Jon Michael Switzer (born August 13, 1979) is a former

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relief pitcher 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 ...

Amateur career

High school

Switzer is a 1998 graduate of Clear Lake High School in

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While there he was three-year letterwinner and was selected for the following honors: '98 first-team all-district, '97 second-team all-district, USA Today 1998 All-USA honorable mention, Houston Area All-Star, '98 all-state selection. He also played for the South in the Texas North/South All-Star game at The Ballpark in Arlington.

College

In , Switzer was selected by the

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 ...

in 26th round of the amateur entry draft but chose to attend

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...

where he majored in marketing. Switzer attended Arizona State for three years (1999–2001) and appeared in 66 games compiling a 23–13 record with a 4.01 ERA striking out 327 batters in 303.1 innings. He posted back-to-back seasons with 100+ strikeouts in 2000 (121) and 2001 (128). He was named Pac-10 Honorable Mention in 2000 and 2001, third-team Collegiate Baseball All-American in 2000.

Professional career

Switzer was selected by

Tampa Bay Devil Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. They are one of two major league clubs based i ...

in 2nd round of the

2001 Major League Baseball draft The 2001 Major League Baseball draft, was held on June 5 and 6. First round selections Supplemental First Round selections Compensation Picks Background On June 1, 2001, Rolando Viera, a Cuban baseball pitcher who had recently left Cub ...

and began his professional career playing for the

Hudson Valley Renegades The Hudson Valley Renegades are a Minor League Baseball team based in Fishkill, New York. The High-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, the Renegades play in the South Atlantic League. The Renegades play their home games at Heritage Financial Pa ...

of the

New York–Penn League The New York–Penn League (NYPL) was a Minor League Baseball league that operated in the northeastern United States from 1939 to 2020. Classified as a Class A Short Season league, its season started in June, after major-league teams signed th ...

. By Switzer worked his way up to the Triple-A

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 ...

and made his first major league appearance against the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

on August 2, 2003. Switzer missed the entire season with an injury. He split the – seasons between Durham and the parent club. On November 30, 2007, Tampa outrighted Switzer to Durham. December 1, he refused the minor league assignment and became a free agent. On January 4, , Switzer was signed by 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 ...

to a minor league contract and was invited to spring training. On March 13, he was optioned to the Triple-A

Pawtucket Red Sox The Pawtucket Red Sox, known colloquially as the PawSox, were a professional minor league baseball club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1973 to 2020, the team was a member of the International League and served as the Triple-A affiliate ...

. He became a free agent at the end of the season and signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets in January . On June 12, the Mets called him up following John Maine's placement on the Disabled List. He was designated for assignment on June 24. On December 22, 2009, Switzer signed a minor league contract with the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

. Jon Switzer retired after the 2010 season. He went back to school, and is now currently a business manager.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Switzer, Jon Tampa Bay Devil Rays players New York Mets players Pawtucket Red Sox players Major League Baseball pitchers Baseball players from Kentucky Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players 1979 births Living people Hudson Valley Renegades players Bakersfield Blaze players Durham Bulls players Orlando Rays players Montgomery Biscuits players Clear Lake High School (Houston, Texas) alumni