Danny Graves
Encyclopedia
Daniel Peter Graves is a former Major League Baseball
pitcher
. Born to an American
serviceman father and a Vietnamese
mother, he is the only Vietnam-born player in the history of the major leagues, and one of the few Vietnamese-American players. Graves pitched for most of his career for the Cincinnati Reds
, where he was team's saves leader each year from 1999–2004, except for 2003 when he was a starting pitcher.
He played college baseball at the University of Miami
.
and was awarded a baseball scholarship to the University of Miami
. As a right-handed relief pitcher for the school as a junior, he posted a 0.89 earned run average
and led collegiate baseball with a school-record 21 saves
.
in the fourth round of the 1994 Major League Baseball Draft
. Two days after being drafted, he tore his ACL
during the College World Series
. After a year of rehabilitation, he was named Cleveland's top minor league pitcher of , and was in the major leagues a year later. He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds
in July .
In his first nine seasons with Cleveland and Cincinnati, Graves compiled a 40-42 record as a pitcher with 406 strikeout
s, a 3.89 ERA, and 172 saves in 755.2 innings. He is the only player ever to have more than one season in which all his hits were home run
s. This happened in and , with one homer each.
The 2005 season did not start well for Graves. He struggled, posting a 7.36 ERA through 20 games. Fans in Cincinnati took notice and consistently booed Graves, leading up to a May 23 incident when Graves made an obscene hand gesture to the crowd while being taken out of the game by the Reds' manager. He was later signed as a free agent by the New York Mets
on June 11, 2005.
After putting up a 5.89 ERA with the Mets, he was designated for assignment on August 23, 2005. He cleared waivers and was sent to Triple-A Norfolk
on August 26, but was called back up to the Mets when rosters expanded. Graves was 0-2 with an 18.00 ERA in five games with Norfolk http://www.accessnorthga.com/sports/newfullstory.asp?ID=95865.
On December 19, 2005, Graves signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians. He pitched well in spring training
, earning a spot in the Indian bullpen
, but was designated for assignment on May 12, after he opened the season with a 2-1 record and 5.79 ERA in 13 relief appearances http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060512&content_id=1451159&vkey=news_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle.
On May 18, 2006, Graves was assigned to the Indians' Triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons
, in Buffalo
. He finished the 2006 season with the Bisons, with a 4.01 ERA (1 Win 1 Loss).
Graves signed a minor league deal with the Rockies on December 19, 2006 but was released during Spring Training in March 2007 prior to the season. During the 2007 season, Graves was on the roster of the Long Island Ducks
of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
, leading the league in saves.
Graves later signed with the Minnesota Twins
on March 30, , and played for the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings
most of the year. He became a free agent at the end of the season and signed a minor league contract with the Houston Astros in January . He was released by the Astros on March 25, .
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...
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...
. Born to an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
serviceman father and a Vietnamese
Vietnamese people
The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
mother, he is the only Vietnam-born player in the history of the major leagues, and one of the few Vietnamese-American players. Graves pitched for most of his career for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, where he was team's saves leader each year from 1999–2004, except for 2003 when he was a starting pitcher.
He played college baseball at the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
.
High school and college
Graves's family moved to the U.S. when he was fourteen months old. He graduated from Brandon High School in Brandon, FloridaBrandon, Florida
Brandon is a census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a total population of 103,483.-Founding:...
and was awarded a baseball scholarship to the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
. As a right-handed relief pitcher for the school as a junior, he posted a 0.89 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...
and led collegiate baseball with a school-record 21 saves
Save (sport)
In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities successfully converted, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers...
.
Major League Baseball career
Graves was selected 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...
in the fourth round of the 1994 Major League Baseball Draft
1994 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1994 Major League Baseball draft.-Compensation picks:-Other notable players:*A.J. Pierzynski , Minnesota Twins, 3rd round*Bobby Howry , San Francisco Giants, 5th round...
. Two days after being drafted, he tore his ACL
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
during the College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
. After a year of rehabilitation, he was named Cleveland's top minor league pitcher of , and was in the major leagues a year later. He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
in July .
In his first nine seasons with Cleveland and Cincinnati, Graves compiled a 40-42 record as a pitcher with 406 strikeout
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....
s, a 3.89 ERA, and 172 saves in 755.2 innings. He is the only player ever to have more than one season in which all his hits were home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s. This happened in and , with one homer each.
The 2005 season did not start well for Graves. He struggled, posting a 7.36 ERA through 20 games. Fans in Cincinnati took notice and consistently booed Graves, leading up to a May 23 incident when Graves made an obscene hand gesture to the crowd while being taken out of the game by the Reds' manager. He was later signed as a free agent by the 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...
on June 11, 2005.
After putting up a 5.89 ERA with the Mets, he was designated for assignment on August 23, 2005. He cleared waivers and was sent to Triple-A Norfolk
Norfolk Tides
The Norfolk Tides are a minor league baseball team in the Triple-A International League. They play at Harbor Park in Norfolk, Virginia. Since 2007 they have been a farm team of the Baltimore Orioles; prior to that, they had a 38-year affiliation with the New York Mets.-Franchise history:The...
on August 26, but was called back up to the Mets when rosters expanded. Graves was 0-2 with an 18.00 ERA in five games with Norfolk http://www.accessnorthga.com/sports/newfullstory.asp?ID=95865.
On December 19, 2005, Graves signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians. He pitched well in 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...
, earning a spot in the Indian bullpen
Bullpen
In 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 designated for assignment on May 12, after he opened the season with a 2-1 record and 5.79 ERA in 13 relief appearances http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060512&content_id=1451159&vkey=news_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle.
On May 18, 2006, Graves was assigned to the Indians' Triple-A affiliate, the 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...
, in Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. He finished the 2006 season with the Bisons, with a 4.01 ERA (1 Win 1 Loss).
Graves signed a minor league deal with the Rockies on December 19, 2006 but was released during Spring Training in March 2007 prior to the season. During the 2007 season, Graves was on the roster of 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...
of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
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...
, leading the league in saves.
Graves later signed with 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...
on March 30, , and played for the Triple-A 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...
most of the year. He became a free agent at the end of the season and signed a minor league contract with the Houston Astros in January . He was released by the Astros on March 25, .