American baseball player (born 1980)
Baseball player
Joseph "Jack" Buren Cassel II
(born August 8, 1980) is an American former
Major League Baseball
pitcher
for the
San Diego Padres
and
Houston Astros
organizations. He retired from professional baseball in 2010 after suffering a career ending shoulder injury. He now runs the Listings and Capital Markets group for Nasdaq. In addition, he is a co-founder and board member of Players for the Planet, a non-profit organization that utilizes professional athletes to promote and inspire environmental awareness.
Major League Baseball career
[
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]
Cassel made his Major League Baseball debut with the San Diego Padres on August 10,
2007
in Cincinnati against the Reds. He struck out the first batter he faced,
Alex Gonzalez
, and surrendered his first hit to Ken Griffey Jr. He was sent back down the next day however, after he gave up 2
runs
in 3 innings in his debut. On August 31, Cassel returned to the Major League club and made his first MLB
start
against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Cassel pitched 5
2
⁄
3
innings, gave up 3 runs on 10
hits
with 5
strikeouts
, and was awarded a no decision. He earned his first Major League win on September 17, 2007, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates by pitching 6 scoreless innings. Cassel got his first hit against Milwaukee Brewer's right hander, Yovani Gallardo on an infield single.
Cassel was not offered a new contract by the Padres and became a
free agent
on December 12, 2007. He signed with the
Houston Astros
shortly afterwards and competed for a spot in the starting rotation in
spring training
, but began the year in the minor leagues. Cassel was promoted shortly after and earned his first win of 2008 beating the Cincinnati Reds. A free agent at the end of the season, he signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians in January
2009
. Cassel's 2009 season was shortened with a shoulder injury.
Cassel also pitched in the Caribbean Winter Leagues. In 2006, he pitched for the
Atenienses de Manati
in Puerto Rico. He was elected to Puerto Rican All Star Game and led the league with the lowest ERA (1.89). In 2009?10, he pitched for the
Aguilas Cibaenas
in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Following the regular season, he was traded to the
Toros del Este
in La Romana, Dominican Republic for the playoffs. The team lost in the championship to the
Gigantes del Cibao
.
Minor League Baseball career
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Drafted in the 25th round by the San Diego Padres, Cassel signed a minor league contract June 21,
2000
, he served mainly as a
reliever
in the minor leagues until
2006
. Cassel pitched for the
Idaho Falls Padres
,
Fort Wayne Wizards
,
Lake Elsinore Storm
,
Mobile BayBears
and
Portland Beavers
during his minor league career in the
San Diego Padres
organization. In 2003, he was awarded the Lake Elsinore Storm Pitcher of the Year. In 2005, he pitched for the Peoria Javalinas in the Arizona Fall League. In 2007, he represented the Portland Beavers at the
Pacific Coast League
Allstar Game in Albuquerque, New Mexico. On April 19, 2009, Jack earned the very first Win in the new
Huntington Park
in Columbus, OH as a pitcher for the Columbus Clippers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians.
Jack hosted a variety of radio shows throughout his time in the minor leagues. During the 2005 - 2007 seasons, he hosted the Toyota Pre-Game Show with
Rich Burke
on the weekends in Portland, OR.
College
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Cassel attended
Loyola Marymount University
after graduating from John F. Kennedy High School in 1998, where he received All-State Honors in baseball. On February 9, 2008, Cassel's #14 jersey was retired by longtime coach,
Manny Alvarado
, and the John F. Kennedy Baseball program.
Cassel received his Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern California.
Personal life
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Jack's younger brother,
Matt Cassel
, is a former journeyman
American football
quarterback who notably played with the
New England Patriots
and
Kansas City Chiefs
. His other younger brother,
Justin Cassel
, was a minor league baseball player in the farm system of the
Chicago White Sox
and won a silver medal for Team USA. Cassel's wife,
Julie Mariani Cassel
, is also a former athlete. She was a Captain and Defensive Specialist on the 2002 NCAA Championship USC Women's Volleyball team.
In a strange coincidence on September 7, 2008, Jack replaced injured teammate
Wandy Rodriguez
in the first inning at
Colorado
only hours after his brother Matt replaced injured teammate
Tom Brady
in the first quarter of the season-opening game vs
Kansas City
. They were the first pair of brothers to win games in two different major sports on the same day.
In 1999, Cassel's brother,
Justin Cassel
, was on the HBO reality television show Freshman Year.
[1]
In 2007, Cassel's mother,
Barbara Brennan Cassel
, won a Television Emmy Award for her work as a Set Decorator on Tony Bennett: An American Classic.
[2]
In 2008, Cassel's father,
Gregory Cassel
, died suddenly at his home in California. He was an actor and screenplay writer.
Cassel's grandfather,
Joe B Cassel
, was inducted into the
Racing Tent Hall of Fame
for the IAHA in 1996 and was inducted into the
Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame
in 2002. He was the recipient of the Arabian Lifetime Breeders Award in 2001.
Cassel and fellow baseball player
Chris Dickerson
are the founders of Players for the Planet, a charitable organization that brings professional athletes together to inspire communities to build awareness of the growing environmental crisis.
[1]
Several athletes including
Jay Bruce
,
Ryan Braun
,
Matt Cassel
,
Curtis Granderson
are on board to spread the awareness.
On July 19, 2012, Jack Cassel was invited to the White House in Washington D.C for the "White House Sports and Sustainability Forum"
References
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- ^
"Home"
.
playersfortheplanet.org
.
External links
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]