Bob Ojeda
Encyclopedia
Robert Michael Ojeda is a former Major League Baseball
left-handed pitcher
. Ojeda is best remembered as an anchor in the 1986 World Series
Champion New York Mets
starting rotation (along with Dwight Gooden
and Ron Darling
), and for being the lone survivor of a March 22, boating accident that killed fellow Cleveland Indians
pitchers Steve Olin
and Tim Crews
. He currently works for SportsNet New York
as a pre and post game studio analyst for Mets broadcasts.
and College of the Sequoias
in Visalia, California
. Upon graduation, he was signed as an undrafted free agent
by the Boston Red Sox
in .
Though his first professional season with the New York-Penn League's Elmira Pioneers
went poorly (1-6 with a 4.81 ERA), in , as a starting pitcher
for the Winter Haven Red Sox
of the Florida State League
, Ojeda went 15-7 in 29 games started
earning a promotion to the triple A Pawtucket Red Sox
for . With a good earned run average
, Ojeda was called up to the majors in July 1980. He made his major league debut on July 13 at Fenway Park
against the Detroit Tigers
, and was winning 4-1 until the sixth inning
when the Tigers scored three runs to tie the score, and knock Ojeda out of the game. The Red sox eventually won 8-4.
Ojeda's first victory on August 2, in a brilliant pitching duel against Ed Figueroa
and the Texas Rangers
. Ojeda gave up no runs with four strikeouts while scattering five hits
over six innings. Two starts later, on August 11, he was removed from a start after having faced only three batters without getting a single out, and was sent back to Pawtucket.
On June 23, 1981, Ojeda was the winning pitcher in the longest professional baseball game
in history. The famous game between Pawtucket and the Rochester Red Wings
had started on April 18 but was suspended after 32 innings. Ojeda started the 33rd when play was resumed two months later and got credit for the win when Pawtucket won in the bottom of the inning after just eighteen minutes (the first 32 innings had taken over eight hours).
seven-hit victory. This time, his stay in the majors was permanent as he pitched well in all but his last two starts for Boston. 1982 went poorly for Ojeda in his first full season in the majors. After a couple of poor starts in May, he started splitting his time between starting and relief pitching and was shut down in mid-August with an ERA near six.
In 1983, Ojeda turned things around for a Boston team that finished near the bottom of the division. As the fourth starter, he posted a 12-7 record and a 4.04 ERA which were both tops in the rotation. In 1984, Ojeda and Bruce Hurst
were the number-one starters and Ojeda posted another twelve wins (to go with twelve losses) which included a Major League lead-tying five shutouts. The Red Sox improved in the standings but Ojeda's numbers – including an ERA again near four – mostly stayed the same.
When 1985 started, the Red Sox were overstocked on starting pitchers, including a young Roger Clemens
, so Ojeda was relegated to the bullpen. He pitched so well in that capacity that he was moved back into the rotation at the end of May, but his ERA again ballooned over four, prompting the Red Sox to trade him after the season. The eight-player trade seemed minor at the time but would have repercussions the following year as it sent Ojeda to the New York Mets and Calvin Schiraldi
to the Red Sox. Both would play important roles in the 1986 World Series.
, Rick Aguilera
, and Tim Teufel
were arrested outside a bar in Houston, Texas
for fighting with security guards (who were also off-duty police officers). All four were released in time for the following game and the worst results were $200 fines but the incident fed into the Mets' reputation as a rowdy crew that season.
The Mets cruised through the 1986 regular season building a double-digit lead before July that only widened in the second half of the season. They lost the first game to the Houston Astros
in the 1986 National League Championship Series
but Ojeda pitched a complete game
to easily win Game 2. He also started Game 6 but quickly gave up three runs in the first inning. The Mets didn't recover until the ninth but won the game in an epic sixteen innings to earn a trip to the World Series. Coincidentally for Ojeda, the Mets' opponents in the World Series were Ojeda's old team, the Boston Red Sox.
