José Ariel Contreras Camejo (born December 6, 1971) is a Cuban 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, ...

, who played in the

Cuban National Series The Cuban National Series (, or SNB) is a domestic baseball competition in Cuba. Formed after the dissolution of the Cuban League in the wake of the Cuban Revolution, the National Series is a part of the Cuban baseball league system. For most ...

(CNS),

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), and internationally for the Cuban national baseball team. He also played in the

Chinese Professional Baseball League The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL; ) is the top-tier professional baseball league in Taiwan. The league was established in 1989 and played the first season in 1990. CPBL eventually absorbed the competing Taiwan Major League in 20 ...

(CPBL) for the

Chinatrust Brothers The CTBC Brothers () or simply Brothers are a professional baseball team in Taiwan. The team was originally established as an amateur team in 1984 by the Brother Hotel located in Taipei City, and later joined the Chinese Professional Baseball Lea ...

. Contreras played for Pinar del Río Vegueros of the CNS, and competed for the Cuban national team in the

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics or the Games of the Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, then part of the King ...

, the

Pan American Games The Pan American Games, known as the Pan Am Games, is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas. It features thousands of athletes participating in competitions to win different summer sports. It is held among athletes from nations of th ...

, the

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, and the 1999 exhibition series against 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 ...

. Recognized as the best Cuban baseball player, Contreras defected from Cuba in 2002. Contreras signed with 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) Am ...

of MLB after defecting, and played for them in and . He also played in MLB for 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) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

(2004–),

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 ...

(2009),

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 ...

(–), and

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

().

Cuban career

In addition to his time with the Cuban national team, Contreras pitched for the Pinar del Río Vegueros of Cuba's

. In his last season in Cuba (2001–2002), he went 13–4 with a 1.76 ERA and 149 strikeouts. Contreras was named Cuban Athlete of the Year on three separate occasions. In March 1999, Contreras pitched for the Cuban national baseball team against the

in an exhibition series at

Estadio Latinoamericano The Estadio Latinoamericano (English: ''Latin American Stadium'') is a stadium in Havana, Cuba. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the third largest baseball stadium in the world by capacity. The stadium, a spacious pitchers' park with ...

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.struck out ten. It was then that Major League scouts took notice of the Cuban pitcher. "After the Orioles game, ontreraswas the man in Cuba," said Joe Kehoskie, at the time an

agent Agent may refer to: Espionage, investigation, and law *, spies or intelligence officers * Law of agency, laws involving a person authorized to act on behalf of another ** Agent of record, a person with a contractual agreement with an insuran ...

for Cuban defectors.

Defection

Contreras

defected In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state in exchange for allegiance to another, changing sides in a way which is considered illegitimate by the first state. More broadly, defection involves abandoning a person, ca ...

from Cuba in October 2002 while pitching for the Cuban national team during the Americas Series in

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 high ...

Coahuila Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Coahuila de Zaragoza, is one of the 31 states of Mexico. The largest city and State Capital is the city of Saltillo; the second largest is Torreón and the thi ...

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 ...

. Contreras's defection set off a media frenzy, as he had been considered a loyalist and had shown no prior interest in leaving for MLB. "He had been the poster boy for Castro's sports for some time," said Kehoskie. Days after his defection,

Larry Lucchino Lawrence Lucchino (September 6, 1945 – April 2, 2024) was an American lawyer and Major League Baseball executive. He served as president of the Baltimore Orioles, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the San Diego Padres, and preside ...

, then the president of 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 ...

, said Contreras would be "a number two or number three starter in the big leagues."

