Arrigoni Hall of Fame
As a hard-throwing pitcher Vito Valentinetti set the standard for all future baseball players at Iona. The Mount Vernon resident led the Gaels to winning seasons in every one of his varsity years, and capped off his baseball career by throwing the school’s first-ever no-hitter, a 3-0 whitewash of Adelphi in his senior year.
After graduation, Valentinetti entered the Army, and later became the first baseball player in school history to play in the professional ranks. He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs and played in the minor leagues before joining the major league club in 1952. He notched his first win later that season, and went on to play with the Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians and Washington Senators for the next three and a half seasons before a shoulder injury ended his career. In that time, Valentinetti compiled a record of 13-14 in the major leagues.
When his playing career ended, Valentinetti managed to stay active in baseball by becoming the batting practice pitcher for the New York Mets and the New York Yankees. Valentinetti threw for the Mets from their initial season in 1962 until 1982, and pitched for the Yankees from 1967 through 1986.