The Mets had easily won their division with 108 wins – by far the most in the majors – and won the NLCS in six games. In contrast, the Red Sox won their division by only five-and-a-half games and then had to overcome a three-games-to-one deficit to squeak by the California Angels
in the 1986 American League Championship Series
. Despite the apparent disparity, the Red Sox shocked the Mets by winning the first two games of the World Series at Shea Stadium
. With the Mets back in Boston staring at disaster, Bob Ojeda pitched in Game 3 and cruised to a Series-saving 7-1 victory.
When the Mets' ace, Dwight Gooden
, again faltered in Game 5, they needed another big performance in Game 6. They turned to Ojeda again but, this time, he was less than perfect, giving up two early runs. The Mets recovered later to tie and Ojeda left the game with a no-decision. When the Red Sox scored again to take the lead, they turned to the pitcher they traded Ojeda for, Calvin Schiraldi, to close out the World Series. Instead, Schiraldi gave up the lead after just five batters. With another chance to close out the first Boston championship since 1918
, Schiraldi let the tenth inning turn into a legendary comeback and nightmare for Bill Buckner
and the Red Sox.
Ojeda had surgery in May 1987 and missed most of that season. He pitched well in 1988 and in September The Mets clinched the NL East. This victory marked a point where Ojeda's luck would change as he was involved in a bizarre incident where the tip of his left middle finger was severed by an electric hedge trimmer. After microsurgery to reattach his fingertip (and save his career), he missed the playoffs and the Mets lost the NLCS. Ojeda did not recover well, declining in 1989 and spending most of 1990 pitching out of the bullpen. After 1990, he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers
for Hubie Brooks
.
.
The Indians were in Winter Haven for spring training
on March 22, 1993 when Ojeda went on a boat ride with new teammates Steve Olin
and Tim Crews
at Crews's home in Clermont, Florida
. Crews was legally drunk and it was nearly dark when the boat struck a pier on Little Lake Nellie, killing Crews and Olin. It was the first death of active major league players since Thurman Munson
in . Ojeda suffered major head lacerations and sat out most of the season to recuperate both physically and mentally. He attributed the fact that he was slouching in his seat at the time of the accident for saving his life. He returned late that season and had a respectable 4.40 ERA in 43 innings. http://espn.go.com/page2/tvlistings/show155_transcript.html
Ojeda became a free agent after the 1993 season. He was signed by the New York Yankees
for 1994 but pitched poorly in two games and was soon released. He retired as a player soon after.
. After two seasons in Brooklyn, he was promoted to be the pitching coach of the AA Binghamton Mets
for .
In 2003, the major league Mets suffered with terrible pitching throughout the year, resulting in pitching coach Vern Ruhle
being fired. While they were searching for a new coach, Ojeda's name was mentioned as a possibility but the job ultimately went to Rick Peterson
who was Mets' manager Art Howe
's former coach with the Oakland Athletics
. Not long after, Ojeda left the Mets, criticizing the organization as a whole but saying his unsuccessful candidacy for pitching coach was not a factor. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/story/154055p-135547c.html
In , Ojeda was named the pitching coach for the Can-Am League's
Worcester Tornadoes
under Worcester manager and Ojeda's former batterymate, Rich Gedman
, helping the team win the Can-Am championship in its first year. After the 2007 season, Ojeda left the coaching staff to join the front office.
In 2009, Ojeda joined SportsNet New York as a Pre-Game and Post-Game studio analyst for New York Mets Broadcasts with Chris Carlin
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2009/03/26/2009-03-26_meet_mets_sny_studio_team_chris_carlin_a.html
Ojeda has a wife, a son and five daughters. They currently reside in Rumson, New Jersey
.
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...
left-handed 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...
. Ojeda is best remembered as an anchor in the 1986 World Series
1986 World Series
The 1986 World Series pitted the New York Mets against the Boston Red Sox. It was cited in the legend of the "Curse of the Bambino" to explain the error by Bill Buckner in Game 6 that allowed the Mets to extend the series to a seventh game...
