Elmer Dessens

Infobox MLB player


width = 150
name=Elmer Dessens
position=Relief pitcher
team=Atlanta Braves
number=34
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1971|1|13
birthplace=Hermosillo, Mexico
debutdate=June 24
debutyear=1996
debutteam=Pittsburgh Pirates
statyear=2008 season
stat1label=Win-Loss
stat1value=48-62
stat3label=Earned run average
stat3value=4.56
stat4label=Strikeouts
stat4value=663
teams=
*Pittsburgh Pirates (by|1996-by|1998)
*Yomiuri Giants (by|1999)
*Cincinnati Reds (by|2000-by|2002)
*Arizona Diamondbacks (by|2003-by|2004)
*Los Angeles Dodgers (by|2004-by|2005)
*Kansas City Royals (by|2006)
*Los Angeles Dodgers (by|2006)
*Milwaukee Brewers (by|2007)
*Colorado Rockies (by|2007)
*Atlanta Braves (by|2008-present)

Elmer Dessens Jusaino [deh-SENZ] (born January 13, 1971 in Hermosillo, Mexico) is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves. He bats and throws right-handed and is 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds. His mlby|2007 salary was $1.7 million and his fastball can reach 90-93 mph.

Dessens was signed as an amateur free agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates in by|1993. He made his major league debut with the Pirates in by|1996, and pitched with them until by|1998. The Pirates released him at the end of spring training in by|1999, and he pitched that season for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan. He returned to the major leagues in by|2000 with the Cincinnati Reds and pitched for them for three seasons.

During the 2002-03 offseason, Dessens was involved in a four-team trade that sent him to the Arizona Diamondbacks. He stayed with Arizona until August, by|2004, when the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired him for a minor leaguer to bolster their bullpen for the stretch run. That October, Dessens pitched in the postseason for the first and, to date, last time, appearing in one game during the Dodgers' Division Series loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Dessens pitched one more season for the Dodgers, then became a free agent in the offseason and signed with the Kansas City Royals. In July, the Dodgers reacquired Dessens from the Royals for pitcher Odalis Pérez and two minor leaguers, again to bolster their bullpen. While the Dodgers did win the wild card that season, Dessens did not appear as the Ddogers were swept in the Division Series to the New York Mets.

On March 26, by|2007, Dessens was traded from the Dodgers to the Milwaukee Brewers for reserve outfielder Brady Clark and cash. On August 8, 2007, the Brewers released him. On August 11, 2007, Dessens signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies called him up to the major league club on August 15 where he started 5 games going 1-1 with a 7.58 ERA. Dessens became a free agent at the end of the season.

On January 5, by|2008, he signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but was released during spring training. Dessens spent most of the 2008 season in Mexican League with the Diablos Rojos del México. After pitching (and winning) the final game of the league championship against the Sultanes de Monterrey, he signed a major league contract with the Atlanta Braves on August 27, mlby|2008. [ [http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20080827&content_id=3377743&vkey=pr_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl Braves agree to terms with Elmer Dessens] ]

References

External links

*Baseballstats |mlb=113296 |espn=3479 |br=d/desseel01|fangraphs=317 |cube=D/elmer-dessens