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 leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Modern professional ...
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), 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 ...
, and
Nippon Professional Baseball
or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''.
Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...
(NPB). Rios's repertoire included a sharp
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
* ...
,
change-up
A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball.
The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...
and
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 thr ...
around 90 mph.
Youth
Rios's parents were Cuban and he was born in Spain. At age 2, his family immigrated to the United States, where he grew up and went to college at the
University of Miami
The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, i ...
.
Yankees organization
Rios signed as an amateur free agent with the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
in 1993. He debuted with the
GCL Yankees
The Florida Complex League Yankees are a Rookie-level affiliate of the New York Yankees, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team is composed mainly of players who are in their first year of professional baseball ...
, going 2–1 with a 3.52 ERA and six saves in 24 games. He was the closer on a team that briefly featured
Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera (born November 29, 1969) is a Panamanian-American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, from 1995 to 2013. Nicknamed "Mo" and "Sandman", he spent most ...
(who was then a starter). In 1994, Rios had his first year in full-season ball, going 3–2 with 17 saves and a 0.87 ERA in 37 games for the
Greensboro Bats
Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte and Raleigh, the 69th-most populous city in the Un ...
and allowing no earned runs (2 runs overall) in 10.1 IP for the
Tampa Yankees
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough C ...
(2 saves in 9 games). Rios's composite ERA of 0.70 was presumably one of the lowest in all of the minor leagues that year.
Rios remained dazzling in 1995. With Tampa, he had a 2.00 ERA, 0–4 record, 24 saves and 72 strikeouts in 67.1 IP. He finished 53 games, most in the Florida State League.
Rios moved to the cusp of the major leagues in 1996. He went 3–1 with 17 saves and a 2.09 ERA for the
Norwich Navigators
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the Episcopal see, See of ...
and 4–1 with a 1.95 ERA in 24 games for the Columbus Clippers. '' Baseball America'' rated him as the #9 prospect in the Yankee system, one spot ahead of fellow right-hander
Tony Armas Jr.
Antonio José Armas (born April 29, 1978), better known as Tony Armas Jr., is a Venezuelan former professional baseball right-handed pitcher. He spent most of his active career with the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals of Major League Basebal ...
Rios spent most of 1997 with Columbus, doing an effective job, if not as impressive as his prior three years. In 58 games, he went 7–4 with 3 saves and a 3.08 ERA. He was four games pitched behind teammate Dale Polley for the International League lead. He made his major league debut in rough form on May 30, relieving
Ramiro Mendoza
Ramiro Mendoza (born June 15, 1972), nicknamed "El Brujo" (The Witch Doctor), is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Mendoza played with the New York Yankees (1996–2002, 2005) and Boston Red Sox (2003–04). He batted and threw right-handed. ...
with two on and one out against 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 eigh ...
. He promptly served up back-to-back home runs to
Wil Cordero
Wilfredo Cordero Nieva (born October 3, 1971) is a former shortstop, first baseman, and outfielder in Major League Baseball. He was best known as a member of the Montreal Expos (1992–1995, 2002–2003). Cordero made his Major League Baseball d ...
and
Mo Vaughn
Maurice Samuel Vaughn (born December 15, 1967), nicknamed "The Hit Dog", is an American former Major League Baseball first baseman who played for the Boston Red Sox, Anaheim Angels, and New York Mets from 1991 to 2003. He was a three-time All-Sta ...
, the first two batters he faced. An inning later,
Scott Hatteberg
Scott Allen Hatteberg (born December 14, 1969) is an American former professional first baseman and catcher. During his MLB career, spanning from 1995 through 2008, he played for the Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics, and Cincinnati Reds. Befo ...
added another homer. Rios had allowed 3 runs in 1 IP, all on homers. He returned to Columbus but came back to the Yankees for a game late in the year, replacing
Hideki Irabu
was a Japanese professional baseball player of American and Japanese mixed ancestry. He played professionally in both Japan and the United States. Irabu played for the Lotte Orions / Chiba Lotte Marines and Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professiona ...
with one on and one out in the 7th inning on September 5. He allowed three straight singles, bringing in one inherited runner and one another score. After back-to-back singles to open the 8th, he was replaced by
Graeme Lloyd
Graeme John Lloyd (born 9 April 1967) is an Australian-born former professional baseball pitcher, who appeared with the Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Montreal Expos, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, and Kansas City Roy ...
, ending a horrible rookie year in the majors – 9 hits and 5 runs in 2 innings plus three inherited runners plated.
Royals system
The Yankees waived Rios in March 1998 and he was picked up by the Kansas City Royals. He threw in five games early in the year for Kansas City, but struggled. He went 0–1 with a 6.14 ERA and would never again pitch in the major leagues, though he was just 25. He went 6–7 with one save and a 5.63 ERA for the 1998
Omaha Royals
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest c ...
, being used regularly as a starting pitcher for the first time in his professional career.
Rios was moved back to the bullpen in 1999 but the results were not good. He went 10–4 with Omaha to tie for the team lead in wins and saved four games, but had a 6.07 ERA.
