Ian Dante Snell (born October 30, 1981) is an American former professional baseball right-handed

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) for 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 ...

and

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 ...

. From 2001 to 2003, he went by the name Ian Oquendo, adopting the last name of his wife, and during the

2009 World Baseball Classic The 2009 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international baseball competition. It began on 5 9 and finished 5 26. Unlike in 2006, when the round-robin format of the first two rounds led to some eliminations being decided by run-difference ti ...

he went by Ian Davila-Snell, adopting his stepfather's surname. He throws a mid-90s

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 ...

, along with 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 ...

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 * ...

and

changeup 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 ...

Professional career

After being a standout pitcher at

Caesar Rodney High School Caesar Rodney High School is a public high school located in Camden, Delaware, just south of Dover. The school is in Caesar Rodney School District. Its enrollment is over 2,000. During 1983 to 1984, Caesar Rodney was recognized as a Blue Ribbo ...

Camden, Delaware Camden is a town in Kent County, Delaware, United States. It is part of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,464 at the 2010 census. History Camden was established in 1783 as a community originally known as Mif ...

, Snell made his professional debut with the rookie league

Gulf Coast Pirates The Florida Complex League Pirates are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to 2021, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Pirates. The team plays its ...

in 2000 following being selected by the Pirates in the 26th round of the

Major League Baseball Draft The first-year player draft is the primary mechanism of Major League Baseball (MLB) for assigning amateur baseball players from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs to its teams. The draft order is determined based on a lo ...

. He made his debut on July 17, pitching 1.2 innings of scoreless relief against the

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 2001, Snell split the season between the GCL Pirates and the Short Season-A New York – Penn League

Williamsport Crosscutters The Williamsport Crosscutters are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and play their home games at Muncy Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field. From 1994 to 2020, they were a ...

. Snell played the 2002 season with the

South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...

Champion

Hickory Crawdads The Hickory Crawdads are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League (SAL) and the High-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They are located in Hickory, North Carolina, and play their home games at L. P. Frans Stadium, which opened i ...

, a Single-A club. There he ranked fourth among league pitchers in

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...

s and seventh in

ERA An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth. Comp ...

. In 2003, when Snell went 14–4 with a 3.00 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 26 minor league starts, split between Single-A Lynchburg and Double-A Altoona, he was named the Pirates organizational Pitcher-of-the-Year. Snell spent the majority of his 2004 season with the Altoona Curve. He set a single-season team record and finished second in the league with 142 strikeouts.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Snell was later called up to the Pirates, making his major league debut on August 20, 2004 against 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 ...

. In his debut, he surrendered one

hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...

(a solo

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

John Mabry John Steven Mabry (born October 17, 1970) is an American former professional baseball player, broadcaster, and coach. He is a coach for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He had 898 career hits in 3,409 at-bats (for a batting ...

), three walks and two strikeouts in 2.0 innings of work. He was optioned back to Altoona, but was recalled again on September 21, after Altoona's season ended. In 2005, Snell split the season between 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 ...

, going 11–3 with a 3.70 ERA, and the Pirates. While with the Indians, he pitched a

no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...

on May 15 against the

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 ...

. He was named the

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...

pitcher of the week twice, for the weeks ending May 1 and 15. He made two separate appearances for the Pirates, from June 26 – August 16 and again from September 12 to the end of the season. He appeared in 15 games, including five starts. His first win came September 19, against

Roger Clemens William Roger Clemens (born August 4, 1962), nicknamed "Rocket", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the Boston Red Sox. Clemens was one of the most dominant pi ...

and the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...

. In this game, he allowed only three

singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...

in eight innings of work. It would be his only win in 2005, though, as he finished the season 1–2 with a 5.14 ERA in over 42 innings. In 2006, Snell won 14 games, the most for Pittsburgh in several seasons, while losing 11 and leading the team in strikeouts. On January 28, 2007, the Delaware Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association honored Snell as the "John J. Brady Athlete of the Year", an award given annually to the best athlete from

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

. On March 16, 2008, Snell agreed to a three-year contract extension with the Pirates worth at least $8 million, including club options for 2011 and 2012. Snell finished the 2008 season with a 5.42 ERA and a record of 7–12. Snell had the worst OBP-against in the majors (.385) and led the National League by giving up nine triples. Snell was demoted to the Triple-A

on June 24, 2009, per his request. In his first Triple-A appearance on June 28, Snell struck out 17 of 21 batters that he faced, while allowing only 2 hits. Snell's attributed his disappointing 2008–09 results for the major-league Pirates to depression and to disenchantment with his environment.

