Alberto Jose Alburquerque (; born June 10, 1986) is a Dominican

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

for the

Long Island Ducks The Long Island Ducks are an American professional minor-league baseball team based on Long Island in Central Islip, New York. The Ducks compete in the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), an independent "partne ...

of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league based in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic League's ...

. He has played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

, and

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

Professional career

Chicago Cubs

Signed by scout Jose Serra, Alburquerque began his professional career in 2006 with the

AZL Cubs The Arizona Complex League Cubs are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays it home games at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona. The team is composed mainly of player ...

, in the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

farm system In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...

. He went 0–2 with a 5.98 ERA in eight games (five starts) that season. He also had 15 strikeouts in 12 innings. In 2007, he played for the

Boise Hawks The Boise Hawks are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. Home games are played at Memorial Stadium in Garden City, Idaho, a small city surroun ...

and

Peoria Chiefs The Peoria Chiefs are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The team was established in 1983 as the Peoria Suns. They are located in Peoria, Illinois, and are named for the Peori ...

, going a combined 4–6 with a 5.83 ERA in 21 games (10 starts). In 66 innings, he struck out 69 batters. He did not play at all in 2008 due to a right shoulder tear. Alburquerque began the 2009 season in the Cubs system, pitching for the

Daytona Cubs Daytona refers to the city of Daytona Beach, Florida, or things named after it. Daytona may also refer to: Locations * Daytona Beach Shores, Florida * South Daytona, Florida * The Daytona Beach metropolitan area * Halifax area, also known as Dayt ...

Colorado Rockies

However, he was traded to the

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...

partway through the season as a player to be named later in a deal that sent

Jeff Baker Jeffrey Glen Baker (born June 21, 1981) is a German-born American former professional baseball player. He bats and throws right-handed. He played in Major League Baseball for the Colorado Rockies, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves, ...

to the Cubs. He finished the season with the

Tulsa Drillers The Tulsa Drillers are a minor league baseball team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club. Stadium The Drillers play at ONEOK Field (pronounc ...

. Overall, he went 2–3 with a 2.80 ERA in 47 relief appearances, striking out 75 batters in 61 innings. He pitched for the Drillers again in 2010, going 2–4 with a 4.98 ERA in 25 relief appearances.

Detroit Tigers

Following the 2010 season, he became a free agent and signed a major league contract with the

on November 19. The Tigers placed him on the team's

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, and ...

despite having never appeared in a Major League game. Alburquerque was assigned to the Triple-A affiliate

Toledo Mud Hens The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A Mud Hens team has played in ...

following spring training, where he appeared in 4 games, with a 1.93 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 4 innings pitched. Alburquerque made his major league debut on April 15, 2011 on Jackie Robinson Day wearing the legendary #42 Jersey, against the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...

. He struck out the first batter he faced and pitched two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. On August 12, 2011, Alburquerque was hit in the head by a ball hit by

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...

Robert Andino Robert Lazaro Andino (born April 25, 1984) is a Cuban-American former professional baseball infielder. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Florida/Miami Marlins, and Seattle Mariners. Baseball career Florida ...

during batting practice. He was taken to the hospital and stayed overnight for tests. The next day, the Tigers placed him on the 7-day disabled list with a concussion. He appeared in 41 games for the Tigers in 2011, going 6–1 with a 1.87 ERA. In 43 innings, he allowed only 21 hits, while striking out 67 batters for an exceptional rate of 13.9 per 9 innings. Following the 2011 season, it was discovered that Alburquerque had suffered a non-displaced

stress fracture A stress fracture is a fatigue-induced bone fracture caused by repeated stress over time. Instead of resulting from a single severe impact, stress fractures are the result of accumulated injury from repeated submaximal loading, such as running or ...

in his right (throwing)

elbow The elbow is the region between the arm and the forearm that surrounds the elbow joint. The elbow includes prominent landmarks such as the olecranon, the cubital fossa (also called the chelidon, or the elbow pit), and the lateral and the media ...

. He had a screw inserted during surgery performed by

Dr. James Andrews James Andrews (born May 2, 1942) is an American orthopedic surgeon. He is a surgeon for knee, elbow, and shoulder injuries and is a specialist in repairing damaged ligaments. Practicing in Gulf Breeze, Florida, Andrews has become one of the bes ...

, and had an expected recovery time of 6–8 months. On April 24, 2012, he was transferred to the 60-day

disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...

, with an earliest possible return date of June 3. On July 24, 2012, Alburquerque began a rehab assignment with the

Lakeland Flying Tigers The Lakeland Flying Tigers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Lakeland, Florida, and play their home games at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. H ...

