Denny Bautista
Encyclopedia
Denny M. Bautista is Dominican
professional baseball
pitcher
for the Hanwha Eagles of the Korean Baseball Organization
. He also played in Major League Baseball
for the Baltimore Orioles
, Kansas City Royals
, Colorado Rockies
, Detroit Tigers
, Pittsburgh Pirates
, and San Francisco Giants
.
, Ramón Martínez and Juan Guzmán. Pedro, then one of baseball's outstanding starting pitchers, mentored Bautista and trained with him during the off-season. The relationship between the two has been reported, variously, as first cousin and second cousin, with Bautista at one point denying there was a connection at all. Bautista finally confirmed that he and Martínez are second cousins through Bautista's mother.
The Florida Marlins
signed Bautista on June 21, 2000, and assigned him to the Gulf Coast Marlins
, their rookie-level minor league affiliate. He started 11 games for the Marlins, posting a 6-2 record with an ERA of 2.43. He split 2001 between the Single-A Utica Blue Sox
and the Single-A Kane County Cougars
, going a combined 6-2 with an ERA of 3.23. 2002 found him with another Single-A team, the Jupiter Hammerheads
, where he went 4-6 with an ERA of 5.01. He recovered in 2003, pitching for first the Hammerheads and then the Double-A Carolina Mudcats
, going 12-9 on the year with an improved ERA of 3.42.
for veteran Jeff Conine
. The Orioles assigned Bautista to the Double-A Bowie Baysox
, where he went 3-5 with a 4.71 ERA during the 2004 season. It was during this year that Bautista made his major league debut: the Orioles called him up as part of a roster reshuffle, and he made his first appearance, in relief, on May 25, 2004 against the New York Yankees
. He managed to retire the side in order the first inning he pitched, but later got into difficulties and surrendered four runs on three hits. After a second relief appearance amid a three-game sweep of the Orioles by the Yankees Bautista was sent back to Bowie. A month later the Orioles traded him to the Kansas City Royals
for veteran relief pitcher Jason Grimsley
.
, where he went 4-3 with an ERA of 2.52. After a productive spring training
in 2005 Bautista was named to the Royals' starting rotation; he started seven games, going 2-2 with an ERA of 5.80 before tendinitis in his shoulder put him on the disabled list
for the remainder of the season. On April 8, 2005, Bautista won his first major-league game, holding the Los Angeles Angels to one run in eight innings pitched.
At the start of the 2006 season Bautista was again on the Royals' starting rotation, but after a poor start, going 0-2 with an ERA of 5.66, the Royals sent him to the Triple-A Omaha Royals
. There he continued to struggle, and on August 1 the Royals traded him with Jeremy Affeldt
to the Colorado Rockies
for Ryan Shealy
and Scott Dohmann
.
, where he started six games before being called up to the Rockies in September. He appeared in four games, three of them in relief. He began the 2007 season in the bullpen, but was optioned to the Sky Sox in May, and spent the remainder of the season there. On December 4 the Rockies traded Bautista to the Detroit Tigers
for pitcher José Capellán.
, Bautista was designated for assignment
and was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates
on June 25, 2008 for right-handed pitcher Kyle Pearson
.
stated "We'd like to get him back." On December 22, 2008, he re-signed with the Pirates.
with an invite to Spring Training. He was recalled to the major league team on May 7, 2010. On August 5, 2010, Bautista was designated for assignment by the Giants and outrighted to Triple-A Fresno on August 11. He refused a minor league assignment on August 12, and became a free agent.
including an invite to Spring Training. He was later released by Seattle.
He was granted free agency so he can signed with Hanwha Eagles
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
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 Hanwha Eagles of the Korean Baseball Organization
Korean Baseball Organization
Korea Professional Baseball is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea. The Korean romanization is Hanguk Peuro Yagu , a league title which mirrors Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. Korea Professional Baseball was originally founded with six teams in 1982 and currently has eight...
. He also played in 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...
for the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The 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...
, 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...
, Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
, 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...
, Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, and San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
.
