Freddy García

Infobox MLB player
name = Freddy Garcia


width = 250
position = Starting pitcher
team = Detroit Tigers
number = 34
bats = Right
throws = Right
birthdate = birth date and age|1976|6|10
birthplace = city-state|Caracas|Venezuela
debutdate = April 7
debutyear = 1999
debutteam = Seattle Mariners
statyear = September 17, 2008
stat1label = Win–Loss
stat1value = 118–76
stat2label = Earned run average
stat2value = 4.06
stat3label = Strikeouts
stat3value = 1255
teams =
*Seattle Mariners (by|1999–by|2004)
*Chicago White Sox (by|2004–by|2006)
*Philadelphia Phillies (by|2007)
*Detroit Tigers (by|2008–present)
awards =
* American League All-Star (mlby|2001-mlby|2002)
* American League ERA champion in 2001
* Led American League in innings pitched in 2001
* Member of 2005 World Series Champion Chicago White Sox

Freddy Antonio García (born October 6, 1976 in Caracas, Venezuela) is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers. García began his major league career with the Seattle Mariners in mlby|1999 and was traded to the Chicago White Sox during the mlby|2004 season. He bats and throws right-handed.

Signed by the Houston Astros as a non-draft amateur free agent in by|1993, García was acquired by Seattle in mlby|1998, along with Carlos Guillén and John Halama in the trade that sent Randy Johnson to the Astros.

During García's rookie season, he pitched 201 innings, compiling a 17-8 record with 170 strikeouts and a 4.07 ERA in 33 starts. After going 9-5 in his second season, he went on to win 18, 16, 12, 13, and 14 games over the course of the next five seasons. Garcia was the American League pitcher on the mound when the 2002 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was called after 11 innings, and ended as a 7-7 tie. The other pitcher was Philadelphia's Vicente Padilla.

Freddy was the starting pitcher in the championship clinching Game 4 of the 2005 World Series for the Chicago White Sox, going 7 innings and allowing no earned runs.

Freddy experienced a bit of controversy in by|2006 when it was alleged by a Venezuelan newspaper that he failed a drug test during the World Baseball Classic. [http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060430&content_id=1426450&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb]

In mlby|2006, he surpassed 1200 strikeouts for his career. In eight post-season games, he is 5-2 with a 3.56 ERA in 48 innings. Also during 2006, on April 29, García recorded his 103rd career win in a game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, surpassing former White Sox left-hander Wilson Alvarez as the Venezuelan native with most career wins in Major League history.

He was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies on December 6, 2006, in exchange for prospects Gavin Floyd and Gio Gonzalez [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2689303] . While Phillies fans eagerly anticipated Garcia's mlby|2007 season, he failed to live up to expectations. Garcia hid a shoulder injury for the first several months of the season and was finally placed on the disabled list in June. He made 11 starts before being placed on the DL and earned one win. That win infamously became known in Philadelphia as the "ten million dollar win," in reference to Garcia's ten million dollar salary. Garcia was not re-signed by the Phillies after the 2007 season.

On August 12, mlby|2008, García signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers. In his first 2 minor starts with the Tigers he pitched 5 innings, gave up no runs, and struck out 5. On September 2, 2008, he pitched a simulated game vs. Dontrelle Willis. In his Tigers debut on September 17, García, with a limited pitch count, threw 5 scoreless innings to get the win.

García throws a fastball that can get into the 90s and a hard slider. He also throws a two-seamer, a curve, a changeup and occasionally uses a splitter.

Legal trouble

In early 2005, Freddy Garcia was detained by Venezuelan authorities after a domestic disturbance call was made by his mother claiming that he had physically beat his wife and endangered the integrity of his family. A court case is still pending.

ee also

* List of Major League Baseball ERA champions

References

External links

* [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/G/Garcia_Freddy.stm Baseball Library] - article
* [http://www.retrosheet.org/ Retrosheet] - 2001 box scores