Justin William Germano (born August 6, 1982) is an American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

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, ...

. He played in

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 ...

(MLB) for the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

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 ...

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

and Texas Rangers. He also played in

Nippon Professional Baseball is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning simply ''Professional Baseball''; outside of Japan, NPB is often referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league ...

(NPB) for the

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. They compete in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) as a member of the Pacific League. Founded on February 22, 1938, as the Nankai Club, being the first Kansai t ...

and in the

KBO League The KBO League () is a professional baseball league in South Korea. The league comprises ten teams. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers are the most success ...

for the Samsung Lions and the KT Wiz.

Early life

Germano is from Claremont, California, where he broke

Mark McGwire Mark David McGwire (born October 1, 1963), nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 to 2001 for the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Card ...

's Claremont Little League record for most

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...

s in a season. He graduated from Claremont High School in 2000.

Professional career

San Diego Padres

He was drafted in

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

by the

. Germano made his major league debut with the San Diego Padres on May 22, 2004, getting the win as the

starting pitcher In baseball (hardball or softball), a starting pitcher or starter is the first pitcher in the game for each team. A pitcher is credited with a game started if they throw the first pitch to the opponent's first batter of a game. Starting pit ...

against the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

. He pitched five innings, allowing five hits, four runs (three of them on a three-run home run by Chase Utley in the third inning), four walks, and five

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...

s. As a hitter, he would have two

at-bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens upon completion of his turn at bat, b ...

s and went hitless.

Cincinnati Reds

On July 23, 2005, Germano and Travis Chick were traded to the

in exchange for Joe Randa. He made 8 starts down the stretch for the Triple–A

Louisville Bats The Louisville Bats are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky, and are named in dual reference to the bat, wi ...

, posting a 3–2 record and 4.01 ERA with 38 strikeouts across innings pitched. Germano returned to Louisville in 2006, registering an 8–6 record and 3.69 ERA with 67 strikeouts over 117 innings of work.

Philadelphia Phillies

On July 31, 2006, Germano was traded to the

in exchange for

Rhéal Cormier Rhéal Paul Cormier (; April 23, 1967 – March 8, 2021) was a Canadian-American professional baseball left-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB), for the St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox (twice), Montreal Expos, Phil ...

. He made 6 starts for the Triple–A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons, compiling a 2–0 record and 2.82 ERA with 25 strikeouts across innings pitched.

San Diego Padres (second stint)

On March 19, 2007, Germano was claimed off waivers by the

. He made 23 starts for the Padres in 2007, where he went 7–10 with a 4.46

ERA An era is a span of time. Era or ERA may also refer to: * Era (geology), a subdivision of geologic time * Calendar era Education * Academy of European Law (German: '), an international law school * ERA School, in Melbourne, Australia * E ...

with 78 strikeouts across innings pitched. Germano is the first ever MLB pitcher to throw a major league pitch in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, starting for an exhibition game as the Padres starter against the

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 ...

. The ball from that first pitch now resides in the

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Cooperstown, New York Cooperstown is a village in and the county seat of Otsego County, New York, United States. Most of the village lies within the town of Otsego, but some of the eastern part is in the town of Middlefield. Located at the foot of Otsego Lake in ...

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

Just after the 2008 season ended, the

signed Germano as a free agent. Despite pitching well in spring training and not giving up a single run, Germano did not win a spot on SoftBank's Opening Day roster, as the Hawks were at the limit of foreign players on the roster ( Chris Aguila, Kameron Loe, D.J. Houlton, and Brian Falkenborg). However, with Aguila and Loe failing to play well, Germano's chance came during Interleague play. Germano's first start came against the

Hiroshima Carp The is a professional baseball team based in Hiroshima, Japan. They compete in the Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball. The team is primarily owned by the Matsuda family, led by , who is a descendant of Mazda founder Jujiro Matsuda ...

, Germano was credited with the complete-game victory, giving up only two hits. He continued to pitch well throughout the season. Germano finished the season with a 5–4 record and a 4.38 ERA. In September it was revealed that Germano had been pitching with an inflamed

Achilles tendon The Achilles tendon or heel cord, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius (calf) and soleus muscles to the calcane ...

, and was knocked out for the rest of the season and the playoffs. The Hawks stated that they intended to bring Germano back after the offseason started, However, he turned it down, stating he wanted to return to pitch in the States.

