Óscar Eduardo Villarreal (; born November 22, 1981) is a Mexican former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) with the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...

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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

, and

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

Professional career

Arizona Diamondbacks

Villarreal was signed by the Diamondbacks as an amateur free agent in . The next year, he made his professional debut with the Rookie League team the AZL Diamondbacks of the

Arizona League The Arizona Complex League (ACL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in and around Phoenix, Arizona, since 1988. Prior to 2021, it was known as the Arizona League (AZL). Along with the Florida Complex League (FCL), it fo ...

. In , Villarreal placed second on the team in

innings pitched In baseball, the statistic innings pitched (IP) is the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of Batter (baseball), batters and baserunners that have been put out while the pitcher is on the Baseball field#Pitcher's mou ...

(64.1), games started (11), and

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...

s (51). Villarreal began the season with the Triple-A

Tucson Sidewinders Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson metropolitan s ...

. After being demoted to the Single-A

South Bend Silver Hawks South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...

, Villarreal went 1–0 with a 1.66

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 ...

. He was sent back down to Tucson in the Rookie League shortly before being sent up to Single-A High Desert, where he finished the season. In High Desert, he went 0–1 with a 2.70 ERA. Villarreal played the entire season with the Double-A

El Paso Diablos "El Paso Diablos" refers to two different professional baseball teams based in El Paso, Texas, in the United States. The most recent Diablos were a member of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, wh ...

, where he logged a 6–9 record with a 4.41 ERA and 108 strikeouts. He began in El Paso, where he compiled a 3.74 ERA with a 6–3 win–loss record. On July 11, Villarreal was sent back up to the Sidewinders, where he went 3–3 with a 4.36 ERA. In the season combined, Villarreal recorded a Minor League career high 125 K's (85 in El Paso, 40 in Tucson). In 2003, Villarreal earned a spot on the D'backs roster. He made his debut on March 31, and led all MLB rookies in games pitched (86) and ERA (2.57). His 86 games pitched also set a new rookie record. He finished second in the league in games pitched to

Paul Quantrill Paul John Quantrill (born November 3, 1968) is a Canadian former professional baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 14 seasons, from 1992 to 2005; his longest tenure was six seasons with the Toronto B ...

, and also tied Brandon Webb's Diamondbacks record for wins by a rookie. However, on June 5, Villarreal suffered an injury when a

line drive In the sports of baseball and softball, a batted ball is a pitch that has been contacted by the batter's bat. Batted balls are either fair or foul, and can be characterized as a fly ball, pop-up, line drive, or ground ball. In baseball, a fou ...

off the bat of

Frank Thomas Frank Edward Thomas Jr. (born May 27, 1968), nicknamed "the Big Hurt," is an American former professional baseball designated hitter and first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for three American League (AL) teams from 1990 to ...

hit him in the shin. He left the game and was out for 5 days. He returned to the team on June 10 against the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

. On June 23, Villarreal was hurt again. A line drive hit by

Craig Biggio Craig Alan Biggio (; born December 14, 1965) is an American former baseball second baseman, outfielder, and catcher who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Houston Astros, from 1988 to 2007. A seven-time National League (baseball), ...

struck him in the chest, but he did not leave the game. Villarreal came back to pitch 15.1 scoreless innings in July, and on September 10, he broke the rookie record for games pitched when he appeared in his 79th game. During the season, right-handed hitters only hit .204 off Villarreal. Villarreal missed most of due to a sore elbow, and later elbow surgery. He appeared on Opening Day against the

Rockies The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Canada, to New Mexico in ...

, and did not allow any runs. In the month of April, he recorded 15 strikeouts in 12.1 innings, while only

walking 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 as an " inverted pendulum" gait in which the body vaults o ...

one batter. Villarreal was placed 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 Major League Baseball season, 2019 season, it was known as the disabl ...

on May 10 with a strained right flexor. After playing on a rehab assignment with the

in July, doctors took an

MRI Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to generate pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes inside the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and rad ...

on Villarreal's elbow on August 6 and determined that he would need to undergo season-ending nerve transposition surgery. Villarreal returned in 2005, and ended up having another season shortened by an arm injury. He started the year with Triple-A Tucson before being called back up to the bigs on April 9. He pitched 1.2 scoreless innings on April 9 and left the next game against 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

with a sore right shoulder. Villarreal had strained his rotator cuff, and the injury landed him on the DL until September 2. In his first game back in the majors, Villarreal surrendered a

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...

. He won a game on September 17, which was his first big-league victory since September 25, 2003. Villarreal finished the season with 2 wins and no losses, 5 strikeouts, and a 5.27 earned run average.

