Colby Hunter Cervenka (born January 3, 1990) is an American

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

Leones de Yucatán The Leones de Yucatán (English: Yucatán Lions) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League. The team play its home games at Parque Kukulcán Alamo in Mérida, Yucatán. The Leones have won the Mexican League title five times in , , , ...

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 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

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

and

Miami 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 ...

Career

Boston Red Sox

Cervenka was drafted 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 the 27th round, 832nd overall, of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft out of Ross S. Sterling High School in Baytown, Texas. Cervenka made his professional debut with the rookie-level

GCL Red Sox The Florida Complex League Red Sox are a professional baseball team competing in the rookie-level Florida Complex League (FCL) of Minor League Baseball. The team is owned and operated by the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). Prior ...

in 2009, recording a 2–2 record and 4.84 ERA in 11 appearances. The next year, Cervenka played for the Low-A

Lowell Spinners The Lowell Spinners were a baseball team based in Lowell, Massachusetts. From 1996 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's New York–Penn League (NYPL) as the Class A Short Season affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. With Major League ...

, posting a 2–4 record and 3.59 ERA with 55 strikeouts in 62.2 innings pitched. In 2011, he split the season between Lowell and the Single-A

Greenville Drive The Greenville Drive are a Minor League Baseball team based in Greenville, South Carolina. They are the High-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and are a member of the South Atlantic League. They play their home games at Fluor Field at the West En ...

, struggling to a cumulative 2–10 record and 7.93 ERA in 22 games between the two teams. He was assigned to Greenville to begin the 2012 season.

Chicago Cubs

On May 15, 2012, Cervenka was traded to 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 ...

as the player to be named later in a previous trade in which the Red Sox acquired

Marlon Byrd Marlon Jerrard Byrd (born August 30, 1977) is an American former professional baseball outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, New Yo ...

. He spent the remainder of the season split between the Single-A

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 ...

and the High-A

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 ...

, accumulating 47 strikeouts in as many innings. He split the 2013 season between Daytona and the Double-A

Tennessee Smokies The Tennessee Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in Kodak, Tennessee, a suburb of Knoxville. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They play at Smokies Stadium, directly off Int ...

, logging a cumulative 6–1 record and 3.00 ERA in 41 appearances between the two teams. Cervenka returned to Tennessee in 2014, pitching to a 4–4 record and 3.79 ERA with 65 strikeouts in 61.2 innings pitched. He was invited to major league Spring Training in 2015, but did not make the club and was assigned to Tennessee, later receiving a promotion to the Triple-A

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 ...

after 3 stellar games in Double-A. After struggling to an 11.08 ERA in 12 appearances for Iowa, the Cubs organization released Cervenka on May 29, 2015,

Sugar Land Skeeters

On June 12, 2015, Cervenka signed with the

Sugar Land Skeeters The Sugar Land Space Cowboys are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball club. They are located in Sugar Land, Texas, part of the Greater Houston metr ...

of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. In 8 games for the Skeeters, Cervenka logged 8.0 scoreless innings, allowing only 4 hits while striking out 12.

Atlanta Braves

On July 7, 2015, Cervenka signed a minor league contract with the

organization. He was assigned to the Triple-A

Gwinnett Braves The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia (with a Lawrencevil ...

, where he posted 16.2 scoreless innings, also throwing 4.0 scoreless innings for the Double-A

Mississippi Braves The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they are referred to locally, are a Minor League Baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson. The team is the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and plays in the Southern League. ...

. Cervenka was invited to spring training in 2016, but started the season with Double-A Mississippi. On April 11, 2016, Cervenka was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the majors for the first time. He made his MLB debut the next day, allowing a single to

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 ...

infielder Daniel Murphy, the only batter he faced. In 50 games for the Braves, Cervenka pitched to a neat 3.18 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 34.0 innings of work.

Miami Marlins

On August 6, 2016, the Braves traded Cervenka to the

in exchange for

Anfernee Seymour Anfernee J'Nero Seymour (born June 24, 1995) is a Bahamian professional baseball outfielder for the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. Seymour was drafted by the Miami Marlins in the 2014 Major League Baseball dra ...

and Michael Mader. In 18 games for Miami in 2016, he logged a 4.82 ERA with 7 strikeouts in 11 innings of work, also spending brief time with the Triple-A New Orleans Zephyrs and the Double-A

Jacksonville Suns The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in Jacksonville, Florida, and are named for shrimp caught in the area. The team pla ...

. On April 14, 2017, Cervenka, while playing in Triple-A pitched the 8th innings of a combined no-hitter against the

, with

Scott Copeland Scott Reast Copeland (born December 15, 1987) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015, and has also played for the New York Mets in MLB and the LG Twi ...

pitching the first 7 innings and Brandon Cunniff pitching a perfect ninth. In 2017, Cervenka split the year between Miami and the Triple-A

New Orleans Baby Cakes The New Orleans Baby Cakes (formerly the New Orleans Zephyrs) were a Minor League Baseball team in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They were located in Metairie, Louisiana, a sub ...

