The New York Yankees are gearing up for the 2016 MLB season
just days before pitchers and catchers report to spring training and just a
little over a week before the first full squad workout of the year. The team is
all but set in stone this season which should spark up some spring competitions
to keep us tuned into Grapefruit League games but that doesn’t mean the
preparations for the season are done as far as the front office is concerned.
The team is still adding minor league depth every day, both in terms of players
and in terms of minor league pitching instructors. The latest player to enter
the fray is Lane Adams after clearing waivers and the latest former player and
coach to join the team is Armando Galarraga. This is Meet a Prospect: The
Almost Mr. Perfect Edition.
Armando Antonio Galarraga Barreto was born on January 15,
1982 in Venezuela and has pitched for four MLB teams before his retirement
during the 2015 season. Galarraga has pitched for the Texas Rangers, Arizona
Diamondbacks and Houston Astros but made his name, for better or worse, while
pitching as a member of the Detroit Tigers. It was June 2nd of 2010
that Galarraga had a perfect game going in the 9th inning with two
outs when first base umpire Jim Joyce robbed the right-hander of immortality.
Galarraga induced a ground ball for the final out and clearly stepped on the
bag before the runner but Joyce called the runner safe ending his bid for
perfection.
Galarraga was originally signed as a free agent by the
Montreal Expos is 1998 and was acquired by the Texas Rangers in the deal that
sent Alfonso Soriano, a member of the Washington Nationals, to Washington in
2005. It was in Texas that Galarraga made his MLB debut two years later against
the Oakland Athletics. Galarraga was traded to the Detroit Tigers before the
2008 season for Michael Hernandez and after an injury to Dontrelle Willis he
was right back in the Major Leagues. Galarraga finished his first MLB season
with a 13-7 record and a 3.73 ERS with 126 strikeouts in 178.2 innings. That
rookie campaign earned him a fourth place finish in the 2008 American League
Rookie of the Year Award vote and put him on the map.
During 2009 and 2010 Galarraga failed to live up to the hype
that he created as a rookie in 2008 causing him to fall back to Triple-A. Many
questioned his attitude and drive to win during the 2010 season specifically
after a slow start to spring training and Galarraga spent much of the season in
and out of the Tigers starting rotation. Galarraga did throw his perfect game
that was not a perfect game during 2010 but it was not enough to stick in
Detroit as the Tigers designated him for assignment after the season.
Galarraga was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks after being
DFA’d for pitchers Kevin Eichhorn and Ryan Robowski but his tenure with Arizona
did not last long. Galarraga was designated for assignment once again on May
17, 2011 and sent the rest of the season in Triple-A with the Reno Aces before
hitting free agency. Galarraga signed a minor league deal with the Orioles for
the 2012 season but lasted four months before hitting free agency again and
landing with the Houston Astros. Galarraga made it back to the show with the
Astros for five games between July 28 and August 19 but he lost four of them
leading to another designation for assignment on August 22. Galarraga continued
his MLB dream signing contracts with the Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies (via
trade) and Texas Rangers before settling on a deal with the Chinatrust Brother
Elephants of Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League for the 2014 season.
Galarraga signed with Pericos de Puebla of the Mexican League in 2015 before
officially retiring from the game last year.
Galarraga’s dreams of pitching in the major leagues may be
over but his dreams of working for a MLB team is just beginning. Galarraga has
signed on to be a minor league pitching instructor with the New York Yankees
beginning this season. Welcome Mr. 28-out Perfect Game to the organization and
welcome to the family. Enjoy your stay.
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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)