Aquilino López

Aquilino López
Starting pitcher
Born: April 21, 1975
Villa Altagracia, Dominican Republic
Bats: Right Throws: Right
MLB debut
April 2, 2003 for the Toronto Blue Jays
Career statistics
(through 2008 season)
Win–loss record 6–6
Earned run average 3.78
Strikeouts 167
Teams
Career highlights and awards
  • Korean Series champion (2009)
  • KBO Golden Glove Award (2009)
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is López and the second or maternal family name is Roa.

Aquilino López Roa (born April 21, 1975 in Villa Altagracia, Dominican Republic) is a starting pitcher for the SK Wyverns of the Korean Baseball Organization. He bats and throws right-handed.

Professional career

Lopez was first signed by the Seattle Mariners on July 3, 1997 and made his Major League debut on April 2, 2003 after being selected by the Toronto Blue Jays on December 16, 2002 as a Rule 5 draftee. He made 72 appearances in 2003 for the Blue Jays, posting a 3.42 ERA over 73 2⁄3 innings.

In 2004, Lopez was still in Toronto where he pitched only 21 innings in 18 appearances. Since then, he was involved with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies organizations, mostly as a Minor League player until he signed a minor-league contract with the Detroit Tigers before the 2007 season. He has since been called up to and sent down from the major league team several times.

In 2008, after spending most of the season with the Tigers, Lopez was sent down to Toledo when Fernando Rodney was activated from the disabled list. Lopez was called up to Detroit July 2 when Zach Miner was sent to Toledo.[1] Although his ERA on the season was a comparatively low 3.55, he allowed 50.9% of inherited runners to score, the second-highest in the American League. Lopez became a free agent after the 2008 season when the Tigers declined to offer arbitration.[2]

Lopez was signed by the Kia Tigers of the Korea Baseball Organization on January 14, 2009. In the 2009 KBO season, he went 14–5 with a 3.12 ERA and 129 strikeouts, leading the league in wins and innings pitched (190.1). Lopez won Game 1 and Game 5 of the 2009 Korean Series and recorded two outs in the eighth inning of the seventh game, which Kia won on a walk-off home run in the ninth. The Game 5 win was a complete game shutout. On December 11, 2009, it was announced that Lopez was awarded the KBO Golden Glove Award for pitcher.[3]

Achievements

Pitching style

Lopez throws an 89–91 MPH four-seam fastball, a 79–81 MPH slider, an 83–85 MPH changeup, a 78–79 MPH curveball, and an occasional 84–86 MPH splitter.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Tigers' Miner sent to Triple-A; Lopez recalled". International Herald Tribune. July 2, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
  2. ↑ Kornacki, Steve (December 13, 2008). "Tigers offer salary arbitration to seven players". Mlive.com. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
  3. ↑ (Korean) KIA, GG 수상자 4명 배출…최다득표 김현수(종합)
  4. ↑ http://www.fangraphs.com/pitchfx.aspx?playerid=1671&position=P

External links