Tony Armas Jr.
| Tony Armas Jr. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Armas Jr. with the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| Pitcher | |||
|
Born: April 29, 1978 Puerto Píritu, Anzoátegui State, Venezuela | |||
| |||
| MLB debut | |||
| August 16, 1999, for the Montréal Expos | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| July 7, 2008, for the New York Mets | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 53–65 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.65 | ||
| Strikeouts | 680 | ||
| Teams | |||
Antonio José Armas (born April 29, 1978), better known as Tony Armas Jr., is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He last appeared in a Major League game in 2008. He spent most of his active career with the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals.
Professional career
New York Yankees
He was signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1994.
Boston Red Sox
Armas and a player to be named later (Jim Mecir), were traded to the Boston Red Sox in 1997 for Mike Stanley and Randy Brown.
Montréal Expos/Washington Nationals
He was sent to the Montréal Expos in 1997 along with pitcher Carl Pavano to complete the deal for Pedro Martínez.
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.
Pittsburgh Pirates
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]
New York Mets
On February 11, 2008, he signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with the New York Mets. He re-signed with the Mets in January 2009.[4] However, he was released on March 31, 2009, after not making the team.[5]
Atlanta Braves
In April 2009, he was signed by the Atlanta Braves and assigned to the Triple-A Gwinnett Braves.[6] On July 25, 2009, the Braves released Armas.[7]
Pitching style
Armas uses a low-90s moving fastball and a sharp-breaking curve to establish what he wants to do with each hitter. He has 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.
Personal life
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.
See also
- List of Montreal Expos Opening Day starting pitchers
- List of second-generation Major League Baseball players
- List of Major League Baseball players from Venezuela
References
- ↑ "Tony Armas Jr.". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2007-02-01.
- ↑ Kovacevic, Dejan (2007-02-02). "Pirates sign Armas, spur competition". Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Retrieved 2007-02-02.
- ↑ Kovacevic, Dejan (2007-06-19). "Pirates Notebook: Armas out, but no replacement yet". Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Retrieved 2007-07-03.
- ↑ "Mets sign four to minor league deals". ESPN.com. Associated Press. 2009-01-29. Retrieved 2009-01-30.
- ↑ Armas, Spivey out
- ↑ Braves Sign Armas
- ↑ Curtright, Guy (July 25, 2009). "Bueno back from DL; Armas released". Gwinnett Daily Post. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)