Cleveland Indians

On March 17, 2010, Germano signed a minor league contract with the

. On July 30, Germano was called up by the Cleveland Indians to join their

bullpen In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if ...

ahead of the team's upcoming game against the

. Germano was designated for assignment by the Indians on May 19, 2011, to make room on the active roster for Luis Valbuena. On July 26, Germano threw a perfect game while on assignment with the Indians' Triple–A affiliate, the

Columbus Clippers The Columbus Clippers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They are located in Columbus, Ohio, and are named for speedy Merchant ship, merch ...

. He threw 60 strikes in 95 pitches to help lead the Clippers to a 3–0 victory over the

Syracuse Chiefs Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...

. This was the first perfect game in Clippers history, and only the fifth to be thrown in the history of the

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...

Samsung Lions

Germano was sold to the Samsung Lions of the

on August 5, 2011.

Boston Red Sox

On January 10, 2012, Germano signed a minor league contract with the

. He also received an invitation to spring training. On July 3, after he exercised his opt-out clause, Germano was called up to the majors to replace Clayton Mortensen, who was optioned to the minors earlier in the day. In his 2012 debut, Germano pitched scoreless innings of relief in a game against the New York Yankees on July 7. He was designated for assignment on July 13.

Chicago Cubs

Germano was traded to the

on July 19, for cash considerations. Germano posted a 6.75 ERA in 13 appearances (12 starts) with the Cubs. On October 30, Germano elected free agency after being outrighted the previous week.

Toronto Blue Jays

Germano signed a minor league deal with a Spring training invitation with the Blue Jays on November 9, 2012. Germano started the 2013 season with the Triple-A

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...

. He was called up to the Blue Jays on April 27. He appeared in one game with Toronto before being designated for assignment on May 3 to make room for Ricky Romero on the 25 man roster. On May 4, the Blue Jays announced that Germano had cleared waivers, and been assigned back to the Bisons. He became a free agent on October 1. In 25 games for Buffalo (24 starts), he went 8–9 with 13 quality starts and a 4.47 ERA, striking out 103 in 151 innings.

Texas Rangers

On December 18, 2013, Germano signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers with an invite to spring training. He was assigned to the Triple-A

Round Rock Express The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home ...

. The Rangers selected his contract from Round Rock on May 8. He was designated for assignment on May 14, and assigned outright to Round Rock on May 16.

Los Angeles Dodgers

On August 15, 2014, he was traded to the

for future considerations and assigned to the Triple–A

Albuquerque Isotopes The Albuquerque Isotopes are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They play home games at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an ...

. He appeared in three games, with two starts, and was 1–1 with a 9.88 ERA with Albuquerque. Germano elected free agency on October 12.

Seattle Mariners

On December 4, 2014, Germano signed a minor league contract with the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...

. In 18 games (11 starts) for the Triple–A

Tacoma Rainiers The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, ...

, he posted a 7–3 record and 2.83 ERA with 65 strikeouts across 89 innings pitched. Germano was released by the Mariners organization on July 1, 2015.

KT Wiz

On July 1, 2015, Germano signed a contract with the KT Wiz of the

T & A San Marino

Germano spent his 2016 season, his last in professional baseball, with T & A San Marino of the Italian Baseball League.

References

External links

Career statistics and player information
from

{{DEFAULTSORT:Germano, Justin 1982 births Living people Akron Aeros players Albuquerque Isotopes players 21st-century American sportsmen American expatriate baseball players in Canada American expatriate baseball players in Japan American expatriate baseball players in South Korea Arizona League Padres players Baseball players from Pasadena, California Boston Red Sox players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Chicago Cubs players Cincinnati Reds players Cleveland Indians players Columbus Clippers players Eugene Emeralds players American expatriate baseball players in San Marino Fort Wayne Wizards players Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks players KBO League pitchers KT Wiz players Lake Elsinore Storm players Louisville Bats players Major League Baseball pitchers Mobile BayBears players Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers Pawtucket Red Sox players Portland Beavers players Round Rock Express players Samsung Lions players San Diego Padres players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons players T & A San Marino players Tacoma Rainiers players Texas Rangers players Toronto Blue Jays players Claremont High School (California) alumni Sportspeople from Claremont, California