Champion New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
starting rotation (along with Dwight Gooden
Dwight Gooden
Dwight Eugene Gooden , nicknamed "Doc Gooden" or "Dr. K", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was one of the most dominant and feared pitchers in the National League in the middle and late 1980s.-Career:...
and Ron Darling
Ron Darling
Ronald Maurice Darling, Jr. is an American former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets, Oakland Athletics and Montreal Expos...
), and for being the lone survivor of a March 22, boating accident that killed fellow 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...
pitchers Steve Olin
Steve Olin
Steven Robert Olin was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for four seasons in the American League with the Cleveland Indians. In 195 career games, Olin pitched 273 innings and posted a win–loss record of 16–19, with 48 saves, 118 games finished, and a 3.10 earned...
and Tim Crews
Tim Crews
Stanley Timothy Crews was a Major League Baseball pitcher who pitched six seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers -- to . He was granted free agency after the 1992 season and signed with the Cleveland Indians on January 22, 1993....
. He currently works for SportsNet New York
SportsNet New York
SportsNet New York is a New York City-based regional sports cable network which airs in the New York metro area and all of New York state, and nationwide via satellite. It is owned jointly by the New York Mets, Time Warner Cable, and NBCUniversal...
as a pre and post game studio analyst for Mets broadcasts.
Minor leagues
Ojeda attended Redwood High SchoolRedwood High School (Visalia)
Redwood High School is a secondary school in Visalia, California, United States. The public high school serves students from the north central section of the city....
and College of the Sequoias
College of the Sequoias
College of the Sequoias is a public two-year community college located in Visalia in Tulare County, in California's San Joaquin Valley. The current enrollment of COS is 13,000 students, and the college offers a variety of transfer, vocational, and community-based classes, including the fire/police...
in Visalia, California
Visalia, California
Visalia is a Central California city situated in the heart of California’s agricultural San Joaquin Valley, approximately southeast of San Francisco and north of Los Angeles...
. Upon graduation, he was signed as an undrafted free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
by the Boston Red Sox
Boston 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 .
Though his first professional season with the New York-Penn League's Elmira Pioneers
Elmira Pioneers
The Elmira Pioneers are an amateur baseball team based in Elmira, New York. They currently compete in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, a wood bat collegiate summer baseball league. Prior to the 2006 baseball season, the team was a professional ballclub with a rich history of league...
went poorly (1-6 with a 4.81 ERA), in , as a starting pitcher
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....
for the Winter Haven Red Sox
Winter Haven Red Sox
The Winter Haven Red Sox is a former minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Boston Red Sox from 1969 to 1992.*Location: Winter Haven, FL*League: Florida State League *Affiliation: Boston Red Sox...
of the Florida State League
Florida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
, Ojeda went 15-7 in 29 games started
Games started
In baseball statistics, games started indicates the number of games that a pitcher has started for his team. A pitcher is credited with starting the game if he faces the first opposing batter...
earning a promotion to 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...
for . With a good earned run average
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...
, Ojeda was called up to the majors in July 1980. He made his major league debut on July 13 at Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
against the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, and was winning 4-1 until the sixth inning
Inning
Inning is a municipality in the district of Erding in Bavaria in Germany....
when the Tigers scored three runs to tie the score, and knock Ojeda out of the game. The Red sox eventually won 8-4.
Ojeda's first victory on August 2, in a brilliant pitching duel against Ed Figueroa
Ed Figueroa
Eduardo Figueroa Padilla , is a former Major League Baseball player. He holds the distinction of being the only pitcher from Puerto Rico to win twenty games in a season.-USMC:...
and the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
. Ojeda gave up no runs with four strikeouts while scattering five 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....
over six innings. Two starts later, on August 11, he was removed from a start after having faced only three batters without getting a single out, and was sent back to Pawtucket.
