Collin Thomas Balester (born June 6, 1986) is an American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

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 ...

. 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) from 2008 to 2015 for the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...

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 ...

, and

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

. Balester has also played for the

Samsung Lions The Samsung Lions () are a South Korean professional baseball team founded in 1982. They are based in the southeastern city of Daegu and are members of the KBO League. Their home stadium is Daegu Samsung Lions Park. They have won the Korean Champ ...

of the

KBO League The KBO League (), officially the Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League, is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers ar ...

. Balester grew up in

Huntington Beach, California Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County, California, Orange County in Southern California, located southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. The city is named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 duri ...

, the son of a

surfboard A surfboard is a narrow plank used in surfing. Surfboards are relatively light, but are strong enough to support an individual standing on them while riding an ocean wave. They were invented in ancient Hawaii, where they were known as ''papa he'e ...

maker. He was drafted by the

Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...

in 2004, making his professional debut that year. By 2007, he was considered a top prospect for the newly relocated Nationals, with him participating in that season's

All-Star Futures Game The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in conjunction with the mid-summer MLB All-Star Game. A team of American League-affiliated prospects competes against a team of National League ...

. On July 1, 2008, he made his MLB debut with the Nationals. He won his debut as a starter, becoming the first Expo or National to do so since 1999. That season, he went on to make 14 starts for Washington, recording a 5.51

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA). In 2009, Balester split the year between the Triple-A

Syracuse Chiefs Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...

and Washington, making a combined 27 starts. Balester was converted into a

relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue (medical), fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection (sports), ejection, or for other strategic ...

in 2010, after struggling with Syracuse at the beginning of the year. In both 2010 and 2011, he would continue to split time between Syracuse and Washington. The Nationals traded Balester to Detroit on December 9, 2011, for pitcher

Ryan Perry Ryan Keith Perry (born February 13, 1987) is an American retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Detroit Tigers and Washington Nationals. Amateur career Born in Pomona, California, Perry played collegiate baseball at the Universi ...

. In 2012, Balester started the season on a major league roster for the first time in his career but 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 ...

in May. Signed to a minor league deal by the Texas Rangers in 2013, he underwent

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's bo ...

midway through the year. It was not until 2015 that he would pitch in the major leagues again, this time for the Reds, with whom he had a 7.47 ERA. He made three starts for the Lions in Korea in 2016 before elbow pain led to his release. After one final professional season in 2017, he and his wife started the Local Roots Juice Co. in

Perrysburg, Ohio Perrysburg is a city located in Wood County, Ohio, Wood County, Ohio, United States, along the south side of the Maumee River. The population was 25,041 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Part of the Toledo metropolitan area, the city i ...

Early life

Collin Thomas Balester was born on June 6, 1986, in

, the son of Tom and Sally Balester. He has two sisters, Lauren (older) and Jenna (younger). His father runs a

shop off of Slater Avenue in Huntington Beach and also makes "Balestar" surfboards, which are sold widely in surf shops.. Collin surfed regularly growing up. Playing

Little League Baseball Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Note: Will need to click "View More Bio Info+" to see some info.) At

Huntington Beach High School Huntington Beach High School (HBHS) is a public high school in Huntington Beach, California. Built in 1906, it is part of the Huntington Beach Union High School District. HBHS is a California Distinguished School. Huntington Beach High School is ...

, his velocity had gone down during his senior year, and

scouts Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...

were saying he might be better off going to college. Balester worked on throwing harder, responding with multiple

shutout In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usuall ...

s towards the end of the season. In his last year at Huntington Beach, he had a 6–4 record and a 1.63

(ERA),

striking out ''Striking Out'' is an Irish television legal drama series, broadcast on RTÉ, that first aired on 1 January 2017. Produced by Bl!nder F!lms for RTÉ Television, ''Striking Out'' stars Amy Huberman as Dublin-based solicitor Tara Rafferty, who is ...

63 batters in 64

innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one innin ...

. ''

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...

'' was only mildly impressed with his performance, stating that he "didn't dominate".

