It is the professional athlete who first draws us to any sport. Pro-athletes focus our attention, magnify our excitement and serve as models for our aspirations.
Like any of our customers, pro-athletes only use Vinci for the right reasons — because our gloves meet or exceed the most demanding athletic requirements. They use Vinci because the quality of construction and aesthetic beauty can withstand the rigors of intense competition and inspire athletes of all levels to “make the play”. Considering the number of outstanding gloves currently on the market, it is flattering that many of the world’s top players prefer to use Vinci.
Players Who Wear Vinci is our way of acknowledging and thanking the growing legion of MLB players who choose Vinci gloves.
Elmer Dessens (Team: New York Mets. Glove: Vinci MV30 in Burgundy)
Elmer Dessens is the very definition of a professional journeyman. Signed as an amateur free agent in 1993 by the Pittsburgh Pirates, this right-handed finesse pitcher from Hermosillo, Mexico made his major league debut in 1996. After several seasons with the Pirates, he went on to pitch for Arizona, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Colorado, Milwaukee and Cincinnati, before returning to his native Mexico to pitch (and win) the Mexican League Championship with Diablos Rojos del México in 2008.
Against the odds, the 37-year-old pitcher once again caught the attention of MLB and, in August, he signed with Atlanta. After 4 games as a relief pitcher for the Braves, Dessens inked a deal with the New York Mets. His Mets debut came that June against St. Louis relieving Liván Hernández with 2 innings of no-hit ball.
In 2009, the average player in Major League Baseball was 27 years old, and at 38, Elmer Dessens began to consider retiring 
from the sport he’d played his entire life. “I told my wife I was going to retire,” Dessens said. “But then I pitched winter ball, and I felt pretty good, so I decided to take one more chance.”
After a very successful spring training, Dessens spent the early part of 2010 pitching as the closer for the AAA Buffalo Bisons. He was called up on May 21, when the Mets put John Maine on the disabled list.
Dessens was moved into an important spot as setup pitcher against the Yankees about an hour after he arrived at Citi Field and the reviews have been glowing ever since. The New York Daily News said, “Out of nowhere (Dessens) has emerged as a savior for the Mets’ bullpen crisis.” Mets manager Jerry Manuel praised Dessens’ poise under pressure. “When you can throw a 3-2 slider and not flinch, that’s huge.” Said Manuel, “When you can throw strikes behind in the count, that’s a huge plus in this ballpark.”
At 39, Dessens may be the oldest player on the New York Mets roster, but a wise man once said, “With age comes experience.” And Elmer’s “experience” is now paying huge dividends to the New York Mets bullpen.
Dessens has used many baseball gloves throughout his 16+ years as a pro-athlete. We at Vinci were extreme ly proud to discover that in 2009, Elmer began incorporating our gloves into his game. When he recorded his first MLB win of the season on May 30, 2010, Elmer Dessens was wearing his burgundy Vinci MV30.
Congratulations to Elmer for an amazing career and a limitless future.
