Ramón Diógenes Ortiz (born May 23, 1973) is a Dominican 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 ...

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

Anaheim Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...

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 ...

Tampa Bay 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) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...

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 ...

, and

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

. Ortiz also played for the

Orix Buffaloes The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team formed as a result of the 2004 Nippon Professional Baseball realignment by the merger of the Orix BlueWave of Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes of Osaka, Osaka Prefectur ...

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).

Professional career

1999–2005

Ortiz was signed as an undrafted free agent by the

in 1995. He made his Major League debut on August 19, 1999, when he started for the Angels against the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

. He pitched eight innings, allowing four hits and one run to pick up the victory. His best season was 2002, when he went 15–9 with a 3.77

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) for the Angels. He earned the win in Game 3 of the

2002 World Series The 2002 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB)'s 2002 season. The 98th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Anaheim Angels and the National Leag ...

against 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 ...

. In 2003, he set a career high with 16 victories. Ramon Ortiz earned an estimated of $20.5 million, signing six contracts throughout his career, each for less than $6.1 million. On December 14, 2004, Ortiz was traded by the Angels to the

for

Dustin Moseley Dustin Aaron Moseley (born December 26, 1981) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, New York Yankees and San Diego Padres. Career Moseley was selected ...

. He went 9–11 with a 5.36 ERA in 30 starts for the Reds.

2006–2009

Ortiz signed with the

as a free agent prior to the 2006 season. On September 4, 2006, he took 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 ...

into the 9th inning against the

Cardinals Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...

before having it broken up by the first batter in the 9th,

Aaron Miles Aaron Wade Miles (born December 15, 1976) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played nine seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2003 to 2011 for the Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals, Chica ...

. Ortiz also hit his first career

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 ...

in the same game. It was a solo shot off of St. Louis

reliever 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, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as inclement weather ...

Jorge Sosa Jorge Bolivar Sosa (born April 28, 1977) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, Washington Nationals, and ...

. Ortiz was three outs away from becoming the fifth no-hit pitcher in Major League Baseball who had homered in the same game, joining

Wes Ferrell Wesley Cheek Ferrell (February 2, 1908 – December 9, 1976) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball from 1927 through 1941. Primarily a starting pitcher, Ferrell played for the Cleveland Indians (192 ...

(1931),

Jim Tobin James Anthony Tobin (December 27, 1912 – May 19, 1969), known as "Abba Dabba", was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Bees/ Braves and Detroit Tigers from 1937 to 1945. With the Boston Brav ...

(1944), Earl Wilson (1962) and

Rick Wise Richard Charles Wise (born September 13, 1945) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher between and for the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Re ...

(1971). On January 19, 2007, Ortiz signed with the Minnesota Twins for a one-year deal worth $3.1 million. Ortiz began the season as the third starter, behind

Johan Santana Johan Alexander Santana Araque (; born March 13, 1979) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball starting pitcher. Santana pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins from 2000 to 2007 and for the New York Mets from 200 ...

and

Boof Bonser John Paul "Boof" Bonser (born October 14, 1981) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, and Oakland Athletics. High school career Bonser attended Gibb ...

and ahead of

Sidney Ponson Sidney Alton Ponson (; born November 2, 1976) is an Aruban former Major League Baseball pitcher. As a player, Ponson stood at tall and weighed . He threw right-handed with a fastball that clocked out at 95 mph. When he made his major league ...

and Carlos Silva. However, after a disappointing start to the season, Ortiz was moved to the bullpen. On August 15, 2007, Ortiz was traded to the

in return for minor leaguer

Matt Macri Matthew Michael Macri (born May 29, 1982) is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman who played for the Minnesota Twins in 2008. Amateur career A native of Des Moines, Iowa, Macri graduated from Dowling Catholic High School in 2001 ...

. He appeared in relief in 10 games for the Rockies and then became a

free agent 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 ...

following the season. OB-Ramon-Ortiz

On April 1, 2008, Ortiz was signed by the

of Japan's

. He started 17 games for Orix and was 4–7 with a 5.82 ERA. On February 10, 2009, Ortiz signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with the

. He spent the season with the Triple-A

Fresno Grizzlies The Fresno Grizzlies are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They are located in Fresno, California, and play their home games at Chukchansi Park, which was opened in 2002 in do ...

, going 5–4 with a 3.05 ERA in 35 games (16 starts).

2010–2015

He signed a minor league contract with the

prior to the 2010 season, with an invitation to spring training. After good performances in spring training games, Ortiz was added to the Dodgers Major League roster to start the season. He picked up his first win since 2007 with a relief performance on May 1. On May 15, 2010, Ortiz started for the Dodgers against the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...

