Juan Carlos Pulido Valera [poo-LEE-do] is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Minnesota Twins in 1994 and between 2003?2004. He batted and threw left-handed. Signed at 18 in 1989 by Minnesota, the hard-throwing Pulido was a bright prospect in the Twins' system, but a 1995 arm injury ruined his chances as a starter. Pulido has the rare distinction of having the longest gap in true major league service time of any major league player. He pitched for the Twins in 1994, but then spent nearly a decade languishing in the minor leagues and other countries. He returned to the Twins in 2003 ? a nine-year absence from the majors. Minnie Mi�oso and Satchel Paige did see longer gaps in their major league careers. However, their returns to the majors were brief publicity stunts. In contrast, Pulido contributed to a contending team in 2003 and 2004. In a three-season career, Pulido posted a 3?8 record with 47 strikeouts and a 5.98 ERA in 111? innings. He had a successful career in Venezuelan Professional Baseball League, playing for Navegantes del Magallanes, Tigres de Aragua and Cardenales de Lara. 

August 5th, 1971 in Caracas  /  Died:   Dec 28th, 2023 - aged 52