Major League Baseball career

New York Yankees

The Yankees signed Contreras to a four-year, $32 million deal on December 26, 2002. Contreras went 7–2 and posted a 3.30 ERA in 18 games (nine starts), but he spent two months on the disabled list with a

subscapularis The subscapularis is a large triangular muscle which fills the subscapular fossa and inserts into the lesser tubercle of the humerus and the front of the capsule of the Glenohumeral joint, shoulder-joint. Structure The subscapularis is covere ...

strain, had four stops in the minor leagues, and was in and out of the bullpen. As a starter, Contreras was 6–1 with a 2.34 ERA. Out of the bullpen, he was 1–1 with a 7.43 ERA. His best game occurred on September 23 at

U.S. Cellular Field Rate Field (formerly named Comiskey Park, U.S. Cellular Field and Guaranteed Rate Field) is a baseball stadium located on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago White Sox, one of the city ...

, in which he shut out the White Sox for eight innings while striking out nine. Contreras appeared in eight postseason games, pitching 11 innings total, with a 5.73 ERA striking out 17. The Yankees inserted Contreras into the starting rotation from the start of the 2004 camp, but he was inconsistent. Contreras was optioned to the minor leagues for approximately a month (May 5 through May 21). His best start occurred on June 27, against the

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

. He struck out ten batters, but what was more important to him is that for the first time since being in Cuba, Contreras got to pitch in front of his ex-wife, Miriam and daughters, Naylan and Naylenis.

Chicago White Sox

On July 31, 2004, Contreras was traded to the White Sox for pitcher

Esteban Loaiza Esteban Antonio Loaiza Veyna o-EYE-sa(born December 31, 1971) is a Mexican former professional baseball pitcher and current pitching coach for El Águila de Veracruz of the Mexican League. He played in Major League Baseball for the Pittsbur ...

. Contreras pitched inconsistently for the White Sox, up until the end of the season. On the last day of the season, he threw eight innings of two-hit baseball 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 ...

, earning his 13th win of the season. He finished with a 13–9 record, a 5.50 ERA, and 150 strikeouts in 170 innings between New York and Chicago. Jose Contreras pitching

The 2005 season began with mixed results for Contreras. Contreras started the season with five consecutive no-decisions and an ERA of 3.04, but pitched poorly after that until the All-Star break, with a 4–3 record. The first game after the break (July 14), Contreras pitched extremely well, beating the Indians 1–0. Contreras won his last eight starts. With the help of fellow Cuban

Orlando Hernández Orlando Hernández Pedroso (born October 11, 1965), nicknamed "El Duque" (Spanish for "The Duke"), is a Cuban-born right-handed former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched for the Industriales of the Cuban National Series, the New York Yan ...

, Contreras began dropping his arm angle during his delivery. Contreras also contributed the three postseason victories that tied

Andy Pettitte Andrew Eugene Pettitte (; born June 15, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily for the New York Yankees. He also pitched for the Houston Astros. Pettitte won fiv ...

for the most second half victories in the Major Leagues with 11, and he threw his first Major League complete game against the

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) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...

, on September 23. Contreras finished the season 15–7 with a 3.61 ERA in 32 starts, along with 154 strikeouts in 204 innings. Contreras started Game 1 of every series during the playoffs, winning two out of his three Game 1 starts. The one he lost was to the

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

, which allowed Contreras to earn the win in the pennant clinching Game 5, the fourth consecutive complete game for White Sox starting pitching. Contreras went 3–1 with a 3.09 ERA, 14 strikeouts, and only two walks in four starts during the postseason. During Game 1 of the

2005 World Series The 2005 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2005 season. The 101st edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Chicago White Sox and the National ...

, television commentators said that Contreras, who started the game for the White Sox, had his name banned from being mentioned in Cuba by order of President

Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban politician and revolutionary who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and President of Cuba, president ...

. White Sox games were also banned from Cuban television and could be seen only with illegal television satellites. The White Sox won the

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...

in four games, sweeping the

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 ...

. The 2006 season began with Contreras inking a three-year, $29 million contract extension with the White Sox. Through July 6, 2006, he was 9–0, with a 3.31 ERA and 71 strikeouts. On June 23, in a 7–4 win over the Astros, Contreras pitched innings and allowed four earned runs to earn the win, breaking the White Sox team record with his 16th consecutive regular-season win, previously held by

LaMarr Hoyt Dewey LaMarr Hoyt Jr. (January 1, 1955 – November 29, 2021) was an American professional baseball right-handed pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox and San Diego Padres from 1979 to 1986. He won the 1983 Americ ...