On June 23, 1981, Ojeda was the winning pitcher in the longest professional baseball game
Longest professional baseball game
The Pawtucket Red Sox and Rochester Red Wings, two teams from the Triple-A International League, played the longest game in professional baseball history. It lasted for 33 innings over eight hours and 25 minutes...
in history. The famous game between Pawtucket and the Rochester Red Wings
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
had started on April 18 but was suspended after 32 innings. Ojeda started the 33rd when play was resumed two months later and got credit for the win when Pawtucket won in the bottom of the inning after just eighteen minutes (the first 32 innings had taken over eight hours).
Boston Red Sox
When the 1981 Major League Baseball strike ended, Ojeda's 2.13 ERA earned him a recall to the majors. He responded with a complete gameComplete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
seven-hit victory. This time, his stay in the majors was permanent as he pitched well in all but his last two starts for Boston. 1982 went poorly for Ojeda in his first full season in the majors. After a couple of poor starts in May, he started splitting his time between starting and relief pitching and was shut down in mid-August with an ERA near six.
In 1983, Ojeda turned things around for a Boston team that finished near the bottom of the division. As the fourth starter, he posted a 12-7 record and a 4.04 ERA which were both tops in the rotation. In 1984, Ojeda and Bruce Hurst
Bruce Hurst
Bruce Vee Hurst is a former Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher. He is best remembered for his brilliant performance for the Boston Red Sox in the postseason. He was even named World Series M.V.P...
were the number-one starters and Ojeda posted another twelve wins (to go with twelve losses) which included a Major League lead-tying five shutouts. The Red Sox improved in the standings but Ojeda's numbers – including an ERA again near four – mostly stayed the same.
When 1985 started, the Red Sox were overstocked on starting pitchers, including a young Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...
, so Ojeda was relegated to the bullpen. He pitched so well in that capacity that he was moved back into the rotation at the end of May, but his ERA again ballooned over four, prompting the Red Sox to trade him after the season. The eight-player trade seemed minor at the time but would have repercussions the following year as it sent Ojeda to the New York Mets and Calvin Schiraldi
Calvin Schiraldi
Calvin Drew Schiraldi is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is best remembered as the losing pitcher of Game 6 and Game 7 of the 1986 World Series.-Amateur career:...
to the Red Sox. Both would play important roles in the 1986 World Series.
New York and a championship
In 1986, Ojeda was fantastic for the Mets almost from day one. Despite starting in the bullpen and then being only the fourth starter, he finished with an 18-5 record, 2.57 ERA (second-best in the league) and 148 strikeouts – all career-bests. He got through the fifth inning in all but two of his starts and allowed zero earned runs in eight different starts. His lone blemish occurred off the field when, on July 19, he and teammates Ron DarlingRon Darling
Ronald Maurice Darling, Jr. is an American former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets, Oakland Athletics and Montreal Expos...
, Rick Aguilera
Rick Aguilera
Richard Warren Aguilera is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 16-year baseball career, he pitched from 1985-2000 for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs....
, and Tim Teufel
Tim Teufel
Timothy Shawn Teufel is a former Major League Baseball second baseman, and currently the 3rd base coach for the New York Mets.Teufel was a member of the World Series champion New York Mets...
were arrested outside a bar in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
for fighting with security guards (who were also off-duty police officers). All four were released in time for the following game and the worst results were $200 fines but the incident fed into the Mets' reputation as a rowdy crew that season.
The Mets cruised through the 1986 regular season building a double-digit lead before July that only widened in the second half of the season. They lost the first game to the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
in the 1986 National League Championship Series
1986 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 8, 1986 at Astrodome in Houston, TexasGame 1 featured a pitching duel between eventual NLCS Most Valuable Player Mike Scott and Dwight Gooden. Scott allowed just five hits and walked one while striking out 14 in a complete-game effort as the host Astros prevailed 1–0...
but Ojeda pitched a complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
to easily win Game 2. He also started Game 6 but quickly gave up three runs in the first inning. The Mets didn't recover until the ninth but won the game in an epic sixteen innings to earn a trip to the World Series. Coincidentally for Ojeda, the Mets' opponents in the World Series were Ojeda's old team, the Boston Red Sox.
