2006 World Baseball Classic, but didn't. He signed a minor-league deal with the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
for the season, but his contract was voided. However, he pitched 10 games in the independent Atlantic League
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball is a professional, independent baseball organization located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, especially the greater metropolitan areas of the Northeast megalopolis. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League...
for the Bridgeport Bluefish
Bridgeport Bluefish
The Bridgeport Bluefish is an American professional baseball team based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. They are a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
with an ERA of 0.84. He then pitched for the Estrellas Orientales
Estrellas Orientales
Estrellas Orientales is a baseball team in the Dominican Winter League. Based in San Pedro de Macorís, the team has historically struggled, winning championships only in 1954 and 1968.-Retired numbers:-Trivia:...
in the Dominican Winter Baseball League and in his five starts went 3-1 with a 2.02 ERA over 27 innings.
2007
In 2007, he was a non-roster invitee to the Washington NationalsWashington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
in 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...
, and was projected to be in the Nationals starting rotation, until a groin injury sidelined him. He rehabbed in AAA, and when starters Jerome Williams
Jerome Williams (baseball)
Jerome Lee Williams is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball...
and John Patterson both went on the 15-day disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
in the space of 10 days, he was called up and started against the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
on May 8, a game he pitched well until giving up a 3 run home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
in the sixth inning and getting tagged with the loss.http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIL/MIL200705080.shtml In his second start, on May 13, 2007, Mother's Day
Mother's Day
Mother's Day is a celebration honoring mothers and celebrating motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, yet most commonly in March, April, or May...
, he pitched 5-1/3 innings, and collected his first major league win
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...
since 2003.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/13/AR2007051300818.html By mid-July, he was 6-7 with an ERA of 6.37. He experienced elbow soreness after a start on July 15, and five days later landed on the disabled list due to right elbow tendinitis. Simontacchi 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....
at the end of the season.
2010
He is currently playing in the Venezuelan Winter league LVBP, with "Los Navegantes del Magallanes"and will be on the Venezuelan team in the 2010 Caribbean World Series. On February 3, Jason pitched against Puerto Rico. He went 4.2 innings, gave up only 1 earned run, and had 5 strikeouts.