(1983–84) and

Wilson Álvarez Wilson Eduardo Álvarez Fuenmayor (born March 24, 1970) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher. During a thirteen-year baseball career, he pitched for the Texas Rangers ...

(1993–94). Dating back to the 2005 season, Contreras won 17 consecutive games before finally taking the loss against his former team, the

on July 14, 2006. Contreras was named by his White Sox manager

Ozzie Guillén Oswaldo José Guillén Barrios (; born January 20, 1964) is a Venezuelan-American former professional baseball player who is the current manager (baseball), manager of Tiburones de La Guaira of the Venezuelan League. He played in Major League B ...

to the 2006 American League

All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...

team, but was unable to play because he had thrown six innings and 117 pitches in a start just two days before the All-Star game. Guillen, the AL manager, replaced him with

rookie Francisco Liriano. This enabled Contreras to become the first pitcher in 30 years to start two consecutive regularly scheduled games. Contreras suffered setback as a case of

sciatica Sciatica is pain going down the leg from the lower back. This pain may go down the back, outside, or front of the leg. Onset is often sudden following activities such as heavy lifting, though gradual onset may also occur. The pain is often desc ...

put him on the 15-day DL in May. Along with seeing his personal winning streak come to an end, Contreras finished the season with 13–7 with a 4.27 ERA in 30 starts, including a 5.40 ERA after the All-Star break. Contreras struggled mightily in the 2007 campaign along with the disappointing White Sox team who finished fourth place in the American League Central Division. He posted a 10–17 record with a 5.57 ERA in 32 games (30 starts). One positive note for Contreras were the career-high two shutouts recorded on May 10 against the Minnesota Twins and on September 19 against the Kansas City Royals. Contreras ruptured his

Achilles Tendon The Achilles tendon or heel cord, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius (calf) and soleus muscles to the calcane ...

on August 9, 2008, while attempting to field a ground ball against the

. The White Sox placed him on the 15-day

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 ...

, and Contreras ended up missing the rest of the season. After an 0–5 start to the season, Contreras was sent to bullpen status on May 9, 2009. On May 10, 2009, he was sent to the minors. On May 12, 2009, Contreras cleared waivers and was optioned to Triple-A

Charlotte Knights The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field ...

. On June 8, 2009, Contreras was called up after the first game of a doubleheader against 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 club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

to start the second game. Coincidentally,

Jeremy Bonderman Jeremy Allen Bonderman (born October 28, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Bonderman played in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners from 2003 to 2010 and in 2013. High school Bonderman atten ...

was also called up after the first game to face Contreras. Contreras threw an outstanding eight innings and only gave up one hit and one walk, with three strikeouts, resulting in his first win. In his second start after a brief stint in the minors Contreras was equally, if not more, dominant than his last appearance. Notching his second consecutive victory, he threw eight innings of shutout baseball once again, giving up two hits and two walks while striking out eight.

Colorado Rockies

On August 31, 2009, Contreras was traded to the

with cash for minor league pitcher Brandon Hynick. He became a free agent following the season.

Philadelphia Phillies

On January 28, 2010, Contreras signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the

. He pitched out of the bullpen rather than being a starter as he had for much of his career. He recorded his first career save on May 15 against the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

after taking over the closer's role from the injured

Brad Lidge Bradley Thomas Lidge (born December 23, 1976), nicknamed "Lights Out", is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Lidge played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 2002–2012. He played for the Houston Astros, Philadelphia ...

