Joel Zumaya
Joel Zumaya | |
---|---|
Pitcher | |
Born: Chula Vista, California, U.S. | November 9, 1984|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
April 3, 2006, for the Detroit Tigers | |
Last MLB appearance | |
June 28, 2010, for the Detroit Tigers | |
MLB statistics | |
Win–loss record | 13–12 |
Earned run average | 3.05 |
Strikeouts | 210 |
Teams | |
Joel Martin Zumaya (born November 9, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers from 2006 through 2010.
Baseball career
Zumaya was drafted out of
Minor league career
Zumaya began his stint in the Tigers minor league system as a
Major league career
Detroit Tigers (2006–2011)
With the Tigers, he was most often used as a
While he held batters to a .187
Zumaya's future was then clouded by injury: in May 2007, he ruptured a tendon in his hand, requiring surgery and 12 weeks rehab. On August 2, 2007, the Tigers activated Zumaya from the 15-day
Zumaya sustained another injury, this time to his shoulder, during the 2007 offseason. While helping his father move some boxes in the attic at his father's home in advance of a fire approaching the area, a 50 to 60 pounds (23 to 27 kg) box fell on his right (pitching) shoulder, separating it.[7]
He was placed on the 60-day
Zumaya was placed on the 15-day DL with a sore right shoulder on March 27, 2009.[8] He was reactivated by the end of April; however, he was placed back on the 15-day DL following a July 18 appearance against the New York Yankees, where it was reported he could barely move his right (throwing) arm. Zumaya had surgery in August, ending his season.
On June 28, 2010, Zumaya injured his elbow in the eighth inning, while pitching against the
Zumaya missed the entire 2011 season after undergoing exploratory surgery on his right elbow on May 10. While the surgery, performed by Dr. James Andrews found no new damage, it was determined that the screw inserted during his previous surgery needed to be replaced.[10] He was unable to recover sufficiently to return to the team that season, his last before being able to enter free agency for the 2012 season.[11]
Minnesota Twins (2012)
On January 15, 2012, Zumaya agreed to a one-year contract with the Minnesota Twins worth $800,000 to $1.7 million.[12][13]
On February 25, 2012, Zumaya tore an
Zumaya retired in February 2014.[15]
Record-setting fastballs
During the 2006 season, Zumaya often threw pitches that were measured at or above the official record reading of 101 miles per hour (163 km/h). On July 3, 2006, at
Zumaya hit 104 miles per hour (167 km/h) on the
In an interview for Detroit radio station WRIF, former Tigers pitcher Denny McLain stated that he believed the numbers on stadium and television radar guns were inflated. However, he also claimed that Zumaya had the most consistently fast pitches he had seen in person since former Houston Astros Nolan Ryan and J. R. Richard.[citation needed]
However, there is a new technology on the horizon that reads pitch speeds more accurately and does not inflate those numbers. It uses cameras and software to obtain the data. This new technology comes from Major League Baseball in its Advanced Media section. Part of Enhanced Gameday tracks pitch speed, break, and trajectory.
After the 2006 season, The Bill James Handbook published a list of pitchers and the number of their pitches thrown at 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) or more. Zumaya led the major leagues with 233. Zumaya's average fastball was 98.6 miles per hour (158.7 km/h), with 100+ mph fastballs coming one out of six pitches.[21]
In 2009 and 2010, Zumaya's fastball averaged 99 miles per hour (159 km/h), according to
See also
- Best pitching seasons by a Detroit Tiger
References
- ^ "High-speed pursuit - MLB - ESPN". Sports.espn.go.com. March 26, 2007. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
- ^ /http://www.baseball-almanac.com/articles/fastest-pitcher-in-baseball.shtml
- ^ Guitar hero? Pitcher hurt playing video game Archived March 22, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Dave Dombrowski on WXYT 12/13/2006 Archived December 18, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- CanWest News Service. April 26, 2007. Archived from the originalon September 28, 2007. Retrieved June 2, 2007.
- ^ Wojnowski, Bob (June 8, 2016). "Wojo: Zumaya flamed out in a blaze of glory". Detroit News. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
- ^ "Zumaya hurts shoulder, might miss part of '08 season". Retrieved June 10, 2012.
- ^ "Zumaya placed on 15-day DL". Detroit.tigers.mlb.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
- ^ Zumaya out for year with fracture in elbow Archived July 2, 2010, at the Wayback Machine MLB.com
- ^ No new damage found during Joel Zumaya's elbow surgery Sporting News staff report, May 11, 2011. Retrieved from sportingnews.com October 29, 2011,
- ^ Was Tuesday Joel Zumaya's swan song? Despite surgery, he wants to stay Tiger by Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press, October 12, 2011
- ^ Silva, Drew (January 15, 2012). "Twins, Joel Zumaya agree to terms on one-year deal". NBC Sports. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
- ^ Twins, Zumaya sign one-year deal mlb trade rumors
- ^ Girandola, Chris (February 26, 2012). "Torn elbow ligament to cost Twins reliever Joel Zumaya 2012 season". twinsbaseball.com.
- ^ Report: Former Detroit Tigers reliever Joel Zumaya to retire; last pitched in majors in 2010
- ^ "The Fastest Pitcher in Baseball History". Baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
- ^ "Reds Top Plays Archive (multimedia, see "Griffey's slam" under May 20". Cincinnati.reds.mlb.com. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
- ^ "Tigers even series with Yankees". Cbc.ca. October 5, 2006. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
- ^ Wetzel, Dan (October 11, 2006). "Mo' town". Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
- ^ "Latest technology enhances playoffs". Mlb.mlb.com. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
- ^ "Zumaya more than just a flame-thrower". Florida.marlins.mlb.com. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
- ^ [1] Archived September 9, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)