The Mets had easily won their division with 108 wins – by far the most in the majors – and won the NLCS in six games. In contrast, the Red Sox won their division by only five-and-a-half games and then had to overcome a three-games-to-one deficit to squeak by the California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
in the 1986 American League Championship Series
1986 American League Championship Series
The 1986 American League Championship Series was a back-and-forth battle between the Boston Red Sox and the California Angels for the right to advance to the 1986 World Series to face the winner of the 1986 National League Championship Series...
. Despite the apparent disparity, the Red Sox shocked the Mets by winning the first two games of the World Series at Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
. With the Mets back in Boston staring at disaster, Bob Ojeda pitched in Game 3 and cruised to a Series-saving 7-1 victory.
When the Mets' ace, Dwight Gooden
Dwight Gooden
Dwight Eugene Gooden , nicknamed "Doc Gooden" or "Dr. K", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was one of the most dominant and feared pitchers in the National League in the middle and late 1980s.-Career:...
, again faltered in Game 5, they needed another big performance in Game 6. They turned to Ojeda again but, this time, he was less than perfect, giving up two early runs. The Mets recovered later to tie and Ojeda left the game with a no-decision. When the Red Sox scored again to take the lead, they turned to the pitcher they traded Ojeda for, Calvin Schiraldi, to close out the World Series. Instead, Schiraldi gave up the lead after just five batters. With another chance to close out the first Boston championship since 1918
1918 World Series
The 1918 World Series featured the Boston Red Sox, who defeated the Chicago Cubs four games to two. The Series victory for the Red Sox was their fifth in five tries, going back to . The Red Sox scored only nine runs in the entire Series; the fewest runs by the winning team in World Series history...
, Schiraldi let the tenth inning turn into a legendary comeback and nightmare for Bill Buckner
Bill Buckner
William Joseph Buckner is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. Despite winning a batting crown in , representing the Chicago Cubs at the All-Star Game the following season and accumulating over 2,700 hits in his twenty-year career, he is best remembered for a fielding error during Game 6...
and the Red Sox.
Ojeda had surgery in May 1987 and missed most of that season. He pitched well in 1988 and in September The Mets clinched the NL East. This victory marked a point where Ojeda's luck would change as he was involved in a bizarre incident where the tip of his left middle finger was severed by an electric hedge trimmer. After microsurgery to reattach his fingertip (and save his career), he missed the playoffs and the Mets lost the NLCS. Ojeda did not recover well, declining in 1989 and spending most of 1990 pitching out of the bullpen. After 1990, he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
for Hubie Brooks
Hubie Brooks
Hubert Brooks, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball player. During his career, he played as a third baseman, shortstop and right fielder for the New York Mets , Montreal Expos , Los Angeles Dodgers , California Angels and Kansas City Royals .Brooks played varsity baseball...
.
End of career and boating accident
In his first season with the Dodgers, Ojeda pitched well as their only left-handed starter. He won an important game in the heat of a pennant race but the Dodgers lost three of their last four games and missed the playoffs. In 1992, his numbers sank some and he became a free agent after the season. (Ojeda was the last left-handed pitcher to start for the Dodgers for five years.) After six weeks as a free agent, he was signed by the Cleveland IndiansCleveland 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...
.
The Indians were in Winter Haven for 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 March 22, 1993 when Ojeda went on a boat ride with new teammates Steve Olin
Steve Olin
Steven Robert Olin was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for four seasons in the American League with the Cleveland Indians. In 195 career games, Olin pitched 273 innings and posted a win–loss record of 16–19, with 48 saves, 118 games finished, and a 3.10 earned...
and Tim Crews
Tim Crews
Stanley Timothy Crews was a Major League Baseball pitcher who pitched six seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers -- to . He was granted free agency after the 1992 season and signed with the Cleveland Indians on January 22, 1993....
at Crews's home in Clermont, Florida
Clermont, Florida
Clermont is a city in Lake County, Florida, United States, west of Orlando. The population was 13,100 in 2008. The city is essentially residential in character and its economy is centered in retail trade, lodging, and food and beverage establishments, which are tourism oriented. The historic...