. On August 3, the organization moved him to the Toledo Mud Hens, with the expectation that the move meant a return to the Major League club in the near future. He appeared in 13 minor league games in 2012, going 1–0 with a 2.57 ERA and striking out 27 batters in 14 innings. He would eventually make his 2012 debut with the Tigers on September 4 against the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

, pitching 1 scoreless innings and striking out one batter. At the major league level, he made eight appearances during the regular season and posted a 0.68 ERA. He had 18 strikeouts in 13 innings. Alburquerque was placed on the playoff roster for the 2012 American League Division Series against the

. He made his first appearance of the postseason in Game 2 against

Yoenis Céspedes Yoenis Céspedes Milanés (born October 18, 1985), nicknamed "La Potencia" (The Power), is a Cuban-born professional baseball outfielder. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut on March 28, 2012, for the Oakland Athletics, and has also p ...

in the bottom of the ninth with men on the corners and two out, and the game tied at four runs apiece. He pitched the Tigers out of the inning, inducing a ground ball back to the mound, and left the game as the pitcher of record. In a moment of levity, he kissed the ball before flipping it softly to

Prince Fielder Prince Semien Fielder (born May 9, 1984) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers, and Texas Rangers. He was selected i ...

at first to complete the play. Alburquerque earned the win when Don Kelly hit an RBI sacrifice fly to right to win the game in the bottom of the inning. Alburquerque also pitched one scoreless inning of relief in Game 4 of the same series. Alburquerque threw 49 innings out of the Tiger bullpen in 2013, finishing with a 4.59 ERA. After allowing no home runs in 2011 and 2012, he surrendered five in 2013. In the Tigers 2013 postseason run, he pitched in 4 innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out nine batters. Alburquerque reached a career-high innings of relief in 2014, posting a 2.51 ERA while striking out 63 batters. He also had a career-low walk rate of 3.3 per 9 innings. On January 24, 2015, Alburquerque and the Tigers avoided arbitration agreeing on a one-year, $1.725 million contract. Alburquerque pitched a career-high 62 innings out of the bullpen in 2015, posting a 4–1 record and 4.21 ERA. He shared the major league lead in

balk In baseball, a pitcher can commit a number of illegal motions or actions that constitute a balk. Most of these violations involve pitchers pretending to pitch when they have no intention of doing so. In games played under the Official Baseball Ru ...

s, with four. On December 2, 2015, the Tigers announced they would not tender a contract to Alburquerque, making him a free agent.

Los Angeles Angels

On January 19, 2016, Alburquerque signed a 1-year, $1.1 million contract with the

. On March 29, the Angels optioned Alburquerque to the Triple-A

Salt Lake Bees The Salt Lake Bees are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. They are located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and play their home games at Smith's Ballpark. The ballpark op ...

. In two games with the Angels, he appeared in two innings, posting a 4.50 ERA. He was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...

on May 21. He was released on August 13.

Seattle Mariners

The

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...

signed Alburquerque to a minor league contract on August 23, 2016.

Kansas City Royals

On January 7, 2017, Alburquerque signed a minor league contract with the

that included an invitation to

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...

. The Royals promoted him to the major leagues on May 10. In 11 games with the Royals, he went 0–1 with a 3.60 ERA. He was released on July 29.

Chicago White Sox

On August 4, 2017, the White Sox signed Alburquerque to a minor league deal. In 10 games with the White Sox, he went 0–1 with a 1.13 ERA. He was granted free agency on December 1.

Toronto Blue Jays

On January 18, 2018, Alburquerque signed a minor league deal with the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

. He was released on July 2, 2018.

Acereros de Monclova

On February 26, 2019, Alburquerque signed with the

Acereros de Monclova The Acereros de Monclova (English: Monclova Steelers) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Monclova, Coahuila, Mexico. Their home ballpark is Estadio de Béisbol Monclova, which has a capacity of 11,000 people. The Acere ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country. The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...

. He made 52 appearances in 2019 for Monclova, posting a 1-1 record and 3.27 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 52.1 innings pitched. Alburquerque did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the Mexican League season because of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. In 2021, Alburquerque pitched to a 0–1 record with a 2.78 ERA in 24 relief appearances, striking out 26 in 22.2 innings of work. He was released by the Acereros following the season on August 26, 2021.

Long Island Ducks

On February 16, 2023, Alburquerque signed with the

of the

Pitching style

Alburquerque is a three-pitch pitcher. He throws a hard

four-seam fastball A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family of pitches and is usually the hardest (i.e., fastest) ball thrown by a pitcher. It is c ...

that ranges between 94 and 98 mph, and his "out pitch" is a downward-breaking

slider Slider or Sliders may refer to: Arts * K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise * '' The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex * ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series * ...

that ranges between 85 and 88 mph. The slider is his most common pitch, especially with two strikes in the count; it has a 60% whiff rate, the fifth-highest for a slider among relief pitchers since the 2007 season. His best pitch is what scouts call the "Cross Curve" that "breaks this way, and then that way." His

strikeouts per 9 innings pitched In baseball statistics, strikeouts per nine innings pitched (K/9, SO/9, or SO/9IP) is the mean of strikeouts (or Ks) by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by multiplying the number of strikeouts by nine, and dividing by the nu ...

ratio is above the league average, sitting at 10.7 through the end of the 2017 season. He also has a high walk rate at 5.0 per 9 innings. Alburquerque was effective in the 2011 season at stranding inherited baserunners, allowing only 3 of 31 to score.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alburquerque, Al 1986 births Acereros de Monclova players Águilas Cibaeñas players Arizona League Cubs players Boise Hawks players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Charlotte Knights players Chicago White Sox players Daytona Cubs players Detroit Tigers players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Mexico Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States Estrellas Orientales players Kansas City Royals players Lakeland Flying Tigers players Living people Los Angeles Angels players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic Omaha Storm Chasers players Sportspeople from San Pedro de Macorís Peoria Chiefs players Salt Lake Bees players Tacoma Rainiers players Toledo Mud Hens players Tulsa Drillers players