- Ray King
Infobox MLB player
width=300
name=Ray King
position=Relief pitcher
team=Houston Astros
number=56
bats=Left
throws=Left
birthdate=birth date and age|1974|1|15
debutdate=May 21
debutyear=1999
debutteam=Chicago Cubs
statyear=April 23, 2008
stat1label=Win-Loss
stat1value=20-23
stat2label=Earned run average
stat2value=3.46
stat3label=Strikeout s
stat3value=278
teams=
*Chicago Cubs (by|1999)
*Milwaukee Brewers (by|2000-by|2002)
*Atlanta Braves (by|2003)
*St. Louis Cardinals (by|2004-by|2005)
*Colorado Rockies (by|2006)
*Washington Nationals (by|2007)
*Milwaukee Brewers (by|2007)
*Washington Nationals (by|2008)Raymond Keith King (born
January 15 ,1974 inChicago, Illinois ) is aMajor League Baseball relief pitcher currently in theHouston Astros organization. King stands at 6'1" tall and weighs 240 pounds. He bats and throwsleft-handed .High school and college years
King attended Ripley High School (Ripley,
Tennessee ) and lettered in football, basketball, and baseball. In baseball, he won All-America honors as a senior. The lefty is also an alumnus ofLambuth University in Jackson, Tennessee.Professional career
Early career
King's professional baseball career began on
June 1 , by|1995 when theCincinnati Reds selected him in the eight round of the amateur draft. The southpaw spent the next four seasons playing for minor league affiliates in the Reds,Atlanta Braves andChicago Cubs organizations before finally making his major league debut onMay 21 , by|1999 as a member of the Cubs.Milwaukee Brewers
After two different stints with Chicago in 1999, King was dealt to the
Milwaukee Brewers the following spring. During the by|2001 and by|2002} seasons the relief pitcher was a staple in the Brewers bullpen, appearing in over 75 games each of those seasons.Atlanta Braves
That off-season, King was dealt back to Atlanta for
infielder Wes Helms andpitcher John Foster. King showed his durability once again appearing in 80 games as the Braves primary left-handed reliever. He also made his first career postseason appearance that season, pitching a scoreless inning of relief.He was on the move again, however during the winter of by|2003 joining theSt. Louis Cardinals along with fellow pitchersJason Marquis andAdam Wainwright .t. Louis Cardinals
by|2004 has been King's finest season in the majors to date. The rubber-armed lefty appeared in a career and team high 86 games for the Cardinals, and also notched career bests in holds (32), wins and
earned run average along the way to a 5-2 record and 2.41 ERA. From May to July, King built a 30-game scoreless streak, another personal best. He also pitched 6 2/3 innings that postseason as St. Louis captured the National League pennant.Colorado Rockies
King joined the
Colorado Rockies for the by|2006 season after a trade from St. Louis foroutfielder Larry Bigbie andsecond baseman Aaron Miles .Washington Nationals
He joined the
Washington Nationals on a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training the following winter. He made the Nationals by|2007 Opening Day roster.Milwaukee Brewers
In September he was acquired by the Brewers in exchange for a player to be named later to help with their playoff run. King completed the 2007 season with a 1-1 record and a 4.76 ERA in 67 games. He became a free agent after the season.
Washington Nationals
On
November 30 , by|2007, King resigned with the Nationals to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. OnMarch 22 , by|2008, King's minor league contract was purchased by the Nationals, and made the opening day roster. [http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080322&content_id=2451054&vkey=spt2008news&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb] King appeared in 12 games and went 0-0 with a 5.68 ERA during the month of April. OnApril 24 , King was optioned to Triple-A Columbus, but he refused the assignment and declared free agency.In nine seasons as a professional, King has appeared in 577 games and pitched 403 innings. He is 20-23 lifetime with a 3.42 ERA, 177 walks, 276 strikeouts, 130 holds and 2 saves. The infrequent batter is 0-6 at the plate, with three strikeouts.
King had minor problems in the organization, always playing for fairly decent teams.
Chicago White Sox
In early May 2008, King signed a minor league contract with the
Chicago White Sox , but was released after only four appearances.Houston Astros
On
May 29 , 2008, King signed a minor league contract with the Houston Astros.couting report
A lefty specialist with a durable arm, King ranked amongst the top ten National League relievers in appearances from 2001 through 2005. Armed with a late-moving, low 90s fastball and sharp breaking slider, King pitches to the bottom of the strike zone and offers up few home runs. He is also adept at holding runners, and fielding his position, having committed only 7 errors in 577 career games.
Personal life
King resides with his wife Charie in
Litchfield Park, Arizona during the off-season with his son Tyrell and daughter Brookelynn.Facts
*Despite almost 600 career games, King has only 2 saves and has yet to start a game.
*King holds the second most number of single-season appearances for two organizations; the Atlanta Braves (80 appearances in 2003) and the Milwaukee Brewers (84 appearances in 2001).
*King earned Milwaukee's Manager's Award and the Amanda Curran Award for Community Service in 2004.
*King went 328 games without issuing an intentional walk, spanning over 4 years. This is the longest known streak of its kind. OnAugust 6 , by|2007, King allowed a leadoff double toRyan Klesko in the bottom of the 11th inning and intentionally walkedDave Roberts to end the streak. The Giants eventually scored, and King took the loss.
*King has inlaw's living in Prince Edward Island , Canada and Calgary , Alberta , Canada
*King's cousin , Andrew Coady , played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey Leage in the 2002 - 2003 season with Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
*King's cousin , Patrick Coady , has been noticed by the University Of Texas as a possible recruit for the futureExternal references
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