Ismael Valdéz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ismael Valdéz |
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Valdez with Tigres de Quintana Roo at Los Pinos in 2013
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: August 21, 1973 Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico |
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| debut | |||
| June 15, 1994, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 1, 2005, for the Florida Marlins | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 104–105 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.09 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,173 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Ismael Valdéz Alvarez (born August 21, 1973) is a former professional baseball pitcher from Mexico. During his time in Major League Baseball, he was known as "The Rocket" in his home country.
Ismael Valdéz's Baseball Journey
Ismael Valdéz began his professional baseball career at a young age. He became a well-known pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for several teams during his career. These included the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Texas Rangers.
Early Career and Dodgers Debut
Ismael Valdéz was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers when he was just 17 years old. This happened on June 14, 1991. He started playing professionally with the Gulf Coast Dodgers that same year. He had a good start, winning 2 games and losing 2. His ERA (Earned Run Average) was 2.32.
For the next two seasons, the Dodgers loaned him to the Mexico City Tigres. He played in the Mexican League. There, he won 16 games and had 115 strikeouts. In 1992, he helped the Tigres win the championship. He returned to the U.S. in 1993 to play for the San Antonio Missions. In 1994, he moved up to the AAA Albuquerque Dukes.
Making it to the Major Leagues
Valdéz made his Major League debut on June 15, 1994. He was only 20 years old. At that time, he was the youngest player in the Major Leagues. He pitched two shutout innings for the Dodgers. His first win came on July 5 against the Montreal Expos. He started his first MLB game on July 18. In his first season, he had 3 wins and 1 loss. His ERA was 3.18.
In 1995, Valdéz played his first full season in the MLB. He finished with 13 wins and 11 losses. He also had 150 strikeouts and a 3.05 ERA. He was one of the best in the National League. He completed 6 games, which means he pitched the entire game himself. In 1996, he continued to play well. He allowed two or fewer runs in 19 of his 33 starts.
A Challenging Game Moment
On August 27, 2000, Valdéz was pitching for the Dodgers. During a game against the Chicago Cubs, an incident occurred. After the Dodgers hit two home runs, the Cubs' pitcher threw a pitch close to the next batter. In the next inning, Valdéz threw a pitch that came close to Cubs player Mark Grace. The umpire gave a warning. A few pitches later, Valdéz hit Grace on the shoulder. The umpire then removed Valdéz from the game.
Later, Major League Baseball suspended Valdéz for six games. He also received a fine. He initially appealed the decision but later accepted the suspension.
Overall, Valdéz played 185 games for the Dodgers from 1994 to 2000. He had 61 wins and 57 losses. He also recorded 784 strikeouts. He played in the playoffs with the Dodgers in 1995 and 1996.
Moving to Other Teams
After his time with the Dodgers, Valdéz played for several other teams.
Chicago Cubs and Back to Dodgers
On December 12, 1999, Valdéz was traded to the Chicago Cubs. He played 12 games for them in 2000. He had 2 wins and 4 losses. On June 26, 2000, he was traded back to the Dodgers. He made 8 more starts for the Dodgers that year.
Anaheim Angels
In 2001, Valdéz signed with the Anaheim Angels. He had 9 wins and 13 losses during his season with them.
Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners
He then signed with the Texas Rangers in 2002. Later that year, on August 19, he was traded to the Seattle Mariners. He played 8 games for the Mariners, winning 2 and losing 3.
Valdéz returned to the Texas Rangers in the next offseason. He played for them in 2002 and 2003. He had 14 wins and 17 losses in 45 starts for the Rangers.
San Diego Padres and Florida Marlins
On December 18, 2003, Valdéz signed with the San Diego Padres. He played 23 games for them, winning 9 and losing 6. On July 31, 2004, he was traded to the Florida Marlins.
He played two seasons with the Marlins. He had 7 wins and 5 losses in 25 games. In 2005, he missed most of the season due to a leg injury.
Return to Mexico
After several years away from baseball, Valdéz returned to play in 2013. He joined the Tigres de Quintana Roo in the Mexican League.
Personal Life
Before the 2004 baseball season, Ismael Valdéz used a different spelling for his last name, Valdés.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players from Mexico
