Abe Alvarez
Encyclopedia
Abraham Alvarez, is an American
former professional baseball
pitcher
with the Palfinger Reggio Emilia of Italy
's Serie A1
. He bats and throws left-handed
.
in three seasons. As a junior in , he was named an All-American by Baseball America
after going 11-2 with a 2.35 ERA in 18 starts
. He returned to Long Beach State in 2010 to complete a bachelor's degree in history and is the undergraduate assistant pitching coach for the university's baseball team
, known as The Dirtbags.
in 2003, Alvarez made his professional debut with the short-season Single-A Lowell Spinners
. He posted no record and did not allow an earned run in 19.0 innings over nine starts, struck out
19 and walked
just two hitters. He limited opponents to a .138 batting average
and did not walk a batter in his first six starts.
In , Alvarez was named Pitcher of the Year for Double-A Portland Sea Dogs
after going 10-9 with a 3.59 ERA in 26 starts in his first full pro season. He limited opposite hitters to a .252 average, posted a 3.4 strikeout-to-walk ratio (108-to-32), and was also named to the Eastern League
's mid-season All-Star team.
In , Alvarez started 26 games for the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox
. He finished the year with a record of 11-6 and a 4.85 ERA. The left-hander surrendered 143 hits over 144.2 IP. He struck out 109 batters and walked 32.
In , Alvarez started 21 games for Triple-A Pawtucket. He had a losing record of 6-9 and a 5.64 ERA. He struck out 71 and walked 40 in 118 IP; he gave up 136 hits and 74 earned runs. His season was cut short by an ankle injury sustained off-field. Alvarez had surgery on the ankle on August 18, 2006, but was fully recovered by spring training
.
On May 12, 2008, he was released by the Red Sox. In June 2008, Alvarez signed with the Camden Riversharks
of the independent Atlantic League
, but was traded to the Long Island Ducks
for outfielder
Jamal Strong
on June 6. On January 21, , Alvarez signed with the Palfinger Reggio Emilia of Italy's Serie A1.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former 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...
with the Palfinger Reggio Emilia of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
's Serie A1
Serie A1 (baseball)
The Italian Baseball League is a professional baseball league that is governed by FIBS , which has its headquarters in Rome...
. He bats and throws left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
.
College career
Alvarez attended Long Beach State University, where he posted a 23-5 record with a 2.56 ERAEarned 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 three seasons. As a junior in , he was named an All-American by Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
after going 11-2 with a 2.35 ERA in 18 starts
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
. He returned to Long Beach State in 2010 to complete a bachelor's degree in history and is the undergraduate assistant pitching coach for the university's baseball team
Long Beach State 49ers baseball
The Long Beach State 49ers Baseball team is the college baseball program that represents California State University, Long Beach. Unlike all other Long Beach State sports teams, since 1989 the baseball team has unofficially gone by the name The Dirtbags....
, known as The Dirtbags.
Minor league career
Signed by the Boston Red SoxBoston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
in 2003, Alvarez made his professional debut with the short-season Single-A Lowell Spinners
Lowell Spinners
The Lowell Spinners are a Short-Season A minor league baseball affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.-History:Founded in 1996 after Clyde Smoll moved the Elmira Pioneers to Lowell, Massachusetts, the Spinners play in the New York - Penn League, which has a Short-Season A classification with 76 games a...
. He posted no record and did not allow an earned run in 19.0 innings over nine starts, struck out
Strikeout
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....
19 and walked
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...
just two hitters. He limited opponents to a .138 batting average
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 :...
and did not walk a batter in his first six starts.
In , Alvarez was named Pitcher of the Year for Double-A Portland Sea Dogs
Portland Sea Dogs
The Portland Sea Dogs are the Double-A minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Established in 1994 and based in Portland, Maine, the Sea Dogs play in the Northern Division of the Eastern League....
after going 10-9 with a 3.59 ERA in 26 starts in his first full pro season. He limited opposite hitters to a .252 average, posted a 3.4 strikeout-to-walk ratio (108-to-32), and was also named to the Eastern League
Eastern League (U.S. baseball)
The Eastern League is a minor league baseball league which operates primarily in the northeastern United States, although it has had a team in Ohio since 1989. The Eastern League has played at the AA level since 1963. The league was founded in 1923 as the New York-Pennsylvania League...
