A perennial minor-league All-Star, he played in 15 different leagues and several countries, including stints in Canada, Colombia, Italy, Japan, Mexico and Venezuela.

On August 5, 1980, Lancellotti, along with Luis Salazar, was traded to the San Diego Padres for a player to be named later and Kurt Bevacqua.

came in 1984, when he led all professional baseball with 131 RBI and hit 29 home runs while playing for Triple-A Las Vegas, a San Diego affiliate.

In 1986, Lancellotti led the Pacific Coast League with 31 home runs while playing for Phoenix, at the time the Giants' Triple-A affiliate.

Lancellotti was a major player in the Red Sox famous Rally Cap game where several teammates used cups on their ears, hats on catcher-style, and shave cream on their faces.