Matt DeSalvo

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**Matt DeSalvo**
DeSalvo with the Scarnton Wilkes Barre Yankees
Atlanta Braves — No. 66
Starting pitcher
Born: September 11, 1980 (1980-09-11) (age 27) New Castle, Pennsylvania
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
Major League Baseball debut
May 7, 2007 for the New York Yankees
Selected MLB statistics (through 2007)
Win-Loss	1-3
Earned run average	6.18
Strikeouts	10
Teams
New York Yankees (2007)

Matthew Thomas "Matt" DeSalvo (born September 11, 1980 in New Castle, Pennsylvania) is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher in the Atlanta Braves organization. He made his debut on May 7, 2007, against the Seattle Mariners going 7 innings and only giving up 3 hits.

[edit] Baseball career

DeSalvo graduated from Union Area High School located in New Castle, Pennsylvania in 1998.

DeSalvo graduated from Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio with a bachelor's degree in environmental science in 2003. He holds the NCAA Division III] record for career wins (53), strikeouts in a season (205), and strikeouts in a career (603). His records for career wins and career strikeouts are NCAA All-Division records.

During the summer, DeSalvo was an All-League player for the Delaware Cows of the Great Lakes League, He also played for the Danbury Westerners of the NECBL (New England Collegiate Baseball League.)

DeSalvo was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Yankees in 2003.

In 2005 he posted a 9-5 record and a 3.02 ERA in 24 starts with the Trenton Thunder.

In 2006 his control deserted him, as he averaged 6.8 and 7.9 walks per 9 innings in, respectively, 78 innings at Trenton and 38.2 innings at AAA Columbus.

In the Minor Leagues from 2003-06, he averaged 7 hits, 5 walks, and 8 strikeouts per 9 innings. On January 26, 2007, DeSalvo was designated for assignment so the Yankees could sign infielder Miguel Cairo.[1] He cleared waivers, and was sent outright to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on February 1.[2]

At spring training for the Yankees in 2007, his pitching turned heads. "I was in shock, that's how filthy his [stuff] was" Jason Giambi said. "How can another team not take him when he was off the roster?" Larry Bowa asked.[3]

Matt DeSalvo made his major league debut for the New York Yankees Monday, May 7th, against the Seattle Mariners. He pitched 7 innings giving up only 3 hits and 1 run, but received a no decision in the Yankees' 3-2 loss.

On May 13, 2007 Matt DeSalvo got his first MLB win against the Seattle Mariners. He went 6.2 innings with 2 strikeouts, while only giving up 7 hits and 2 runs.

On January 5, 2008 he signed a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves.

DeSalvo is a voracious reader, who in February 2007 was working on a selection of five books at once.[4] He has a reading list with over 400 titles, and has read about 200 so far. Remarkably, the books are not recreational or easy reading, but are titles like Albert Camus' Myth of Sisyphus and Christa Wolf's In Search of Christa. [5]