Independent leagues and Mexico
In 2000, Rios moved to the
Newark Bears
The Newark Bears were an American minor league professional baseball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They were a member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and, later, the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball. T ...
, going 2–3 with a 4.26 ERA. He went to 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 ...
, where he was 6–3 with a 3.12 ERA for the Algodoneros de Union Laguna.
Rios was 18–5 with a 2.98 ERA for Union Laguna in 2001, finishing 9th in the Mexican League in ERA. He led the Liga in victories.
South Korea
Rios drew notice overseas and was picked up by the
KIA Tigers
Kia Tigers ( ko, KIA 타이거즈) are a South Korean professional baseball team founded in 1982 and based in the southwestern city of Gwangju. Until 2001, they were known as the Haitai Tigers. The Tigers are a members of the KBO League and are ...
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 ...
in 2002. He helped the club finish second in his first season there, going 14–5 with 13 saves and a 3.14 ERA. He was fourth in the Korea Baseball Organization in ERA. He fell to 10–13 in 2003, but his 3.82 ERA still ranked ninth in the KBO.
In 2004, Rios led the KBO with 223 innings pitched. He went 17–8 with a 2.87 ERA, finishing fourth in ERA behind
Park Myung-hwan
A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. ...
Bae Young-soo
Bae Young-Soo (; born May 4, 1981, in Daegu, South Korea) is a former South Korean starting pitcher who played 18 seasons in the KBO League. He batted and threw right-handed. He was well known as a franchise player for his former hometown club, ...
. He tied Rath and Bae for the league lead in wins (though Bae had six fewer losses than Rios and Rath).
At age 32, the right-hander was traded mid-season to the
Doosan Bears
The Doosan Bears ( ko, 두산 베어스) are a South Korean professional baseball team based in Seoul. Founded in 1982, they are a member of the KBO League. The Bears have won six Korean Series titles (1982, 1995, 2001, 2015, 2016, and 2019) and ...
. Cumulatively, he was 15–12 with a 3.51 ERA, third in the KBO in ERA behind
Son Min-han
Son Min-han (; born January 2, 1975, in Busan, South Korea) is a retired South Korean starting pitcher who played 15 seasons in the KBO League. He was a long-time member of the South Korea national baseball team, pitching in the 1994 Asian Gam ...
and Kim Won-hyeong. He battled control problems, walking 147 in 205 innings pitched, but also tied Bae for the KBO lead in strikeouts (also 147).
Rios was 12–16 with a 2.90 ERA in 2006 for Doosan.
Rios finished the 2007 season 22–5 with a 2.07 ERA, leading the league in wins and ERA. He became the first 20-game winner in the KBO since Chung Min-tae won that many in 1999 (KBO schedules at that point were only 126 games, making 20-game winners rarer than in the US). He was the first foreigner to win 20 games in a year (not counting Japanese natives of South Korean descent). He won five more games than runners-up Ryu Hyun-jin and Kenny Rayborn, and his ERA was 0.77 was ahead of runner-up Chae Byung-ryong. He whiffed 147, second in the KBO to Ryu, to miss out on the "Pitching
Triple Crown
Triple Crown may refer to:
Sports Horse racing
* Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
* Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)
** Triple Crown Trophy
** Triple Crown Productions
* Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
* Tri ...
". Rios' 22 wins was the highest total by a pitcher since Jang Myeong-bu in 1983. Rios became the fifth pitcher in KBO history to have won 10+ games in six consecutive seasons, following Kim Si-jin (1983–1988), Sun Dong-yeol (1986–1991),
Lee Kang-chul
Lee Kang-chul (Hangul: 이강철; born May 24, 1966, in Gwangju, South Korea) is a South Korean former professional baseball pitcher and current manager of the KT Wiz. A submarine-style pitcher,Jung Min-chul (1992–1999). Rios continued his dominance in the postseason. In game one of the
2007 Korean Series
The 2007 Korean Series began on Monday, 22 October, at the Munhak Baseball Stadium in Incheon. It featured the SK Wyverns, who had claimed home ground advantage by finishing in first place at the end of the season, and the Doosan Bears, who had ...
, Rios threw a four-hit
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 ...
against the SK Wyverns. Rios capped off the season by winning the 2007
KBO League Most Valuable Player Award
The KBO League Most Valuable Player Award is given to the player judged the most valuable player in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League
League or The League may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock ...
.
Rios finished the 2007 season with a career KBO record of 90–59, an ERA of 3.01, and 807 strikeouts.
NPB: Doping case, suspension, and retirement
In June 2008, while playing for the
Yakult Swallows
The Tokyo Yakult Swallows () are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Yom ...
in the
Nippon Professional Baseball
or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''.
Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...
stanozolol
Stanozolol ( abbrev. Stz), sold under many brand names, is an androgen and anabolic steroid (AAS) medication derived from dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It is used to treat hereditary angioedema. It was developed by American pharmaceutical company W ...
and was subsequently banned from Japanese baseball for a year. He never played professionally again.