Charles Tadao Zink (born August 26, 1979) is an American former
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 ...
player. He 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
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
in
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
.
Career
Zink was signed as an undrafted free agent by the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
in 2002 on the recommendation of former Red Sox pitcher
Luis Tiant, who coached Zink at
Savannah College of Art and Design. After joining the organization, former Red Sox starting pitcher and fellow
knuckleballer
Tim Wakefield
Timothy Stephen Wakefield (born August 2, 1966) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Wakefield began his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but is most remembered for his 17-yea ...
also spent time with Zink, primarily during their spring break and the off-season.
Zink began his career with the independent
Yuma Bullfrogs Yuma can refer to:
Places
* Yuma Desert, desert in southwest U.S. and northwest Mexico
;United States
* Yuma County, Arizona
** Yuma, Arizona
** Fortuna Foothills, Arizona
** Marine Corps Air Station Yuma
** United States Army Yuma Proving Ground
...
in 2001. After signing with the Red Sox, Zink was the 2003
Sarasota Pitcher of the Year with a 3.90 ERA over 136 innings, the most he has thrown in a season at any level of play to date. In 2005, he went a combined 10-6 with the Triple-A
Pawtucket Red Sox and Double-A
Portland Sea Dogs
The Portland Sea Dogs are a Minor League Baseball team based in Portland, Maine, playing in the Eastern League (1938–present), Eastern League. Established in 1994, the Sea Dogs are the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red ...
. Zink spent most of the 2006 season with Pawtucket, pitching 23 of 25 games there, posting a 9–4 record and a 4.03 ERA.
Zink split time between Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket in 2007. He opened the season with the PawSox, but was sent down to Portland on May 21. After posting a 9-3 record and a 3.98 ERA in Double-A, Zink was transferred back to Triple-A Pawtucket on August 3. Zink was used solely as a starter in 2007, whereas in previous seasons he was occasionally used out of the bullpen. Zink showed signs of brilliance during his time with Portland during May and June. At one point, he had compiled eight starts of at least five innings pitched and only once allowed more than three earned runs during that stretch. A strained leg muscle caused him to miss a start, but in his first start after returning from the
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
...
he surrendered a career high 12 earned runs in four innings. Even with the poor outing, Zink kept his 2007 Double-A ERA below 4.00 for the first time in his AA career (when making at least 7 starts).
On August 12, 2008, Zink made his major league debut against the
Texas Rangers, allowing 11 hits and eight earned runs over innings pitched. He got a no decision, however, as the Red Sox ultimately won the game 19-17.
To make room for the newly signed
Rocco Baldelli
Rocco Daniel Baldelli (; born September 25, 1981) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and coach who is the manager of the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). As a player, Baldelli quickly progressed through the minor ...
, Zink was
designated for assignment on January 8, 2009.
Zink signed a minor league contract with the
St. Louis Cardinals on January 14, 2010, but was released after spring training. On April 27, 2010, he was signed by the
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
to a minor league contract and assigned to their AAA affiliate
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Rochester, New York, and play their home games at Innovative Field ...
. He became a free agent after the season, and on February 9, 2011, he signed a contract with the
Lancaster Barnstormers.
He appeared in eight games for Lancaster with a record of 2-2 before being released in June.
See also
*
List of knuckleball pitchers
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zink, Charlie
1979 births
Living people
American baseball players of Japanese descent
Major League Baseball pitchers
Boston Red Sox players
Yuma Bullfrogs players
Augusta GreenJackets players
Sarasota Red Sox players
Portland Sea Dogs players
Pawtucket Red Sox players
Rochester Red Wings players
Lancaster Barnstormers players
Knuckleball pitchers
Baseball players from Carmichael, California
Sacramento City Panthers baseball players
SCAD Savannah Bees baseball players