“It can’t get better than this” Pignatiello after making his major league debut with the Cubs in 2007 at Wrigley Field (mtshastanews)

Carmen Peter Pignatiello (born September 12, 1982 in Hammond, Indiana) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher & independent league pitching coach. He is a graduate of Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox, Illinois, where he was inducted as a Providence HS Hall of Fame member in 2019. Carmen pitched for his hometown Chicago Cubs in 2007 and 2008. During 2009 he appeared in four games with the Rochester Red Wings and then played for the independent Schaumburg Flyers.

Pignatiello was born in Hammond, IN, to the southeast of Chicago, IL, and went to high school in New Lenox, IL, near Joliet, IL. He was 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA when Team USA won the 1998 World Youth Championship, their first Gold Medal in that event. He was 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA to help the US win Gold at the 1999 World Junior Championship. He was the only pitcher on the team who made the majors. He was drafted by the Cubs in the 20th round in 2000.

Carmen pitched 10 seasons in the minors with most of the appearances in the first half of his career as a starter and most of the appearances in the second half as a reliever. Through 2014, he is one of six major leaguers with the first name Carmen. After leaving baseball, he became an Nationwide insurance agent in Illinois.

(excerpted from Baseball Almanac, BR Bullpen and Wikipedia)