Javier Vázquez

Infobox MLB player
name = Javier Vázquez


width = 300
team = Chicago White Sox
number = 33
position = Starting pitcher
birthdate = birth date and age|1976|7|25
birthplace = city-state|Ponce|Puerto Rico
bats = Right
throws = Right
debutdate = April 3
debutyear = 1998
debutteam = Montreal Expos
statyear = July 30, 2008
stat1label = Win-Loss
stat1value = 122-122
stat2label = Earned run average
stat2value = 4.31
stat3label = Strikeouts
stat3value = 1,945
teams =
*Montreal Expos (by|1998-by|2003)
*New York Yankees (by|2004)
*Arizona Diamondbacks (by|2005)
*Chicago White Sox (by|2006-present)
awards =
*All-Star selection (by|2004)

Javier Carlos Vázquez (born July 25, 1976 in Ponce, Puerto Rico) is a right-handed starting pitcher who has played for the Chicago White Sox since by|2006. Previously, he pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks (by|2005), New York Yankees (by|2004) and Montreal Expos (by|1998-by|2003). He was nicknamed "The Silent Assassin", referencing his quiet demeanor and dominating pitching repertoire, during by|2008 spring training by White Sox commentator Darrin Jackson.

Personal life

Javier is maried to Kamille Vázquez, and the couple have two children, Kamilla and Javier Josué.cite web| url=http://www.primerahora.com/noticia/beisbol/accion_deportiva/pelotero_y_filantropo/134025| title=Pelotero y filántropo| publisher=Primera Hora| language=Spanish| author=Carlos Gonzalez| date=2007-12-01| accessdate=2007-12-03] Javier claims that he dislikes being the center of attention outside of the playing field and describes himself as a 'house man' spending his free time with his children. Vázquez is also interested in art pieces especially the ones that are produced by Puerto Rican artists and he possesses pictures painted by Wichie Torres and Iván Rosario. He is a wine aficionado and is educating himself about the different classes of wine in order to begin a private collection. Javier has also expressed that he has always been interested in charity work, this interest was fueled by his parents as he states that a Christian upbringing and their support when he began practicing sports were part of this influence.

Professional career

Vázquez was a 5th round draft pick of the Montreal Expos in the by|1994 amateur draft. He made his Major League debut for the Expos in April 3, 1998. He started 32 games as a rookie and pitched 172 innings. By by|2000, Vázquez had become the ace of the Expos pitching staff and pitched 200 innings or more for four consecutive seasons.

In December 16, 2003, the Yankees acquired Vázquez from the Expos in exchange for 1B Nick Johnson, OF Juan Rivera and RP Randy Choate. He agreed to a four-year deal through the by|2007 season. Following a disappointing performance and loss to the Boston Red Sox in the 2004 American League Championship Series (where upon entering the game in the second inning, gave up a grand slam to Johnny Damon on his first pitch), the Yankees sent Vazquez, Brad Halsey, and Dioner Navarro, to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Randy Johnson on January 11, 2005.

After pitching the 2005 season with Arizona, Vázquez formally requested a trade from the team, citing a desire to be closer to his family in Puerto Rico. In December 20, 2005, Vazquez was traded to the Chicago White Sox for Orlando Hernández, Luis Vizcaino, and highly regarded prospect Chris Young. During the 2007 season, he compiled a 15-8 record with a 3.74 ERA (second lowest of his career).

From 1998 to the present, Vázquez has compiled a career 114-113 record with 1806 strikeouts and a 4.29 ERA in 321 games. He has struck out more batters than any other Puerto Rican pitcher in history. He was selected as an All-Star in 2004.

Vázquez agreed to play for the Puerto Rico Team in the 2006 World Baseball Classic, joining fellow Puerto Rican contemporaries Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, Bernie Williams, amongst others representing the island in a team managed by St. Louis Cardinals third base coach Jose Oquendo.

In the 2007 season, Vázquez exceeded the two hundred strikeouts mark. This marked the third time he had done this in his career with the other two occasions being in by|2001 and 2003. [cite book| title=¡Lo demás es Parking...!| author=Dave Campbell| publisher=El Nuevo Día| location=Puerto Rico| language=Spanish| quote=Se trata del lanzador ponceño Javier Vázquez, nuestro mejor pitcher en las Mayores. Ayer gano su decimocuarta decision del año, por tercera vez en su carrera poncha a 200 o mas y en siete temporadas ha lanzado 200 entradas o mas|date=2007-09-23|pages=142] This season was the seventh season in his career where he had thrown at least two hundred innings. [cite book| title=¡Lo demás es Parking...!| author=Dave Campbell| publisher=El Nuevo Día| location=Puerto Rico| language=Spanish| quote=Vázquez, que en su apertura anterior tiro ocho entradas para ayudar a Chicago a derrotar alos Reales de Kansas City, 11-3, ya tiene en su resume siete temporadas consecutivas sobrepasando las 200 entradas de labor, demostrando ser uno de los pitchers de mayor durabilidad en el beisbol de las mayores.|date=2007-09-23|pages=142] The only season that he was not able to work this quantity of innings was in 2004 when Joe Torre, then manager of the New York Yankees decided to jump some turns in the team's rotation. [cite book| title=¡Lo demás es Parking...!| author=Dave Campbell| publisher=El Nuevo Día| location=Puerto Rico| language=Spanish| quote=De hecho de no haber sido porque en el 2004 el dirigente Joe Torre le salto unos turnos en la rotacion de los Yankeesen su unica temporada en Nueva York, el puertoriqueño habria llegado tambien a las 200 entradas y serian al momento ocho años seguidos con igual numero de innings.|date=2007-09-23|pages=142] Vazquez culminated that year with 198 thrown innings. [cite book| title=¡Lo demás es Parking...!| author=Dave Campbell| publisher=El Nuevo Día| location=Puerto Rico| language=Spanish| quote=Ese año Vázquez acumulo 198 entradas, apenas dos por debajo de la cifra.|date=2007-09-23|pages=142] When asked about Javier's performance during the season in an interview, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillén noted that Vazquez had been throwing well for some time but the team had not been able to capitalize on this until it was too late in the season, specifically referring to the team's performance during the summer. [cite book| title=¡Lo demás es Parking...!| author=Dave Campbell| publisher=El Nuevo Día| location=Puerto Rico| language=Spanish| quote="El ha estado tirando asi hace un tiempo y desafortunadamente no hemos podido ganar mas juegos" dijo el dirigente de los Medias Blancas el venezolano Ozzie Guillén. "No hemos jugado lo suficientemente bien para el, para poder ganar mas juegos".|date=2007-09-23|pages=142] [cite book| title=¡Lo demás es Parking...!| author=Dave Campbell| publisher=El Nuevo Día| location=Puerto Rico| language=Spanish| quote="¿Donde estuvimos durante el verano?", questiono Guillen sobre la labor del equipo en las ultimas semanas. |date=2007-09-23|pages=142]

ee also

*List of famous Puerto Ricans

References

External links