Lester Victoria

Lester Sheldon Victoria

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 5' 11", Weight 175 lb.

• School University of Central Florida

• Born June 14, 1976 in Curaçao Netherlands Antilles

BR Minors page

Lester Victoria pitched three years in the minor leagues and two for the Dutch national team.

Minor Leagues

Victoria was drafted out of college in the 29th round of the 1998 amateur draft by the Minnesota Twins. He debuted that year with the Elizabethton Twins, going 3-0 with 3 saves and a 6.68 ERA. He struck out 43 in 32 1/3 IP but allowed 37 hits and 20 walks. In 1999, Lester fared better, this time with the Quad City River Bandits. In 41 games, he was 1-1 with a 4.03 ERA. He struck out 58 in 51 1/3 IP and allowed 41 hits but control remained an issue as he walked 42. Victoria struggled with the 2000 Fort Myers Miracle, saving one game and having a 7.36 ERA in 17 games. His strikeout ratio fell just under one per inning while he continued to walk almost a batter per inning. It marked the end of his minor league career.

Dutch National Team

Victoria joined the Dutch national team for the 2001 Baseball World Cup. He had a 6.36 ERA in three games, walking four and striking out five in 5 2/3 IP and allowing 7 hits. He took the loss against the Japanese national team. Only Radhames Dykhoff had a higher ERA on the Dutch staff in that Baseball World Cup. In the 2002 Intercontinental Cup, Lester threw 1 2/3 innings and allowed no hits but walked four and gave up two runs for a 10.80 ERA.

Scouting

Victoria later became a scout for the Minnesota Twins.

Sources

• Marco Stoovelaar's Dutch baseball site
• Defunct IBAF site
• 1999-2001 Baseball Almanacs
• Honkbalsite.com