Florida Marlins
Bautista had an early connection to Major League Baseball: as a teenager he pitched in a park built by professional baseball players Pedro MartínezPedro Martínez
Pedro Jaime Martínez is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He is an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2004 World Series champion...
, Ramón Martínez and Juan Guzmán. Pedro, then one of baseball's outstanding starting pitchers, mentored Bautista and trained with him during the off-season. The relationship between the two has been reported, variously, as first cousin and second cousin, with Bautista at one point denying there was a connection at all. Bautista finally confirmed that he and Martínez are second cousins through Bautista's mother.
The Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
signed Bautista on June 21, 2000, and assigned him to the Gulf Coast Marlins
Gulf Coast Marlins
The Gulf Coast League Marlins are one of the Rookie Level minor league affiliates of the Miami Marlins. The team plays in Jupiter, Florida, at Roger Dean Stadium...
, their rookie-level minor league affiliate. He started 11 games for the Marlins, posting a 6-2 record with an ERA of 2.43. He split 2001 between the Single-A Utica Blue Sox
Utica Blue Sox
The Utica Blue Sox were a minor league baseball team based in Utica, New York. In their most recent incarnation, the Blue Sox played in the Short-Season A classification New York - Penn League from 1977-2001, with their home games at Donovan Stadium at Murnane Field...
and the Single-A Kane County Cougars
Kane County Cougars
The Kane County Cougars are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Kansas City Royals, that plays in the Midwest League. Their home games are played in Geneva, Illinois, about 35 miles west of Chicago....
, going a combined 6-2 with an ERA of 3.23. 2002 found him with another Single-A team, the Jupiter Hammerheads
Jupiter Hammerheads
The Jupiter Hammerheads are a minor league baseball team based in Jupiter, Florida, named for the hammerhead shark.The team, which plays in the Florida State League, is the Class A Advanced affiliate of the Miami Marlins major-league club....
, where he went 4-6 with an ERA of 5.01. He recovered in 2003, pitching for first the Hammerheads and then the Double-A Carolina Mudcats
Carolina Mudcats
The Carolina Mudcats are a minor league baseball team based in the eastern suburbs of Raleigh, North Carolina. The team, which plays in the Carolina League, are the Single-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians major-league club beginning in 2012.-History:...
, going 12-9 on the year with an improved ERA of 3.42.
Baltimore Orioles
On August 31, 2003 the Marlins traded Bautista and fellow minor-leaguer Don Levinski to the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore Orioles
The 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...
for veteran Jeff Conine
Jeff Conine
Jeffrey Guy Conine is a former Major League Baseball first baseman/outfielder who played several years with the Florida Marlins. Previously, Conine played with the Kansas City Royals , Florida Marlins , Baltimore Orioles , Philadelphia Phillies , Cincinnati Reds , and New York Mets . He batted and...
. The Orioles assigned Bautista to the Double-A Bowie Baysox
Bowie Baysox
The Bowie Baysox are a minor league baseball team located in Bowie, Maryland. They are the class-AA affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, and play in the Eastern League...
, where he went 3-5 with a 4.71 ERA during the 2004 season. It was during this year that Bautista made his major league debut: the Orioles called him up as part of a roster reshuffle, and he made his first appearance, in relief, on May 25, 2004 against 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...
. He managed to retire the side in order the first inning he pitched, but later got into difficulties and surrendered four runs on three hits. After a second relief appearance amid a three-game sweep of the Orioles by the Yankees Bautista was sent back to Bowie. A month later the Orioles traded him to 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...
for veteran relief pitcher Jason Grimsley
Jason Grimsley
Jason Alan Grimsley is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He made his debut on September 8, , and pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, Anaheim Angels, New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals, Baltimore Orioles, and most recently, the Arizona Diamondbacks.-Major league...
.
Kansas City Royals
The Royals assigned Bautista to the Double-A Wichita WranglersWichita Wranglers
The Wichita Wranglers were a minor league baseball team based in Wichita, Kansas. The team, which played in the Texas League, was the Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals major-league club from 1995 to 2007, and of the San Diego Padres from 1987 to 1994. The Wranglers played in...
