Sergio Armando Mitre (born February 16, 1981) is a Mexican-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) for 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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

, and

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 ...

. In 2022, he was sentenced to 50 years in jail by Mexican authorities for the murder of his then-girlfriend's 22-month-old daughter.

Background

Mitre is of

Mexican American Mexican Americans ( es, mexicano-estadounidenses, , or ) are Americans of full or partial Mexican heritage. In 2019, Mexican Americans comprised 11.3% of the US population and 61.5% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexica ...

descent. He grew up in

Tijuana, Mexico Tijuana ( ,"Tijuana"
(US) and < ...

, where he trained in the arts of kenpo,

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

, and

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

due to frequent street fights. Mitre graduated from Montgomery High School in

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, in June 1999. He has a son named Sam (Sergio Armando Mitre III), who was born on December 29, 2006.

Pro career

Chicago Cubs

Mitre was the

' 7th-round selection in the

2001 Major League Baseball Draft The 2001 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 5 and 6. First round selections Supplemental First Round Selections Compensation Picks Background On June 1, 2001, Rolando Viera, a Cuban ba ...

out of

San Diego City College San Diego City College (City College or City) is a public community college in San Diego, California. It is part of the San Diego Community College District and the California Community College System. San Diego City College is accredited by t ...

. He was the second player out of the 2001 draft to make it to the majors with the Cubs, the first being

Mark Prior Mark William Prior (born September 7, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and current coach. A onetime top prospect of the Chicago Cubs, he pitched for the team from 2002 to 2006 in a career that was marred by injuries. In ...

. Mitre made his major league debut for the Cubs in after being called up from the

West Tenn Diamond Jaxx The Jackson Generals were a professional baseball team located in Jackson, Tennessee. From 1998 to 2020, they were a part of Minor League Baseball's Southern League (SL) as the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs (1998–2006), Seattle Mar ...

(at the time, West Tenn was the Cubs' Double-A affiliate). He played in 3 games in 2003 (2 starts) and had an 0–1 record with an 8.31

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 , Mitre started out the season on the

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, filling in for the injured Mark Prior. He was sent down 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 Prior came back from injury. On August 13, 2004, Mitre pitched a

complete game In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...

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

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 ...

. Mitre gave up only a

double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * Th ...

and a

walk Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults ov ...

, both coming in the first inning of the game. After this, Mitre sat down 23 straight batters,

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 ...

9 batters in the game. He became the

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

's Player of the Week. He finished the Iowa Cubs 2004 season (after going back and forth to Chicago) with a 6–4 record, and a 2.97 ERA. Mitre returned to the majors after the September roster expansions and pitched 4 games out of 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 ...

. His season ending total was a 2–4 record with a 6.62 ERA in 12 games (9 starts). In , Mitre started off on Triple-A Iowa's roster, and on May 10, , he was recalled from Iowa, only to be sent down after two games and not pitching in either. On May 24, 2005, he was called up for a spot start. On June 14, 2005, Mitre pitched his first complete game, along with his first shutout in a 14–0 victory over the Florida Marlins against

Josh Beckett Joshua Patrick Beckett (born May 15, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). A three-time MLB All-Star, he played for the Florida Marlins, the Boston Red Sox, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. After ...

Florida Marlins

On December 7, 2005, Mitre and minor league pitchers

Ricky Nolasco Carlos Enrique Nolasco (born December 13, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida/Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, and Los Angeles Angels. He is of ...

and

Renyel Pinto Renyel Eligio Pinto Cumache'' (born July 8, 1982) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He played for the Florida Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball ...

were traded to the

for

Juan Pierre Juan D'Vaughn Pierre (born August 14, 1977) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2000–2013 for the Colorado Rockies, Florida/Miami Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Ch ...

. Mitre pitched 15 games for the Marlins in . SergioMitre

In the season, Mitre won a career-high five games. He also set career bests with 27 games played, 27 starts, 149.0 innings pitched and 80 strikeouts. Mitre had a streak of not allowing an

earned run In baseball, an earned run is any run that was fully enabled by the offensive team's production in the face of competent play from the defensive team. Conversely, an unearned run is a run that would not have been scored without the aid of an err ...

in 24.2 consecutive innings. This streak lasted five starts, beginning May 20 at

Tampa 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 County ...

and ending June 15 at

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

. He made Marlins history with his 1.12 ERA in May, the second lowest for a starting pitcher during May in Marlins history, a feat only topped by

Chris Hammond Christopher Andrew Hammond (born January 21, 1966) is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. Hammond was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth round of the amateur draft. Hammond had not sustained considerable success unt ...

, who turned in a 0.61 ERA in May . Mitre began to see injury problems beginning in 2007, missing two weeks with a blister on his right middle finger, and time later in the season for a strained right hamstring. He had three stints on the

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 ...

, foreshadowing his season. Mitre did not play in a game in 2008. On July 15, Mitre underwent Tommy John ligament replacement surgery to fix right forearm tightness. As is the case with all Tommy John surgery patients, he was expected to miss 12–18 months. He was released by the Marlins at the end of the 2008 season.