. Crews was legally drunk and it was nearly dark when the boat struck a pier on Little Lake Nellie, killing Crews and Olin. It was the first death of active major league players since Thurman Munson
Thurman Munson
Thurman Lee Munson was an American Major League Baseball catcher. He played his entire 11-year career for the New York Yankees...
in . Ojeda suffered major head lacerations and sat out most of the season to recuperate both physically and mentally. He attributed the fact that he was slouching in his seat at the time of the accident for saving his life. He returned late that season and had a respectable 4.40 ERA in 43 innings. http://espn.go.com/page2/tvlistings/show155_transcript.html
Ojeda became a free agent after the 1993 season. He was signed by the New York Yankees
New 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...
for 1994 but pitched poorly in two games and was soon released. He retired as a player soon after.
Post-retirement
Since retiring, Bob Ojeda was out of the public eye until 2001 when he was hired as the pitching coach for the Mets A-level Brooklyn CyclonesBrooklyn Cyclones
The Brooklyn Cyclones is a minor league baseball team in the Short-Season A classification New York - Penn League, affiliated with the New York Mets. The Cyclones play at MCU Park just off the Coney Island boardwalk in the New York City borough of Brooklyn....
. After two seasons in Brooklyn, he was promoted to be the pitching coach of the AA Binghamton Mets
Binghamton Mets
The Binghamton Mets are a U.S. minor league baseball team based in Binghamton, New York. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club...
for .
In 2003, the major league Mets suffered with terrible pitching throughout the year, resulting in pitching coach Vern Ruhle
Vern Ruhle
Vernon Gerald Ruhle was an American right-handed pitcher and coach in Major League Baseball who played thirteen seasons from 1974 to 1986, primarily with the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros....
being fired. While they were searching for a new coach, Ojeda's name was mentioned as a possibility but the job ultimately went to Rick Peterson
Rick Peterson
Erick Harding "Rick" Peterson is a former pitcher and pitching coach in Major League Baseball. He was a pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, but is most notable as the pitching coach for the Oakland Athletics and New York Mets...
who was Mets' manager Art Howe
Art Howe
Arthur Henry Howe Jr. is a former Major League Baseball infielder, coach, scout and manager. He is an alumnus of the University of Wyoming...
's former coach with the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
. Not long after, Ojeda left the Mets, criticizing the organization as a whole but saying his unsuccessful candidacy for pitching coach was not a factor. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/story/154055p-135547c.html
In , Ojeda was named the pitching coach for the Can-Am League's
Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball
The Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, based in Durham, North Carolina, is a professional, independent baseball league located in the Northeastern United States and the Canadian province of Quebec. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is...
Worcester Tornadoes
Worcester Tornadoes
The Worcester Tornadoes are a professional baseball team based in Worcester, Massachusetts, in the United States. The Tornadoes are a member of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball, an independent baseball league which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
under Worcester manager and Ojeda's former batterymate, Rich Gedman
Rich Gedman
Richard Leo Gedman is a former Major League Baseball catcher and left-handed batter who played with the Boston Red Sox , Houston Astros and St...
, helping the team win the Can-Am championship in its first year. After the 2007 season, Ojeda left the coaching staff to join the front office.
In 2009, Ojeda joined SportsNet New York as a Pre-Game and Post-Game studio analyst for New York Mets Broadcasts with Chris Carlin
Chris Carlin
Chris Carlin is an American television and radio personality. Along with on-air partner Bob Ojeda, co-hosts pre- and post-game telecasts for New York Mets games on local New York television station SNY...
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2009/03/26/2009-03-26_meet_mets_sny_studio_team_chris_carlin_a.html
Ojeda has a wife, a son and five daughters. They currently reside in Rumson, New Jersey
Rumson, New Jersey
Rumson is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,122.Rumson was formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 15, 1907, from portions of Shrewsbury Township, based on the results of a...
.