Professional career

Washington Nationals

2004–2007

Balester was drafted by the

in the fourth round of the 2004 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft. On July 10, Balester signed with the Expos and was assigned to the Rookie-level

GCL Expos The Florida Complex League Nationals are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Washington Nationals, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to the 2021 season, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Nationals. The ...

. In five games, he had a 1–2 win–loss record, a 2.19 ERA and a 1.014

walks plus hits per inning pitched In baseball statistics, walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP) is a sabermetric measurement of the number of baserunners a pitcher has allowed per inning pitched. WHIP is calculated by adding the number of walks and hits allowed and dividi ...

(WHIP). Before the 2005 season, the Expos relocated to

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, and became the

. ''

'' also named Balester the 10th best prospect in the Nationals organization and listed him as having the best

fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. "Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thro ...

of any minor leaguer in their system. To begin the season, Balester joined the

Single-A Class A, also known as Single-A and sometimes as Low-A, is the fourth-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States, below Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A, Double-A (baseball), Double-A, and High-A. There are 30 teams classif ...

Savannah Sand Gnats The Savannah Sand Gnats were a minor league baseball team based in Savannah, Georgia. They were a member of the A-level South Atlantic League. The Sand Gnats were an affiliate of the New York Mets in their final nine seasons. The team relocated ...

and made his debut for the club on April 11, giving up just three hits in six innings and being awarded with the win. In a start against the

Greensboro Grasshoppers The Greensboro Grasshoppers are a Minor League Baseball team based in Greensboro, North Carolina. They are members of the South Atlantic League and are the High-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They play their home games at First National ...

on July 10, Balester allowed just one hit in eight innings of work, prompting ''

Greensboro News & Record The ''News & Record'' is an American, English language newspaper with the largest circulation serving Guilford County, North Carolina, and the surrounding region. It is based in Greensboro, North Carolina, and produces local sections for Greensbo ...

'' columnist Bill Hass to claim that, "The young right-hander alesterturned the Hoppers hitters into traffic cones." On July 29, John Manuel of ''Baseball America'' mentioned Balester as a breakout player, along with

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...

Kory Casto Kory C. Casto (born December 8, 1981) is a former Major League Baseball player. Casto began his career with the Washington Nationals. He made his Major League debut April 3, , in a game against the Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an ...

. In 24 games for Savannah, 23 of which were starts, he went 8–6 with a 3.67 ERA, and a 1.176 WHIP. After the season, ''Baseball America'' listed Balester as the second-best prospect in the Nationals system, behind

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...

Ryan Zimmerman Ryan Wallace Zimmerman (born September 28, 1984) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and third baseman who played 16 seasons for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Zimmerman graduated from Kellam High ...

. Balester began the 2006 season with the High-A

Potomac Nationals The Potomac Nationals were a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League. They were located in Woodbridge, Virginia, and played their home games at Northwest Federal Field at Pfitzner Stadium. After the 2019 season, the team relocated to Fr ...

, where he got off to a bad start, going 1–3 with a 6.91 in nine starts. On the bad start, Balester said, "It kind of has been hard. I did so well last year. I think it's going to be good for me that I am failing a little bit more so that I know how to fail. I know I can use this in the future." He also added that, "I get way too high expectations for myself and I've got to realize I am only 19 years old." In late August, after going 4–5 with a 5.20 ERA and a 1.521 WHIP in 22 starts for Potomac, Balester was called up to Double-A

Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the List of c ...

. According to ''

The Washington Times ''The Washington Times'' is an American conservative daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., that covers general interest topics with a particular emphasis on national politics. Its broadsheet daily edition is distributed throughout ...

'', Balester had already booked a flight home to Huntington Beach, expecting not to receive a call-up to Double-A. In three starts for Harrisburg, he went 1–0 with a 1.83 ERA. In 2007, he was named the top prospect in the entire Nationals organization. Balester started the season with Harrisburg. On July 7, Balester was named to the Team USA roster for the

AT&T Park Oracle Park is a Major League Baseball stadium in the SoMa neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Since 2000, it has been the home of the San Francisco Giants. Previously named Pacific Bell Park, SBC Park, and AT&T Park, the stadium's curren ...

