Matt Belisle
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Matthew Thomas Belisle (beh-LYLE; born June 6, 1980) 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
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(MLB) for the
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 ...
,
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
,
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 ...
,
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
,
Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
, and
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 ...
. Belisle was drafted by the
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
in the second round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft.


Early life

He was born in Austin, Texas, and attended St. Andrew's Episcopal School through middle school. He attended
McCallum High School A. N. McCallum High School is a public high school in Austin, Texas, United States. McCallum, the second oldest high school in the Austin Independent School District (formerly known as Austin Public Schools prior to desegregation in 1971), ope ...
and was drafted out of high school by the
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
in the second round of the 1998 Major League Baseball draft.


Career


Minor leagues

Belisle began his professional career in , pitching for the Rookie-level
Danville Braves The Danville Braves were a Minor League Baseball team in Danville, Virginia. They were an Advanced Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League and were a farm team of the Atlanta Braves. The Braves have played home games at American Legion Post 3 ...
. He was promoted to the Single-A
Macon Braves Macon may refer to: Places Belgium * Macon, Belgium, a village France * Arrondissement of Mâcon, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté ** Mâcon, a city ** Ancient Diocese of Mâcon ** Mâcon, another name for the Mâconnais wine from that region United ...
to begin the season; in 15 starts, he had a 2.38
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 ...
and a
WHIP A whip is a blunt weapon or implement used in a striking motion to create sound or pain. Whips can be used for flagellation against humans or animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain, or be used as an audible cue thro ...
under 1. This was good enough to get Belisle a promotion to Single-A Advanced
Myrtle Beach Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the East Coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is located in the center of a long and continuous stretch of beach known as the " Grand Strand” in the northeastern part of the state. It ...
where he had a 3.43 ERA in 12 starts. He spent all of and most of with the Double-A
Greenville Braves The Greenville Braves were an American minor league baseball franchise, based in Greenville, South Carolina, that served as the Class AA farm team of the Atlanta Braves between 1984 and 2004. The Braves played in Greenville Municipal Stadium f ...
before being traded to the
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 ...
for veteran
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 ...
Kent Mercker Kent Franklin Mercker (born February 1, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played for nine teams over his 17-year career. Career Mercker was born in Brownsburg, Indiana and lived in several different citi ...
as the
PTBNL In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...
on August 14, 2003.


Cincinnati Reds

Belisle was assigned to Triple-A
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and was called up to the majors on September 7, , making his debut that same day. In his debut, he pitched 2 innings, giving up a solo
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 ( ...
and
walking Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined as an " inverted pendulum" gait in which the body vaults o ...
one. In 6 relief appearances, he had a 1–1 record and a 5.20 ERA. Belisle did not play in the majors in . He spent the entire year in Triple-A and struggled with a 9–11 record and a 5.26 ERA in 28 starts. In , Belisle spent the entire year in the majors, mostly pitching out of the
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 ...
. He made 5 starts and 55 relief appearances with an ERA of 4.41. He went 2–0 with a 3.60 ERA in 40 innings in , but missed a big chunk of the season with a back injury. In , in a career-high 30 starts for the Reds, Belisle went 8–9 with a 5.32 ERA after winning the number five spot in the starting rotation, after being mostly a reliever the past two years. In , he struggled in 6 starts with a 1–4 record and 7.28 ERA before being sent down to Triple-A and being reconverted into a relief pitcher.


Colorado Rockies

On January 14, , Belisle signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies. He had his contract selected to the major league roster on April 10. He was designated for assignment on May 25, he cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A
Colorado Springs Sky Sox The Colorado Springs Sky Sox were a Minor League Baseball team in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team played in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and was the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers (2015–2018), Colorado R ...
the next day. He had his contract selected to the major league roster a second time on July 11. He was designated for assignment a second time on July 16, he again cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A on July 21. He had his contract selected to the majors for a third time on September 8. Belisle enjoyed the best season of his career with the Rockies in 2010, mostly as a
setup pitcher In baseball, a setup man (or set-up man, also sometimes referred to as a setup pitcher or setup reliever) is a relief pitcher who regularly pitches before the closer. They commonly pitch the eighth inning, with the closer pitching the ninth. As ...
, posting a 7–5 record, 2.93 ERA, 91 K in 92 innings of work. He led all big league relievers with his 92 innings pitched. In January 2011, he avoided
salary arbitration Free agency in Major League Baseball (MLB) concerns players whose contracts with a team have expired and who are therefore eligible to sign with another team. Free agents may be eligible for pendulum arbitration, also called "salary arbitration" ...
with Colorado by signing a 1-year deal worth $2.35 million. The Rockies signed Belisle to a new two-year deal worth $6.125 million a month later that overwrote his prior deal, and also got him under contract an extra year before hitting free agency. In addition, it included an incentive in which he would earn an additional $225,000 in bonuses based on games finished. He proceeded to compile a 10–4 record with a 3.25 ERA and 58 Ks in 72 IP. Before the 2012 season, he agreed to a two-year extension (which added a $4.1 million salary for 2013 and included a mutual option for 2014) at a minimum of $4.35 million. He went on to pitch to a 3.71 earned run average with a 3–9 record as well as 69 strikeouts in 80 innings. The 33-year-old Belisle came into 2013 being considered one of the Rockies' more reliable relievers. He compiled a record of 5–7 with a 4.32 ERA in 72 games. He became a free agent following the 2014 season.


