in

Francisco Cervelli

Former professional baseball catcher from Venezuela who is now the San Diego Padres’ catching instructor.

Francisco Cervelli
Francisco Cervelli Source: Google

Former Major League Baseball player Francisco Cervelli, also known as Gazoo (MLB).

He began his career in Major League Baseball as a free agent for the New York Yankees.

In addition to the Yankees, he formerly represented other illustrious MLB teams, including the Miami Marlins, Atlanta Braves, and Pittsburgh Pirates.

About Francisco Cervelli |  Family and Education

Francisco Cervelli, a former professional athlete, was born on March 6, 1986, in Valencia, Venezuela, to Venezuelan mother Damelis Cervelli and Italian immigrant father Emanuele Cervelli.

Here, Francisco is hence a mix of Italian and Venezuelan descent. Additionally, Marie Cervelli Carmen is the name of Francisco’s elder sister.

Similarly, The Cervelli siblings are close, and Francisco frequently shares pictures of his niece on social media.

Similarly, Francisco used to play second base, shortstop, and occasionally pitcher in his home country.

Francisco Cervelli
Francisco with his parents and niece

Francisco is a Pisces, which is the sign of the fish in the zodiac. People born under the sun sign of Pisces are renowned for their compassionate and selfless disposition.

Moreover, The majority of Cervelli’s past specifics are mostly unknown to the general public. Therefore, no sources exist that provide information on his educational past.

Furthermore, We might presume that because he was born and reared in Venezuela, he received his education there.

Professional Life and Career

Francisco participated in the 2003 Dominican Summer League. He was a foreign free agent who was signed by the New York Yankees.

Moreover, He began playing as a switch hitter, but the Yankees want for him to focus only on right-handed hitting.

Francisco also batted.309 in 2006 with the Staten Island Yankees, a New York-Penn League Class A-Short Season baseball team, after finding it difficult to adjust to professional baseball in 2004 and 2005.

Similar to this, he participated in the Florida State League’s Class A-Advanced Tampa Yankees in 2007.

He batted.279 with a.387 on-base percentage and two home runs while representing the Tampa Yankees.

Francisco Cervelli representing Atlanta Braves

In addition, Baseball America ranked Cervelli as the 23rd-best prospect for the Yankees before the 2008 campaign.

He suffered a broken wrist on March 8, 2008, while competing against the Tampa Bay Rays in a spring training game.

Similarly, He was hurt when he collided with Ray’s infielder Elliot Johnson at home plate. He didn’t return to the game until June.

Additionally, Francisco started the 2009 campaign with the Trenton Thunder of the Class AA Eastern League.

2010

Francisco was the Yankees’ opening catcher in 2010 and began the season on their 25-man roster.

On March 6, however, Francisco took a pitch to the head and was taken out of the game by the Yankees.

The New York Yankees advised Cervelli to start wearing the Rawlings S-100 protective helmet, a larger type designed to withstand fastballs traveling at 100 mph after he had another concussion while participating in the winter ball.

Cervelli’s helmet earned him the moniker “Gazoo,” which alludes to a character from the cartoon show The Flintstones.

2011

Francisco also began spring training as Russell Martin’s backup for the 2011 campaign. Sadly, he suffered a foot injury in early March, missing the start of the 2011 campaign.

Francisco was promptly taken off the injured list by the New York Yankees on April 29, 2011.

During a series tiebreaker versus Texas on May 8, Cervelli smashed his first home run of the year and the first grand slam of his career.

2012

To start the 2012 season, the Yankees optioned Francisco to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Though he acknowledged that he mourned his promotion, he shifted his attention to honing his talents.

As rosters grew on September 1, the Yankees, therefore, brought up Francisco to the majors.

2013

Francisco was named the New York Yankees’ starting catcher for the 2013 campaign.

Also, He broke his right hand on April 26 while playing against the Blue Jays and needed surgery. The Yankees put him on the 60-day disabled list the next day.

Francisco was subject to a 50-game suspension from the authorities on August 5, 2013, as a result of his involvement in the Biogenesis controversy.

2014

Francisco also faced up against Austin Romine and John Ryan Murphy for the position of New York Yankees backup catcher during the 2014 spring training season.

Similarly, He won the contest, but not long after, on April 13, he sustained a hamstring injury and was once more put on the 60-day injured list by the Yankees.

On June 17, Francisco came back to play for the Yankees. He participated in 49 games in 2014 and had a batting average of.301.

Brooklyn Yankees

The Yankees contacted Francisco to participate in major league games shortly after the 2008 minor league season ended.

On September 18, 2008, Cervelli made his defensive replacement debut. The Yankees later activated Cervelli to play on May 5, 2009, while placing Jorge Posada on the 15-day injured list.

On May 7, he made his debut in a big league game. Additionally, he hit his first major league pitch on May 8 against the Baltimore Orioles.

For the New York Yankees, he established himself as a capable defensive catcher, earning praise from his teammates.

Although the Yankees sent Francisco to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre of the Class AAA International League on July 8, 2009, manager Joe Girardi made it clear that he was extremely pleased with Francisco’s performance.

Francisco inside the field

Also, Francisco broke up a no-hitter on June 24, 2009, while playing against the Atlanta Braves.

Ideally, He hit his first walk-off hit against the Toronto Blue Jays on September 16.