. The following week, he was called up to the Triple-A

Columbus Clippers The Columbus Clippers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They are located in Columbus, Ohio, and are named for speedy Merchant ship, mercha ...

. In his eagerness to join the Clippers, he got a speeding ticket while driving to Columbus from Harrisburg. In 17 starts for Harrisburg, he went 2–7 with a 3.74 ERA, which the ''

Orange County Register ''The Orange County Register'' is a paid daily newspaper published in California. The ''Register'', published in Orange County, California, is owned by the private equity firm Alden Global Capital via its Digital Fiest/Media News subsidiaries. ...

'' called "middling numbers". In 10 starts for the Clippers, he went 2–3 with a 4.18 ERA. After the season, there were rumors that the Nationals could trade him to the

Tampa Bay Devil Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home venu ...

in exchange for

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...

Elijah Dukes Elijah David Dukes, Jr. (born June 26, 1984) is an American former professional baseball player. A right-handed outfielder, he played in Major League Baseball for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Washington Nationals. Biography High school years Du ...

. The Nationals did trade for Dukes in December, but they sent Glenn Gibson to the Devil Rays instead of Balester.

2008

Balester began the 2008 season with Columbus, going 9–3 with a 4.00 ERA in 15 starts for the club. He was called up by the Nationals on June 30, and he made his MLB debut the following day against the

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The franc ...

. He pitched five innings, striking out three and allowing one hit in a 9–6 Nationals win. With the win, he became the first Nationals starter to win his debut since Dan Smith did in 1999, when the team was still playing in Montreal. He started 14 more games for the Nationals, going 3–7 with a 5.51 ERA.

2009

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 ...

2009, Balester was part of a battle with

Jordan Zimmermann Jordan M. Zimmermann (born May 23, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Nationals, Detroit Tigers, and Milwaukee Brewers. Zimmermann was a two-time MLB All-Star, an ...

and

Shairon Martis Shairon Benjamin Martis (born March 30, 1987) is a Dutch-Curaçaoan professional baseball pitcher for L&D Amsterdam of the Honkbal Hoofdklasse. He has previously pitched for the Washington Nationals and Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball. ...

for one of the final two spots in the Nationals

starting rotation R rabbit ears :Indicates a participant in the game who hears things perhaps too well for their own good. A player who becomes nervous or chokes when opposing players or fans yell at or razz them is said to have rabbit ears. Also, an umpire ...

. After going 1–1 with a 6.75 ERA during spring training, he was reassigned to the minors on March 28, but he remained a part of the organization's long-term plans. Over the offseason, the Nationals had switched minor league affiliations, and Balester joined their new Triple-A affiliate, the

. On July 23, after Zimmermann was placed on the 15-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 elbow pain, Balester was called up to take his place in the rotation. On August 25, the Nationals signed

Liván Hernández Eisler Liván Hernández Carrera (; born February 20, 1975) is a Cuban-born former professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball. Over a 17-year career, he played for nine different teams and was named to two Major League Baseball All-S ...

from

free agency In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

and, to make room on the roster, optioned Balester to Triple-A. In seven starts for the Nationals in 2009, he went 1–4 with a 6.82 ERA. After returning to Syracuse, Balester strained a muscle on his left side, ending his season. In 20 total starts with the Chiefs, he went 7–10 with a 4.44 ERA.

2010

On March 15, 2010, Balester was sent to minor league training camp, ensuring that he would start the 2010 season in Syracuse. Balester recorded an 11.65 ERA in his first five starts for the Chiefs, prompting the Nationals to send him to extended spring training to begin the process of converting him to a relief pitcher. On July 24, Balester was called up by the Nationals to replace

Luis Atilano Luis A. Atilano (born May 10, 1985) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Nationals. Career Selected by the Atlanta Braves in the first round of the 2003 amateur draft, ...