New York Yankees

On November 3, Mitre signed a one-year minor league contract with the

with an option for 2010. Mitre was suspended for the first 50 games of the 2009 season after testing positive for

androstenedione Androstenedione, or 4-androstenedione (abbreviated as A4 or Δ4-dione), also known as androst-4-ene-3,17-dione, is an endogenous weak androgen steroid hormone and intermediate in the biosynthesis of estrone and of testosterone from dehydroepia ...

in August 2008. Mitre said the androstenedione came from a contaminated legal supplement purchased from GNC, but took full responsibility for his actions. He served his suspension while still on the

from last year's Tommy John surgery. Mitre returned to action, pitching well in nine starts for the Single-A

Tampa Yankees Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, 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 ...

and Triple-A

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 ...

. Replacing an injured

Chien-Ming Wang Chien-Ming Wang (; born March 31, 1980) is a Taiwanese former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Washington Nationals, Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals. He also played for ...

, Mitre was called up to the majors to start against 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 ...

on July 21, 2009. Mitre pitched 5 innings, allowed three runs, and got the win. Mitre earned a

World Series ring A World Series ring is an award given to Major League Baseball players who win the World Series. Since only one Commissioner's Trophy is awarded to the team, a World Series ring is an individual award that players and staff of each World Series ...

when the Yankees won their 27th World Series title, though he was not on the postseason roster. Mitre recorded his first career save on August 19, 2010, pitching the last 3 innings of a Yankees 11–5 win over 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 ...

Milwaukee Brewers

On March 25, 2011, Mitre was traded to the

for Chris Dickerson. He was designated for assignment on June 27, after posting a 3.27 ERA in 33 innings.

Return to the Yankees

Mitre was traded back to the Yankees on June 29, 2011 for cash considerations. On July 19, he was placed on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his right shoulder. In four games with the Yankees, he posted an 11.81 ERA and was not offered a contract for the 2012 season.

Later career

After his MLB career, Mitre played baseball in Japan while continuing to rehab his shoulder. He was unable to make a comeback, and retired as an active player. Eventually, Mitre returned to California. He was a coach for a competitive baseball organization that he founded called the Playmakers. On April 29, 2017, Mitre came out of retirement and signed with the

Bravos de León The Bravos de León (English: León Braves) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in León, Guanajuato, Mexico. History Cachorros de León (1979–80) Mexican League baseball in León began in 1979 when the Alijador ...

of the

Mexican Baseball 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 was traded to 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 ...

on July 9, 2017. He was released from the organization on July 26, 2018. On January 26, 2019, Mitre signed with the

Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos The Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos (''Owls of the Two Laredos''), formerly known as the Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo (''Owls of Nuevo Laredo''), are a Minor League Baseball team based in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, and Laredo, Texas in the Mexican Leagu ...

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 was released on May 9. On May 14, Mitre signed with the

Saraperos de Saltillo The Saraperos de Saltillo (English: Saltillo Serape Wearers) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League. Their home ballpark is the Estadio de Béisbol Francisco I. Madero in Saltillo, Coahuila. They have won three championships (198 ...

of the

Legal troubles

2019 domestic violence arrest

On September 1, 2019, while playing for the

of the

, Mitre was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a woman, after employees at a

Quality Inn Choice Hotels brands Quality Inn is an American multinational chain of hotels based in Rockville, Maryland. It is a part of Choice Hotels International family of brands which has operations in more than 40 countries. Quality Inn is the foundin ...

Saltillo Saltillo () is the capital and largest city of the northeastern Mexican state of Coahuila and is also the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name. Mexico City, Monterrey, and Saltillo are all connected by a major railroad and highwa ...

alerted authorities of a

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...

situation taking place inside a suite. Following his arrest, the Saraperos owner denounced Mitre's actions, and he was later suspended indefinitely by the team. Mitre avoided jail time by paying a fine of 20,000 pesos.

2020 murder

On July 13, 2020, Mitre was arrested in Saltillo for possession of marijuana. On July 14, Mitre was charged with

femicide Femicide or feminicide is a hate crime which is broadly defined as "the intentional killing of women or girls because they are female," but definitions of it vary depending on cultural context. In 1976, the feminist author Diana E. H. Russel ...

and aggravated

statutory rape In common law jurisdictions, statutory rape is nonforcible sexual activity in which one of the individuals is below the age of consent (the age required to legally consent to the behavior). Although it usually refers to adults engaging in sexual ...

over the death and possible sexual assault of his girlfriend's daughter; he was booked into the Saltillo Prison. After the charges were announced, Mitre was released by the Saraperos and suspended indefinitely by the Mexican League. The statutory rape charges were later dropped after evidence showed the girl was not sexually assaulted. On January 20, 2022, Mitre was sentenced to 50 years in prison after being convicted in Mexico for femicide in the murder of his then-girlfriend's 22-month-old daughter. He was also ordered to issue a public apology, and pay a MX$379,500 penalty for damages caused by his actions. Following the sentencing, Mitre's lawyers announced he would be appealing the conviction.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitre, Sergio 1981 births Living people Águilas de Mexicali players American baseball players of Mexican descent American expatriate baseball players in Japan American expatriate baseball players in Mexico American sportspeople in doping cases Baseball players suspended for drug offenses Baseball players from Los Angeles Baseball players from San Diego Bravos de León players Chicago Cubs players Florida Marlins players Gulf Coast Marlins players Iowa Cubs players Jupiter Hammerheads players Lansing Lugnuts players Major League Baseball pitchers Mexican League baseball pitchers Milwaukee Brewers players New York Yankees players San Diego City Knights baseball players Saraperos de Saltillo players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees players Tampa Yankees players Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos players Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles players Toros de Tijuana players Tomateros de Culiacán players West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx players American people convicted of murder People convicted of murder by Mexico Sportspeople convicted of murder