Octavio Dotel

Octavio Dotel
Free Agent
Pitcher
Born: November 25, 1973 (1973-11-25) (age 37) Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
MLB debut
June 26, 1999 for the New York Mets
Career statistics (through July 23, 2011)
Win-Loss	51–44
Earned run average	3.75
Strikeouts	1,045
Saves	106
Teams
New York Mets (1999) Houston Astros (2000–2004) Oakland Athletics (2004–2005) New York Yankees (2006) Kansas City Royals (2007) Atlanta Braves (2007) Chicago White Sox (2008–2009) Pittsburgh Pirates (2010) Los Angeles Dodgers (2010) Colorado Rockies (2010) Toronto Blue Jays (2011) St. Louis Cardinals (2011)
Career highlights and awards
World Series champion (2011)

Octavio Eduardo Dotel (born November 25, 1973 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is a Domincan professional baseball pitcher who is currently a Free Agent.

He has pitched for 12 different ML teams, tying a major league record held by pitchers Mike Morgan and Ron Villone; Matt Stairs holds the record for a position player, having played for 13 teams. Other players who have played with many teams include; Paul Bako who has played with 11 teams, Arthur Rhodes who has played with 9, Kenny Lofton who has played with 11, and Jose Mesa who has played with 8; coincidentally, for the last two months of the 2011 season, Dotel and Rhodes were teammates with the St. Louis Cardinals, both playing a role in that team's unexpected run to a world championship, the first for both men.

Professional career

New York Mets

Dotel graduated from Liceo Cansino Afuera High School in the Dominican Republic and was signed by the New York Mets as an amateur free agent in 1993. He played for their minor league affiliate in the Dominican League through 1994 and then promoted through the Mets' minor league system for the next several seasons.

Dotel made his major league debut on June 26, 1999 for the New York Mets and lost. His first MLB win came July 1, 1999 against the Florida Marlins. He ended the season as the winning pitcher in the 1999 National League Championship Series game five against the Atlanta Braves.

He was voted Player Of The Week for the week of July 25, 1999.^[1]

Houston Astros

On December 23, 1999, Dotel was traded with Roger Cedeno and minor leaguer Kyle Kessel to the Houston Astros for Mike Hampton and Derek Bell.

In 2000 Dotel amassed 3 wins in 16 games started as well as 16 saves as his role converted from starter to relief pitcher for the Astros, filling in as closer for an injured Billy Wagner. This season marked the first time in National League history that a pitcher had over 15 starts and 15 saves (the only other season in MLB history came in the American League in 1999, when Tim Wakefield won 6 games in 17 starts and attained 15 saves for the Boston Red Sox).

In 2001, Dotel again began the season as a starter but quickly moved into the bullpen as the setup man for closer Billy Wagner. Dotel had an excellent season in 2002; he led all relievers with 118 strikeouts, helping secure a well-reputed bullpen for the Astros at that time. By 2003, Dotel and Wagner were joined by future Astros closer Brad Lidge and all three partook in a historic event when six Astros pitchers combined for a no-hitter against the New York Yankees on June 11, 2003 (the most recent in Astros history).^[2][3]

After the 2003 season, Wagner was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies and Dotel started 2004 as the closer for the Astros.

Oakland Athletics

On June 24, 2004, Dotel was traded to the Oakland Athletics in a three-team trade that brought slugger Carlos Beltran to the Astros, minor leaguer Mike Wood, Mark Teahen, and John Buck to the Kansas City Royals. Dotel served as closer for the Athletics and finished the 2004 season with a career-high 36 saves (22 for the A's and 14 for the Astros).^{[citation needed]}

Dotel began 2005 as closer for the Athletics again, but had a rough start and soon went on the 60-day disabled list on May 19. He underwent Tommy John surgery on June 1, ending his season after just 15 games.^[4]

New York Yankees

Dotel signed a one year deal with the New York Yankees in December 2005. He missed the first four months of the 2006 season, recovering from his Tommy John surgery. Dotel had a setback after developing tendinitis in his elbow while on a rehab assignment with the Trenton Thunder. This pushed his return back into August as he went through another minor league assignment with the Columbus Clippers. Dotel pitched his first game in a Yankees uniform on August 16, coming into the game in the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles, facing two batters with one strikeout and one walk. He finished the season playing in 14 games with no record and an ERA of 10.80

Kansas City Royals

Dotel became a free agent at the end of the 2006 MLB season. On December 8, 2006, he agreed to a one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals for a guaranteed $5 million.^[5]

Atlanta Braves

On July 31, 2007 the Royals traded Dotel to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for pitcher Kyle Davies. He made his Braves debut on August 1, throwing a scoreless ninth inning in a 12–3 rout of the Astros. On August 10, Dotel was placed on the disabled list with a right shoulder strain. He made his return on September 22 escaping a bases-loaded jam which eventually led to a Braves win. He finished the season 2–1 with a 3.76 ERA.

