Ron Villone

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Ron Villone
New York Yankees — No. 47
Pitcher
Bats: Left Throws: Left
Major League Baseball debut
April 28, 1995 for the Seattle Mariners
Selected MLB statistics
(through 2006)
Record     55-57
ERA     4.78
Strikeouts     817
Teams

    Ronald Thomas Villone Jr. (born January 16, 1970 in Englewood, New Jersey) is a left-handed relief pitcher for the New York Yankees. Villone is married and resides in Edgewater, New Jersey with his wife, Brooke. They have a daughter, Megan, who was born on March 26, 1996. Their son, Ronald Thomas III, was born on September 14, 1997.

    Contents

    [edit] College career

    Ron attended the University of Massachusetts and was a two-sport star, playing baseball and football. At 6’-3’’ and 245 pounds, Villone was a tight end when he played football, and he had success with it. In 1990, he was selected as a first team All-Yankee Conference tight end.

    His natural strength was on the pitcher’s mound. Even though he was a tight end, he had more success pitching. In 1991, Villone was the recipient of the Atlantic-10 Left Handed Pitcher of the Year. Not only did he pitch for Team USA in 1992, he also was a third-team All American Selection after striking out 89 in just 59 1/3 innings.

    [edit] Early Career

    Villone was drafted in the first round (14th overall) of the 1992 Amateur Entry Draft. Seattle assigned him to Bourne of the Cape Cod League. He had an impressive debut, striking out 18, and in his next outing, he fanned 14.

    In 1993, the Mariners assigned him to Riverside, California, at the time; it was the Advanced-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. He posted respectable numbers, going 7-4 with a 4.21 ERA in 16 starts. He pitched 83 1/3 innings, allowing 74 hits, walking 62, and striking out 82. These numbers were so good that he earned a promotion to their AA affiliate, Jacksonville (Seattle’s AA affiliate today is San Antonio). At Jacksonville, he went 3-4 with a 4.38 earned run average in 11 starts. In 63 2/3 innings, Villone allowed a total of 49 hits, 41 walks, and 66 strikeouts. Meanwhile, his walks per nine decreased in Jacksonville, as well as his walks and hits allowed per innings pitched. However, his strikeouts per nine innings pitched increased to 9.33, averaging more than one strikeout per inning.

    Ron stayed in Jacksonville for the 1994 season, going 6-7 with a 3.86 earned run average. In 41 games, (only five of them were starts); he pitched 79 1/3 innings, allowing just 56 hits, 19 walks, and 43 strikeouts. Although he was not the full-time closer, Villone compiled eight saves in the 1994 season.

    [edit] Before the Millennium: 1994-1999

    Because of his stellar 1994 campaign, Seattle promoted him, effective at the start of the 1995 season, to their AAA affiliate, Tacoma (still their affiliate today). He had a magnificent start to the 1995 season, going 1-0 with a 0.61 earned run average. In 22 appearances as the full-time closer, Villone saved 13 games and struck out 43 batters.

    Villone was recalled from AAA on April 28, 1995, but he struggled, like most rookie pitchers do. He posted an 0-2 record with a 7.91 earned run average. He walked 23 batters, but struck out 26. He was a victim of the long ball, allowing six home runs.

    On July 31, 1995, Mariners General Manager Woody Woodward (At the time, he was the General Manager) dealt Villone and Marc Newfield to San Diego in exchange for Greg Keagle and Andy Benes. Villone spent the remainder of the season with the San Diego Padres, going 2-1 with a 4.21 earned run average. In 25 2/3 innings, Villone gave up 24 hits, 11 walks while striking out 37.

    He started the 1996 season with San Diego’s AAA Affiliate, Las Vegas (San Diego’s AAA affiliate today is Portland). Villone proved that he could be dominant, so, San Diego called him up. He was just as brilliant with the Padres, going 1-1 in 21 games with a 2.95 earned run average. He pitched 18 1/3 innings, recording 17 hits, 7 walks, and 19 strikeouts.

    On July 31, 1996, the Padres shipped Villone, Bryce Florie, and Marc Newfield to the Milwaukee Brewers for Gerald Parent and Greg Vaughn. Despite the trade, Villone still had success in Milwaukee, pitching 24 2/3 innings (23 games), allowing 14 hits, 18 walks, and 9 earned runs (3.28 earned run average).

    Ron Villone stayed in the majors for the entire 1997 campaign. He pitched another season for the Milwaukee Brewers, going 1-0 with a 3.42 earned run average. His workload increased, as he pitched in 50 games (52 2/3 innings), giving up 54 hits, and 36 walks. For the second straight year, Villone averaged less than one strikeout per 9 innings. (In 1997, he fanned 40 in 52 2/3 innings)

    On December 8, 1997, he was forced to pack his bags, once again, as Milwaukee traded Villone, Ben McDonald, and Mike Fetters to Cleveland. As part of the deal, Jeff Juden and Marquis Grissom went to Milwaukee. This was the third consecutive year that Villone was traded, but this was the first year in which he was not dealt midway through the year.