, who had been placed on the disabled list with floating bone chips in his elbow. That day, Balester came into the game to replace

J. D. Martin John Dale Martin (born January 2, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Nationals and in the KBO League for the Samsung Lions. Martin is described as "a strike- ...

and hit

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

second baseman

Rickie Weeks Rickie Darnell Weeks Jr. (born September 13, 1982) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays. H ...

in the head with a fastball. Nine days later, Balester again hit a batter in the head. This time, it was

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...

third baseman Mark Reynolds. Neither batter suffered a serious injury, but Balester still commented that, "You don't want to do that kind of stuff. It's the second time I did that, but it's one of those things you never want to have happen in your career. It's obviously unintentional. It's not a good situation to be in." On August 8, Balester was optioned back to Syracuse, only to be recalled on August 24, when

Stephen Strasburg Stephen James Strasburg (; born July 20, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Strasburg was selected by Washington with the first overall pick in the 2009 Major League ...

was placed on the disabled list. However, a day later, he was sent back down to Triple-A. Balester was recalled again for a third time on September 5. In 35 total games for Syracuse, he went 3–3 with a 5.87 ERA, while in 17 games for Washington, he went 0–1 with a 2.57 ERA.

2011

In 2011, Balester was optioned again to Triple-A Syracuse to begin the season. On April 17, after throwing five scoreless innings in his first outing of the year, he was called up to replace

Todd Coffey Todd or Todds may refer to: Places ;Australia: * Todd River, an ephemeral river ;United States: * Todd Valley, California, also known as Todd, an unincorporated community * Todd, Missouri, a ghost town * Todd, North Carolina, an unincorporated ...

, who had been placed on the disabled list. He was optioned back to Syracuse on April 24, after making two appearances, allowing three runs. After

Tom Gorzelanny Thomas Stephen Gorzelanny (born July 12, 1982) is a former American professional baseball pitcher who is currently the pitching coach for the minor league Amarillo Sod Poodles. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, C ...

was placed on the disabled list on May 28, Balester was recalled by the Nationals. At the time of his call-up, he had made 13 appearances with a 3.71 ERA and struck out 18 batters for Syracuse. He spent just one day with Washington as he was optioned back to Triple-A the next day without making an appearance, however, he was recalled again on June 15. He was

on July 5. In eight games with the Nationals, he had a 4.61 ERA and a 1.683 WHIP. He was re-added to the 40-man roster on July 7, after the Nationals secured optional waivers for him, meaning they could take him off waivers, should a team try to claim him. On August 2, he was recalled by the Nationals, replacing

Atahualpa Severino Atahualpa O. Severino (born November 6, 1984) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Washington Nationals. Professional career Washington Nationals Severino began his profession ...

on the 25-man roster. He spent the rest of the season in the bullpen for the Nationals. In 23 games, he had a 1–4 record, a 4.54 ERA, and 34 strikeouts in innings. On December 9, Washington traded Balester to the

for

Detroit Tigers

In 2012, Balester made the Tigers'

Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent years ...

roster as a relief pitcher, marking the first time in his career that he started a season in the major leagues. He picked up wins on April 12 and May 15, both times relieving a starting pitcher who had failed to make it through five innings. However, he was designated for assignment by Detroit on May 23 to make room for

Quintin Berry Quintin Lonell Berry (born November 21, 1984) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, and Milwaukee Brewers. Early c ...

on the roster. In 11 games with the Tigers, he had posted a 2–0 record, a 6.50 ERA, 12 strikeouts, and 11 walks in 18 innings. Balester spent the rest of the season with the Triple-A

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 ...

, posting a 1–1 record, a 3.64 ERA, 45 strikeouts, and 47 innings pitched in 31 relief outings. He was granted free agency on November 2.

Texas Rangers organization

Balester signed with the Texas Rangers on November 28, 2012. He was assigned to the Triple-A

Round Rock Express The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home games at the Dell Diamond. The team is named ...

to begin the 2013 season. He began the year in Round Rock's rotation, but after allowing six runs in innings in a start against the

Iowa Cubs The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in Des Moines, Iowa, and are named for their Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. The ...

on April 30, he was placed on the disabled list. On June 6, Balester underwent

, ending his season. In six games (five starts), he had posted a 1–4 record, a 7.33 ERA, and 22 strikeouts in 27 innings. On November 5, he became a free agent.

