Background and career
Ronald Thomas Villone, Jr. (born January 16, 1970) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) left-handed relief pitcher and current minor league coach. Villone played for 12 teams in his career, tied for 4th all time with pitchers Mike Morgan and Craig Kimbrel and outfielder Matt Stairs, and trailing only Rich Hill, Octavio Dotel and Edwin Jackson.
Born in Englewood, New Jersey, Villone grew up in Bergenfield, New Jersey. He attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was a two-sport star, playing baseball and football. Villone was a tight end when he played football, and he had success with it. In 1990, he was selected as a first team All-Yankee Conference tight end. In 1991, Villone was the recipient of the Atlantic-10 Left Handed Pitcher of the Year award. In 1992, he was a third-team All American Selection after striking out 89 in just 591⁄3 innings. After the season, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and pitched for Team USA at the Barcelona Olympics. Villone was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the first round (14th overall) of the 1992 Major League Baseball draft.
In 1993, the Mariners assigned him to the Riverside Pilots, their Advanced-A affiliate. He went 7–4 with a 4.21 ERA in 16 starts. He pitched 831⁄3 innings, allowing 74 hits, walking 62, and striking out 82. He earned a promotion to their AA affiliate, the Jacksonville Suns. At Jacksonville, he went 3–4 with a 4.38 earned run average in 11 starts. In 632⁄3 innings, Villone allowed a total of 49 hits, 41 walks, and 66 strikeouts. Meanwhile, his walks per nine decreased in Jacksonville, as well as his walks and hits allowed per innings pitched. However, his strikeouts per nine innings pitched increased to 9.33, averaging more than one strikeout per inning. Villone stayed in Jacksonville for the 1994 season, going 6–7 with a 3.86 earned run average. In 41 games, (only five of them were starts); he pitched 791⁄3 innings, allowing just 56 hits, 19 walks, and 43 strikeouts. Although he was not the full-time closer, Villone compiled eight saves in the 1994 season. Because of his stellar 1994 campaign, Seattle promoted him, effective at the start of the 1995 season, to their AAA affiliate, the Tacoma Rainiers. He had a magnificent start to the 1995 season, going 1–0 with a 0.61 earned run average. In 22 appearances as the full-time closer, Villone saved 13 games and struck out 43 batters. Villone was recalled from AAA on April 28, 1995. He made his Major League debut on April 28, 1995, working a scoreless ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers. During that inning he stuck out Travis Fryman of the Tigers for his first career strikeouts. He posted an 0–2 record with a 7.91 earned run average in 19 games for the Mariners. He walked 23 batters, but struck out 26. He was a victim of the long ball, allowing six home runs.
On July 31, 1995, Seattle dealt Villone and Marc Newfield to San Diego in exchange for Greg Keagle and Andy Benes. Villone spent the remainder of the season with the Padres, going 2–1 with a 4.21 earned run average. In 252⁄3 innings, Villone gave up 24 hits, 11 walks while striking out 37. He started the 1996 season with San Diego’s then AAA Affiliate, the Las Vegas 51s. After having success there, Villone was called up by San Diego. He was just as good with the Padres, going 1–1 in 21 games with a 2.95 earned run average. He pitched 181⁄3 innings, recording 17 hits, 7 walks, and 19 strikeouts.
On July 31, 1996, the Padres shipped Villone, Bryce Florie, and Marc Newfield to the Milwaukee Brewers for Gerald Parent and Greg Vaughn. Villone had success in Milwaukee, pitching 242⁄3 innings (23 games), allowing 14 hits, 18 walks, and 9 earned runs (3.28 earned run average). Ron Villone stayed in the majors for the entire 1997 campaign. He pitched another season for the Brewers, going 1–0 with a 3.42 earned run average. His workload increased, as he pitched in 50 games (522⁄3 innings), giving up 54 hits, and 36 walks. For the second straight year, Villone averaged less than one strikeout per inning pitched. (In 1997, he fanned 40 in 522⁄3 innings)
On December 8, 1997, Milwaukee traded Villone to Cleveland in a five-player deal that brought center fielder Marquis Grissom to Milwaukee. This was the third consecutive year that Villone was traded, though this time it occurred in the offseason. Villone split 1998 with Buffalo (Cleveland’s AAA affiliate) and the major-league club. He had a better time in Buffalo, going 2–2 with a 2.01 earned run average in 23 appearances. In 221⁄3 innings, he gave up 20 hits, walked 11, and struck out 28 batters. In Cleveland, he walked 22 in 27 innings. He also gave up 30 hits, and had an earned run average of 6.00. Before the 1999 season started, Villone and the Indians agreed to a one-year contract worth $462,500. On April 2, he was released by the Indians.