's mid-season All-Star team.
In , Alvarez started 26 games for the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox
Pawtucket Red Sox
The Pawtucket Red Sox are the minor league baseball Triple-A affiliates of the Boston Red Sox and belong to the International League...
. He finished the year with a record of 11-6 and a 4.85 ERA. The left-hander surrendered 143 hits over 144.2 IP. He struck out 109 batters and walked 32.
In , Alvarez started 21 games for Triple-A Pawtucket. He had a losing record of 6-9 and a 5.64 ERA. He struck out 71 and walked 40 in 118 IP; he gave up 136 hits and 74 earned runs. His season was cut short by an ankle injury sustained off-field. Alvarez had surgery on the ankle on August 18, 2006, but was fully recovered by 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...
.
On May 12, 2008, he was released by the Red Sox. In June 2008, Alvarez signed with the Camden Riversharks
Camden Riversharks
The Camden Riversharks is an American professional baseball team based in Camden, New Jersey. They are a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
of the independent Atlantic League
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball is a professional, independent baseball organization located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, especially the greater metropolitan areas of the Northeast megalopolis. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League...
, but was traded to the Long Island Ducks
Long Island Ducks
The Long Island Ducks is an American professional baseball team based in Central Islip, New York. They are a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
for outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Jamal Strong
Jamal Strong
Jamal Najar Strong is a Major League Baseball outfielder.Strong was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 6th round of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft. Strong made his major league debut in and was called up again in . Strong became a free agent after the 2005 season and signed with the...
on June 6. On January 21, , Alvarez signed with the Palfinger Reggio Emilia of Italy's Serie A1.
Major league career
- July 22, 2004 - The Red Sox summoned Alvarez from Double-A Portland when a spot starterStarting pitcherIn baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
was needed for a doubleheader against the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. Alvarez allowed five runs on eight hitsHit (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....
, two strikeoutStrikeoutIn 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....
s, and five walksBase on ballsA 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...
over 5.0 inningsInnings pitchedIn baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
of an 8-3 loss. He was sent back to the minorsMinor league baseballMinor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
after the game.
- July 2, 2005 - Boston placed relieverRelief pitcherA relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
Matt ManteiMatt ManteiMatthew Bruce Mantei [MAN-tie] is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. In his career, Mantei played with the Florida Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks and Boston Red Sox. He batted and threw right-handed.-Career:...
on the 15-day disabled listDisabled listIn Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
with a left ankle ligament sprain and recalled Alvarez from Triple-A Pawtucket Red SoxPawtucket Red SoxThe Pawtucket Red Sox are the minor league baseball Triple-A affiliates of the Boston Red Sox and belong to the International League...
. At the time of promotion, Alvarez was 7-3 with a 4.23 ERA in 16 starts for the PawSox, including wins in five of his past six decisions. He was expected to work out of Boston's bullpenBullpenIn baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
, but was sent to Pawtucket the next day. - August 28, 2005 - Boston designated relieverRelief pitcherA relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
Mike RemlingerMike RemlingerMichael John Remlinger is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. Remlinger has played with the San Francisco Giants , New York Mets , Cincinnati Reds , Atlanta Braves , Chicago Cubs , and the Boston Red Sox...
for assignment and recalled Alvarez. He pitched two games in relief, pitched 2.1 innings, and gave up four runs. He was sent down on August 30.
- May 19, 2006 - Boston placed reliever Mike HoltzMike HoltzMichael James Holtz is a former middle relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the California Angels , Anaheim Angels , Oakland Athletics , San Diego Padres , and Boston Red Sox...
was placed on the 15-day disabled list and recalled Alvarez from Pawtucket. - May 21, 2006 - Alvarez pitches in relief. In three innings, he gives up five hits, four runs (all earned), walks two and strikes out two. He was optioned to Pawtucket the next day after David RiskeDavid RiskeDavid Richard Riske is a Major League Baseball Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher.-Career:Riske was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 56th round of the June amateur draft...
came off the 15-day DL.
External links
- Minor League News - FAB50 2005 Ones2Watch - interview & award