Cody Cillo

Cody Daniel Cillo

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 195 lb.
• Schools University of Alabama at Birmingham, Edmonds Community College
• High School Olympia (WA) High School

• Born July 17, 1980 in Brunswick, ME USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Cody Cillo is a right-handed pitcher for the Italian national baseball team that competed in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

High School and College

Cillo was the MVP of the Rivers League as a senior at Olympia (WA) High School in Olympia, WA. After two years at Edmonds Community College in Seattle, WA, he went to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he was 2-2 with 3 saves and a 4.06 ERA as a junior, and he tied for seventh in Conference USA with 27 games pitched. His senior year, Cillo improved to 6-5 with four saves and a 2.90 ERA, striking out 87 in 68 1/3 innings pitched. His ERA was .01 better than Brad Sullivan, a fellow Conference USA hurler who would go in the first round of the 2003 amateur draft. Cillo was unpicked in that draft and signed as a free agent with the Florida Marlins.

Minor League Career

Cillo split 2003 between the GCL Marlins (5 2/3 IP, 9 strikeouts, 3 saves in 3 games) and the Jamestown Jammers (3-1, 1 Sv, 2.86 ERA). In 2004, Cillo went 1-0 with a save and a 1.00 ERA for the GCL Marlins and 1-3 with a 5.82 ERA for the Greensboro Bats. Despite a 3.04 ERA in the affiliated minors, he was let go.

Italy

In 2005, Cillo's record was 4-2 with a 4.04 ERA and 3 saves for the Calgary Vipers, striking out 64 in 62 1/3 IP in the Northern League. He was traded to the Rockford RiverHawks for Frank James in January of 2006, however, he never played for Rockford, making his way to Italy instead.

In his first season in Italy's Serie A1 in 2006, Cillo was 7-4 with a 2.59 ERA for De Angelis Godo as the team (new to the A1 classification) missed the playoffs by one game. Cillo struck out 90 in 118 2/3 IP, finishing sixth in the league. He joined the Italian team for the World University Championship. In 2007, Cillo's record fell to 4-4, 3.31 for Godo. He was fifth in Serie A1 with 92 1/3 innings pitched. In the 2007 Baseball World Cup, Cillo fanned 7 in 6 innings for Italy, going 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA.

Cillo's one win came on November 9, as Italy beat Team USA 6-2. It was the U.S.'s first loss to Italy in 21 years and the first time it ever lost to Italy with professional players, as the team consisted of Major League Baseball players and top minor league prospects. Cillo relieved Luca Panerati in the top of the sixth with a 6-2 lead and pitched two innings of one-hit ball, striking out two, against a lineup that included Evan Longoria, Andy LaRoche, Delwyn Young, Justin Ruggiano, Steve Pearce, Colby Rasmus and Jayson Nix. Though he entered with a lead, Cillo got credit for the win because teenaged starter Matteo D'Angelo had not worked the required number of innings. It was the US's lone loss of the 2007 Baseball World Cup.

In the 2008 Italian Baseball League, Cillo starred for Bologna, going 9-1 with a 1.34 ERA. He tied Carlos Richetti for the league lead in wins and was second in ERA. He gave up only 53 hits (0 homers) in 80 1/3 IP. Cillo had a better ERA than former major leaguers Brian Looney, Giovanni Carrara and Nelson Cruz among many others.

Cillo again pitched for team Italia in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Prior to the start of the WBC, Italy played two Spring training games against the Washington Nationals and New York Mets. Cillo took the loss in the Nats' 9-6 victory over Italy, giving up a walk-off home run to Roger Bernadina. Against the Mets, Cillo pitched one inning, giving up one hit and striking out one in Italy's 3-2 loss.

In the WBC, Cillo made two appearances in Italy's three games, giving up one earned run in one total inning pitched.

Independent Leagues

Cillo signed with the Calgary Vipers for 2009.