Salvatore Peter Agostinelli (born September 4, 1961) has served many roles in professional baseball. He played in the
minor leagues
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nor ...
mostly as a catcher, coached and scouted. He is now the International Scouting Director for the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
.
Early life
Agostinelli was born in
Bronx, New York
The Bronx () is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state, state of New York (state), New York. It is south of Westchester County, New York, Westchester County; north and east of the ...
and attended
Half Hollow Hills East High School in
Dix Hills, New York
Dix Hills is an affluent hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) on Long Island in the town of Huntington in Suffolk County, New York. The population was 26,892 at the 2010 census.
In the past, Dix Hills and some of its neighbors have propos ...
. He later attended
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock University, formally Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania (The Rock or SRU), is a public university in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. SRU is a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). The university ...
, where he hit .466 in 1981 – which was a record at the time and is still the third best mark in school history. He hit .417 with 25 stolen bases in 38 games in 1982.
Playing career
He was drafted by the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...
in the 22nd round of the
1983 Major League Baseball draft
First round selections
The following are the first round picks in the 1983 Major League Baseball draft.
''*'' Did not sign
Compensation picks
Other notable players
*Bill Swift, 2nd round, 29th overall by the Minnesota Twins, but did not ...
and began his professional career that season. He traveled throughout the Cardinals organization, reaching
Triple-A – the level just before the
major leagues – for the first time in 1987. He was assigned to major league training camp in 1988 and played at Triple-A again that year. He joined the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
organization in 1989, after being let go by the Cardinals. He played in their system – reaching Triple-A in 1990 and 1991, again earning an invitation to major league training camp that year
[''Reading Eagle'']
April 10, 1998 – until 1992.
In his 10-year career, Agostinelli hit .245 with 433 hits, 3 home runs, 191 RBI, 53 stolen bases, 226 walks and 153 strikeouts in 657 games.
Post-playing career
Agostinelli has remained with the Phillies organization since his playing career concluded.
Though he played in a single game in 1992, he spent most of the year as a coach for the
Martinsville Phillies
The Martinsville Phillies were a short season minor league baseball team located in Martinsville, Virginia. Affiliated with the Philadelphia Phillies, they existed from 1988 to 1998, playing in the Appalachian League. They played their home games ...
of the
Appalachian League
The Appalachian League is a collegiate summer baseball league that operates in the Appalachian regions of Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Designed for rising freshmen and sophomores using wood bats, its season runs from ...
. He became a scout the next year and worked as an area scout until 1996, eventually becoming the northeast scouting supervisor.
[Tenth Annual Lou DeMartino Memorial Dinner Featured two Worthy Honorees]
/ref> In 1997, he was offered the role of international scouting director, which he accepted.
As a scout, he signed numerous future major league players, including pitcher Carlos Carrasco, pitcher Lendy Castillo
Lendy Enrique Castillo Artiles (born April 8, 1989) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He has previously played for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Career Philadelphia Phillies
Castillo signed with the Philade ...
, infielder Jose Flores, second baseman Freddy Galvis
Freddy José Galvis (born November 14, 1989) is a Venezuelan professional baseball shortstop for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the San Die ...
, outfielder César Hernández, pitcher Elizardo Ramírez, pitcher Carlos Silva and pitcher Alfredo Simón
Alfredo Simón Cabrera, also known as The Big Pasta, (born May 8, 1981) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds. From 2001 thr ...
. He is also credited with helping discover All-Star catcher Carlos Ruiz.
Outside of his work with the Phillies, he runs Sal Agostinelli Baseball Training in Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
.
He was elected to the Slippery Rock University Hall of Fame in 1995.Hall of Fame page
/ref> He won the Lou DeMartino Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.
Sal was awarded the Dallas Green Award for 2015. He was inducted into the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame
The Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame is an American sports hall of fame based in Suffolk County on Long Island, New York. The non-profit was established during 1990 to honor outstanding people, living or deceased, who have gained prominence and made ...
during 2020.
External links
Agostinelli scouts talent worldwide
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Agostinelli, Sal
1961 births
Minor league baseball players
Philadelphia Phillies scouts
Living people