Camilo Pascual

Camilo Alberto Pascual Lus
(Camile, Little Potato)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 185 lb.

• Debut April 15, 1954
• Final Game May 5, 1971
• Born January 20, 1934 in Havana, Cuba

BR page

Biographical Information

"He's got the best curve ball in the American League. His curve is simply great and he can throw it at different speeds." - Al Lopez, quoted in Baseball Digest from June 1959

Camilo Pascual pitched the first major league game ever at both Metropolitan Stadium and Los Angeles's Wrigley Field. Five times an AL All-Star, Pascual was a workhorse for the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins pitching staffs for 17 years. His good control, excellent fastball and outstanding curve led him to the AL strikeout lead three times, complete game lead three times, and shutouts three times again.

Despite playing with generally bad teams during his career, Pascual won 15 games five times and 20 twice, 174 in all. Four years running (1961-64) he topped 200 strikeouts, back when that was a tough number to reach.

After his playing career ended, he was a Twins coach from 1978 to 1980. He later was a scout in Venezuela for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

His minor league and major league playing career ran from 1951-1971. In addition, he pitched Cuban winter ball for years with Cienfuegos, and was league MVP in the 1955-56 winter.

He is the brother of Carlos Pascual and the son of "Big Potato" Pascual. Camilo was part of the inaugural class of inductees in the Latino Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010.

Notable Achievements

• 5-time AL All-Star (1959-1962 & 1964)
• 3-time AL Strikeouts Leader (1961-1963)
• 3-time AL Complete Games Leader (1959, 1962 & 1963)
• 3-time AL Shutouts Leader (1959, 1961 & 1962)
• 15 Wins Seasons: 5 (1959 & 1961-1964)
• 20 Wins Seasons: 2 (1962 & 1963)
• 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 6 (1959, 1961-1964 & 1968)
• 200 Strikeouts Seasons: 4 (1961-1964)

Further Reading

• Peter C. Bjarkman: "Camilo Pascual", in Gregory H. Wolf, ed.: A Pennant for the Twin Cities: the 1965 Minnesota Twins, SABR, Phoenix, AZ, 2015, pp. 194-204. ISBN 978-1-943816-09-5

Related Sites

• Camilo Pascual at the SABR Bio Project