Dave Valle

Dave Valle
Catcher
Born: (1960-10-30) October 30, 1960
Bayside, New York
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 7, 1984, for the Seattle Mariners
Last MLB appearance
September 29, 1996, for the Texas Rangers
MLB statistics
Batting average .237
Home runs 77
Runs batted in 350
Teams

David Valle (/ˈvæli/; born October 30, 1960 in Bayside, New York) is an American former professional baseball player.[1] He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, and Texas Rangers from 1984 to 1996.[1] He attended Holy Cross High School in Flushing, NY. In 1995, Valle founded Esperanza International, a microfinance-plus organization that serves families in poverty in the Dominican Republic.[2]

Major League career

Valle was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the second round of the 1978 Major League Baseball Draft.[3] He played in the minor leagues for seven seasons before making his major league debut with the Mariners on September 7, 1984 at the age of 23.[1][4] For the next two seasons, he split his playing time with the Mariners and the Calgary Cannons of the Pacific Coast League, producing a .312 batting average with 21 home runs and 71 runs batted in with Calgary during the 1986 season.[4]

Valle led American League catchers in 1990 with a .997 fielding percentage, committing only two errors in 102 games.[5] He had his best season in 1993, hitting for a .258 batting average with 13 home runs and 63 runs batted in.[1] He also led American League catchers in 1993 with 881 putouts, 57 baserunners caught stealing, a 7.05 range factor, finished second to Mike Stanley with a .995 fielding percentage, and finished third in assists behind Pat Borders and Iván Rodríguez.[6] Valle also caught a no-hitter pitched by Chris Bosio on April 22, 1993.[7]

Valle became a free agent after the 1993 season and signed a contract to play for the Boston Red Sox, who traded him later that same year to the Milwaukee Brewers.[8] He then signed with the Texas Rangers in 1995, serving as a reserve catcher for the next two seasons to Iván Rodríguez. The Rangers won the AL West in 1996. Rangers broadcaster Eric Nadel has credited Valle for calling a players only meeting during that season that helped turn around their season when they were struggling. That season would be the only one in Valle's career in which his club qualified for the playoffs. However, Valle did not appear in the ALDS that the Rangers lost to the New York Yankees. He retired in 1997 while with the Atlanta Braves organization.

Career statistics

In a 13-year career, Valle played in 970 games, accumulating 658 hits in 2775 at bats for a .237 career batting average along with 77 home runs and 350 runs batted in.[1] He was a good defensive catcher, ending his career with a .992 fielding percentage.[1]

Broadcasting career

Valle was a color commentator for Seattle Mariners television and radio broadcasts from 1997 through 2013. Beginning in 2007, he co-hosted the post-game show on the Mariners' radio network. In 2009, he became one of the analysts on the MLB Network's MLB Tonight show. In 2011, he began co-hosting the Mariner pre- and post-game shows on Root Sports.

Managerial career

Valle interviewed for the vacant Mariners Major League managerial opening in November 2013.[9] The position was later filled by Lloyd McClendon.[10]

Valle was named the manager of the Everett Aquasox, the short season A affiliate of the Mariners, for the 2014 season.[11]

Esperanza

Esperanza International is a charitable organization founded in 1995 by Valle and his wife Victoria.[12] It is a Christian development organization focused on serving the most impoverished families in the Dominican Republic and Haiti through microfinance initiatives, healthcare, education, and water. As of 2015, Esperanza has served over 200,000 people on the island of Hispaniola.[13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Dave Valle at Baseball Reference". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  2. ↑ "Dave Valle". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  3. ↑ "1978 Major League Baseball Draft". thebaseballcube.com. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  4. 1 2 "Dave Valle minor league statistics". Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  5. ↑ 1990 American League Fielding Leaders at Baseball Reference
  6. ↑ 1993 American League Fielding Leaders at Baseball Reference
  7. ↑ April 22, 1993 Red Sox-Mariners box score at Baseball Reference
  8. ↑ Dave Valle Trades and Transactions at Baseball Almanac
  9. ↑
  10. ↑
  11. ↑
  12. ↑ www.hopetech-hosting.com
  13. ↑ http://esperanza.org/home/about-us/founders-story.html

External links

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