John D'Acquisto

John Francis D'Acquisto (born December 24, 1951) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played ten seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is the cousin of former major league pitcher Lou Marone.

Career

San Francisco Giants D'Acquisto was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the first round of the 1970 MLB draft out of St. Augustine High School in San Diego, California. He made his Major League debut on September 2, 1973, against the Atlanta Braves, starting the second game of a doubleheader. D'Acquisto allowed two runs in 4.2 innings and did not get the decision. He pitched a complete game victory over the San Diego Padres on September 21 for his first career win while striking out 11. Overall, D'Acquisto was 1–1 with a 3.58 ERA in seven appearances (three starts) that year.

D'Acquisto was named National League (NL) Rookie Pitcher of the Year in 1974 when he went 12–14 with a 3.77 ERA for the fifth-place Giants, but he missed most of the next season after elbow surgery. He tied an NL record with three wild pitches in one inning on September 24, 1976.

In four seasons with the Giants, D'Acquisto compiled a record of 18–27 with a 4.68 ERA in 83 appearances (64 starts).

St. Louis Cardinals D'Acquisto was traded (with Mike Caldwell and Dave Rader) to the St. Louis Cardinals for Willie Crawford, John Curtis and Vic Harris on October 20, 1976. Due to his being on the disabled list, D'Acquisto only appeared in three games with the Cardinals, with a 4.32 ERA.

San Diego Padres

D'Acquisto was traded, along with Pat Scanlon, from the Cardinals to the San Diego Padres for Butch Metzger on May 17, 1977. D'Acquisto was also indicted in 1998 on charges of defrauding investors of approximately $7 million. As a result, D'Acquisto was sentenced the following year to an additional four years and seven months in prison after he pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering, which was served concurrently with the term handed down in 1996.