Rafael Alberto "Al" Reyes (born April 10, 1970) is a former
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
. A
right-handed
In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to and causing it to be stronger, faster or more Fine motor skill, dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dext ...
pitcher and career
reliever
In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who pitches in the game after the starting pitcher or another relief pitcher has been removed from the game due to fatigue (medical), fatigue, injury, ineffectiveness, ejection ...
, he played for seven teams; debuting on April 27, 1995, with the
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...
and playing for the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
,
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
,
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
,
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
,
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
, and
Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, over the years.
Career
Reyes was originally drafted by the
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos () were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in the National League (baseball), National League ...
in . He was 2–0 with a 4.25
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(ERA) and a .206 opponents batting average in 26 games with the
Brewers in 1999 until he was sent to the
Orioles
Oriole or Orioles may refer to:
Animals
* Old World oriole, colorful passerine birds in the family Oriolidae
* New World oriole, a group of birds in the family Icteridae
Music
* The Orioles, an R&B and doo-wop group of the late 1940s and early ...
on July 21 of that year to complete a transaction from five days prior on July 16 when
Rocky Coppinger was sent to Milwaukee.
He missed the Cardinals playoff run after tearing a ligament in his right elbow, and required reconstructive surgery.
In , he signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and was placed on the
Durham Bulls
The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened ...
minor league roster, but did not play a game that season while recovering from
Tommy John surgery
Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, sometimes referred to as Tommy John surgery is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's body, ...
. On December 22, 2006, he re-signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, where he became their
closer
Closer or Closers may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Closer'' (2000 film), a documentary by Tina Gharavi
* ''Closer'' (2004 film), a 2004 adaptation of Patrick Marber's play (see below), directed by Mike Nichols
* ''The Closer'', a 1990 mo ...
. Reyes finished the year with 26
saves in 30 chances. Notably, his only blown saves came against the
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...
and the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
.
On April 10, 2008, Reyes got into a fight at a bar in
South Tampa
South Tampa is a region in the city of Tampa that includes the neighborhoods of Beach Park, Ballast Point, Bayshore Beautiful, Bayshore Gardens, Bayside West, Belmar Shore, Davis Islands, Port Tampa, Fair Oaks-Manhattan Manor, Golfview, ...
and was
taser
Taser (stylized in all caps) is a line of handheld conducted energy devices (CED) sold by Axon Enterprise (formerly Taser International). The device fires two small barbed darts intended to puncture the skin and remain attached to the targe ...
ed twice by a
police officer
A police officer (also called policeman or policewoman, cop, officer or constable) is a Warrant (law), warranted law employee of a police, police force. In most countries, ''police officer'' is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. ...
. This had little effect on his ability to throw, as the very next night he got the
win
Win or WIN most likely refers to:
* A victory
Win, Winning, WIN or Winner may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film
* '' Win!'', a 2016 American film
Literature
* ''Win'' (Coben novel), 2021
* WIN (pacifist magazine)
* WIN (wrestling ma ...
for the Rays against the
Orioles
Oriole or Orioles may refer to:
Animals
* Old World oriole, colorful passerine birds in the family Oriolidae
* New World oriole, a group of birds in the family Icteridae
Music
* The Orioles, an R&B and doo-wop group of the late 1940s and early ...
.
Reyes was designated for assignment on August 9, 2008, and became a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
on August 18 after refusing an assignment to the minors. He signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets two days later,
and was called up to the team when rosters expanded in September. He was released on September 18, 2008, without making any appearances.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reyes, Al
1970 births
Living people
Albany Polecats players
Albuquerque Dukes players
Baltimore Orioles players
Beloit Snappers players
Binghamton Mets players
Burlington Bees players
Columbus Clippers players
Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Mexico
Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States
Durham Bulls players
Harrisburg Senators players
Las Vegas 51s players
Los Angeles Dodgers players
Louisville Redbirds players
Louisville RiverBats players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic
20th-century Dominican Republic sportsmen
Memphis Redbirds players
Mexican League baseball pitchers
Milwaukee Brewers players
Nashville Sounds players
New York Yankees players
Petroleros de Minatitlán players
Pittsburgh Pirates players
Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings players
Rochester Red Wings players
Rockford Expos players
St. Louis Cardinals players
Tampa Bay Devil Rays players
Tampa Bay Rays players
Tucson Toros players
Vero Beach Devil Rays players
West Palm Beach Expos players
Baseball players from San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic