Robert James Delaney (born September 8, 1984) is an American
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 p ...
coach and former professional
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
. Delaney played college baseball at
St. John's University from 2004 to 2006 for head coach
Ed Blankmeyer
Ed Blankmeyer (born December 15, 1954) is an American professional baseball coach and former second baseman. He is the manager of the Brooklyn Cyclones of the New York–Penn League.
Career
Blankmeyer played college baseball at Seton Hall Uni ...
. He played for the
Minnesota Twins and
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) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...
of
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). He pitched right-handed, and batted left-handed.
Career
Minnesota Twins
Born in
Westwood, New Jersey
Westwood (known as "The Hub of the Pascack Valley") is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 10,908,[Pascack Valley High School
Pascack Valley High School (PVHS) is a four-year comprehensive regional public high school located in Hillsdale in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as one of two secondary schools in th ...]
. He signed with the
Minnesota Twins as an undrafted
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
in June .
He represented the
Fort Myers Miracle
The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Fort Myers, Florida, and play their home games at the Lee County Sports Complex at H ...
in the
Florida State League All-Star game after compiling a 1–2 record with a 1.42
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
and 13
saves closing for the Miracle in the first half of the 2008 season. Delaney was promoted to the Twins' Double A affiliate, the
New Britain Rock Cats
The New Britain Rock Cats were a minor league baseball team that competed in the Eastern League. They were the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox for 12 years, the Minnesota Twins for 20 years and the Colorado Rockies for one. They played ...
following the All-Star game. With the Rock Cats, his record improved to 2–1, and his ERA lowered to 1.05 while pitching more
innings (34.1 versus 31.2 in the first half of the season).
Following the season, Delaney competed in the
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fille ...
with the
Phoenix Desert Dogs
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
. In the AFL, Delaney was 1–1 with a 4.22 ERA, and was the winning
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
in
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
's 10–4 victory over the
Mesa Solar Sox
The Mesa Solar Sox are a baseball team that plays in the East Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games in Mesa, Arizona, at Sloan Park, which is also the spring training facility of the Chicago Cubs. The team was established ...
at
Scottsdale Stadium
Scottsdale Stadium is a ballpark located in Scottsdale, Arizona, United States. Designed by the owner of the Baltimore Orioles’ Camden Yards, the stadium was expanded to its current state in 1992 and holds 12,000 people. It has been the spring ...
that captured their fifth straight AFL championship.
On February 15, , he reported to
spring training with the Twins as a non-roster invitee, and following spring training, was reassigned to New Britain. He compiled a 1–1 record with a 2.00 ERA and 40
strikeouts
In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...
in 36 innings over 26 games for New Britain when he was promoted to the
Triple A Rochester Red Wings. With Rochester, he was 7–3 with a 4.53 ERA and seven saves. On November 20, 2009, he was added to the Twins' 40-man roster. He made his debut with the Twins on September 4, 2010, surrendering a solo
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 ...
to the first batter he faced,
Ian Kinsler
Ian Michael Kinsler ( he, איאן קינסלר; born June 22, 1982) is an American-Israeli former professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for ...
, in a 12–4 win.
Tampa Bay Rays
In January , Delaney was claimed off waivers by 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) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...
. He was designated for assignment on May 25, 2011. He had his contract purchased on July 27. With the Rays, he appeared in four games, surrendering six
earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run that was fully enabled by the offensive team's production in the face of competent play from the defensive team. Conversely, an unearned run is a run that would not have been scored without the aid of an erro ...
s in five innings of work.
Miami Marlins
Delaney signed a minor league contract with the
Miami Marlins on January 4, . He went 3–1 with a 2.29 ERA in 44 relief appearances for the
New Orleans Zephyrs of the
Pacific Coast League.
Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Delaney signed a minor league contract with the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
on January 30, 2013. Toward the end of Spring training, he was traded to the Angels for
catcher
Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the ca ...
Chris Snyder
Christopher Ryan Snyder (born February 12, 1981) is an American former professional baseball catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Houston Astros and the Baltimore Oriol ...
. He was 1–0 with a 5.14 ERA for the
Salt Lake Bees
The Salt Lake Bees are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. They are located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and play their home games at Smith's Ballpark. The ballpark o ...
of the
Pacific Coast League.
Coaching career
Failing to secure a position with a major league team for the season, Delaney accepted a job as pitching coach of the Sag Harbor Whalers.
In the winter of 2016, Delaney joined the
Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology is a private research university in Hoboken, New Jersey. Founded in 1870, it is one of the oldest technological universities in the United States and was the first college in America solely dedicated to mechanical ...
as the school's pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. Delaney was the pitching coach for the
Villanova Wildcats baseball
The Villanova Wildcats baseball team is the varsity intercollegiate baseball program of Villanova University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The program's first season was in 1866, and it has been a member of the NCAA Division I Big ...
team for the 2018 and 2019 baseball seasons.
References
External links
, o
RetrosheetPura Pelota (Venezuelan Winter League)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Delaney, Rob
1984 births
Living people
Beloit Snappers players
Bravos de Margarita players
American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
Durham Bulls players
Fort Myers Miracle players
Gulf Coast Twins players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Minnesota Twins players
New Britain Rock Cats players
New Orleans Zephyrs players
Norfolk Tides players
Pascack Valley High School alumni
People from Westwood, New Jersey
Phoenix Desert Dogs players
Rochester Red Wings players
Salt Lake Bees players
Baseball players from Bergen County, New Jersey
St. John's Red Storm baseball players
Tampa Bay Rays players
Villanova Wildcats baseball coaches