Jorge Sosa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| New York Mets — No. 29 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Major League Baseball debut | |
| April 4, 2002 for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays | |
| Selected MLB statistics (through 2006) |
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| Win-loss | 27-40 |
| Saves | 5 |
| Earned run average | 4.61 |
| Strikeouts | 374 |
| Former teams | |
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Jorge Bolivar Sosa (born April 28, 1977 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is a Major League Baseball pitcher, who plays for the New York Mets. Sosa stands at 6'2" tall and weighs 177 pounds. He bats and throws right handed.
Signed by the Colorado Rockies as an amateur free agent in 1995, Sosa spent his first five minor league seasons as an outfielder, but was converted to a pitcher when it was discovered that his arm strength was superior to his batting abilities. He throws his fastball as high as 99 MPH, but usually resides in the mid-90's. He also throws a curveball, slider, and a changeup.
Sosa spent time in the minor league organizations of the Rockies, Seattle Mariners, and Milwaukee Brewers before heading to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays as a Rule 5 Draft pick. Sosa was traded from the Devil Rays to the Atlanta Braves for young infielder Nick Green just before the 2005 season.
Sosa enjoyed a breakout season with the Braves in 2005. After starting the year in the bullpen, he was moved to the rotation in June following a rash of injuries to Braves starting pitchers. Sosa was excited about having the opportunity to start, and responded by going 11-3 as a starter and giving the rotation a major shot in the arm for the season's stretch run. For the year Sosa was 13-3 with an impressive 2.55 ERA. More impressive, however, was his 8-0 record on the road. This earned him a start in game three of the National League Division Series in Houston, Texas against the Houston Astros.
Sosa pitched well in his postseason debut, but was outdueled by Astros ace Roy Oswalt in an eventual Houston win, finally handing Sosa a defeat away from Turner Field in Atlanta. Still, if not for his performance, it's likely that Atlanta's consecutive string of division championships (which reached 14 before the 2006 season, when the Braves' run finally ended) would have been snapped.
During his strong 2005 season, Sosa earned a reputation for his extraordinary ability to get out of jams he created for himself, as opposing batters hit just .194 with runners in scoring position, and .063 with the bases loaded.
Sosa signed a one year contract worth $2.2 million with the Braves, and entered the 2006 season back in the rotation. But the magic that made Sosa so successful in 2005 ran out, as he stumbled to a 2-9 start, while being doomed by an inordinate number of home runs. His struggles, coupled with the Braves' unstable bullpen, prompted manager Bobby Cox to try Sosa in relief. Sosa was ineffective in that role and was designated for assignment on July 30, 2006. He was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for minor league pitcher Rich Scalamandre on July 31, 2006. Sosa compiled a 5.28 ERA in his short stint with the Cardinals and was not included on the postseason roster, missing the Cardinals' victory in the 2006 World Series. He was not offered a 2007 contract, making him a free agent.
Sosa started the 2007 season with yet another one year contract, this time for $1.25 million and as a member of the Mets. The righty's role with the team is not yet clearly defined, and Mets general manager Omar Minaya has stated Sosa may be a factor in New York's starting rotation and/or bullpen.
[edit] Facts
- Sosa pitched for the Dominican Republic in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.
- The pitcher hit his first career home run April 6, 2006 off Jeff Fassero of the San Francisco Giants. The only other two hits Sosa recorded that season were also home runs.
[edit] External links
- Baseball-Reference.com - career statistics and analysis
