Joel Zumaya

Infobox MLB player
name = Joel Zumaya

---

width = 300
caption =
team = Detroit Tigers
number = 54
positionplain = Closer
birthdate = birth date and age|1984|11|9
birthplace = city-state|Chula Vista|California
bats = Right
throws = Right
debutdate = April 3
debutyear = 2006
debutteam = Detroit Tigers
statyear = September 22, 2008
stat1label = Win–Loss
stat1value = 8–8
stat2label = Earned run average
stat2value = 2.76
stat3label = Strikeouts
stat3value = 146
stat4label = Saves
stat4value = 3
teams =
*Detroit Tigers (by|2006–present)

Joel Martin Zumaya (born November 9, 1984 in Chula Vista, California) is a Major League Baseball closer for the Detroit Tigers.

Baseball career

Zumaya was drafted out of Bonita Vista High School in the 11th round by the Tigers, the 320th overall selection of the 2002 MLB Draft. He was chosen because of his power arm, but it wasn't clear whether he would be able to develop adequate control or an off-speed pitch. He is widely known for his 100 MPH fastball and revved up attitude. He uses his changeup, which he gets to about 88 mph, more on left-handed batters.

Minor league career

Zumaya began his stint in the Tigers minor league system as a starting pitcher. Because he was drafted straight out of high school, Zumaya frequently pitched against players older than himself. In by|2003, the 18-year-old Zumaya made great strides pitching for the Low-A affiliate West Michigan Whitecaps. by|2004 saw Zumaya begin the year pitching for the High-A affiliate Lakeland Tigers, before a late season promotion to the Double-A Erie SeaWolves. The results were inconclusive, as he finished with only a .500 win-loss record and struggled with walks. Zumaya began the by|2005 season back in Erie; however, his results were much improved from 2004, and he was soon promoted to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens. He finished the season with an impressive 199 strikeouts in 151 innings pitched. In 77 games over 4 seasons, Zumaya was 27-19, and averaged 6.4 hits and 11.1 strikeouts per 9 innings.

Major league career

With the Tigers, he has most often been used as a middle relief pitcher, and occasionally as a setup man, filling the innings after the starter has finished and before the closer has come in. Zumaya is a fan favorite for his intense, aggressive attitude on the mound and his 100 mph fastball, which has topped out at over 104 mph (and earned him the nickname "Zoom-Zoom"). He also has a very good knuckle-curve that he uses quite effectively as an off-speed pitch. He was among the primary reasons for the Tigers' bullpen success in mlby|2006.

While he held batters to a .187 batting average in 2006, he was even tougher with runners in scoring position (.176), and 2 outs and runners in scoring position (.143). Zumaya remained in the bullpen for the 2006 playoffs.

His future as a starter or reliever has not yet been determined. Zumaya has stated that he prefers the bullpen, although has said that he'd start if given the chance. Zumaya was sidelined for the 2006 American League Championship Series by a sore wrist, which Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski disclosed in a December 2006 radio interview was due to Zumaya playing the PlayStation 2 video game Guitar Hero. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16212095/ Guitar hero? Pitcher hurt playing video game] ] [http://podcast.1270sports.com/wxyt/54486.mp3 Dave Dombrowski on WXYT 12/13/2006] ] On the Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero II, the credits read "No pitchers were harmed in the making of this game. Except for one. Joel Zumaya. He had it coming." [cite web|url=http://www.whatsonwinnipeg.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21040&searchpanel=advrestaurant|title=GUITAR HERO: Sequel strikes the perfect chord|accessdate=2007-06-02|date=2007-04-26|publisher=CanWest News Service]

During home games at Comerica Park, Zumaya enters the game from the bullpen to the song "Voodoo Child" by Jimi Hendrix.

In May mlby|2007, he ruptured a tendon in his hand, requiring surgery and 12 weeks rehab. On August 20, 2007, the Tigers activated Zumaya from the 15-day disabled list after not playing since May 1. The next day, he made his first major league appearance following the injury, pitching to one batter in a game against the Cleveland Indians.