Pittsburgh Pirates organization

Balester signed a minor league contract with the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

on November 20, 2013. Although he was initially assigned to the Triple-A

Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory Field, which open ...

, Balester opened the season on the disabled list and did not start pitching until he underwent a rookie-level rehab assignment. On July 31, he joined the Double-A

Altoona Curve The Altoona Curve are a Minor League Baseball team based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, named after nearby Horseshoe Curve (but also alluding to the curveball, a type of pitch). The team plays in the Eastern League and is the Double-A affiliate of the ...

. In 10 relief appearances, he had a 1–4 record, a 6.55 ERA, and 10 strikeouts in 11 innings pitched. After the season, he pitched in three games for the

Venados de Mazatlán Venados de Mazatlán ( en, Mazatlán Deer) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican Pacific League based in Mazatlan, Sinaloa. In 2016, the team won the Mexican Pacific League Championship and went on to win their second Caribbean Series ...

of the

Mexican Pacific League The Mexican Pacific League (), known as Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico for sponsorship reasons or simply LMP for its acronym in Spanish, is a professional baseball winter league based in Northern Mexico. The ten-team regular season schedule run ...

. In 2015, Balester split the first part of the season between Altoona and Indianapolis. In 13 games with Altoona, he had a 1–0 record, 4 saves, a 1.77 ERA, and 14 strikeouts in innings pitched. With Indianapolis in 8 games, he had no record, a 3.07 ERA, and 8 strikeouts in innings pitched. On June 19, Balester was traded to the

for cash.

Cincinnati Reds

Balester began his Reds tenure with the Triple-A

Louisville Bats The Louisville Bats are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky, and are named in dual reference to the bat, win ...

. He had no record, seven saves, a 2.05 ERA, and 13 strikeouts in 21 games for the Bats. On August 23, the Reds purchased Balester's contract when

Manny Parra Manuel Alex Parra (born October 30, 1982) is an American professional baseball player who is a free agent. He has played as a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds. Early life Parra graduated from Ca ...

went on the disabled list with shoulder trouble and biceps tendinitis. "The last two (years), I've thought: 'Man, am I going to get back?' ... To get back today was a big thing for me," Balester said. He pitched in his first MLB game in three years that same day, then got his first win in three years on August 24, pitching two scoreless innings as the Reds scored 10 runs in the sixth inning to come from behind and beat the Tigers, 12–5. "It was unbelievable – it was the best inning I'd ever seen," Balester said of the offensive outburst. He remained with the Reds for the rest of the season. In his final outing of the year, against the Pirates at

PNC Field PNC Field is a 10,000-seat minor league baseball stadium that is located in Moosic, Pennsylvania in the Wyoming Valley, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area that was built in 1989 and rebuilt in 2013. The stadium is home to the Scranton/Wilke ...

on October 2, Balester entered a tied game in the 11th and took the loss in the 12th when he gave up a two-run,

walk-off home run In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. For a home run to end the game, it must be hit in the bottom of the final inning of the game and generate enough runs to exceed the opponent's score. Because the opponent will not ...

Starling Marte Starling Javier Marte (born October 9, 1988) is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Arizona Diamondbacks, Miami Marlins, and Oa ...

. Balester posted a 1–1 record, a 7.47 ERA, 13 strikeouts, and 13 walks in 15 appearances ( innings pitched). He became a free agent on November 4.

Samsung Lions

For the 2016 season, Balester was signed by the

of the

. He did not pitch much for them, experiencing a sore right elbow early in the season. He lost all three of his starts for the Lions, recording an 8.03 ERA in the process. The Lions released him on May 18, and Balester considered retirement.