, his first major league start since May 26, 2007. He was designated for assignment on May 27, 2010, and on June 3, 2010, he was released. Ortiz then signed a minor league contract with the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

on June 22, 2010. He pitched well for the Mets' Triple A affiliate, posting a 3.94 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 in Buffalo but was later released. The

then signed Ortiz and assigned him to Triple A

Durham Bulls The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened in ...

. He made 4 starts for Durham, and was 0–1 with a 6.35 ERA before being released. On April 10, 2011, the

signed Ortiz to a minor league deal. He had his contract purchased by the Cubs on July 5, and appeared in 22 games for the Cubs going 1–2 with a 4.86 ERA. He was granted free agency on October 30, 2011. Ortiz signed a minor league contract with the

on February 15, 2012. He also received an invitation to spring training, however he was released on March 26, 2012. Ortiz spent the 2012 season playing for the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

Triple-A affiliate

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (often abbreviated to SWB RailRiders) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pennsylvania, in the ...

On December 18, 2012, The

announced that Ortiz had been signed to a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training. On April 15, the Blue Jays selected his contract from the

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...

. Ortiz was designated for assignment on April 23 to make room for

Aaron Laffey Aaron Steven Laffey (born April 15, 1985) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Cleveland Indians in 2007 and also played in MLB with the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, T ...

on the roster. Ortiz cleared waivers, and returned to the Buffalo Bisons on April 25. Ortiz was brought up to the Blue Jays on May 9. Ortiz got his first win since 2011 in his start on May 15, 2013, against the San Francisco Giants. The start was also Ortiz's first start of 7 innings or more since the 2007 season. Ortiz was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays on May 28. He cleared waivers and was assigned back to the Buffalo Bisons on May 31. Ortiz had his contract purchased again by the Blue Jays on June 1 when

Brandon Morrow Brandon John Morrow (born July 26, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs. Amateu ...

was placed on the disabled list.

Ricky Romero Ricardo Romero Jr. (born November 6, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays. Prep career After spending three years at Garfield High School, Romero graduate ...

was outrighted from the 40-man roster to open space for Ortiz. He made his third start of the season for the Blue Jays on June 2, against the

. After pitching to a 2–1 count against

Chase Headley Chase Jordan Headley (born May 9, 1984) is an American former professional baseball third baseman. A switch-hitter, Headley made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the San Diego Padres in 2007, and also played for the New York Yankees. H ...

, Ortiz suffered an apparent elbow injury and became visibly emotional, leaving the field in tears. He was replaced in the game by

Brad Lincoln Brad Eric Lincoln (born May 25, 1985) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, and Philadelphia Phillies. Prior to playing professionally, he atten ...

and the Blue Jays ultimately won the game 7–4 in 11 innings. Concerns were raised about the severity of Ortiz's injury, and whether or not it would end his career. Ortiz was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a right elbow strain on June 4, while the team awaited the results of an MRI. Ortiz's MRI revealed no tears in his

ulnar collateral ligament Ulnar collateral ligament (or UCL), may refer to: * Ulnar carpal collateral ligament * Ulnar collateral ligament of elbow joint The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) or internal lateral ligament is a thick triangular ligament at the medial aspec ...

. Ortiz was transferred to the 60-day disabled list on June 25. His season ended on the disabled list with a 1–2 record, 6.04 earned run average, and 8 strikeouts over 25 innings. Ortiz signed with the

Toros de Tijuana The Toros de Tijuana (or Tijuana Bulls) are a Mexican Baseball team based in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. They are members of the Mexican Baseball League and play their home games at Estadio Chevron. Team history Original Attempt The fran ...

for the 2014 season. On June 2, 2015, Ortiz signed with the

Tigres de Quintana Roo The Quintana Roo Tigers (), formerly known as the Mexico (City) Tigers () are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The team is part of the Southern Division (). The team has won twelve champio ...

. He was released by the Tigres on December 18, 2015.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ortiz, Ramon 1973 births Living people Anaheim Angels players Arizona League Angels players Boise Hawks players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Cedar Rapids Kernels players Chicago Cubs players Cincinnati Reds players Colorado Rockies players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Canada Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Japan Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Mexico Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States Durham Bulls players Edmonton Trappers players Erie SeaWolves players Fresno Grizzlies players Iowa Cubs players Lake Elsinore Storm players Los Angeles Dodgers players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic Mexican League baseball pitchers Midland Angels players Minnesota Twins players Navegantes del Magallanes players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers Orix Buffaloes players People from Cotuí Sarasota Reds players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees players Toronto Blue Jays players Washington Nationals players