Johnny Cueto

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Johnny Cueto

Cueto during Reds Spring Training 2008 in Sarasota, Florida
Cincinnati Reds – No. 47
Pitcher
Born: (1986-02-15) February 15, 1986
San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic
Bats: Right Throws: Right
MLB debut
April 3, 2008 for the Cincinnati Reds
Career statistics
(through 2013 season)
Win–loss record 65–48
Earned run average 3.53
Strikeouts 753
Teams

Johnny Brent (Ortiz) Cueto [KWAY-toe] (born February 15, 1986) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball.

Cueto made his major league debut in 2008, and by 2011 had emerged as one of the top pitchers in the National League. He won 19 games in 2012, helping lead the Reds to the NL Central title, but had to leave the first game of the playoffs after only 8 pitches with a back injury.

Minor league career

Cueto was in the Minor Leagues for three seasons, and has excelled at many levels, but really turned heads during the 2007 season. Cueto started his career for the Gulf Coast Reds of the Rookie Gulf Coast League, posting a 5.02 ERA, before being promoted to the High-A Sarasota Reds of the Florida State League, where he finished his 2005 season. Johnny has had progressively better seasons since. In 2006, Cueto was placed in Low A Dayton, blasting out of the gates, and posting a 2.61 ERA, and a 0.88 WHIP. While with Dayton, on May 13, 2006, he threw a rain shortened no-hitter against Wisconsin.[1] He was later promoted back to Sarasota, where he finished his season for the second consecutive year. Poised for a breakout 2007, Cueto was placed, once again, in Sarasota. He pitched 14 games in Sarasota, before going on a hot streak, and advancing through three levels in one season. He burnt through AA Chattanooga, and AAA Louisville throughout the rest of his 2007 campaign.[2] He was named the Reds' Minor League Pitcher of the Year for the second consecutive season.[3]

Major league career

Rookie season (2008)

Cueto made his Major League debut on April 3, 2008 for the Reds at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he carried a perfect game through five innings before surrendering a home run to Justin Upton in the top of the sixth inning. The home run was the only baserunner he allowed, striking out 10 in 7 innings. Cueto was credited with the win in his debut, as the Reds hung on to win 3–2. Cueto was the first Red since 1900 to throw ten strikeouts in his Major League debut. He was also the first MLB pitcher to have 10 strikeouts and 0 walks in his debut. He was the third in MLB history to have 10 strikeouts and give up only 1 hit.[4] For the game, Cueto's ERA was 1.29 on 92 pitches. Despite his impressive debut, Cueto was inconsistent for the most part on the season. At the end of the 2008 campaign, he finished with a 9–14 record with an ERA of 4.81.

2009

Cueto with the Reds in 2009.

Cueto started 2009 as the Reds #4 starter. Cueto's ERA was initially one of the best in the majors, leading the NL at one point at 2.17. His BB/9 lowered as the 2009 season progressed. He found the strike zone more often, resembling the 2008 performance of his teammate Edinson Volquez. On July 6, 2009, Cueto suffered the worst defeat in his young career. Taking the mound against the Phillies, he was shelled; Cueto allowed 9 earned runs on 5 hits, walking 3.[5] To top it off, all this happened in the first inning, and Cueto was taken out of the game after only recording two outs. The Phillies scored 10 runs that inning.He would finish the season with a record of 11–11, and an ERA of 4.41.

2010

Cueto started the 2010 season as the Reds' third starter. After getting off to an average start, Cueto delivered arguably his best performance since his debut on May 11, pitching a one hit shutout against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He walked none and hit one batter, leading the Reds to a 9–0 victory.

On August 12, Cueto was suspended 7 games for what Major League Baseball described as his "violent and aggressive actions" in a bench-clearing brawl in the first inning of the Reds' August 10 game against the St. Louis Cardinals.[6] While pinned to the backstop, Cueto began kicking wildly at various Cardinals, injuring Chris Carpenter and Jason LaRue.[7][8] LaRue suffered a severe concussion in the brawl, and was forced to retire after the season.

Cueto finished the 2010 season with a 12–7 record and a 3.64 ERA. In Game 3 of the NLDS, he allowed 2 runs (1 earned) in 5 innings and took the loss as Cole Hamels pitched a shutout. Following the 2010 season, the Reds[9] and Cueto agreed to a 4 year, $27 million contract.