During the 2007 season, the Tigers drafted Zumaya's brother, Richard Zumaya, who signed with the Tigers and spent the rest of the season pitching with the GCL Tigers. [http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Richard%20Zumaya&pos=P&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=519456 Richard Zumaya] ]

Zumaya sustained another injury, this time to his shoulder, during the 2007 offseason. While helping his father move some boxes in the attic, a 50-60 pound box fell on his shoulder, separating it. He was placed on the 60-day disabled list. After appearing in six successful minor league rehab games for the Single-A Lakeland Flying Tigers and Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens, Zumaya rejoined the Tigers on June 20, mlby|2008.

Record-setting fastballs

Although not official, the fastest observed fastball speed was a pitch from Mark Wohlers during spring training in mlby|1995, which allegedly clocked in at 103 mph. [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/articles/fastest-pitcher-in-baseball.shtml The Fastest Pitcher in Baseball History] ]

The official record according to the "Guinness Book of World Records" is 100.9 mph by Nolan Ryan in mlby|1974. Ryan's pitch was clocked using coherent infrared radar.Guinness Book of World Records (page and publisher data needed!)]

The reliability of radar guns used at MLB games more recently has been questioned. USA Today columnist Mike Lopresti reported that FOX was using radar guns which recorded speeds 3 to 4 miles an hour faster than the readings on the McAfee Coliseum radar guns in Game 1 of the 2006 American League Championship Series. [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/lopresti/2006-10-11-lopresti-radar-gun_x.htm If the radar gun is smoking, it must be the Tigers] ]

During the 2006 season, Zumaya often threw pitches that were clocked at or above the official record reading of 101 mph. On July 3, 2006, at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, California Justin Verlander, Joel Zumaya, and Fernando Rodney each threw multiple fastballs clocked in at over 100 MPH, becoming the first time in MLB history that 3 pitchers, on the same team, had done so during 1 game, just 5 games into the season they became the first MLB team to have 3 pitchers, the same 3, throw over 100 MPH in a season. On July 4, 2006, at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, California, Zumaya threw a pitch clocked at 103 mph, thus tying the "unofficial" record held by Wohlers. On July 20, 2006, in a game against the Chicago White Sox, Zumaya threw a fastball that television speedguns recorded at 104 MPH, but it has not yet been decided if this speed will be recognized. Similarly, on May 20, 2006, Zumaya gave up a grand slam to Ken Griffey, Jr. on a pitch that FSN Detroit's radar gun clocked at 104 mph, [http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/multimedia/tp_archive.jsp?c_id=cin&ym=200605 Reds Top Plays Archive (multimedia, see "Griffey's slam" under May 20] ] but it was concluded that the fastball was 100 mph, and the ball that was hit was traveling 104 mph.Fact|date=February 2007

Zumaya hit 104 mph on the Comerica Park radar gun on August 7, while pitching against Minnesota Twins infielder Nick Punto. Fact|date=July 2008 Zumaya reached 101 mph or higher on 5 of 6 pitches during the at-bat. He also reached 103 mph during the Tigers' 4-3 playoff victory at Yankee Stadium on October 5, 2006; [http://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/story/2006/10/05/alds-det-nyy.html Tigers even series with Yankees] ] and also on October 10, 2006, during Game 1 of the ALCS in Oakland, against the A's. [http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=dw-tigers101006&prov=yhoo&type=lgns Mo' town] ]

Despite the accuracy of radar guns being in question, it is likely that Zumaya throws some of the fastest pitches in baseball. By contrast, other pitchers have reached 100 mph on television radar guns, but do not usually reach 103 mph (this group includes Bobby Jenks, Kyle Farnsworth, and Billy Wagner, among others). If the readings are in fact inflated by 3 to 4 miles per hour, then Zumaya would really feature a 100 mph fastball, while other pitchers would clock in at 97-98 mph. In an interview for Detroit radio station WRIF, former Tigers pitcher Denny McLain stated that he believed the numbers on stadium and television radar guns were inflated. Fact|date=July 2008 However, he also claimed that Zumaya had the most consistently fast pitches he had seen in person since Nolan Ryan and former Houston Astro J.R. Richard.

