Phil Ortega facts for kids

Filomeno Coronado Ortega (born October 7, 1939) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for ten seasons. Phil, as he was known, pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Senators, and California Angels. He was a right-handed pitcher, standing 6 feet 2 inches tall.

Phil Ortega's Baseball Journey

Starting Out in Arizona

Phil Ortega was born in Gilbert, Arizona, on October 7, 1939. He went to Mesa High School and finished in 1959. Right after high school, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed him. He was only 18 years old and received a special payment called a bonus. This bonus was for $75,000, which was a lot of money back then!

Playing in the Minor Leagues

After signing, Ortega started playing for the Dodgers' minor league teams. Minor leagues are like training grounds for future MLB players. He played for the Spokane Indians, a Triple-A team. Triple-A is the highest level of minor league baseball. He also played for the Class B Green Bay Dodgers.

In 1960, he got his first chance to play in the MLB. He joined the Los Angeles Dodgers for a short time in September. He had another tryout with the Dodgers in 1961.

Becoming a Major League Pitcher

In 1962, Phil Ortega officially joined the Dodgers' main team. He played in 24 games that year. In 1963, he spent most of his time back with the Spokane Indians. He only played one game for the Dodgers that season.

The year 1964 was a big one for Ortega. He played a full season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He started 25 games and played in 34 overall. He won seven games and lost 16. He also pitched four complete games, meaning he pitched the entire game himself. Three of these were shutouts, where the other team scored no runs. One amazing game was a "three-hitter" against the Cincinnati Reds. This meant the Reds only got three hits off him in the whole game.

Moving to the Washington Senators

After the 1964 season, the Dodgers made a big trade. They sent Phil Ortega to the Washington Senators. This trade involved seven players. The Dodgers received a pitcher named Claude Osteen. The Senators got Ortega and a powerful hitter named Frank Howard.

Ortega's new manager at the Senators was Gil Hodges. Hodges used to be Ortega's teammate on the Dodgers. Phil became a regular starting pitcher for the Senators. He started 94 games in his first three seasons with the team.

His best season was in 1967. He started 34 games, which was a career high. He pitched 219 innings and had 122 strikeouts. His earned run average (ERA) was 3.03, which is a very good score for a pitcher. However, his performance changed in 1968. He won only five games and his ERA went up.

Final Season and Retirement

Before the 1969 season, the California Angels bought Ortega's contract. He pitched in five games for the Angels as a relief pitcher. A relief pitcher comes into the game after the starting pitcher. After these games, the Angels sent him to the minor leagues. He continued to play in the minor leagues until he retired from baseball in 1972.

Phil Ortega's Career Stats

Over his ten years in Major League Baseball, Phil Ortega achieved several milestones. He won 46 games and lost 62. He pitched 20 complete games and had nine shutouts. He recorded 549 strikeouts in his career. His overall earned run average (ERA) was 4.43. He pitched a total of 951 innings. During that time, he allowed 884 hits and 378 bases on balls (walks).