St.Louis Cardinals

On December 2, 2014, Belisle signed a one-year deal with the
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 ...
. After throwing a perfect inning against the
Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...
, he experienced pain in his arm. The Cardinals attempted to give him rest to alleviate the pain, but were unsuccessful, placing him on the
disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 Major League Baseball season, 2019 season, it was known as the disabl ...
on June 30. Through that point, Belisle had a 3.00 ERA in 30 games. The club activated him from the DL on September 12. During a game against the
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 ...
on September 18, Belisle helped further the more-than-century old
Cardinals–Cubs rivalry The Cardinals–Cubs rivalry, also called the Route 66 rivalry and The I-55 rivalry, refers to the rivalry between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs of the National League (NL), one of the most bitter rivalries in Major League Baseball ...
. Cubs pitcher
Dan Haren Daniel John Haren (born September 17, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Haren played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland Athletics, Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Wa ...
hit teammate
Matt Holliday Matthew Thomas Holliday (born January 15, 1980) is an American former professional baseball left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2004 to 2018 for the Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals, and New York ...
in the back of the helmet. Two innings later, Belisle grazed
first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
Anthony Rizzo Anthony Vincent Rizzo (born August 8, 1989) is an American professional baseball first baseman who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, and New York Yankees. Rizzo was selected by ...
behind the knee in the seventh inning, prompting his ejection. The Cubs won, 8–3. Remarked Cubs
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
Joe Maddon Joseph John Maddon (born February 8, 1954) is an American former professional baseball manager (baseball), manager and coach. He has managed the Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). After playing ...
about Belisle hitting Rizzo, "I have no history with the Cardinals except I used to love them growing up. That really showed me a lot today in a negative way. I don't know who put out the hit. I don't know if
Tony Soprano Anthony John Soprano, portrayed by James Gandolfini, is a fictional character and the protagonist of the HBO crime drama television series ''The Sopranos''. He is a member of the American Mafia, Italian-American Mafia and, later in the series, ...
is in the dugout. I didn't see him in there. But we're not going to put up with it, from them or anybody else."


Washington Nationals

On February 17, 2016, Belisle, signed a minor league deal with the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
. The Nationals selected his contract and added him to their 40-man roster on March 29. Belisle led the team with a 1.76 ERA over 46 innings out of the bullpen, but he was left off the Nationals' roster for the
2016 National League Division Series The 2016 National League Division Series were two best-of-five-game series to determine the participating teams in the 2016 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners (seeded 1–3) and a fourth team—the winner of a one ...
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 ...
. He became a free agent following the season.


Minnesota Twins

On February 3, 2017, Belisle signed a one-year contract with the
Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
. Belisle began the season as the setup man for the Twins but after August, he was put as closer for the team for the remainder of the season. He finished the season with a 2–2 record in 62 games and a career high 9 saves.


Cleveland Indians

On February 25, 2018, the
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 ...
signed Belisle to a minor league contract, and purchased his contract on March 29, 2018. Belisle was
designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...
by the Indians on May 2, 2018. He elected free agency on May 8 after clearing waivers. Belisle re-signed with the Indians organization on a minor-league contract on May 16, 2018. The Indians released Belisle on June 11, 2018.


Minnesota Twins (second stint)

Belisle rejoined the Twins after signing a Major League contract with the team on June 11, 2018. In his second stint with the Twins, Belisle did not have a good outing, finishing the season with a 9.13 ERA in 25 appearances. On the final day of the season,
Joe Mauer Joseph Patrick Mauer (born April 19, 1983) is an American former professional baseball catcher and first baseman who spent his entire 15-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Minnesota Twins. Regarded as one of the greatest contact h ...
requested Belisle to be the pitcher on the mound when he appeared for one final pitch as a catcher before retiring after the game.


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Belisle, Matt 1980 births Living people Cincinnati Reds players Colorado Rockies players St. Louis Cardinals players Washington Nationals players 21st-century American sportsmen Minnesota Twins players Cleveland Indians players Danville Braves players Macon Braves players Myrtle Beach Pelicans players Greenville Braves players Richmond Braves players Louisville Bats players Chattanooga Lookouts players Dayton Dragons players Sarasota Reds players Colorado Springs Sky Sox players Major League Baseball pitchers Baseball players from Austin, Texas Articles containing video clips