, where he went 4-3 with an ERA of 2.52. After a productive 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 2005 Bautista was named to the Royals' starting rotation; he started seven games, going 2-2 with an ERA of 5.80 before tendinitis in his shoulder put him on the disabled list
Disabled list
In 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:...
for the remainder of the season. On April 8, 2005, Bautista won his first major-league game, holding the Los Angeles Angels to one run in eight innings pitched.
At the start of the 2006 season Bautista was again on the Royals' starting rotation, but after a poor start, going 0-2 with an ERA of 5.66, the Royals sent him to the Triple-A Omaha Royals
Omaha Royals
The Omaha Storm Chasers are a United States minor league baseball team currently based in the Omaha suburb of Papillion, Nebraska. The team is the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals major league club and has been a member of the expanded Pacific Coast League since 1998. From 1969 to 1997,...
. There he continued to struggle, and on August 1 the Royals traded him with Jeremy Affeldt
Jeremy Affeldt
Jeremy David Affeldt is an American baseball professional pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He throws and bats left-handed. Previously, he has played for the Kansas City Royals, the Colorado Rockies, and the Cincinnati Reds....
to the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
for Ryan Shealy
Ryan Shealy
Ryan Nelson Shealy is an American professional baseball player who has played six seasons in Major League Baseball as a first baseman. Shealy played college baseball for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals and Boston Red...
and Scott Dohmann
Scott Dohmann
Christopher Scott Dohmann is an American baseball pitcher, who is currently a free agent. Dohmann graduated from St. Thomas More High School where he was a member of two district champion teams...
.
Colorado Rockies
The Rockies assigned Bautista to the Triple-A Colorado Springs Sky SoxColorado Springs Sky Sox
The Colorado Springs Sky Sox are a minor league baseball team in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team's colors are red and blue. The team plays in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the major league Colorado Rockies...
, where he started six games before being called up to the Rockies in September. He appeared in four games, three of them in relief. He began the 2007 season in the bullpen, but was optioned to the Sky Sox in May, and spent the remainder of the season there. On December 4 the Rockies traded Bautista to 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...
for pitcher José Capellán.
Detroit Tigers
Bautista began the 2008 with the Tigers in a relief role, often pitching in the eighth-inning as the "setup man" for veteran closer Todd Jones. Due to the return of Joel ZumayaJoel Zumaya
Joel Martin Zumaya is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher known for his record-breaking fastballs.-Baseball career:...
, Bautista was designated for assignment
Designated for assignment
Designated for assignment is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball. When a player is designated for assignment, he is immediately removed from the club's 40-man roster. This gives the club 10 days to decide what to do with the player while freeing up a roster spot for another...
and was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
on June 25, 2008 for right-handed pitcher Kyle Pearson
Kyle Pearson
Kyle Pearson is a minor league baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He last played in the Detroit Tigers organization....
.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Bautista made thirty-five appearances for the Pirates in , all in relief. After a strong start in late June and early July his numbers declined, and he finished the year with a 4-3 record and an ERA of 6.10. Bautista was eligible for arbitration but the Pirates declined to tender an offer, although general manager Neal HuntingtonNeal Huntington
Neal Alden Huntington is the 12th person to serve as General Manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball organization...
stated "We'd like to get him back." On December 22, 2008, he re-signed with the Pirates.
San Francisco Giants
On January 21, 2010, Bautista signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco GiantsSan Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
with an invite to Spring Training. He was recalled to the major league team on May 7, 2010. On August 5, 2010, Bautista was designated for assignment by the Giants and outrighted to Triple-A Fresno on August 11. He refused a minor league assignment on August 12, and became a free agent.
Seattle Mariners
On December 14, 2010, Bautista signed a minor league contract with the Seattle MarinersSeattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
including an invite to Spring Training. He was later released by Seattle.
He was granted free agency so he can signed with Hanwha Eagles