| Ismael Valdéz | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Valdez withTigres de Quintana Roo atLos Pinos in 2013 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1973-08-21)August 21, 1973 (age 51) Ciudad Victoria,Tamaulipas,Mexico | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| June 15, 1994, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 1, 2005, for the Florida Marlins | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 104–105 |
| Earned run average | 4.09 |
| Strikeouts | 1,173 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Ismael Valdéz Alvarez (formerlyValdés; born August 21, 1973) is a Mexican former professionalbaseballpitcher. During his major league career, he was nicknamed "The Rocket" in his nativeMexico.
Valdéz was 17 years old when he was signed by theLos Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent on June 14, 1991. He made his professional debut with theGulf Coast Dodgers that year when he was 2–2 with a 2.32 ERA in 10 starts.
The Dodgers loaned him to theMexico City Tigres in theMexican League for the next two seasons before he returned to the U.S. to play in theTexas League for theSan Antonio Missions in 1993. He won 16 games and lost 7 in Mexico, with 115 strikeouts. He won the Championship in 1992, with the Tigers. In 1994 he was promoted to the AAAAlbuquerque Dukes in thePacific Coast League.
Valdéz made his Major League debut on June 15, 1994, at the age of 20. He was the youngest player in the Majors at the time, pitching 2 shutout innings of relief against theCincinnati Reds. His first win was recorded on July 5 against theMontreal Expos. He started for the first time in the Majors on July 18 against theNew York Mets.[1] However, he was taken out in the 2nd inning. In 21 games that season he was 3–1 with a 3.18 ERA.
In 1995, his first full major league season, Valdez had a record of 13–11 with 150 strikeouts and a 3.05 ERA. He was also third in the National League with 6 complete games. In 1996 he finished 3rd in the NL in winning percentage (.682) and held opponents to 2 or fewer runs in 19 of 33 starts. In 1999 he was 9–14 with a 3.98 ERA in 32 starts as the Dodgers did not give him any run support.
On August 27, 2000, Valdéz was pitching for the Dodgers and was ejected from a game after he was accused of retaliating and throwing pitches at the head of Cubs first basemanMark Grace. The incident began in the top of the fifth inning when Cubs pitcherKerry Wood yielded the second of two home runs to the Dodgers'Bruce Aven. Wood then threw a pitch close to the next batter,Alex Cora, on the first pitch after Aven's second home run. Wood denied that he was trying to hit Cora, but in the bottom of the fifth, Valdés came close to hitting Grace on the first pitch, drawing a warning from home plate umpireMark Wegner. Then, four pitches later, Valdéz hit Grace on the shoulder, and was ejected.[2] In September,Frank Robinson, major league baseball's head of on-field discipline, suspended Valdéz for six games and fined him $1,000 for the incident.[3] Valdés initially appealed, but several days later dropped his appeal and began serving his suspension.[4]
In 185 games, 158 of which were starts, with the Dodgers from 1994–2000 he had a 61–57 record and 3.48 ERA with 784 strikeouts. He pitched in the1995 and1996 playoffs with the Dodgers.
On December 12, 1999, the Dodgers traded him to theChicago Cubs (along withEric Young) forTerry Adams and two minor leaguers. In 12 starts for the Cubs in 2000 he was 2–4 with a 5.37 ERA. On June 26, 2000, he was traded back to the Dodgers forJamie Arnold,Jorge Piedra and cash. He made 8 more starts for the Dodgers and was 0–3 with a 6.08 ERA.
He signed as a free agent with theAnaheim Angels in 2001 and was 9–13 with a 4.45 ERA.
He signed with theTexas Rangers on January 28, 2002.
The Rangers traded him to theSeattle Mariners on August 19, 2002, forJermaine Clark and a minor leaguer. Valdez was 2–3 with a 4.93 ERA in 8 starts for the Mariners.
Texas re-signed him as a free agent in the offseason. He was 14–17 with a 4.88 in 45 starts for the Rangers between 2002 and 2003.
He then signed as a free agent with theSan Diego Padres on December 18, 2003. He was 9–6 with a 5.53 ERA in 23 appearances (20 starts) for the Padres and was traded to theFlorida Marlins on July 31, 2004, in exchange forTravis Chick.
In 2 seasons with the Marlins he was 7–5 with a 4.89 ERA in 25 appearances (18 starts). He missed most of the 2005 season with a hairline fracture of his rightfibula.
After many years away from the sport, Valdéz returned to organized baseball in 2013 as a member of theTigres de Quintana Roo in theMexican League.[5]
Prior to the 2004 season, Valdez used the spellingValdés for his surname.
