There have been a number of individuals from Lafayette, and the Acadiana area, that have played in Major League Baseball over the years.

Obviously, the entire state of Louisiana has produced even more.

As a matter of fact, 246 people born in the state of Louisiana have appeared in a Major League Baseball game, beginning in 1874, with John Peters of New Orleans, who played 11 years, with the likes of the Chicago White Stockings, Milwaukee Grays, Providence Grays, Buffalo Bisons, and Pittsburgh Alleghenys.

All summer, we’ll preview a player from the state of Louisiana that appeared in Major League baseball, starting with players from Lafayette, before spotlighting players from the Acadiana area, and then a few from the state itself.

Yesterday, we spotlighted Don Wilson.

Today, we feature Ray Fontenot.

Born in Lake Charles in 1957, Fontenot, a left-handed pitcher, played four seasons in Major League Baseball, with the New York Yankees (1983-1984), Chicago Cubs (1985-1986), and the Minnesota Twins (1986).

After playing his high school baseball at LaGrange High School, and then his college baseball at McNeese St., Fontenot was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 34th round of the 1979 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.

After being traded to the Yankees prior to the 1980 season, the 6-foot, 175-pound Fontenot made minor league stops in Greensboro, North Carolina, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Nashville, Tennessee, and Columbus, Ohio, before getting called up to the big leagues by the Yankees in 1983 at the age of 25.

In his major league debut, on June 30, 1983, Fontenot started against the Baltimore Orioles, allowing 4 hits and one earned run in 5.2 innings of work.

In his rookie campaign, Fontenot went on to go 8-2 with a 3.33 ERA. over 97.1 innings pitched.

In 1984, Fontenot became a fulltime member of the Yankees' starting rotation, appearing in 35 games, including 24 starts, while going 8-9 with a 3.61 ERA. over a career-high 169.1 innings pitched.

After being traded to the Chicago Cubs prior to the 1985 campaign, Fontenot 6-10 with a 4.36 ERA., before going 3-5 with a 3.23 ERA. with both the Cubs and the Minnesota Twins, who he was traded to in August of 1986.

Fontenot sign free agent deals with the San Francisco Giants and Houston Astros prior to the 1987 season, but never appeared in the big leagues again.

In 7 seasons in the minor leagues, Fontenot went 26-25 with a 3.57 ERA.

In parts of 4 seasons in Major League Baseball, Fontenot appeared in 145 games, including 62 starts, going 25-26 with a 4.03 ERA., while allowing 551 hits and 221 earned runs over 493.2 innings of work.

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