Tony Armas, Jr.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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|
|---|---|
| New York Mets — No. -- | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: April 29, 1978 | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Major League Baseball debut | |
| August 16, 1999 for the Montréal Expos | |
| Selected MLB statistics (through 2007) |
|
| Win-Loss | 52-65 |
| Earned run average | 4.62 |
| Strikeouts | 674 |
| Teams | |
Antonio José Armas (born April 29, 1978, in Puerto Píritu, Anzoátegui State, Venezuela), better known as Tony Armas, Jr., is a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who is currently in the New York Mets organization. Previously, he played with the Washington Nationals nee Montreal Expos from (1999-2006) and Pittsburgh Pirates in 2007.
Armas is the son of former All-Star outfielder Tony Armas, and a nephew of former first baseman Marcos Armas. Tony's father broke into the Majors with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1976.
Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1994, Armas was traded to the Boston Red Sox in 1997, and was sent to Montreal later the same year along with pitcher Carl Pavano to complete the deal for Pedro Martínez.
Armas uses a low-90s moving fastball and a sharp-breaking curve to establish what he wants to do with each hitter. He'll mix in an effective slider, a splitter and a changeup to keep opponents out of balance. His slide step has improved to the point where opposing baserunners no longer take him for granted.
However, few starting pitchers have had as much bad luck as Armas. Various injuries held him back until 2003, when he was the team's Opening Day starter, shutting down the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field, 10-2. But the strong start turned into a breakdown weeks later, after he was diagnosed with injuries in his arm and shoulder which required season-ending surgery. At that time, Armas was off to a fine start with a record of 2-1, 23 strikeouts and a 2.61 ERA, while allowing barely more than a baserunner per inning (1.065) and not allowing a home run until his fifth and last start.
Armas worked out in 2004 spring training, and his recovery was proceeding. Although the team initially hoped he could be ready for the start of the season, the rehabilitation was slower than expected. He finished the season with a 2-4 mark in 72 innings.
In a nine-year career, Armas has a 52-65 record with 674 strikeouts and a 4.62 ERA in 917.3 innings. At bat, he is a .098 hitter (26-for-265) with ten RBI.[1]
During the 2006 season, Armas had a 9-12 record in 30 starts. Armas missed one month with arm problems, but in his second game back from the disabled list he pitched seven innings, allowing only one run on three hits.
On October 29, 2006, Armas filed for free agency. On February 1, 2007, he signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates for a one year $3.5 million contract with a 2008 mutual option.[2] After starting the 2007 season 0-3 with an 8.92 ERA, Armas was removed from the rotation.[3]
On February 11, 2008, he signed a minor league contract with an invite to spring training with the New York Mets.
[edit] See also
- Players from Venezuela in MLB
- List of second generation MLB players
- Montreal Expos all-time roster
- Washington Nationals all-time roster
[edit] References
- ^ Tony Armas Jr.. Baseball-reference.com. Retrieved on 2007-02-01.
- ^ Kovacevic, Dejan. "Pirates sign Armas, spur competition", Pittsburgh Post Gazette, 2007-02-02. Retrieved on 2007-02-02.
- ^ Kovacevic, Dejan. "Pirates Notebook: Armas out, but no replacement yet", Pittsburgh Post Gazette, 2007-06-19. Retrieved on 2007-07-03.
[edit] External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
