Óscar Villarreal (baseball)
| Óscar Villarreal | |
|---|---|
 Villarreal with the Braves in 2007 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: November 22, 1981 San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León, Mexico | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| March 31, 2003, for the Arizona Diamondbacks | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 1, 2008, for the Houston Astros | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 24–15 |
| Earned run average | 3.86 |
| Strikeouts | 236 |
| Teams | |
Óscar Eduardo Villarreal (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈoskaɾ βiʎareˈal]; born November 22, 1981) is a Mexican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, and Houston Astros.
Professional career
Arizona Diamondbacks
Villarreal was signed by the Diamondbacks as an amateur free agent in
Villarreal began the
Villarreal played the entire 2001 season with the Double-A El Paso Diablos, where he logged a 6–9 record with a 4.41 ERA and 108 strikeouts. He began 2003 in El Paso, where he compiled a 3.74 ERA with a 6–3 win–loss record. On July 11, Villarreal was sent back up to the Sidewinders, where he went 3–3 with a 4.36 ERA. In the season combined, Villarreal recorded a Minor League career high 125 K's (85 in El Paso, 40 in Tucson).
In 2003, Villarreal earned a spot on the D'backs roster. He made his debut on March 31, and led all MLB rookies in games pitched (86) and ERA (2.57). His 86 games pitched also set a new rookie record. He finished second in the league in games pitched to
Villarreal missed most of
Villarreal returned in 2005, and ended up having another season shortened by an arm injury. He started the year with Triple-A Tucson before being called back up to the bigs on April 9. He pitched 1.2 scoreless innings on April 9 and left the next game against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a sore right shoulder. Villarreal had strained his rotator cuff, and the injury landed him on the DL until September 2. In his first game back in the majors, Villarreal surrendered a home run. He won a game on September 17, which was his first big-league victory since September 25, 2003. Villarreal finished the season with 2 wins and no losses, 5 strikeouts, and a 5.27 earned run average.
Atlanta Braves
On December 7, 2005, Villarreal and fellow pitcher Lance Cormier were traded to the Atlanta Braves for catcher Johnny Estrada. In his first year with the Braves, Villarreal went 9–1 with 55 strikeouts and a 3.61 ERA in 58 games.
Houston Astros
On November 16, 2007, he was traded to the Houston Astros for outfielder Josh Anderson.[1] On December 28, 2007, the Astros signed Villarreal to a two-year contract worth $2.85 million, with a club option for 2010. After being designated for assignment, Villarreal refused a minor league assignment and became a free agent.
Seattle Mariners
He signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners and was assigned to their Triple-A affiliate, the
Colorado Rockies
On August 16, Villarreal signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies and was assigned to Triple-A Colorado Springs. He became a free agent at the end of the season.
Kansas City Royals
On December 17, 2008, he signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals.[2] On January 28, 2009, Villarreal was released by the Royals.
Philadelphia Phillies
After missing all of 2009 due to
Los Angeles Dodgers
On November 23, 2010, he signed a minor league contract with the
Baltimore Orioles
Oscar signed a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles organization for the 2012 season.[6]
Boston Red Sox
Late in 2012, he signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox with spring training invitation and was assigned to AAA Pawtucket.[7][8] He posted a 4–2 record and a 4.44 ERA in 14 relief appearances for the PawSox before being released on June 6, 2013.[7]
Family
Villarreal and his wife Claudia have one daughter, Valeria, and three sons, Oscar, Máx and Mateo . The family resides in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico.[9]
References
- ^ "Atlanta Braves trade Oscar Villarreal to Houston for Josh Anderson » OTB Sports".
- ^ "Former Sky Sox Villarreal signs with Royals, Castro joins Dodgers". Archived from the original on 2012-07-31.
- ^ Unknown [permanent dead link]
- ^ "Phillies sign Oscar Villarreal to minor-league deal". 4 February 2010.
- ^ "Dodgers continue to add non-roster invitees by signing reliever Oscar Villarreal". 23 November 2010.
- ^ "SOLO BEISBOL - MLB: Oscar Villarreal Firma Con Orioles". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-04-22.
- ^ a b "Oscar Villarreal". kffl.com. Archived from the original on December 4, 2014. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Boston Red Sox: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights". Yardbarker.
- ^ "Atlanta Braves info on Óscar Villarreal". Archived from the original on 2007-01-29. Retrieved 2007-02-25.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)