Pat Pesavento, Beat Them - 2415

Pat Pesavento started his pro career in 1989 and he got advice from a familiar person - his brother.

His brother, Mike Pesavento, played two seasons in the minors and helped Pat by telling him what to expect, Pat Pesavento told The Fayetteville Observer.

"He said just to relax and as soon as the game's over with, it's over," Pesavento told The Observer. "You can't have peaks and valleys in this or else you're going to go nuts"

For Pat Pesavento it ended up being over too soon. Like his brother, Pat Pesavento's career ended p lasting just two seasons. He never made AA.

Pesavento's career began in 1989, taken by the Tigers in the 17th round of the draft out of Notre Dame. He's also credited by his formal name, Patrick Pesavento.

At Notre Dame, Pesavento started in football, going to the school on a scholarship in that sport. He soon moved to focus on baseball, scoring 88 runs in 1989, after 81 in 1988. The two totals re still the top two run totals at the school. He also stole 38 bases in each year. He hit .402 in 1989, hitting .521 over a 27-game stretch.

Pesavento played with fellow Irish hitter Dan Peltier. Notre Dame coach Pat Murphy talked up both to The Notre Dame Observer in February 1989.

"People better not forget about Pesavento," Murphy told The ND Observer. "If they just concentrate on Peltier, Pesavento will beat them. He'll get a base hit to left, steal a base, whatever he has to do to win."

Pesavento started with the Tigers at single-A Fayetteville. He hit .248 over 71 games his first year there. He also stole 12 bases.

Pesavento returned to Fayetteville for 1990. He hit .381 in an early six-game stretch. He hit .280 overall, with 35 RBI and another 12 stolen bases. His second season turned out to be his last as a pro.

Pesavento has since settled in North Carolina, but he continues to follow Notre Dame from afar.

• Notre Dame Observer, Feb. 1, 1989: ND's Peltier an All-American
• Fayetteville Observer, Aug. 12, 1989: Adjusting to the minors

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured: 2,285
Made the Majors: 949-41.5%
Never Made Majors:1,336-58.5%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 398
10+ Seasons in the Minors:240