, posting an ugly 15.43 ERA in 5 major league appearances on the year. Cervenka was designated for assignment by the Marlins on December 14, 2017. After clearing waivers, he was outrighted to Triple-A on December 21. He was released by the organization on March 8, 2018.

Baltimore Orioles

On March 13, 2018, Cervenka signed a minor league contract with the

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 ...

organization. On March 30, the Orioles released Cervenka.

Sugar Land Skeeters (second stint)

On April 19, 2018, Cervenka signed with the

of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. In 19 games for Sugar Land, Cervenka pitched to a 3–1 record and a nice 1.53 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 17.2 innings pitched.

Detroit Tigers

On June 3, 2018, Cervenka's contract was purchased by 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 ...

organization. He split the remainder of the season between the High-A

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 ...

, the Double-A

Erie SeaWolves The Erie SeaWolves are an United States, American professional baseball team based in Erie, Pennsylvania. They compete in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) as a member of the Eastern League (1938–present), Eastern League's Southwest Division, serving ...

, and 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 ...

, accumulating a 3–2 record and 1.77 ERA in 29 games between the three teams. He elected free agency on November 2, 2018.

St. Louis Cardinals

On November 6, 2018, Cervenka signed a minor league deal with the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

organization. He was assigned to the Triple-A

Memphis Redbirds The Memphis Redbirds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in Memphis, Tennessee, and are named for their Major League Baseball affiliate. The Redbir ...

to begin the season. After posting a 2.95 ERA in 36 appearances with the team, Cervenka was released on July 30, 2019.

Baltimore Orioles (second stint)

On August 7, 2019, Cervenka signed a minor league contract with the

. He finished the year with the Triple-A

Norfolk Tides The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's location on the Chesapea ...

, recording a 2.25 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 12.0 innings pitched. Cervenka did not play in a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor 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 ...

. Cervenka was released by the Orioles organization on July 17, 2020.

Sugar Land Skeeters (third stint)

On August 1, 2020, Cervenka signed on to play for the

of the

Constellation Energy League The Constellation Energy League was an independent baseball league that operated in Texas during 2020 because of COVID-19 restrictions limiting travel, and as a way to create opportunities for minor league players. History The league consisted of ...

(a makeshift 4-team independent league created as a result of the

) for the 2020 season. In 9 appearances for the Skeeters in 2020, Cervenka posted a 4–1 record and 3.97 ERA .

West Virginia Power

On February 27, 2021, Cervenka signed with the

Tri-City ValleyCats The Tri-City ValleyCats (often shortened to Cats) are a professional independent baseball team based in Troy, New York. The Tri-City name refers to the three nearby cities of Albany, Schenectady, and Troy which make up New York State's Capital D ...

of the

Frontier League The Frontier League is a professional independent baseball league with teams in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Eastern Canada. Formed in 1993, it is the oldest currently running independent league in the United States. The le ...

. On April 15, 2021, Cervenka was traded to the

West Virginia Power The Charleston Dirty Birds are an American professional baseball team based in Charleston, West Virginia. They are a member of the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a partner league of Major League Baseball. The ...

of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball in exchange for a player to be named later. In 7 appearances for the Power, Cervenka recorded a 9.39 ERA with 4 strikeouts in 7.2 innings of work.

Long Island Ducks

On June 17, 2021, Cervenka was traded to the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball in exchange for a

player to be named later In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...

Cleburne Railroaders

On February 28, 2022, Cervenka was traded to the

Cleburne Railroaders The Cleburne Railroaders are a professional baseball team based in Cleburne, Texas, that plays in the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball. The team, which began play in 2017, plays i ...

of the

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 ...

for future considerations. Cervenka recorded a 5–0 record and 1.27 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 26 appearances with the Railroaders. He was named an All-Star for the team in 2022.

Leones de Yucatán

On July 27, 2022, Cervenka signed with

of the

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cervenka, Hunter 1990 births Living people People from Baytown, Texas Baseball players from Texas Major League Baseball pitchers American people of Czech descent Atlanta Braves players Miami Marlins players Gulf Coast Red Sox players Lowell Spinners players Greenville Drive players Peoria Chiefs players Daytona Cubs players Tennessee Smokies players Sugar Land Skeeters players Mississippi Braves players Gwinnett Braves players Iowa Cubs players New Orleans Baby Cakes players New Orleans Zephyrs players Jacksonville Suns players Lakeland Flying Tigers players Erie SeaWolves players Toledo Mud Hens players Caribes de Anzoátegui players Memphis Redbirds players Norfolk Tides players Águilas Cibaeñas players American expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic West Virginia Power players American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela