Rafael Jose Betancourt (born April 29, 1975) is a Venezuelan 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 leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

relief pitcher 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 weat ...

. 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 (A ...

(MLB) for the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central division. Since , they have ...

and

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 Fi ...

, as well as in

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) for the

Yokohama BayStars The are a professional baseball team in the Japanese Central League. Their home field is Yokohama Stadium, located in central Yokohama. The team has been known by several names since becoming a professional team in 1950. It adopted its curren ...

Career

Boston Red Sox

He was originally signed as an amateur

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 i ...

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 September 1993. The Red Sox released him following the 1999 season and then re-signed him as a free agent in December 2000 after he spent the 2000 season with the

. He was granted free agency again in October 2001, after serving the required time to acquire free agency.

Cleveland Indians

After sitting out the 2002 season he signed with the

as a minor league free agent and made his Major League debut for the Indians on July 13, 2003 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 ...

. He pitched in 33 games for the Indians, registering an ERA of 2.13. In 2004, Betancourt went 5-6, his first full season in the Majors. On July 8, 2005 he became the sixth Major League player to be suspended for testing positive in

steroid A steroid is a biologically active organic compound with four rings arranged in a specific molecular configuration. Steroids have two principal biological functions: as important components of cell membranes that alter membrane fluidity; and ...

s testing. He went on to appear in 54 games. In 2006, Betancourt's ERA grew a full run higher than his previous season. Betancourt's best season was in 2007, as he registered career bests in ERA, Innings pitched and walks allowed. On January 23, 2008, he signed a new two-year contract with the Indians with a club option for 2010.

Colorado Rockies

On July 22, 2009, Betancourt was traded to the

for minor league pitcher Connor Graham. His $5.4 million club option was declined at the end of the season, making him a free agent. Betancourt qualified as a Type A free agent, and was offered arbitration by the Rockies. On December 7, 2009, Betancourt accepted the arbitration offer from the Rockies, returning to the team from free agency. After numerous seasons being a set up man, Betancourt was given the closer role in 2012, saving 31 games for the Rockies. On August 22, 2013, Betancourt suffered a season-ending injury to his elbow. On April 25, 2014 Betancourt signed a new minor league deal with the Rockies. On January 30, 2015, Betancourt signed a minor league contract to remain with the Rockies. On August 23, 2015, Betancourt 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 ...

. He was released 4 days later. Betancourt announced his retirement from baseball on February 26, 2016.

Pitching style

His best pitches were a 90–94 MPH

four-seam fastball A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family of pitches and is usually the hardest (i.e., fastest) ball thrown by a pitcher. It is c ...

, and a

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 * ...

which was often mistakenly called a

slurve The slurve is a baseball pitch in which the pitcher throws a curve ball as if it were a slider.

. He also threw a

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 ...

. Although he was not classified as a

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 den ...

pitcher, Betancourt got more than his share by throwing a significant number of strikes. He was a converted

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...

with a metal plate and six screws in his pitching elbow. Betancourt was known in some circles for his odd windup. He constantly tapped his foot on the rubber before coming set with a runner on base. He would constantly move his hands around and then tug on his baseball cap (sometimes doing it nine times) prior to throwing the next pitch. This was among the longest windups in the league. There is a rule to avoid unnecessary delays which states that if a pitcher takes at least 12 seconds to deliver a pitch, the pitch is automatically ruled a ball. Betancourt was one of the few pitchers who have had this rule enforced while pitching.

References

External links

Weak-hitting shortstop found new life in bullpen
{{DEFAULTSORT:Betancourt, Rafael 1975 births Living people Akron Aeros players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Cleveland Indians players Colorado Rockies players Colorado Springs Sky Sox players Columbus Clippers players Grand Junction Rockies players Gulf Coast Red Sox players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from Venezuela Major League Baseball players suspended for drug offenses Michigan Battle Cats players Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers People from Cumaná Sarasota Red Sox players Trenton Thunder players Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Japan Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the United States Venezuelan sportspeople in doping cases World Baseball Classic players of Venezuela Yokohama BayStars players 2006 World Baseball Classic players