professional baseball. He was at 299 pounds between 2009 and 2011. In 2011, a chance encounter with Philadelphia Phillies general manager Rubén Amaro, Jr. led to Elarton receiving a minor league contract with Phillies and an invitation the team's spring training. Elarton spent the whole year in the Phillies minor league affiliate Lehigh Valley IronPigs. He pitched in 26 starts, going 6–11 with an ERA of 5.41. At one point, Elarton had a 22 inning scoreless streak. For Elarton, it was just a matter of having love for the game again after appearing in just 16 games from 2009 to 2012. Minnesota Twins (2013) On December 11, 2012, the Minnesota Twins signed Elarton to a minor-league contract. but released him before the end of spring training. He then signed a contract with the Sugar Land Skeeters for the 2013 season. Sugar Land Skeeters Soon after being released by Minnesota, Elarton signed a contract to pitch for the Sugar Land Skeeters. At the end of the 2013 season, he announced his retirement, where the crowd gave him a standing ovation. Coaching career Pittsburgh Pirates farm system On January 14, 2014, it was announced that Elarton would serve as the pitching coach for the Gulf Coast League Pirates, the Gulf Coast League affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The following season, Elarton was named as the pitching coach for the Pirates' High-A affiliate, the Bradenton Marauders. The next season, he was named a special assistant to the general manager in the Pirates' front office. Scouting report At 6 feet, 7 inches, Elarton would hide the ball well due to his tall frame, relying on a sinking two-seam fastball. At the time of his callup with the Astros, his fastball clocked at 93–95 MPH, but due to multiple shoulder injuries, it lost two to three miles per hour, reaching between 90 and 92 MPH. Elarton also threw a curveball, a changeup and a cutter. His propensity for being a flyball pitcher was the reason he gave up a lot of home runs. References External links 1976 births Living people Houston Astros players Colorado Rockies players Cleveland Indians players Kansas City Royals players People from Lamar, Colorado Pittsburgh Pirates scouts Baseball players from Colorado Major League Baseball pitchers Gulf Coast Astros players Quad Cities River Bandits players Kissimmee Cobras players Jackson Generals (Texas League) players New Orleans Zephyrs players Round Rock Express players Colorado Springs