Joseph Steven Inglett (born June 29, 1978) is an American former

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

utility player In sports, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently. Sports in which the term is often used include association football, American football, baseball, rugby union, rugby league, softball, ice hockey, and water polo. The ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) between 2006 and 2011 for the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

, and

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...

Amateur career

Born in

Sacramento, California ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...

, Inglett attended

Mesa Verde High School Mesa Verde High School is a public high school in Citrus Heights, California in the San Juan Unified School District. Background information Mesa Verde High School opened in March 1975 as a year-around school on a 4-quarter block. Each block wa ...

, and went on to play

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...

at the

University of Nevada, Reno The University of Nevada, Reno (Nevada, the University of Nevada, or UNR) is a public land-grant research university in Reno, Nevada. It is the state's flagship public university and primary land grant institution. It was founded on October 12, ...

. In 1997, he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

in the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thousan ...

for the

Chatham A's The Chatham Anglers, more commonly referred to as the Chatham A's and formerly the Chatham Athletics, are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Chatham, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in t ...

, and returned to the league in 1999 to play with the

Bourne Braves The Bourne Braves are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Bourne, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's West Division. The Braves play their home games at Doran Park on the c ...

. He was selected by the

in the eighth round of the 2000 MLB Draft.

Major League career

Cleveland Indians

Inglett made his major league debut with the Indians on June 21, 2006, and batted .284 with two home runs and 21 RBI in 64 games in his rookie season with Cleveland. Inglett spent the 2007 minor league season with the Triple-A

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...

. He played 107 games for the Bisons, batting .253 with four

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s and 57 RBI. Inglett was designated for assignment on September 6, 2007, to clear room for

David Dellucci David Michael Dellucci (born October 31, 1973) is an American former professional baseball outfielder, who played 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for seven teams. High school Dellucci graduated from Catholic High in Baton Rouge, Louis ...

, who was coming off the 60-day DL.

Toronto Blue Jays

He was claimed off waivers by the

on September 14, 2007, and played in two games before the season ended. Inglett was nicknamed "Voodoo Joe" by former Blue Jays' manager

John Gibbons John Michael Gibbons (born June 8, 1962) is an American former professional baseball player and former manager of the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). Gibbons briefly played in the Major Leagues as a catcher with the New York Me ...

. He has also been nicknamed "Mighty Joe" by radio announcer Jerry Howarth. The "Voodoo Joe" nickname came from the fact that twice in the season, Inglett was sent down to Triple-A

Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...

to make room for returning regular players, only to be called back the same day because of new injuries. Both times, Inglett was able to return within a few hours of leaving. On August 21, 2008, Inglett went 4-for-5 with a double, a stolen base, and three runs scored in a 14–3 win over the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

. During the 2008 season, a string of injuries plagued the Toronto Blue Jays starting lineup, Inglett was used as a utility player as

David Eckstein David Mark Eckstein (; born January 20, 1975) is an American former professional baseball player. He was an infielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) for ten seasons. He played college baseball for the University of Florida and played professiona ...

, John McDonald,

Scott Rolen Scott Bruce Rolen (born April 4, 1975) is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays and Cincinnati Reds. He was an eight-t ...

and

Vernon Wells Vernon Michael Wells III (born December 8, 1978) is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and the New York Yankees. Wells ...

spent time on the disabled list. He played 66 games at second base, six games at third base, two games at shortstop and 34 games at the outfield positions. Inglett would finish the season batting .297 with three home runs and 39 RBI in 109 games with the Blue Jays. In 2009

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...

, Inglett was expected to play in the majors again, but was sent down to the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s, along with

relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue (medical), fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection (sports), ejection, or for other strategic ...

Jeremy Accardo Jeremiah Lee Accardo (born December 8, 1981) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, and Oakl ...

. Later in the season, Inglett was called up from Las Vegas along with

Casey Janssen Robert Casey Janssen (born September 17, 1981) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched for two seasons in various levels of the Toronto Blue Jays' minor league organization before his debut in 2006 as a starting pitcher. ...

and

Ricky Romero Ricardo Romero Jr. (born November 6, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays. Prep career After spending three years at Garfield High School, Romero graduate ...

. On May 22, Inglett made his season debut pinch-hitting for

Roy Halladay Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III (May 14, 1977 – November 7, 2017) was an American professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies between 1998 and 2013. His nicknam ...

and struck out looking.

Texas Rangers

On December 4, 2009, Inglett was claimed off waivers by the Texas Rangers. On January 25, 2010, Inglett was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...

Milwaukee Brewers

On January 27, 2010, Inglett was claimed off waivers by the

. On July 27, 2010, Inglett pitched one inning of relief against the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

, who were leading 12–4 heading into the ninth inning. Lobbing pitches no faster than 57 mph, he allowed no runs on no hits and no base runners with just six pitches in a three-up, three-down inning. He was non-tendered a contract at the end of the season and, therefore, became a free agent. He led the league in pinch hits in 2010.

Tampa Bay Rays

On February 18, 2011, Inglett signed a minor league contract with the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...

. The deal included an invite to spring training.

Houston Astros

On March 27, 2011, the

acquired Inglett from the Rays in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations. He was

on April 28, only to have his contract re-purchased on May 8. He was outrighted to the minors again on May 12. He was released on May 27.

Personal life

Inglett graduated from Mesa Verde High School in 1996. He graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno, and now is happily married to his wife, Kelly, with whom he has three children.

References

External links

, o
RetrosheetPura PelotaThe Sports Courant
{{DEFAULTSORT:Inglett, Joe 1978 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in Canada Akron Aeros players Baseball players from Sacramento, California Bourne Braves players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Chatham Anglers players Cleveland Indians players Columbus Red Stixx players Houston Astros players Kinston Indians players Las Vegas 51s players Leones del Caracas players American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Mahoning Valley Scrappers players Major League Baseball outfielders Major League Baseball second basemen Milwaukee Brewers players Nevada Wolf Pack baseball players Oklahoma City RedHawks players Peoria Javelinas players Syracuse Chiefs players Toronto Blue Jays players