Chicago White Sox

On January 21, 2008 he agreed to a two year, $11 million deal with the Chicago White Sox.^[5]

Pittsburgh Pirates

On January 21, 2010, Dotel agreed to a 1-year, $3.25 million deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates, plus bonuses for games finished. The deal also included a club option for 2011 for $4.5 million with a $250,000 buyout. Dotel started the year as the pirates closer and stayed the closer until he was traded. Dotel recorded 21 saves in 2010 with the Pirates.^[6][7]

Los Angeles Dodgers

On July 31, 2010, Dotel was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for James McDonald and Andrew Lambo.^[8] He appeared in 19 games with the Dodgers and had a 3.38 ERA and 1 save during that period.

Colorado Rockies

Octavio during the 2011 World Series Parade.

On September 18, 2010, Dotel was traded to the Colorado Rockies for a player to be named later. Dotel was ineligible to play on the postseason roster, but it made no difference as Colorado missed the playoffs. Dotel finished playing in 8 games with the Rockies, and going 0-1 with a 5.06 ERA. ^[9]

Toronto Blue Jays

Dotel agreed to a 1-year, $3.5 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays with a club option for 2012 on January 3, 2011.^[10] He earned his 50th career victory on April 8, 2011 against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

St. Louis Cardinals

On July 27, 2011, Dotel was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals with Edwin Jackson, Marc Rzepczynski and Corey Patterson for Colby Rasmus, P. J. Walters, Trever Miller and Brian Tallet.^[11][12] On October 31, 2011 it was announced that Cardinals would not pick up his team option for the 2012 season, making Dotel a type A free agent.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball all-time saves leaders

References

1. ^ "Baseball Cube". Baseball Cube. http://www.thebaseballcube.com/Awards/D/Octavio-Dotel.shtml. Retrieved October 10, 2011. 
2. ^ "Big Days in Astros History – June 11, 2003 – Six Astros Pitchers No-Hit Yankees". Astrosdaily.com. http://www.astrosdaily.com/history/20030611/. Retrieved October 10, 2011. 
3. ^ "Diamondbacks – Edwin Jackson | June 25, 2010 – Most Recent No-Hitters, By Team –". Vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com. http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/gallery/featured/GAL1137746/6/26/index.htm. Retrieved October 10, 2011. 
4. ^ "MLB.com bio". Mlb.mlb.com. http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=136734. Retrieved October 10, 2011. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Baseball Cube transactions
6. ^ Kovacevic, Dejan. Pirates, Dotel agree to one-year contract plus option, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Published January 20, 2010. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
7. ^ Langosch, Jenifer. Dotel agrees to deal with Pirates, MLB.com. Published January 21, 2010. Retrieved January 21, 2010.
8. ^ [1]^{[dead link]}
9. ^ "Dodgers trade Octavio Dotel to Rockies". Sports.espn.go.com. September 18, 2010. http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/news/story?id=5587978. Retrieved October 10, 2011. 
10. ^ "Blue Jays agree to one-year deal with Dotel". Mlb.mlb.com. September 19, 2010. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20101228&content_id=16372582&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb. Retrieved October 10, 2011. 
11. ^ "Cardinals deal Rasmus to Jays in three-team mega-deal". Sporting News. http://aol.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2011-07-27/colby-rasmus-trade-edwin-jackson-st-louis-cardinals-chicago-white-sox-detroit-ti. Retrieved July 27, 2011. 
12. ^ Frenette, Brad. "Blue Jays acquire top prospect Colby Rasmus in three-team deal". Vancouver Sun. http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Blue+Jays+acquire+prospect+Colby+Rasmus+three+team+deal/5167407/story.html. Retrieved July 27, 2011. 

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Preceded by Kevin Millwood

No-hit game June 11, 2003 (with Oswalt, Munro, Saarloos, Lidge, & Wagner)

Succeeded by Randy Johnson

Persondata
Name	Dotel, Octavio
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	November 25, 1973
Place of birth	Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Date of death
Place of death