Joe Roa

Infobox MLB retired
name=Joe Roa
position=Pitcher
birthdate=birth date and age|1971|10|11
bats=Right
throws=Right
debutdate=September 20
debutyear=by|1995
debutteam=Cleveland Indians
finaldate=September 22
finalyear=by|2004
finalteam=Minnesota Twins
stat1label=Win-Loss
stat1value=9-16
stat2label=Earned run average
stat2value=4.94
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=154
teams=
*Cleveland Indians (by|1995-by|1996)
*San Francisco Giants (by|1997)
*Philadelphia Phillies (by|2002-by|2003)
*Colorado Rockies (by|2003)
*San Diego Padres (by|2003)
*Minnesota Twins (by|2004)
highlights=

Joseph Rodger "The Roa Constrictor" Roa (born October 11, 1971 in Southfield, Michigan) is former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. Roa is a graduate of Hazel Park High School and was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 18th round of the by|1989 amateur draft. Roa was frequently called "The Roa Constrictor" by Twin Cities radio personality Dark Star.

Minor League career

As a journeyman pitcher, Roa played in twelve Major League organizations during his career. In the minors, Roa played for the Atlanta Braves (by|1989-by|1991), New York Mets (by|1992-by|1994), Cleveland Indians (1994-by|1995, by|2000), San Francisco Giants (by|1997-by|1998), Florida Marlins (by|2001), Philadelphia Phillies (by|2002), Milwaukee Brewers (by|2003), and Pittsburgh Pirates (by|2005). From 1989 to 1995, Roa amassed an impressive 67-35 record within the Braves, Mets, and Indians organizations. Roa continued to pitch well in the minors, garnering a 122-67 career record with a 3.49 ERA. His final minor league season came in 2005 with the Indianapolis Indians, an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Roa appeared in 256 minor league games in his career.

Major League career

In 1995, Joe Roa went 17-3 for the Cleveland Indians Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo. His performance earned him a September call-up against the Chicago White Sox in 1995. Roa appeared in 28 games for the San Francisco Giants in 1997 after only appearing in two games since being drafted. Roa appeared in 120 major league games during his career. His best season came in by|2004, when he appeared in 48 games for the Minnesota Twins, going 2-3 with a 4.50 ERA. He was released by the Pittsburgh Pirates during spring training on February 15, by|2006.

Career notables

*Roa made his Major League debut on September 20, 1995, against the Chicago White Sox. He started the game and pitched 6 innings, giving up 4 earned runs in a 4-3 loss.
*As a Cleveland Indian, Roa was the player to be named later in the 1996 trade that sent Jeff Kent, Julian Tavarez, and Jose Vizcaino of the Cleveland Indians to the San Francisco Giants for Matt Williams.
*Roa picked up his first Major League win on April 5, 1997 against the New York Mets, pitching 1 scoreless inning in a 2-0 victory.
*Roa collected his first Major League hit on May 18, 1997, a 3rd inning single off Chicago Cubs starter Terry Mulholland.
*In 2002, Roa played for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons and went 14-0 with a 1.86 ERA. For his performance he was named the International League's Most Valuable Pitcher.
*In 2003, Roa appeared in 28 games for three different teams (Philadelphia Phillies, Colorado Rockies, and San Diego Padres)
*Roa made only 2 errors in his entire major league career.
*A .213 career hitter, Roa went 2-2 with 2 RBI in a 4-2 victory over the Montreal Expos on August 27, 2002. He also pitched 6 innings, giving up 2 earned runs and picking up the win.

External links

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/r/roajo01.shtml Baseball Reference]
* [http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=1818796 ESPN article profiling Joe Roa]