Phillies news: What happened to Wilson Valdez, father of Phillies prospect Wilson Valdez Jr?

Nine years ago on May 25, Wilson Valdez made some Phillies news and history

Going into a Wednesday evening game against Cincinnati, Phillies utility infielder Wilson Valdez surely wasn’t thinking of making any kind of Phillies news or history, let alone pitching in the 19th inning.

Nine years ago on May 25, Valdez did just that in a wacky classic against the Reds when he pitched a no-hit 19th inning and earned a win at home.

But before all of that craziness that turned him into a folk legend in Philadelphia and now after that improbable game, who was and where is Wilson Valdez?

On February 4, 1997, Valdez was signed by the Montreal Expos as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic. He played three years in the Expos minor league system hitting .259 with 246 hits and just 47 extra-base hits in 261 games between Rookie ball and High-A.

Just before the 2002 season Valdez was placed on waivers and picked up by the Marlins where he played in Double and Triple-A, having his best minor league season yet in 2004 hitting .295 with 49 stolen bases.

During the ’04 season Valdez hit well over .300 in Triple-A and was traded to the White Sox in a deal for Billy Koch. He made his major league debut for the White Sox on Sept. 7, 2004, and went 0-3 against the Rangers.

Chicago would place the new-found journeyman back on the waiver wire for the Mariners to snatch up. Valdez ended up being Seattle’s opening day starter at shortstop in 2005 and stuck around until late May when he was hitting. 198 and traded to the Padres.

Philadelphia Phillies /

Philadelphia Phillies

Valdez bounced through the Padres, Royals, and Dodgers organizations before going overseas to both the Japanese and Korean leagues in 2008 where he hit .240 in 47 games. After just one year there he came back and went through the Indians and Mets organizations, but played only 41 games in New York, his first big league games in two years.

Going into the 2010 season Valdez signed a minor league deal with the Phillies where he would enjoy the best stretch of his professional career.

With Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley both hurt, Valdez got ample playing time, nearly as much as he did in his first four big leagues seasons combined. He hit a respectable .256 in 41 games and played four different positions for a very good Phillies club.

The next year Valdez returned as a utility man but he surely didn’t expect to appear as a pitcher. In the aforementioned game on May 25, Valdez entered a game started by Roy Halladay in the 19th inning against Cincinnati. A game that ended after 1:00 a.m., Valdez managed to get two flyouts and a popout, as well as hitting Scott Rolen and going 3-6 with a walk at the plate.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Valdez became the first position player since Babe Ruth in 2921 to start a game in the field and be the winning pitcher.