Virgil Vasquez

Virgil Matthew Vasquez (born June 7, 1982 in Santa Barbara, California) is a former right-handed professional baseball pitcher. He appeared in part of two Major League Baseball seasons with the Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates. He and J.P. Martinez currently serve as the pitching coaches of the Gulf Coast League Twins.

He went 23-3 in his final two years of high school with 179 strikeouts while also hitting over .400. Vasquez was originally drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 7th round of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft out of Santa Barbara High School, but chose to attend the University of California, Santa Barbara, instead. He finished his college career with 189 strikeouts, the eighth most in school history. Vasquez was then selected by the Detroit Tigers in the seventh round of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft.

Vasquez began the 2006 season with the Double-A Erie SeaWolves of the Eastern League, where he finished in the top ten for earned run average, complete games, home runs allowed, innings pitched, games started and losses. He was promoted to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens in early September 2006.

After starting the 2007 campaign in Toledo, he was called up by the Tigers to make a spot start in place of Jeremy Bonderman on May 11. Facing the Minnesota Twins, he allowed six runs in 2.2 innings to take the loss. He jumped back and forth between Detroit and Toledo several times over the remainder of the season. In five games at the major league level, he went 0-1 with a 8.64 ERA.

After spending all of 2008 in Toledo, he was claimed off waivers by the Boston Red Sox. Two months later, he was claimed off waivers by the San Diego Padres, followed by a third waiver claim by the Pittsburgh Pirates two weeks after that.

He began the 2009 season with the triple A Indianapolis Indians before earning a promotion to the Pirates major league roster on June 26, 2009. He won his first start against the Kansas City Royals, allowing two runs in six innings while striking out seven.

In seven starts and fourteen appearances with the Pirates he amassed a 2-5 record, with a 5.84 ERA, gave up 58 hits, allowed 29 earned runs, gave up 6 home runs, hit 3 batters, walked 18 batters, struck out 29, batters had a .320 average against him, in 44.2 innings pitched.

He was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for a player to be named later on April 1, 2010. On April 23, he suffered two broken wrists in a vehicle accident, when the scooter he was driving was hit by a car. After which, he began a vigorous rebuild program, to not only return to his original capabilities, but to add to his repertoire a high speed cutter, movement and command to his fastball, and a curve which it seems he can throw anytime in the count.

He signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels in January 2011 but was released in April before he pitched in the organization. He spent the 2011 season with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.

Vasquez was called to the Australian Baseball League (ABL) to help the Perth Heat during the 2011-12 Championship season. Vasquez was named the ABL Championship Series MVP for his Game 1 performance. During which he threw a complete game, surrendering 5 hits, and 1 run. Collecting 8 strikeouts and 0 walks over 122 pitches, 92 of them strikes, and in the 9th pitching at 91 mph. "He showed great stamina, as well, maintaining his velocity throughout the contest.... Showing that he is not only healthy, but ready to excel once again."