David Rollandini

David Hale Rollandini

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 5", Weight 220 lb.
• School Oklahoma State University

• Born February 6, 1979 in Alexandria, VA USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

David Rollandini is a former Olympic performer who pitched as high as AA.

Rollandini was undrafted out of college. He signed with the Philadelphia Phillies and went 0-4 with a 3.43 ERA for the 2001 GCL Phillies, falling just shy of a strikeout per inning. He then played in the independent leagues. In 2002, he was 2-4 with 3 saves and a 3.67 ERA for the Canton Crocodiles, allowing only 59 hits in 73 2/3 IP.

In 2003, the big right-hander pitched 16 games for the Nashua Pride (2-1, 2 Sv, 2.93 in 16 G) and 15 for the Pennsylvania Road Warriors (4-9, 4.23 for a hapless traveling team).

Rollandini went to pitch in Italy in 2004, going 14-1 with a 1.16 ERA for Prink Grosseto, allowing just a .169/.264/.206 batting line in 93 innings while giving up no home runs. He joined with Jaime Navarro and Riccardo De Santis to form an amazing 1-2-3 pitching punch that produced a combined record of 41-4, 1.67. He lost his lone game in the finals, but Grosseto still took the title. David led the Serie A1 in ERA, .04 ahead of Jesus Matos. He tied Matos for second in wins, one behind Navarro, a former major leaguer. Rollandini allowed the loop's lowest average and slugging percentage and was third in opponent OBP behind Matos and Navarro.

David's performance won him a spot on Italy's squad for the 2004 Olympics. He allowed 12 runs (6 earned), 11 hits and 6 walks in 7 2/3 IP in those Summer Games, going 0-1 with a loss to Team Canada.

The Alexandria native was effective with Grosseto again in '05, going 8-3 with a 1.60 ERA. He tied for 4th in the league in ERA and tied for 9th in wins. He was 2-0, had a 0.00 ERA and .135 opponent average in the 2005 European Championship in which Italy took home the Silver Medal.

Rollandini remained with Italy for the 2006 World Baseball Classic and was the country's most effective pitcher in that tournament. Relieving De Santis in the 5th inning against the Dominican national team, he struck out Juan Encarnacion and Wily Mo Peña to end that frame. In the 6th, he got Ronny Paulino and Jose Reyes on flies. Placido Polanco singled but Albert Pujols flew out on a full count. Phil Barzilla then replaced him on the hill.

David's WBC performance impressed the Houston Astros, who signed him. They sent him to their AA Corpus Christi Hooks, where he was 4-4 with two saves and a 4.50 ERA in 47 games in 2006, his last season as a hurler.