Mario Soto (baseball)
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Mario Melvin Soto (born July 12, 1956 in Bani, Dominican Republic), is a former Major League pitcher, mostly as starter, for the Cincinnati Reds from 1977 through 1988.
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[edit] Major League career
For most of his career, the Dominican right-hander was essentially a two-pitch pitcher. He possessed a hard fastball (clocked in the low-to-mid 90's) and complimented it with a baffling circle changeup, both thrown from the three-quarters position. Soto's changeup was particularly effective against left-handed hitters. On occasion, Soto would also throw a slider, which he turned to more in the latter stage of his career. He less frequently threw a curveball.
From 1980 to 1985, Soto struck out 1,063 batters. No pitcher had more during this five-year period.
On May 12, 1984, Mario Soto came very close to throwing a no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals. However, with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Reds up 2-0, outfielder George Hendrick spoiled the no-no with a solo home run.
In 1983, Soto came one vote shy of winning the National League's Cy Young Award. Philadelphia's John Denny was the eventual winner. Statistically, 1983 and 1984 were Soto's best seasons. He compiled a 35-20 record with a 2.92 earned run average and he established himself as the ace of the Cincinnati Reds' rotation. However, the Reds were mediocre, finishing with losing records in both seasons.
In a twelve-season career, all for Cincinnati, he was 100-92 with a 3.47 ERA in 297 games, 224 of them starts. He had 72 career complete games and 13 shutouts. He allowed 667 earned runs and struck out 1,449 batters in 1730 and 1/3 innings pitched. He also earned four saves (all during the 1980 season).
[edit] Controversy
Mario Soto also had a fiery temper. Two suspensions he earned during the 1984 season exemplified this.
In the first incident, on May 27 against the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field, third baseman Ron Cey hit what was originally ruled a home run down the left field line. Believing the ball had gone foul, Soto and Reds manager Vern Rapp disputed the call, and during the argument, Soto shoved third base umpire Steve Rippley, who had made the call. After conferring, the umpires changed their decision and ruled it a foul ball, drawing a protest from the Cubs. However, for shoving Rippley, Soto was ejected, prompting him to charge the field and attack Cubs coach Don Zimmer, which triggered a ten-minute brawl. Four days later, National League president Chub Feeney suspended Mario Soto for five games. This game is also notable because Soto's opponent that day was future Hall of Fame Dennis Eckersley, who would go on to become a record-setting closer years later. "Eck", who was making his Cubs debut after being acquired in a trade with the Boston Red Sox (the Cubs received future World Series goat Bill Buckner and then-minor league middle infielder Mike Brumley), would take the loss that day. [1]
In the second incident, on June 16, the Reds were playing the Atlanta Braves in Atlanta. Soto threw several brushback pitches at Braves slugger Claudell Washington. Washington tossed his bat in the direction of Soto, appeared to go out to retrieve it, but instead walked toward the mound. Umpire Lanny Harris attempted to restrain Washington. Harris was thrown to the ground. Soto used the distraction to punch Washington. Several of Washington's teammates attempted to hold Washington to the ground. While they were doing that, Soto fired the baseball into the crowd of players, striking Braves coach Joe Pignatano. He was suspended three games for this incident; Washington received a five-game suspension for shoving Lanny Harris.
[edit] Recent achievements
In 2001, Mario Soto was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum. He has also worked off and on with the team as a pitching coach, specifically helping several Reds pitchers develop their changeups.
[edit] Career highlights
- 3-time National League All-Star (1982, 83, 84)
- Top 10 in Cy Young Award voting, four times (1980, 82, 83, 84), finished 2nd in 1983
- Top 5 in ERA twice (1982, 83), Top 10 one more time (1980)
- Led the league in complete games, twice (1983, 84)
- Top 5 in shutouts, twice (1981, 83)
- Top 5 in strike outs, six times (1980, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85), and led the league in Strike Outs per 9 IP twice (1980, 82)
- Top 5 in wins, three times (1981, 83, 84)
- Buck Canel Award winner in 1983 (outstanding Latin-American in the majors)
- Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame Member (inducted in 2001)
- One of 24 pitchers in major league history to surrender four home runs in an inning (May 29, 1986 against the Montreal Expos.