Seattle Mariners

On July 29, 2009, Snell and shortstop Jack Wilson were traded to the Seattle Mariners for

Jeff Clement Jeffrey Burton Clement (born August 21, 1983) is an American former professional baseball player. Clement was a catcher and first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners and Pittsburgh Pirates. Clement attend ...

Ronny Cedeño Ronny Alexander Salazar Cedeño (born February 2, 1983), is a Venezuelan former professional baseball shortstop, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets, Houston Astros ...

, Aaron Pribanic,

Brett Lorin Brett derives from a Middle English surname meaning "Briton" or "Breton", referring to the Celtic people of Britain and Brittany, France. Brette can be a feminine name. People with the surname * Adrian Brett (born 1945) English flutist and writer ...

, and

Nathan Adcock Nathan Tennyson Adcock (born 22 April 1978) is a lawyer and former professional cricketer who played for the South Australia cricket team, who he captained for part of the 2007–08 season before being replaced with Graham Manou and dropped ...

. On July 31, the Mariners recalled Snell to take the roster spot of pitcher

Jarrod Washburn Jarrod Michael Washburn (born August 13, 1974) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Seattle Mariners, and Detroit Tigers over the course of a 12–year Major League Baseball (MLB) ca ...

, who had been traded earlier that day. Snell finished 5–2 with a 4.20 ERA in 12 starts with the Mariners in 2009. Overall, with the Pirates and Mariners combined, he finished 7–10 with a 4.84 ERA in 27 starts in 2009. Snell opened the 2010 season as the second/third starter for the Mariners. He started the season 0–3 with a 4.58 ERA before being demoted to the

bullpen In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if t ...

. After teammate

Doug Fister Douglas Wildes Fister (born February 4, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, and Tex ...

went on the DL, Snell took over his roster spot, therefore returning to the rotation, and in his next two starts, he proceeded to go 0–2 with a 12.86 ERA. On June 9, Snell had a career-worst start where he pitched only 1.2 innings, giving up eight runs (seven earned), one walk, and struck out only one in a 12–2 loss to the Texas Rangers that dropped him to 0–5. On June 11, Snell was returned to the bullpen after his career-worst start by then-Mariners manager

Don Wakamatsu Wilbur Donald Wakamatsu (born February 22, 1963) is an American former professional baseball player, scout, coach, and manager. Wakamatsu was drafted in the 11th round of the 1985 Major League Baseball draft by the Cincinnati Reds. He played as ...

. On June 15, Snell 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 ...

. Following the season, he became a free agent.

St. Louis Cardinals

The

signed Snell to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training on January 14, 2011. On March 15, the Cardinals assigned Snell to minor league camp, but he chose instead to retire. In April, he decided to reconsider retiring and the Cardinals released Snell to allow him to pursue any opportunities.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Snell signed a minor league contract with the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

on May 25, 2011. He was assigned to the AAA

Albuquerque Isotopes The Albuquerque Isotopes are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They play home games at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an el ...

. He pitched in six games for the Isotopes, making five starts and had a 1–2 record and 11.05 ERA. He was suspended by the team on July 14 for unspecified reasons and missed the rest of the season. He was released in March 2012.

Long Island Ducks

In March 2013, Snell signed with 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.

International career

Snell, whose father has some Puerto Rican ancestry, played for Puerto Rico in the

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Snell, Ian 1981 births Living people Pittsburgh Pirates players Seattle Mariners players 2009 World Baseball Classic players African-American baseball players American sportspeople of Puerto Rican descent Major League Baseball pitchers Baseball players from Delaware Gulf Coast Pirates players Williamsport Crosscutters players Hickory Crawdads players Lynchburg Hillcats players Altoona Curve players Indianapolis Indians players Tacoma Rainiers players Albuquerque Isotopes players Long Island Ducks players People from Dover, Delaware 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people Gigantes de Carolina players Tiburones de Aguadilla players