Dave Racaniello: Long Tme Italian / American Mets Bullpen Catcher (2001-2020)

-
Dave Racaniello was born on June 3rd, 1978 in Stamford Connecticut.

He attended Norwalk Community College as a team mate of Houston Astros pitcher; Erik Bedard. He also played baseball for the Central Connecticut State University team. He did not play in the major leagues nor the minor leagues.

Instead due to connections through a friend who's father knew Mets manager Bobby Valentine, also a Stamford resident, he got a job catching in the bullpen for the New York Mets. While attending a game, the bullpen was short of catchers, Valentine had known of his catchers experience & asked if he'd help out. The rest is history as he has now been with the organization for 12 years.

Racaniello has been a long time Mets bullpen catcher as well as bullpen coach. He warms up starters, relievers & shags fly balls when he's not pitching batting practice. He fills in as a runner during run down drills in Spring Training & as a batter when pitchers need to throw to a dummy batter.

Quotes: "I just try to keep my mouth shut and go about my business. And be whatever help I can be. I think that's one of the biggest things for a guy in my position. I don't think I've ever said no to anything."

He is known to be one of All Star Mets third baseman; David Wrights best friends. At the 2013 All Star Game played at Citi Field, Racaniello pitched to Wright in the Home Run Derby the night before the actual game.

During Spring Training 2010, the Daily News reported that Racaniello biked all the way from New York to Port St. Lucie.

Being an avid sportsman, in 2012 he reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro along with Mets pitcher; R.A. Dickey & Colorado Rockies pitcher; Kevin Slowley.

The event raised money for a charity helping women in Mumbai who are at risk of being abused.

Trivia: Racaniello is reportedly the current reigning champ of eating the most cheese steaks in the visiting club house at Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia.

In 2019 he starts his 18th year as the Mets bullpen coach & longest tenured current coach on the staff. Although not as prominent as a pitching coach or base coach, he has served the longest of any Mets coach in team history.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ON NOVEMBER 13th................. The Odd Couple Lives

-
Image
"On November 13, Felix Unger was asked to remove himself from his place of residence. That request came from his wife. Deep down, he knew she was right, but he also knew that someday, he would return to her. With nowhere else to go, he appeared at the home of his childhood friend, Oscar Madison. Several years earlier, Madison's wife had thrown him out, requesting that he never return. Can two divorced men share an apartment without driving each other crazy?" This was the opening dialogue of centerfieldmaz's favorite TV show: "the Odd Couple". This dialogue was used for the first two seasons. It is also featured on the third season of the DVD releases as well. The narration was done by actor Bill Woodson. The famous Odd Couple theme was written by non other than Neil Hefti, originally for the 1968 Odd Couple movie. Niel Hefti also did the classic Batman 1960's TV series theme song & music for that, another centerfieldmaz favorite TV sh
Read more

Remembering Vixen Founder / Guitarist; Jan Kuehnemund (1961-2013)

-
Image
centerfieldmaz was shocked to learn of the sudden passing of Jan Kuehnemund, the founding member of the all female metal band Vixen. Jan was a fantastic guitarist, song writer & women pioneer in Heavy Metal. I am a huge fan of hard rock all girl bands & Vixen were one my long time favorites. Janice Lynn Kuehnemund was born November 18th, 1961 in St. Paul Minnesota. The female guitarist formed one of the first all female Metal bands in Minnesota with singer Janet Gardner while in high school in 1980. By 1985 they moved the band to Los Angles California, to be part of the Heavy Metal scene. In 1987 the classic Vixen line up of Jan Kuehnemund (lead guitar) Janet Gardner (vocals/ guitar) Share Pederson (bass) & Roxy Petrucci (drums) formed & released their debut album the following year. Vixen 1988 In a world of all male Heavy Metal bands during its heyday, Vixen were groundbreaking in being an all female metal band. The Runaways, with Joan Jett & Lita Ford
Read more

Fictional Mets Infielder Chico Escuela ( of SNL) Visits Mets Spring Training (1979)

-
Image
Bill Murray interviews (Garrett Morris) Chico Escuela In March 1979, original Saturday Night Live cast member; Garrett Morris joined the Mets at Miller Huggins Field for Spring Training. At the time the Mets were still holding Spring Training in St. Petersburg Florida.  Morris was filmed being interviewed by his SNL cast mate, Bill Murray as the fictional Mets player: Chico Escuela who wore uniform #5 (cinque).  Escuela was famous for his spoof of the Latin players of the time, who did not speak much English. His famous quote "baseball been berry- berry good to me" began the previous year on SNL's weekend update. Bill Murray & Ed Kranepool It was said during the mock 1979 Spring Training interview, that Chico who was a nine time All Star second baseman, had given up his job at the Weekend Update Sports desk to make a comeback with the Mets at age 41.  Chico had fictionally written a tell all baseball book; "Bad Stuff About the Mets" which tick
Read more

Remembering Bobby Ojeda's Tragic Boating Accident (1993)

-
Image
Steve Olin, Tim Crews & Bob Ojeda March 22 nd 1993: was an off day from Spring Training, for three Cleveland Indians pitchers; Former Mets 1986 World Champion pitcher; Bobby Ojeda, Tim Crews & Steve Olin. The three friends, took out an 18-foot open-air bass boat & went out fishing & gator hunting in the darkness of the evening on Lake Nellie in Clermont, Florida. Tragedy struck, when the boat rammed into a private dock that jutted out some 250 feet into the still waters. Two other Cleveland Indians personnel had arrived to meet the fishing party just as the horror took place. They heard Bob Ojeda saying they needed help. The two men jumped into the water and called out for someone to call 911. 27 year old pitcher; Steve Olin was killed instantly. 31 year old pitcher; Tim Crews was alive but was struggling to breathe suffering from massive head wounds. Bobby Ojeda was in & out of shock, he was suffering from head lacerations but was coherent. The
Read more

The History of Yogi Berra & Yoo-Hoo

-
Image
Yogi Berra & Yoo-Hoo go all the way back to the 1950's. Yogi had met the owners of the Yoo-Hoo company (the Ol iveri family) at a Country Club function near his home in New Jersey. The product wasn't selling that well and they asked Yogi's opinion. He said he liked the soft drink and started promoting it. Soon Yogi put Yoo-Hoo on the map, by appearing in commercials, ads and supermarkets promotions.  He would show up at the factory in Carlstadt, New Jersey and was a hero to the factory workers. He became a Vice President of the company and owned a large amount of stock. Yogi wrote in his auto biography "One time I was in the office and the phone rang, I always answer a ringing phone, the woman on the other end asked if Yoo-Hoo was hyphenated. I said, 'No ma'am, it's not even carbonate d." He was still involved with the company while he was coach & then manager of the Mets in the mid seventies. Eventually as the company's ownershi
Read more