Eugene James Petralli (born September 25, 1959) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Texas Rangers from to .
Early life and education
Petralli graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in Sacramento, California, and went on to Sacramento City College. He was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the third round (53rd overall pick) of the January regular phase of the 1978 Major League Baseball draft.
Professional career
Toronto Blue Jays: 1978–1984
Petralli made his professional debut in 1978 with the Medicine Hat Blue Jays of the rookie Pioneer Baseball League, where he batted .281 in 65 games, playing some third base as well as catching. The following season, he started the year with the class-A Dunedin Blue Jays, batting .288 in 52 games, then was promoted to the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs, where he batted .232 in 18 games.
In , Petralli was assigned to Double-A with the Knoxville Blue Jays. In his first full season all at one level, he played 116 games and batted .285 with three home runs. Petralli was promoted back to Syracuse in , where he split time with fellow catching prospects, Dan Whitmer and Ramón Lora, and appeared in just 45 games and batted .265.
In 1982, Petralli was given the full-time job at Syracuse, and he responded with minor league career bests in batting average (.289), home runs (9) and runs batted in (58). This earned him a September call-up, and he made his debut on September 4, pinch-hitting for catcher Buck Martinez and striking out. He got his first major league hit the following day, a double off the Cleveland Indians' Len Barker at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Petralli finished the season with a .364 average in 16 games.
With Ernie Whitt and Martinez still around to handle catching duties for Toronto, and designated hitter Cliff Johnson available for emergencies, Petralli returned to Syracuse in . Although his numbers slipped to a .245 average, three home runs and 40 RBI, he was again called up in September. He received only four at bats over six games and did not record a hit.
In , Petralli made the major league roster out of spring training, but appeared in just three games over the first month of the season, batting three times without a hit. On May 8, his contract was sold to the Cleveland Indians.
Cleveland Indians: 1985
Petralli returned to Triple-A for the Indians, assigned to the Maine Guides. There, he served as backup to former New York Yankees prospect Juan Espino, playing in just 23 games and batting .217 without a home run. He started out the next year with Maine as well, this time behind former Rangers prospect Kevin Buckley. After just two games with the Guides in which he had one hit in seven at-bats, Petralli was released.
Texas Rangers: 1985–1993
Petralli signed with the Rangers on May 17, and was assigned to the Triple-A Oklahoma City 89ers. In 27 games, he batted .263. In early July, he was called up to the Rangers to replace injured starting catcher Don Slaught.
Petralli made his first appearance for the Rangers on July 9 against the Indians, going 0-for-2. Petralli's first hit as a Ranger came in a 6–0 defeat at Yankee Stadium on July 12 against Yankees pitcher Ed Whitson. With Slaught missing most of the next two months, Petralli split time with Glenn Brummer, but when Slaught returned, he assumed Brummer's role as Slaught's primary backup. Brummer was released after the season. Petralli finished the season with what were, to that point, career highs in most categories, including his first major league stolen base. He batted .270 with 11 RBI in 42 games with the Rangers.
Petralli returned to the Rangers as Slaught's backup in , but the Rangers had also signed Darrell Porter as a free agent to serve as third catcher and part-time DH. When Slaught again was injured in May, the Rangers added a fourth catcher, Orlando Mercado, to the roster, and continued to carry all four for the remainder of the season once Slaught returned.
Petralli's first appearance in the field in 1986 came not as a catcher, but at third base on April 14. He struggled at the plate early in the season, and on June 9 he still had not recorded his first RBI of the year. On June 10, however, he busted out with a five RBI game against the Minnesota Twins, in which he went 3-for-5, including two doubles, to lead the Rangers to a 14–10 win. He also improved his batting average on the season from .200 to .257.