Paul Casanova
| Paul Casanova | ||
|---|---|---|
Runs batted in | 252 | |
| Teams | ||
| ||
| Career highlights and awards | ||
Paulino Ortiz Casanova (December 21, 1941 – August 12, 2017) was a
Minor league career
Paul Casanova began his
Major league career
Casanova began his major league career on September 18, 1965, stepping up to bat twice in a losing effort to the Minnesota Twins[3] – the team which had relocated from Washington less than five years earlier, paving the way for the expansion Senators. He played four more games that season. Casanova's first full season came in 1966, when he had career highs of 13 home runs and 5 triples.[4] The 1967 season was Casanova's best, as he earned his only All-Star bid, though he did not play in the game.[4] He played 141 games, had a fielding percentage of .984, and was tied for 21st in the American League's MVP voting.[4] Casanova was also the starting catcher for a night game against the Chicago White Sox on June 12, 1967. He caught the whole night, and although he only got one hit in nine at bats, it came in the bottom of the 22nd inning, driving in the winning run.[5] The game, which went 6 hours and 38 minutes, remains the longest night game in MLB history.[6] The following season was a disappointment, as Casanova played in only 96 games and had a batting average of only .196.[4]
Casanova continued to earn fielding percentages of over .985, but he struggled at the plate for three more seasons. The franchise was moved to the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and rebranded as the Texas Rangers, but Casanova would not be part of the transition as he was traded to the Atlanta Braves for Hal King at the Winter Meetings on December 2, 1971.[7] He played for three seasons on the Braves, serving primarily as a backup. He played behind Earl Williams for the 1972 season, then split time with Johnny Oates in 1973.[4] After playing in only 42 games during the 1974 season, Casanova was released on March 28, 1975.[4]
As a Brave, Casanova caught Phil Niekro's no-hitter on August 5, 1973.[8]
Casanova died in 2017 in
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Paul Casanova Statistics – The Baseball Cube". Retrieved 2007-12-15.
- ^ "Baseball in Living Color :: NLB History :: Meet the Players :: Paul Casanova". Retrieved 2010-11-28.
- ^ "Paul Casanova 1965 Batting Gamelogs". Retrieved 2007-12-15.
- ^ a b c d e f "Paul Casanova Statistics – Baseball-Reference.com". Retrieved 2007-12-15.
- ^ "June 12, 1967 Chicago White Sox at Washington Senators Box Score and Play by Play". Retrieved 2007-12-16.
- ^ "Paul Casanova Biography – baseballbiography.com". Retrieved 2007-12-16.
- ^ Durso, Joseph. "White Sox Add Bahnsen, Ship McKinney to Yanks," The New York Times, Friday, December 3, 1971. Retrieved December 5, 2021
- ^ Retrosheet Box Score
- ^ Paul Casanova: Everyone's 'Brother/. La Vida Baseball. Retrieved on August 14, 2017.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Paul Casanova at SABR (Baseball BioProject)
- Paul Casanova at Baseball Almanac
- Paul Casanova at Pura Pelota (Venezuelan Professional Baseball League)