    It was a rough year in 1998 for Ron, especially considering the fact that he split time with Buffalo (Cleveland’s AAA affiliate) and the major-league club (Cleveland Indians). He had a better time in Buffalo, going 2-2 with a 2.01 earned run average in 23 appearances. In 22 1/3 innings, he gave up 20 hits and walked 11. Apparently, he had more velocity, because he struck out 28 batters. Unfortunately, he could not maintain control in Cleveland, as he walked 22 in 27 innings (25 outings). He also gave up 30 hits, and had an earned run average of 6.00.

    On April 2, 1999, Cleveland released Ron Villone. At the time, he seemed to hit rock bottom. Three days later, the Cincinnati Reds signed him, and he was back in business as a starting pitcher/long reliever. During the 1999 season, he won nine games, lost seven, and had an earned run average of 4.23. He pitched in 29 games (22 starts) pitching 142 2/3 innings. One hundred fourteen batters reached base via the hit, while 73 reached courtesy of the base on balls. Even though the strikeouts per nine innings went down (4.91), he proved to be effective.

    [edit] From the Millennium to 2005

    In 2000, he was not as effective, yet he posted a .500 record (10-10). He walked more batters (78), struck out less (77), allowed more hits (154), and had a higher earned run average (5.43) than the 1999 season.

    On November 8, 2000 (the beginning of the off-season), he was dealt to the Colorado Rockies for Jeff Taglienti and Justin Carter. Ron never felt comfortable in the thin air of Colorado, and his numbers show it. As a spot starter and long reliever, he went 1-3 with an inflated 6.36 earned run average. In 22 games (6 starts), he pitched 46 2/3 innings, allowing 56 hits, and 29 walks. On a positive note, he struck out 48.

    June 27, 2001 marked the fifth time that Ron Villone was traded. On this occasion, he was dealt to the Houston Astros for Jay Powell. Meanwhile, Villone continued to struggle, as he went 5-7 with a 5.56 earned run average. He continued to be a spot starter/long reliever on the Astros’ pitching staff. In 68 innings, he gave up 77 hits, but lowered his walk total to 24. Thanks to strike three, he sent 65 batters back to the dugout empty-handed.

    Ron Villone was granted free agency on November 5, 2001. On February 16, 2002, the Pittsburgh Pirates signed him to a one-year contract. With the Pirates, he went 4-6 with a 5.81 earned run average. Over 45 games (seven starts), he pitched 93 innings, allowed 95 hits, 34 walks, and 55 strikeouts. Villone was granted free agency on October 29, 2003.

    Five months later, he signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. They assigned him to Tucson, their AAA affiliate. While at Tucson, Ron posted a 1-1 record with a 3.55 earned run average. However, they assigned him to pitch exclusively out of the bullpen. In 25 1/3 innings, he allowed 20 hits, 12 walks, while recording 22 k’s (strikeouts). Much to Villone’s surprise, on May 15, 2006, the Diamondbacks released him.

    Scouts of the Houston Astros noticed that he was released, so they jumped all over him. On May 19, 2003, Astros’ general manager Gerry Hunsicker (not with the organization today) announced the signing of Ron Villone to a one-year deal. He was assigned to AAA New Orleans, which is wear Villone shined. A 3-1 record and a 1.23 earned run average in 5 starts (29 1/3 innings) earned him a trip to the big leagues, where he went 6-6 with a 4.13 earned run average. All 19 outings with the Astros were starts, amassing 106 2/3 innings. He allowed a total of 91 hits, 48 walks, and 91 strikeouts.

    On November 2, 2003, Villone chose to test the free agent market, once again. The Seattle Mariners showed a lot of interest, and signed him to a one-year contract. In fact, Villone had a decent season with them, going 8-6 with a 4.08 earned run average. Again, Villone was forced into a long relief/spot starter role, something that he was accustomed to from his days with Houston, Colorado, and Pittsburgh. In 117 innings, Villone gave up 102 hits, and 664 walks, while striking out 86. However, his contract expired at the end of the season; therefore, he tested free agency once again. Ironically, the Seattle Mariners inked him to a one-year deal on December 19, 2004. In the 2005 season, Ron went 2-3 with a 2.45 earned run average. Used primarily as a lefty specialist, he pitched 40 1/3 innings, allowing 33 hits, 23 walks, and 41 strikeouts.

    On Deadline Day 2005 (July 31, 2005), the Mariners sent Ron Villone to the Florida Marlins in exchange for Yorman Bazarao and Mike Flannery. As a Marlin, Villone pitched in 27 games (23 2/3 innings), mostly as a lefty specialist. He gave up 24 hits, 12 walks, and 29 strikeouts. Apparently, Villone did not like pitching in a ghost town (Marlins games draw very few fans) because he posted a 6.85 earned run average.

    [edit] Current

    Ron, literally, went from one of the worst to the team that was first. On November 16, 2005, the Marlins sent Ron Villone to the New York Yankees for Ben Julianel. Since then, Villone has not looked back. He has been a workhorse in the Yankee bullpen, posting very good numbers through the first half of the season, yet his August and September results have tailed off sharply. Still, the Yankees have a dearth of left-handed pitching in 2006, so Villone continues to be used when the game is not on the line.

    [edit] References/External links

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