Juan Carlos Pulido

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Juan Carlos Pulido [poo-LEE-do] (born August 5, 1971 in Caracas, Venezuela) is a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played with the Minnesota Twins (1994, 2003-04). He bats and throws left-handed.

Signed at 18 in 1989 by Minnesota, the hard-throwing Pulido was a bright prospect in the Twins' system, but a 1995 arm injury ruined his chances as a starting pitcher. In a three-year career, Pulido has compiled a 3-8 record with 47 strikeouts and a 5.98 ERA in 111.1 innings.

Pulido has the dubious distinction of having the longest gap in true major league service time of any major league player. He pitched for the Twins in 1994, but then spent nearly a decade languishing in the minor leagues and leagues in other countries. He returned to the Twins in 2003 -- a nine-year absence from the majors. Minnie Minoso and Satchel Paige did see longer gaps in their major league careers. However, their returns to the majors were brief publicity stunts. In contrast, Pulido actually contributed to a contending team in 2003 and 2004.