Aaron Laffey
Encyclopedia
Aaron Steven Laffey is an American
professional baseball
pitcher
for the Kansas City Royals
of Major League Baseball
. He made his major league debut with the Cleveland Indians
in .
46 in 34 innings pitched. In , while with the Single-A Mahoning Valley Scrappers
, Laffey went 3-1 with a 1.24 ERA
in 8 starts which earned him a promotion to the Single-A Lake County Captains
3-7 with a 6.53 ERA in 19 games. He started the season with Lake County and went 7-7 with a 3.22 ERA in 142.1 innings pitched and was called up to the Double-A Akron Aeros
for one game in which he picked up the victory
by going 5 innings and allowed 2 runs
while striking out 6. Laffey started the year with the Singel-A Advanced Kinston Indians
which he was 4-1 with a 2.18 ERA in 10 games (4 starts). His performance earned him a promotion to Double-A Akron where he went 8-3 with a 3.53 ERA in 19 games, all starts. In , he pitched 6 games with Akron and he went 4-1 2.31 with a ERA in 6 starts. He was promoted to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons
and went 7-3 with a 3.28 ERA before his call up to the majors.
On August 4, , Laffey made his major league debut against the Minnesota Twins
; he went 5.1 innings allowing 6 hits
, 3 runs, 1 walk
, and 3 strikeouts while losing the game. In his second start on August 9, against the Chicago White Sox
, Laffey picked up his first major league victory. He went 5.2 innings allowed 6 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, and struck out 4 in the Indians 7-5 victory. On August 10, a day after Laffey's first major league victory, he was demoted to Triple-A Buffalo. On August 25, Laffey was recalled to pitch against the Kansas City Royals
. Laffey won again, going 6 innings, allowing 8 hits, only 2 runs, walked only 1, and struck out 4. Laffey went into spring training
in , competing for the fifth spot in the rotation, however Cliff Lee
won the job and Laffey was sent back to Buffalo, but was brought back up following an injury to Jake Westbrook
. Laffey was named American League
Rookie of the Month for the month of May. Laffey had a 3-2 record and an 0.79 ERA for the month. Opponents batted
.220 against him in May over a 34 inning span.
on August 19, 2011. Laffey made his debut the next night against the Minnesota Twins
. He was designated for assignment the next day to clear a roster spot for Alex Rodriguez
, though he was placed on optional waivers.
on October 11, 2011.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. He made his major league debut with the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
in .
Cleveland Indians
In Laffey's first pro season in , he was with the Burlington Indians of the Rookie level and went 3-1 in 9 games (4 starts) while striking outStrikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
46 in 34 innings pitched. In , while with the Single-A Mahoning Valley Scrappers
Mahoning Valley Scrappers
The Mahoning Valley Scrappers are a minor league baseball club based in Niles, Ohio, a city in the valley of the Mahoning River. The Scrappers play in the Pinckney Division of the Short-Season A classification New York - Penn League and are affiliated with the Cleveland Indians Major League...
, Laffey went 3-1 with a 1.24 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in 8 starts which earned him a promotion to the Single-A Lake County Captains
Lake County Captains
The Lake County Captains are a minor league baseball team in Eastlake, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. The team, a Class A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, plays in the Midwest League....
3-7 with a 6.53 ERA in 19 games. He started the season with Lake County and went 7-7 with a 3.22 ERA in 142.1 innings pitched and was called up to the Double-A Akron Aeros
Akron Aeros
The Akron Aeros are a minor league baseball team based in Akron, Ohio, USA. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians.The Aeros play in Canal Park, located in downtown Akron, which seats 9,097 fans...
for one game in which he picked up the victory
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
by going 5 innings and allowed 2 runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
while striking out 6. Laffey started the year with the Singel-A Advanced Kinston Indians
Kinston Indians
The Kinston Indians were a minor league baseball team of the Carolina League , and the High-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. They were located in Kinston, North Carolina, and were named for their parent club...
which he was 4-1 with a 2.18 ERA in 10 games (4 starts). His performance earned him a promotion to Double-A Akron where he went 8-3 with a 3.53 ERA in 19 games, all starts. In , he pitched 6 games with Akron and he went 4-1 2.31 with a ERA in 6 starts. He was promoted to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
and went 7-3 with a 3.28 ERA before his call up to the majors.
On August 4, , Laffey made his major league debut against the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
; he went 5.1 innings allowing 6 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, 3 runs, 1 walk
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
, and 3 strikeouts while losing the game. In his second start on August 9, against the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, Laffey picked up his first major league victory. He went 5.2 innings allowed 6 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, and struck out 4 in the Indians 7-5 victory. On August 10, a day after Laffey's first major league victory, he was demoted to Triple-A Buffalo. On August 25, Laffey was recalled to pitch against the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
. Laffey won again, going 6 innings, allowing 8 hits, only 2 runs, walked only 1, and struck out 4. Laffey went into spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
in , competing for the fifth spot in the rotation, however Cliff Lee
Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer "Cliff" Lee is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee has also played for the Cleveland Indians, the Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers....
won the job and Laffey was sent back to Buffalo, but was brought back up following an injury to Jake Westbrook
Jake Westbrook
Jacob Cauthen "Jake" Westbrook is an American Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher currently with the St. Louis Cardinals. He is known as a sinker ball pitcher and has also hit a grand slam home run....
. Laffey was named American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
Rookie of the Month for the month of May. Laffey had a 3-2 record and an 0.79 ERA for the month. Opponents batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.220 against him in May over a 34 inning span.
Seattle Mariners
On March 2, 2011, Laffey was traded to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for prospect Matt Lawson. He was designated for assignment on August 17, after recording a 4.01 ERA in 42 2/3 innings.New York Yankees
Laffey was claimed off waivers by the New York YankeesNew York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
on August 19, 2011. Laffey made his debut the next night against the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. He was designated for assignment the next day to clear a roster spot for Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...
, though he was placed on optional waivers.
Kansas City Royals
Laffey was claimed off of waivers by the Kansas City RoyalsKansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
on October 11, 2011.