Similarly, Francisco joined the Yankees roster for the 2009 MLB postseason as a result of his performance.

Steel City Pirates

On November 12, 2014, the New York Yankees dealt pitcher Justin Wilson to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Francisco.

He started each of the 124 games he played for the Pirates in 2015. He had a batting average of.295 and 3.8 Wins Above Replacement throughout the seasons.

Cervelli and the Pirates agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract before the 2016 campaign. The Pirates and Francisco agreed to a three-year, $31 million contract extension throughout the current campaign.

Additionally, he batted.249 in 2017, which was once again the lowest batting average of his career. On June 20, 2018, Francisco was put on the Pirates’ seven-day injured list due to a concussion.

Georgia Braves

Francisco was released by the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 22, 2019, to play with another organization.

Moreover, Cervelli soon signed a contract with the Atlanta Braves on August 24, 2019. He hit two home runs and batted.281 with seven RBIs in 14 games with the Braves.

Florida Marlins

On January 9, 2020, Francisco also agreed to a $2 million one-year deal with the Miami Marlins. He was Jorge Alfaro’s backup catcher.

After suffering his seventh MLB concussion on August 22, 2020, Francisco was soon put on the Marlins’ disabled list owing to his condition and eventually declared out for the 2020 season.

In all, he participated in 16 games in 2020. Francisco Cervelli announced his retirement on Instagram following the conclusion of the regular season, according to wpxi.com.

On the Fangraphs website, you can get Francisco Cervelli’s season stats, splits, game logs, predictions, and much more.

Worldwide Career

Francisco played baseball for the MLB throughout his career in addition to representing Italy in the 2009 and 2017 World Baseball Classics.

Career Stats

Summary WAR AB H HR BA R RBI SB OBP SLG OPS OPS+
Career 13.9 2256 605 41 .268 281 275 17 .358 .382 .740 101

Relationship Status

Twice in the past, Cervelli has been in a romantic relationship. Patricia De Leon, Miss Panama 1995 and a well-known TV personality and actress was the subject of his first union.

Francisco Cervelli with his Ex-girlfriend Migbelis Castellano.

His second marriage was to the stunning Miss Venezuela 2013 Migbelis Castellano, a well-known actress, model, and television personality from Venezuela.

You might also be interested in learning more about AJ Styles

Net Worth | Francisco Cervelli

Francisco’s income when playing with the New York Yankees ranged from $400k to $700k, according to the contract specifics of his career.

Here, Cervelli also inked a $31 million three-year contract extension and a $2 million one-year deal with the Miami Marlins while he was a player with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

If we add up all of Cervelli’s earnings from his baseball career, we may deduce that- Francisco Cervelli is estimated to have a net worth of $35 million.

Body Measurement

In addition, by 2022, the former baseball catcher will be 36 years old.

Lastly, Cervelli also has a height of 1.85 meters and a weight of about 93 kg. Francisco is physically fit, and he has brown hair and grey eyes.

Social Media

Instagram : 226k followers

Twitter: 120.8k followers

Facebook: 109k followers

Frequently Asked Question:

From what country is Francisco Cervelli?

Venezuela’s Valencia is where Fransisco Cervelli is originally from.

Why doesn’t Francisco Cervelli participate?

Also, Francisco was added to Marlin’s disabled list on August 22, 2020, following his final appearance due to a concussion. Later, Cervelli made his retirement announcement.

What is the value of Francisco Cervelli’s rookie card?

The cost of a Fransisco Cervelli baseball rookie card is between $0.55 and $4.77.

Francisco Cervelli was he an Italian?

Fransisco Cervelli is, in fact, of Italian and Venezuelan descent.

What caused Francisco Cervelli and his girlfriend to split up?

Cervelli’s breakup information has not been made public by any sources.

Does Francisco Cervelli swing to the left or right?

Francisco Cervelli throws right and bats right.

Francisco Cervelli plays what position(s)?

Throughout his baseball career, Francisco Cervelli played the catcher position.

Quick Facts | Francisco Cervelli

  • Full Name: Francisco Cervelli
  • Birth Date: March 6, 1986
  • Birth Place: Valencia, Venezuela
  • Age:  36 Years Old
  • Nickname: Gazoo
  • Religion: Not Available
  • Nationality: Venezuelan
  • Education: Not Available
  • Horoscope: Pisces
  • Father’s Name: Emanuele Cervelli
  • Mother’s Name: Damelis Cervelli
  • Siblings: Marie Cervelli Carmen
  • Height: 1.85 m
  • Weight:93 kgs
  • Build: Athletic
  • Shoe Size:Not Available
  • Eye Color: Brown
  • Hair Color: Grey
  • Marital Status: Unmarried
  • Past Lovers: Migbelis Castellano, Patricia De Leon
  • Spouse: None
  • Children: None
  • Profession: Professional Baseball Athlete
  • Debut: 2008
  • Batted:Right
  • Throws: Right
  • Last Appearance: 2020
  • Former Teams: New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins
  • Jersey number:#45 (Atlanta Braves)
  • Net Worth:$35 million
  • Awards and Achievements: World Series champion- 2009
  • Social Media: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook
  • Merch:Francisco Cervelli T-Shirts, Baseball cards, Jersey
  • Last Update: July 2022

Written by Jeni Watson

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Gerwyn Price

Gerwyn Price

Jon Hassell

Jon Hassell