Mike Fornieles
Mike Fornieles | |
---|---|
Havana, Cuba | |
Died: February 11, 1998 St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. | (aged 66)|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
September 2, 1952, for the Washington Senators | |
Last MLB appearance | |
July 14, 1963, for the Minnesota Twins | |
MLB statistics | |
Win–loss record | 63–64 |
Earned run average | 3.96 |
Strikeouts | 576 |
Saves | 55 |
Teams | |
| |
Career highlights and awards | |
José Miguel Fornieles y Torres (January 18, 1932 – February 11, 1998) was a
Washington Senators
Fornieles signed with the Washington Senators at eighteen years old, and went 17-6 with a 2.86
On September 19, Fornieles was called upon by manager Bucky Harris to relieve Julio Moreno in the second inning against the Boston Red Sox. Already trailing 3-0, Fornieles held the Bosox scoreless on three hits for the remainder of the game. He also scored one of the five runs his Senators scored on their way to a come from behind victory.[3]
He ended the season at 2-2 with a 1.37 ERA. With the Senators in need of left-handed pitching, he was dealt to the
Chicago White Sox
Fornieles went 8-7 with a 3.59 ERA in
Baltimore Orioles
Paul Richards, now managing the Orioles used Fornieles much more regularly in Baltimore. In a little over a year with the club, Fornieles pitched 168 innings in 45 appearances. On June 14, 1957, he was traded to the Boston Red Sox for infielder Billy Goodman.[6]
Boston Red Sox
Between his two clubs, Fornieles pitched a career high 182.1 innings in 1957. After being used as both a starter and reliever his first two seasons in Boston, Fornieles became strictly a reliever in 1959, and soon emerged as one of the top relief pitchers in the American League. He pitched 82 innings, all out of the bullpen in 1959, and went 5-3 with eleven saves (4 less than league leader Turk Lown).
In
Fornieles' eight saves at the 1961 All-Star break earned him a selection to Paul Richards' AL squad.[7] He appeared in the eighth inning of the game, and surrendered a home run to the first batter he faced, the Chicago Cubs' George Altman. After retiring Willie Mays on a flyball to center, he gave up a single to Frank Robinson before being lifted in favor of Hoyt Wilhelm.[8] A second All-Star game was held on July 31, however, Fornieles was not included on that team.[9] Fornieles ended the season with a career high fifteen saves. He also brought his ERA down to 4.68.
He earned only five saves in 1962, as rookie Dick Radatz replaced him in the closer's role with an AL best 24 saves. Used as a starter in a June 20 doubleheader with the Cleveland Indians, Fornieles tied a modern major league record by hitting four Cleveland batters with pitches.[10] On June 14, 1963, Fornieles' contract was sold to the Minnesota Twins in order to make room on the major league roster for pitching prospect Bob Heffner.[11]
Retirement
Fornieles went 1-1 with a 4.76 ERA for the Twins before being released on July 22, 1963. He signed with the Cincinnati Reds in February 1964, but failed to make the club out of Spring training.[12] He died in St. Petersburg, Florida at the age of 66.
Career stats
W
|
L | Pct | ERA | G | GS | CG | SHO
|
SV | GF
|
IP | ER | R | BAA | H | HR | BB | K | WP | HBP | WHIP | Fld% | Avg. |
63 | 64 | .496 | 3.96 | 432 | 76 | 20 | 4 | 55 | 195 | 1156.2 | 509 | 567 | .263 | 1165 | 98 | 421 | 567 | 34 | 32 | 1.37 | .950 | .169 |
Fornieles' only career home run came on September 8, 1961 against the Detroit Tigers' Paul Foytack.[13]
Caribbean career
In between, Fornieles played winter ball with the
In the 1952–1953 season, Fornieles posted a 12-5 record for Marianao while leading the Cuban League pitchers with a 2.33 ERA.[14] He pitched 155 innings in 29 games, and earned the league's Rookie of the Year honors.[15]
During the 1956-1957 season, Fornieles went 11-7 with a 2.47 ERA in 29 pitching appearances, allowing only 115 hits in 142 innings of work.[14] With a one-two punch in the rotation of Jim Bunning and Fornieles, Marianao defeated the defending champion Elefantes de Cienfuegos and their ace Camilo Pascual to win the title and represent Cuba in the 1957 Caribbean Series.[15]
In Game 4 of the Series on February 10, Fornieles hurled a three-hit, complete game 7–1 victory against the Leones del Caracas of Venezuela. After two days of rest, he started Game 10 on February 13, also against Venezuela. He did not record a decision, as Cuba scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to win 5–4, and the Series title. Overall, Fornieles finished with a 1-0 record, a 2.81 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 16 innings.[16]
Fornieles returned to Cuba in the winter of 1957-1958 to play for Marianao. In a very solid effort, he went 11-6 with a 2.09 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 155 innings.[15] Once more, the Tigres captured the Cuban League title and advanced to the 1958 Caribbean Series. Fornieles started the Opening Game of the Series on February 8, and he led his team to a 10–2 victory over the Industriales de Valencia of Venezuela. On February 11, again with two days of rest, Fornieles faced Venezuela in Game 7. But he struggled this time and Venezuela scored eight runs in the first two innings en route to an 8–1 victory. Nevertheless, Cuba won the Series with a 4–2 record to become the first team to win its third straight championship (fifth overall) in Caribbean Series history.[16] Overall, Fornieles had a record of 2-1 with a 3.08 ERA in his four series appearances, all against Venezuela.[16]
Cuban Baseball League statistics
- Some statistics are incomplete because there are no records available at the time of the request.
Seasons | W | L | W-L% | ERA | GP | CG | SHO |
IP | SO | BB | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8 | 70 | 63 | .526 | .293 | 231 | 49 | 2 | 1,146 | 606 | 366 | [14] |
See also
References
- Free Lance-Star.
- ^ "Washington Senators 5, Philadelphia A's 0". Baseball-Reference.com. September 2, 1952.
- ^ "Washington Senators 5, Boston Red Sox 3". Baseball-Reference.com. September 19, 1952.
- Palm Beach Post. December 7, 1952.
- ^ "Chisox Trade Kell, Orioles Give Wilson". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. May 22, 1956.
- Lewiston Daily Sun. June 15, 1957.
- St. Petersburg Times. July 3, 1961.
- ^ "1961 Major League Baseball All-Star Game". Baseball-Reference.com. July 11, 1961.
- ^ "Richards Adds 3 Hitters to A.L. All-Star Squad". Reading Eagle. July 27, 1961.
- ^ "Hits Four Batters: Fornieles Matches Record". Free Lance-Star. June 21, 1962.
- ^ "Bosox Acquire Pitcher Heffner, Sell Fornieles". St. Petersburg Times. June 15, 1963.
- Portsmouth Times. April 3, 1964.
- ^ "Boston Red Sox 9, Detroit Tigers 2". Baseball-Reference.com. September 8, 1961.
- ^ a b c d Miguel Fornieles – Liga Cubana de Béisbol Profesional. Desde mi palco de fanático. Article by Rogelio Manzano, journalist and Cuban baseball researcher (in Spanish).
- ^ a b c Mike Fornieles Article. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on January 22, 2018.
- ^ a b c Antero Núñez, José. Series del Caribe. Jefferson, Caracas, Venezuela: Impresos Urbina, C.A., 1987.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- SABR Biography Project