2011

Cueto began the season on the disabled list and returned on May 8. Since he missed a lot of starts from being on the disabled-list, he didn't become eligible for the ERA race until his start against the San Francisco Giants on July 31, where he pitched a 3 hit, complete game shutout. He then took the Major League Baseball lead with a 1.72 ERA. He lost eligibility, twice, due to lack of innings since, but retook the National League lead in ERA after throwing 7 innings of shutout ball against the Colorado Rockies on August 11. As the season progressed, Cueto began incorporating more and more of a turn to his windup. At the start of the season, his windup featured a conventional step, keeping his body pointed at third base before delivering to the plate. However, by late July, Cueto's torso faces second base and he pauses for a brief moment. Many people have compared this turn to Boston Red Sox great Luis Tiant's famous turn. As of August 25, he was tied with Jered Weaver for the best ERA in all of Major League Baseball at 2.03.

Cueto's bid for the ERA title and season came to end after he strained a muscle in his back on September 15, while pitching vs the Cubs. On September 20, the team decided to shut down Cueto for the year without risking further injury.[10] Cueto finished the season with a 2.31 ERA in 156.0 innings - only 6 full innings short of qualifying for the ERA title.

2012

Cueto started on Opening Day for the Reds and went on to win 19 games against only 9 losses with a 2.78 earned run average.

Cueto started game 1 of the National League Division Series against San Francisco, but had to leave after only eight pitches because of a strained muscle in his back. After the Giants won Game 3, forcing a fourth game of the NLDS, the Reds replaced Cueto on the playoff roster with Mike Leake, who was their fifth starter during the season and would go on to pitch the fourth game of the NLDS.

Background and influences

Cueto's road to the Major League was a trying one because many teams were wary of his small stature. "Some told me I was too short, others thought I was in fact older than the age that appeared in my papers," said the right-handed fireballer. He is listed at 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m), but some believe he is closer to 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 m). However, rather than give in to the criticism, Cueto looked to another undersized Dominican pitcher, Pedro Martínez, for inspiration. "Pedro has been my inspiration, the person for whom I decided to stop playing outfield to become a pitcher," Cueto said. "One of my biggest dreams is to be able to meet Pedro in person, shake his hand and tell him that he has been my hero and my role model."[11]

Pitching style

Cueto throws a variety of pitches, although his main ones are a four-seam fastball (91–95), two-seam fastball (92–95), and slider (81–86). He also has a changeup (82–84), curveball (78–80), and cut fastball (87–90). Cueto only throws his changeup to left-handed hitters, and he rarely uses his curveball at all. He often likes to use his slider with two strikes.[12] Cueto's distinctive wind-up, which begins by spinning back towards second base so that his back faces the batter, has been compared to that of Luis Tiant.[13]

World Baseball Classic

Cueto was a member of the Dominican Republic national baseball team in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

References

  1. ↑ Dayton Daily News - No, No, for Cueto!!
  2. ↑ Johnny Cueto Statistics (Minor Leagues) - Baseball-Reference.com
  3. ↑ The Official Site of The Cincinnati Reds: Team: Player Information : Biography and Career Highlights
  4. ↑ Fay, John (2008-04-04). "Lineup v. Phillies". Retrieved 2008-05-21. 
  5. ↑ http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=456501
  6. ↑ http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=211568&catid=40
  7. ↑ MLB to give Ryan group OK today
  8. ↑
  9. ↑ http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110126&content_id=16511012&vkey=news_cin&c_id=cin
  10. ↑ http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110920&content_id=24965124&notebook_id=24965322&vkey=notebook_cin&c_id=cin
  11. ↑ http://crabcakesports.wordpress.com/2011/08/14/cueto-invokes-memories-of-pedro-martinez/
  12. ↑ "PITCHf/x Player Card: Johnny Cueto". BrooksBaseball.net. Retrieved 9 May 2012. 
  13. ↑ Kepner, Tyler (30 July 2011). "Style Points for Reds’ Cueto". New York Times ("Bats" blog). Retrieved 9 May 2012. 

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