Camilo Pascual

[William Malone]

Camilo Alberto Pascual Lus was born on January 20, 1934 in Cuba.

He left Havana for the United States in 1951, and signed with the Washington Senators as an amateur free agent in 1952. Pascual broke camp with the Senators in 1954 at the age of 20, making four starts and 44 relief appearances that season as a rookie. He was 4-7 with a 4.22 ERA and three saves. He established himself as a full time starter by 1957. The Cuban right hander made his first All-Star team in 1959, going 17-10 with a 2.64 ERA.

The Senators moved to Minnesota in 1961, and Pascual continued to pitch at an All-Star level. He was a 20 game winner for the Twins in 1962 and 1963, forming a strong duo at the top of their rotation alongside Hall of Fame southpaw Jim Kaat. Pascual missed a chunk of the 1965 season with a shoulder injury, but returned for the stretch run and helped Minnesota reach the World Series that fall. He allowed three runs over five innings in game three of the 1965 World Series, taking the loss. That was his only career postseason appearance, and the Twins fell in seven games against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

More injuries and some ineffectiveness limited Pascual in 1966, which was his final season with the Twins. They traded him back to the new version of the Washington Senators for veteran relief pitcher Ron Kline that off-season. He had a bit of a career resurgence back in Washington, posting a 2.59 ERA over 58 starts between 1967 and 1968. The 1969 season saw his ERA balloon above seven. Pascual spent the next few seasons fighting through injuries while jumping around with the Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians.

He retired after the 1971 season, but stayed involved with the sport for the next several decades. Pascual was the Twins pitching coach from 1978 to 1980, and he worked as a scout for various teams. One of the most notable players he scouted and signed was Jose Canseco, a 15th round pick of the Oakland Athletics in 1982. Pascual last worked as a scout for the Dodgers in 2013.

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