Atlanta Braves

On December 7, 2005, Villarreal and fellow pitcher Lance Cormier were traded to the Atlanta Braves for

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catc ...

Johnny Estrada Johnny Pulado Estrada III (born June 27, 1976) is an American former professional baseball catcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers, and Washington ...

. In his first year with the Braves, Villarreal went 9–1 with 55 strikeouts and a 3.61 ERA in 58 games.

Houston Astros

On November 16, 2007, he was traded to the Houston Astros for

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...

Josh Anderson. On December 28, 2007, the Astros signed Villarreal to a two-year contract worth $2.85 million, with a club option for 2010. After being designated for assignment, Villarreal refused a minor league assignment and became a free agent.

Seattle Mariners

He signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners and was assigned to their Triple-A affiliate, the

Tacoma Rainiers The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, ...

, on July 22, 2008. He was released after a few weeks due to his desire to become a free agent and sign elsewhere.

Colorado Rockies

On August 16, Villarreal signed a minor league contract with the

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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...

and was assigned to Triple-A

Colorado Springs Colorado Springs is the most populous city in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 478,961 at the 2020 census, a 15.02% increase since 2010. Colorado Springs is the second-most populous c ...

. He became a free agent at the end of the season.

Kansas City Royals

On December 17, 2008, he signed a minor league contract with the

. On January 28, 2009, Villarreal was released by the Royals.

Philadelphia Phillies

After missing all of 2009 due to

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, sometimes referred to as Tommy John surgery is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's body, ...

, Villarreal signed a minor league contract with the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

on February 4, 2010. He played for their Triple-A affiliate, the

Lehigh Valley IronPigs The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and they are named in reference to pig iron, used ...

Los Angeles Dodgers

On November 23, 2010, he signed a minor league contract with the

, that included an invitation to spring training. He began the season in Triple-A with 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 ...

but on April 11, he was loaned to the

Sultanes de Monterrey The Sultanes de Monterrey (English: Monterrey Sultans) are a professional baseball club in the Mexican League (LMB) based in Monterrey, Mexico. Established in 1939 as Carta Blanca, the Sultanes have won ten LMB titles, most recently in 2018. Fro ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...

Baltimore Orioles

On January 20, 2012, Villarreal signed a minor league contract with the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) 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) East Division. As one of the America ...

organization. He made 37 appearances (two starts) for the Triple-A

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

, compiling a 3-4 record and 2.88 ERA with 49 strikeouts and one save across innings pitched. Villarreal elected free agency following the season on November 2.

Boston Red Sox

On November 29, 2012, Villarreal signed a minor league contract with 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) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

with spring training invitation and was assigned to the Triple-A

Pawtucket Red Sox The Pawtucket Red Sox, known colloquially as the PawSox, were a professional minor league baseball club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1973 to 2020, the team was a member of the International League and served as the Triple-A affiliate ...

. He posted a 4–2 record and a 4.44 ERA in 14 relief appearances for the PawSox before being released on June 6, 2013.

Sultanes de Monterrey

On June 7, 2013, Villarreal signed with the

of the

, playing with the team for parts of five seasons before he was released on February 12, 2018.

Personal life

Villarreal and his wife Claudia have one daughter, Valeria, and three sons, Oscar, Máx and Mateo . The family resides in

Monterrey Monterrey (, , abbreviated as MtY) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León. It is the ninth-largest city and the second largest metropolitan area, after Greater Mexico City. Located at the foothills of th ...

Nuevo León Nuevo León, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nuevo León, is a Administrative divisions of Mexico, state in northeastern Mexico. The state borders the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, Zacatecas, and San Luis Potosí, San Luis ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Villarreal, Oscar 1981 births Living people Albuquerque Isotopes players Águilas de Mexicali players Arizona Diamondbacks players Arizona League Diamondbacks players Atlanta Braves players Baseball players from Nuevo León Bravos de León players Colorado Springs Sky Sox players El Paso Diablos players High Desert Mavericks players Houston Astros players Lehigh Valley IronPigs players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from Mexico 21st-century Mexican sportsmen Mexican expatriate baseball players in the United States Mexican League baseball pitchers Naranjeros de Hermosillo players Norfolk Tides players Pawtucket Red Sox players People from San Nicolás de los Garza South Bend Silver Hawks players Sultanes de Monterrey players Tacoma Rainiers players Tucson Sidewinders players 2006 World Baseball Classic players 2013 World Baseball Classic players World Baseball Classic players of Mexico