Dave Racaniello
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{notability|Biographies|date=December 2018}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name = Dave Racaniello
|image = Dave Racaniello on July 16, 2016 (cropped).jpg
|caption = Racaniello with the Mets in 2016
|team = New York Mets
|number = 77
|position = Bullpen catcher
|bats = Right
|throws = Right
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1978|6|3}}
|birth_place = Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.
|teams =
As coach
- New York Mets ({{Baseball year|1997}}, {{Baseball year|2001}}–present)
}}
David Racaniello (born June 3, 1978) is an American former professional baseball player who is a bullpen catcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Early life
Racaniello attended Westhill High School in Connecticut, later going on to attend Norwalk Community College and Central Connecticut State University.{{cite web|url=http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/team/coach_staff_bio.jsp?c_id=nym&coachorstaffid=534948|title=Coaches: Dave Racaniello|website=New York Mets|access-date=April 16, 2016|archive-date=April 25, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160425073610/http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/team/coach_staff_bio.jsp?c_id=nym&coachorstaffid=534948|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/profile.asp?P=dave-raccaniello&Page=Jobs|title=Dave Racaniello Baseball Stats|website=The Baseball Cube}}
Amateur career
Racaniello played baseball at Westhill High School, including time as a catcher. He later went on to play baseball for Norwalk Community College for two years, where he was a teammate of future MLB pitcher Érik Bédard. In 1998, Racaniello's team at Norwalk won the NJCAA Division III Baseball World Series.{{cn|date=January 2023}} Afterwards, he transferred to Central Connecticut State University, where he also played baseball.{{cite web|url=http://dailystache.net/the-legend-that-is-dave-racaniello/|title=The Legend that is Dave Racaniello|website=Daily Stache}}
Professional career
File:Dave Racaniello March 2009.jpg
In the summer of 1997, Racaniello, then still a student at Norwalk, attended a Mets game with a friend. His friend's father was friends with the Mets' then-manager, Bobby Valentine, giving Racaniello and his friend an opportunity to meet the New York skipper before the game. The Mets' regular bullpen catcher at the time was not able to come to the game due to a recent family emergency, so Valentine, who had heard Racaniello had caught, asked him if he was willing to fill in. Racaniello agreed and suited up for the job. Racaniello would then fill in as the Mets' bullpen catcher and help out in the bullpen for most of the remainder of the 1997 season until he returned to Norwalk. When the position opened up for the 2001 season, the Mets asked him if he was interested in the job. He accepted and immediately dropped out of school to serve as the full-time bullpen catcher. He originally planned to possibly return to school, but his continued employment with the team prevented such a return. Since 2001, Racaniello has continuously served as the bullpen catcher for the Mets, warming up pitchers as well as throwing batting practice and serving as a "dummy" in drills.{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/mets/index.ssf/2009/05/new_york_mets_bullpen_catcher.html|title=New York Mets bullpen catcher Dave Racaniello is jack of all trades, master of being invisible|website=NJ.com}} On March 30, 2017, Racaniello led off for the Mets' major league squad at designated hitter in a game against the Triple-A affiliate Las Vegas 51s. Racaniello recorded a hit off of Jacob deGrom, but was thrown out attempting to steal second base by Travis d'Arnaud.
Personal life
Racaniello prefers to remain somewhat silent in the team clubhouse, reading books and staying out of the way. He is close friends with former third baseman David Wright, who first met him before the 2004 season. Racaniello is physically active, having climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in January 2012 and run the New York City Marathon twice. In 2011, Racaniello consumed 14 cheesesteaks to break Dmitri Young's record for most consumed in the Philadelphia Phillies visiting clubhouse.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/21350/light-moment-rac-sets-record|title=Light Moment: Rac Sets Record |author=Adam Rubin|website=ESPN|url-status=unfit|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106120513/http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/21350/light-moment-rac-sets-record|archive-date=November 6, 2012}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{baseballstats|mlb=534948}}
{{New York Mets roster navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Racaniello, Dave}}
Category:Sportspeople from Stamford, Connecticut
Category:Baseball players from Fairfield County, Connecticut