. After the 2010 season, Contreras signed a two-year, $5.5 million contract with an option for 2013 to remain with the Phillies. On October 29, 2012, the Phillies declined his 2013 option and he became a free agent. He went 1–0 with a 5.27 ERA with 13.2 innings pitched in 17 games after spending most of the season on the disabled list.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On February 23, 2013, Contreras signed a minor league deal with an invite to spring training. He has his contract selected to the major league roster on May 3. He was released on June 13, 2013. Contreras was re-signed on June 17, 2013, but was later released again on July 18, 2013.

Boston Red Sox

On July 19, 2013, the

signed Contreras to a minor league contract. He was released on August 19.

Texas Rangers

On December 5, 2013, Contreras signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers. The team granted the pitcher his release on March 22, 2014, when the club informed Contreras that he would not make the Opening Day roster.

Toros de Tijuana

On April 1, 2014, Contreras signed with the

Toros de Tijuana The Toros de Tijuana (English: Tijuana Bulls) are a Mexican baseball team based in Tijuana, Mexico, that competes in the Mexican Baseball League. The team plays its home games at Estadio Chevron. Team history Original Attempt The franchise w ...

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 ...

in 2014 he made 23 starts across 134 innings going 10-3 with a 3.49 ERA and 140 strikeouts. He was released on April 2, 2015. In 9 starts 53.2 innings he went 2-3 with a 3.35 ERA and 52 strikeouts.

Chinatrust Brothers

On July 5, 2015, Contreras signed with the

of the

. and won the MVP of July 2015. He only made seven starts with the Brothers and was 4–1 with a 3.45 ERA. He last pitched on August 30, 2015, and was assigned to be a visiting pitching coach the next day in order to make room for

Víctor Gárate Víctor J. Gárate (born September 25, 1984) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Nationals, in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters ...

to meet the limit for foreign pitchers on the team. Having the desire to pitch, he declined the offer to be a pitching coach for the next year.

Tigres de Quintana Roo

On March 28, 2016, Contreras signed with the

Tigres de Quintana Roo The Tigres de Quintana Roo (English: Quintana Roo Tigers) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The team is part of the Southern Division (). The team has won twelve championships to date: ...

of the

Mexican Baseball 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 ...

. He was released on May 25. In 10 starts 57 innings he went 3-4 with a 3.79 ERA and 55 strikeouts.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Contreras, Jose 1971 births Living people Altoona Curve players American League All-Stars Bradenton Marauders players Central American and Caribbean Games gold medalists for Cuba Charlotte Knights players Chicago White Sox players CTBC Brothers players Clearwater Threshers players Colorado Rockies players Columbus Clippers players Competitors at the 1998 Central American and Caribbean Games Defecting Cuban baseball players Baseball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics Baseball players at the 1999 Pan American Games Baseball players at the 2000 Summer Olympics Indianapolis Indians players Lehigh Valley IronPigs players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from Cuba 20th-century Cuban sportsmen Cuban expatriate baseball players in the United States Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics Mexican League baseball pitchers New York Yankees players Olympic baseball players for Cuba Olympic gold medalists for Cuba Olympic medalists in baseball Olympic silver medalists for Cuba Pan American Games gold medalists for Cuba Pan American Games gold medalists in baseball Pawtucket Red Sox players People from Sandino, Cuba Baseball players from Pinar del Río Province Philadelphia Phillies players Pittsburgh Pirates players Reading Phillies players Staten Island Yankees players Tampa Yankees players Tigres de Quintana Roo players Tigres del Licey players Cuban expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Toros de Tijuana players Trenton Thunder players Vegueros de Pinar del Rio players Venados de Mazatlán players Cuban expatriate baseball players in Mexico Central American and Caribbean Games medalists in baseball Medalists at the 1999 Pan American Games Cuban expatriate baseball players in Taiwan 1998 Baseball World Cup players 2001 Baseball World Cup players

Cuban career

Defection

Major League Baseball career

New York Yankees

Chicago White Sox

Colorado Rockies

Philadelphia Phillies

Pittsburgh Pirates

Boston Red Sox

Texas Rangers

Toros de Tijuana

Chinatrust Brothers

Tigres de Quintana Roo

See also

References

External links