José Capellán facts for kids

José Francisco Capellán (January 13, 1981 – April 7, 2015) was a professional baseball pitcher. He was from the Dominican Republic. José played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2004 to 2008. He played for teams like the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers. He also played for the Hanhwa Eagles in the KBO League in South Korea.

Baseball Career Highlights

Early Baseball Days

José Capellán started his professional baseball journey in 2004. He played for teams at different levels, like Single-A, Double-A, and Triple-A. He had a great year, winning 14 games and losing only 5. His earned run average (ERA) was 2.80, which is very good for a pitcher. Later that year, he got to play for the Atlanta Braves in Major League Baseball. He pitched in three games for them.

Playing for the Brewers

The Atlanta Braves later traded José to the Milwaukee Brewers. This happened in exchange for another player named Dan Kolb. José started the 2005 season with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds. Soon, he was called up to the Brewers' main team. He worked as a relief pitcher for them throughout the 2005 season.

Moving to New Teams

In 2007, José was sent back to Triple-A after a tough spring training. He wanted to be traded to another team. His wish came true on July 1, 2007. He was traded to the Detroit Tigers. Later, on December 4, 2007, he was traded again to the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies released him in May 2008. After that, he signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals.

Playing in South Korea

On January 14, 2009, José signed a minor league contract with the Houston Astros. A year later, in December 2009, a Korean baseball team called the Hanhwa Eagles signed him. José was expected to be a starting pitcher for them in 2010. He was set to earn $250,000 a year. However, he was released from the Eagles on August 5, 2010.

Final Games

José also played baseball in the winter leagues. He played for teams in the Dominican Republic, like the Gigantes del Cibao and the Toros del Este. He also played for the Tigres de Aragua in Venezuela. His last professional game was in 2013.

Later Life and Passing

José Capellán sadly passed away on April 7, 2015. He was 34 years old. He died from a heart attack at his home in Philadelphia.