The popularization of baseball in the late 19th century led to it being recognized as the national sport of the United States. The global recognition of the sport paved the way for various players of the sport to come forward and portray their talents.
Among some of the most recognizable baseball players are Babe Ruth, Roger Clemens, Honus Wagner, Stan Musial, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, and Hank Aaron. One of them is the legendary Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder David Dellucci. If you think Dellucci is your average baseball player, think again.
From University of Mississippi (Oxford, MS), he was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the eleventh round of the 1994 MLB June Amateur Draught and by the Baltimore Orioles in the tenth round of the 1995 MLB June Amateur Draught.
As per USA Today’s sources, Dellucci earned close to $177,500 while he played for the Arizona Diamondbacks from 1998-2003. His salary increased considerably by the year 2007 after he started playing for the Cleveland Indians. The American outfielder is married to model, actress, and former athlete Rachel Reynolds and the couple have a beautiful daughter together. He currently works as the baseball analyst for Ole Miss and SEC Network.
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David Dellucci’s Early Life and Career
Born on 31st October 1973 in Baton Rouge, in the American state of Louisiana, David Michael Dellucci is a former professional baseball outfielder. He played an impressive 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for seven different teams, including Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, and Toronto Blue Jays. In 1991, Dellucci graduated from Catholic High in his hometown of Baton Rouge. During his school life, he earned numerous laurels, like becoming the team’s Most Valuable Player in both baseball and football.
He also bagged the All-State honors for baseball and was awarded the Catholic High Man of the Year award as a senior the same year as his graduation. As if this wasn’t enough for the young player, he got inducted into the Catholic High School Hall of Fame as a Grizzly Great in the winter of 2001.
His achievements didn’t stop there. In addition, Dellucci was chosen as one of the top 50 athletes in Ole Miss history and was inducted into the “M Club” Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010. However, due to the thick pool of talent of other players present in the sport, Dellucci was only viewed as a utility outfielder by the MLB Central Scouting despite his outstanding statistics as a college player.
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Dellucci’s career after baseball
He became a commentator for Sports South, ESPN3, Atlantic Sun TV, and CST after retiring from the sport. He also became a member of the National Wildlife Federation’s Vanishing Paradise advisory board. Dellucci won a place in the Louisiana American Italian Hall of Fame in 2011, all thanks to his incredible career in baseball. However, he has always been rather private about his personal life with his partner.
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Dellucci later worked with several charitable foundations like the Easter Seals, Special Olympics, Children with AIDS Foundation, and Make a Wish Foundation. After the hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit areas like Southeast Texas and Gulfport, Mississippi, in 2005, he formed his own charity called “Catch22forblue.”
He successfully raised and personally distributed funds for individuals, groups, and schools which were affected by the horrible tragedy. His efforts were recognized by the state Senate and the Louisiana House of Representatives. Both his professional career and his work in charity are nothing short of remarkably impressive. He is the true personification of the phrase “not all heroes wear capes.”
David Dellucci’s Net Worth
His sensational career featured him scoring around 101 home runs with a batting average of .256. The iconic baseball player will turn 50 years old this year. His massive fan following and achievements have contributed to the fact that his net worth is a flipping $1 million to $5 million approximately, as of 2021.
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