Clay Rapada

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**Clay Rapada**

Detroit Tigers — No. 50
Relief pitcher
Born: March 9, 1981 (1981-03-09) (age 27) Portsmouth, Virginia
Bats: Right	Throws: Left
Major League Baseball debut
June 14, 2007 for the Chicago Cubs
Selected MLB statistics (through May 21, 2008)
Win–Loss	2–0
Earned run average	5.68
Strikeouts	13
Teams
Chicago Cubs (2007) Detroit Tigers (2007–present)

Clayton Anthony Rapada (born March 9, 1981 in Portsmouth, Virginia) is a left-handed relief pitcher for the Detroit Tigers.

Rapada started in the Chicago Cubs organization pitching for the A Boise Hawks 2002–2003. At the beginning of 2003 he was promoted to the A Lansing Lugnuts, where he posted a 5.63 ERA and recorded 24 strikeouts over 24 innings pitched, primarily in relief. During a game that year Rapada was ejected along with six other players following a brawl with the West Michigan Whitecaps, a Detroit Tigers affiliate. Rapada showed improvement in 2004 for the Lugnuts, going 6–6 with an ERA of 2.33 in 57 appearances.^[1]^[2]

In 2005 the Cubs moved Rapada up to the A Daytona Cubs, where he went 1–3 with an ERA 3.83 in only 27 appearances, down considerably from the year before. 2006 saw Rapada progressing through the Cubs' minor league organization, and he pitched for both the AA West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx and the AAA Iowa Cubs. Between the two teams he appeared in 61 games and posted an ERA 1.59.^[2]

Rapada made his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs on June 14, 2007 against the Seattle Mariners. He faced only one batter, Raúl Ibáñez, who lined out to Cubs right fielder Cliff Floyd.^[3] Rapada was sent back to the Iowa Cubs on June 19, 2007 without making another appearance. Therefore, he faced only one batter in his first stint in Major League Baseball.

On August 30, 2007 Rapada was announced as the player to be named later in the trade between the Tigers and Cubs involving outfielder Craig Monroe.

Rapada made his Tigers debut on September 9, 2007. In a rare coincidence, he faced Raúl Ibáñez again, giving up a 3-run home run. He was pulled immediately after, giving him the rare distinction of facing the same batter (and only that batter) twice in his first 2 major league appearances; one while pitching for a National League club and the other with an American League club.^{[citation needed]} He earned his first major league victory on April 15, 2008 as the Tigers beat the Minnesota Twins 6–5.^[4]