Ray Giannelli

Raymond John Giannelli

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 195 lb.
• School New York Institute of Technology
• High School Walter G. O'Connell Copiague High School
• Debut May 4, 1991
• Final Game October 1, 1995
• Born February 5, 1966 in Brooklyn, NY USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Ray Giannelli attended New York Institute of Technology, where he was the school's all-time leader with 179 runs scored, and was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 22nd round of the 1987 amateur draft. He chose not to sign and was then taken by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 38th round of the 1988 amateur draft. He made his pro debut that summer with the Medicine Hat Blue Jays, hitting .244 with 4 home runs in 47 games. He hit 18 homers for the Myrtle Beach Blue Jays in 1989 and then matched that tally with the Dunedin Blue Jays the following year, 1990. He reached the majors with the Jays in May 1991, hitting .167 while appearing in 9 games at third base. After playing with the Syracuse Chiefs from 1992 to 1994, he became a free agent.

Giannelli signed with the St. Louis Cardinals and spent much of the 1995 season with the Louisville Redbirds, hitting .295 with 16 home runs. This performance earned him a late-season call-up to the majors, but he struggled at the plate, going 1-for-11 in 9 games. He later played in the Minnesota Twins and Colorado Rockies organizations before second stints in the Cardinals and Blue Jays chains.

Following his playing days, Giannelli spent nearly a decade as hitting coach at his alma matter, NYIT. He returned to the school as an assistant coach in 2019.

Related Sites

• Story about Giannelli's life after baseball
• Interview with Giannelli - Syracuse Chiefs radio from 2007 (scroll halfway down the page)