With no scientific evidence (such as Nolan Ryan's infrared radar pitch), the true speed of Joel Zumaya's fastball remains a matter of interpretation or perspective. Fact|date=July 2008

However there is a new technology on the horizon that reads pitch speeds more accurately and does not inflate those numbers. It uses cameras and software to obtain the data. This new technology comes from Major League Baseball in its Advanced Media section. Part of Enhanced Gameday tracks pitch speed, break, and trajectory. [http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061018&content_id=1716309&vkey=ps2006news&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb Latest technology enhances playoffs] ] One pitch registered on this was clocked at 104.8 mph at release by Joel Zumaya. Fact|date=July 2008 This was during Game 1 of the ALCS against Frank Thomas of the Oakland Athletics on October 10, 2006, at Oakland's McAfee Coliseum (other readings were at 103 mph; the slowest reading was 102 mph).

It should be noted that temperature, wind velocity, barometric pressure, and other factors can affect the speed of a pitch. Historically, baseball has seen both the height of the mound moved up, and the mound moved back (1890s), which could be factors in comparing the fastest pitchers of all time.

After the 2006 season, The Bill James Handbook published a list of pitchers and the number of their pitches thrown at 100 mph or more. Zumaya led the Major Leagues with 233, while Kyle Farnsworth was second with 26. The National League leader was Billy Wagner, with 5. Zumaya's average fastball was an astonishing 98.6 mph, with 100+ mph fastballs coming every 1 out of 6 pitches. [http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070324&content_id=1857984&vkey=spt2007news&fext=.jsp Zumaya more than just a flame-thrower] ]

During a March 30, 2007, spring training game against the New York Yankees, the Joker Marchant Stadium speedgun reported one of his pitches as being 107 MPH; however, his fastest fastball in terms of actual speed during that game was 103. [ [http://usera.imagecave.com/pjs24/zumaya107.jpgPhotograph of speedgun display] ]

During an April 21, 2007 game against the Chicago White Sox, Zumaya hit 104 MPH on the Comerica Park radar gun. Fact|date=July 2008

Quotes about Zumaya

*"If you've never seen Joel Zumaya before, get ready. This guy can bring it." - Joe Buck, during game 3 of the 2006 World Series
*"Well, we had the heat with Verlander, and now the heat's going to be turned up even more." - Jon Miller on ESPN television as Zumaya entered Game 2 of the 2006 American League Division Series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium
*"Not fair. Not fair at all" - Fox Sports Net commentator Rod Allen, referring to Zumaya having used his breaking ball following five consecutive 100 mph-plus fastballs to strike out Vladimir Guerrero.
*"Our runner up goes to pitcher Joel Zumaya of the Detroit Tigers, the rookie who hit 100 miles an hour on the radar gun, but missed most of the American League Championship Series, and was not fully effective in the World Series, due to an inflamed pitching wrist and forearm, which we today learned from the Tigers he got from playing the video game Guitar Hero on PlayStation 2. The Tigers are asking him to put the damn thing away for a few years." - Keith Olbermann, naming Zumaya runner-up in his December 14, 2006 edition of "The Worst Person in the World" segment on "Countdown with Keith Olbermann." [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16222969/ Worst Persons in the World: Michael Crichton] ]
*ESPN the Magazine notes that on one occasion "In an ALDS game in the Bronx, Zumaya threw so hard that Alex Rodriguez said he never saw the ball" [http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3490998]

References

External links

*baseballstats |mlb=451491 |espn=6392 |br=z/zumayjo01 |fangraphs=4699 |cube=Z/Joel-Zumaya