Last professional season

After moving to

, Balester starting throwing a baseball again in November. The elbow pain which had plagued him earlier in 2016 was gone, so he decided to make a comeback. On December 20, 2016, he signed a minor league contract with the Tigers. Failing to make the team, he was released on March 29, 2017. On April 19, he signed with the

Wichita Wingnuts The Wichita Wingnuts were an independent baseball team based in Wichita, Kansas, in the United States. The Wingnuts were members of the South Division of the American Association of Professional Baseball. An expansion franchise in the 2008 seas ...

of the independent

American Association American Association may refer to: Baseball * American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891 * American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997 * American Association of Profe ...

. He was released on May 4, before the start of the Wingnuts' spring training, when the Wingnuts signed Danny Moskovits. On May 6, 2017, Balester signed a minor league deal with the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...

. He was assigned to the Double-A

Richmond Flying Squirrels The Richmond Flying Squirrels are a Minor League Baseball team based in Richmond, Virginia. The team, which is a part of the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major league club, and plays at The Diamond. Th ...

on May 22. In 12 games (1 start), he had a 1–4 record, a 2.75 ERA, 21 strikeouts, and 3 walks in innings. On July 18, he was temporarily assigned to the Single-A

Salem-Keizer Volcanoes The Salem-Keizer Volcanoes are a baseball team located in Keizer, Oregon, who are charter members of the Mavericks Independent Baseball League, a four-team league entirely based in the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area and playing all their home ...

, but he did not make any appearances with them before getting assigned to the Triple-A

Sacramento River Cats The Sacramento River Cats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to 2015, the River Cats were the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics for 15 yea ...

on July 22. In 14 games, he had a 1–0 record, a 5.79 ERA, 25 strikeouts, and 7 walks in innings. The Giants did not call him up at the end of the year. He became a free agent on November 6 and has not pitched professionally since.

Pitching style

Collin Balester March 4, 2009 (3329871886)

Balester threw three pitches: a

, a

curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...

, and a cutter. His fastball was his primary pitch, which he threw over 60 percent of the time. It averaged in the major leagues, topping out at . He tended to throw his curveball anywhere from 20 to 30 percent of the time, though in 2010 he threw it 35.5 percent of the time. It averaged . Though he resorted to the changeup 14.8 percent of the time in 2008, Balester usually threw it less than three percent of the time with the Nationals. It averaged . His back leg tended to drop too low while he was throwing pitches. Earlier in his professional career, Balester used to yell at umpires when he did not like a call, but he had become more docile by 2007. "I think I’ve made some progress, especially on the emotional side. When they make a bad call now I just sort of turn my back and walk to the other side of the mound. It’s the type of thing that got me in trouble before," he said that year.

Personal life

Balester married Ashley Sterling in 2009. They have multiple children. Ashley was from Ohio originally, and in 2016, the Balesters moved to

. They started Local Roots Juice Co., which sells healthy smoothies, cold-pressed juices, and snacks. Balester's sister, Jenna, won several surfing competitions growing up. At various times with the Nationals, he had a mustache. He re-grew it in November 2010 for

Movember Movember is an annual event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men's health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men's suicide. It is a portmanteau of the Australian-Engli ...

, as part of an effort to educate people about cancers affecting men. None of his family had been affected by such cancer, yet Balester wanted to be part of the cause.

References

External links

Official websiteLocal Roots Juice Co.
- business started by Balester and his wife {{DEFAULTSORT:Balester, Collin 1986 births Living people Baseball players from California Major League Baseball pitchers Sportspeople from Huntington Beach, California Washington Nationals players Detroit Tigers players Cincinnati Reds players Harrisburg Senators players Columbus Clippers players Syracuse Chiefs players Savannah Sand Gnats players Potomac Nationals players Gulf Coast Expos players Toledo Mud Hens players Round Rock Express players Gulf Coast Pirates players Bristol Pirates players Altoona Curve players Indianapolis Indians players Louisville Bats players Samsung Lions players American expatriate baseball players in South Korea Venados de Mazatlán players American expatriate baseball players in Mexico Richmond Flying Squirrels players Sacramento River Cats players