José Mesa

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José Mesa

Detroit Tigers — No. --
Relief pitcher
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Major League Baseball debut
September 10, 1987 for the Baltimore Orioles
Selected MLB statistics
(through August 10, 2006)
Saves     320
Strikeouts     998
Earned run average     4.26
Teams

    José Ramón Nova Mesa [MAY-sah] (nickname "Joe Table"; born May 22, 1966 in Pueblo Viejo, Dominican Republic) is a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who plays for the Detroit Tigers. He bats and throws right-handed.

    Mesa was original signed as an amateur free agent by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1981, originally as an outfielder. He was traded to the Baltimore Orioles, however, during the 1987 season for starting pitcher Mike Flanagan. Mesa began his major-league career as a starting pitcher with the Orioles who hoped that Mesa's superior fastball would earn him success in the starting role. After 48 starts of below-average results during four seasons, the Orioles traded Mesa to the Cleveland Indians in 1992. Cleveland continued to use Mesa as a starter through the end of 1993; that year, Mesa pitched a career-high 208-2/3 innings, although Mesa's earned-run average was worse than the league average ERA for the fifth consecutive season.

    Mesa became a relief pitcher for the Indians in 1994, and, for the first season of his career, he posted an ERA better than the league average. In the role of closer during the 1995 season, Mesa pitched superbly; in 64 innings pitched over 62 appearances, Mesa had a 1.12 ERA, saved 46 games, and won 3. Thirty-eight of Mesa's 46 saves were recorded in consecutive appearances in save situations; this was a major-league record at the time. Mesa's performance in 1995 was instrumental to the Indians' 100-44 regular-season record and their first World Series appearance since 1954. In 1997, Mesa's 2.40 ERA, 16 saves, and 4 wins helped the Indians to their second World Series appearance in three seasons. However his inability to hold a one run lead in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series was a black mark on his career, and Cleveland traded him mid-way through the following season.

    Through the end of the 2005 season, Mesa has compiled a 77-101 record in 17 seasons, with a 4.29 ERA and 319 saves in 1425 innings. On December 10, 2006, he signed with the Tigers.

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