Francis Beltrán
Encyclopedia
Francis LeBron Beltrán is a Major League Baseball
relief pitcher
who is currently a member of the York Revolution
of the Atlantic League
.
signed Beltran as an undrafted free agent in and assigned him to the Arizona League Cubs, their rookie
-level minor league
affiliate. Beltran spent three seasons (–) with the Arizona team, with a combined record
of 1–3, with an earned run average
(ERA) of 3.99 in 35 appearances. Midway through the 1999 season, the Cubs promoted him to the Single-A Eugene Emeralds
. There his ERA ballooned to 8.36, and the Cubs kept him in Eugene for the season. Beltran's ERA improved to 2.68, and the Cubs promoted him to the Single-A Lansing Lugnuts
, where he went 1–1 with a 9.86 ERA. In , the Cubs moved Beltran up to the Single-A Daytona Cubs
, where he went 6–9 with an ERA of 5.00. In November of that year, the Cubs signaled their confidence in Beltran by adding him to their 40-man roster.
In , the Cubs promoted Beltran to the Double-A West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx. Beltran got off to a good start; by the end of June he was 1–2 with 12 saves and an ERA of 3.42. On June 27, the Cubs called up Beltran to replace Jason Bere
, who had gone on the disabled list
with a contusion to his right knee. Beltran made his major league debut on June 28, 2002 in an interleague
game against the crosstown rival Chicago White Sox
. Beltran walked
two over a third of an inning but, did not surrender a run
. In a second appearance on July 1, Beltran gave up one run in two-thirds of an inning while striking out
one. The next day, the Cubs sent him back to West Tennessee to make room for reliever Tom "Flash" Gordon
. In August, the Cubs recalled Beltran as reliever Juan Cruz
went on the disabled list. Beltran appeared in an additional nine games for the Cubs, with an overall ERA of 7.50.
The Cubs invited Beltran to spring training
in , but he started the year with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs
; the first time he had played for that team. Beltran pitched the whole year at Iowa, going 6–2 with a 2.96 ERA. The Cubs briefly recalled him in June after David Kelton
was sent down, but optioned him back to Iowa before he made an appearance. In July, there was talk that Beltran would be the player to be named later
in a deal between the Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates
in which the Cubs sent José Hernández
and Matt Bruback to the Pirates in exchange for Kenny Lofton
and Aramis Ramirez
; in the end the Pirates took Bobby Hill. Beltran's season ended early because of biceps tendinitis, but during the off-season played in the Caribbean World Series
and was named series MVP
. The Cubs had him marked down as their future closer
. Beltran began the year with Iowa after a "horrendous" spring training. After just a few appearances, however, the Cubs recalled him to replace Andy Pratt, who had struggled. Said manager Dusty Baker
of Beltran: "[He] was doing well down there [in Iowa], and we felt he deserved a chance."
Beltran made 35 appearances for the Cubs that year, posting a 2–2 record with a 4.36 ERA. He struck out 40 batters in 35 innings, but also gave up eight home run
s, including a record-breaking 503-foot shot by Richie Sexson
in Bank One Ballpark on April 26, 2004. On July 21, 2004, the Cubs sent Beltran back to Iowa and replaced him with Jon Leicester
. A week later, he was traded to the Montreal Expos
as part of a four-team deal which sent Nomar Garciaparra
to the Cubs. The Expos optioned Beltran to the Triple-A Edmonton Trappers
.
. Beltran remained with the Expos as they became the Washington Nationals
, but sat out the entire season because of elbow surgery. He missed much of the season as well, making a combined 10 appearances with the Gulf Coast Nationals
and New Orleans Zephyrs
, and was released at the end of the year.
signed Beltran to a minor-league contract and sent him to the Triple-A Norfolk Tides
. Beltran did not get the call and spent the entire year in Norfolk, going 2–9 with a 4.70 ERA and eight saves.
, but was called up almost immediately after the Tigers received word that injured reliever Fernando Rodney
's return to the team would be delayed (Rodney would return in June). Beltran made five appearances for the Tigers, allowing five runs in 4 1/3 innings for an ERA of 5.79. The Tigers designated him for assignment
, and after he cleared waivers returned him to Toledo. He was recalled by Detroit on August 13, but was designated for assignment on August 26, and was sent outright to the minors the following day. Detroit released him at the end of the 2008 season.
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...
relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A 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...
who is currently a member of the York Revolution
York Revolution
The York Revolution is an American professional baseball team based in York, Pennsylvania. It is a member of the Freedom Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent league not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
of the 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...
.
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago CubsChicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
signed Beltran as an undrafted free agent in and assigned him to the Arizona League Cubs, their rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
-level minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor 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...
affiliate. Beltran spent three seasons (–) with the Arizona team, with a combined record
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...
of 1–3, with an 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...
(ERA) of 3.99 in 35 appearances. Midway through the 1999 season, the Cubs promoted him to the Single-A Eugene Emeralds
Eugene Emeralds
The Eugene Emeralds is a minor league baseball team in Eugene, Oregon, United States. They are a short-season Class A team in the Northwest League, and have been a farm team of the San Diego Padres since 2001....
. There his ERA ballooned to 8.36, and the Cubs kept him in Eugene for the season. Beltran's ERA improved to 2.68, and the Cubs promoted him to the Single-A Lansing Lugnuts
Lansing Lugnuts
The Lansing Lugnuts are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays, that plays in the Midwest League.The Midwest League came to Lansing, Michigan in 1996. The franchise began in Lafayette, Indiana, in 1955; after two seasons it moved to Waterloo, Iowa, where it...
, where he went 1–1 with a 9.86 ERA. In , the Cubs moved Beltran up to the Single-A Daytona Cubs
Daytona Cubs
The Daytona Cubs are a minor league baseball team based in Daytona Beach, Florida. The team plays in the Florida State League , and is the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs major league club. The Cubs play at Jackie Robinson Ballpark; opened in 1914, the park seats 5,100 fans.The...
, where he went 6–9 with an ERA of 5.00. In November of that year, the Cubs signaled their confidence in Beltran by adding him to their 40-man roster.
In , the Cubs promoted Beltran to the Double-A West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx. Beltran got off to a good start; by the end of June he was 1–2 with 12 saves and an ERA of 3.42. On June 27, the Cubs called up Beltran to replace Jason Bere
Jason Bere
Jason Phillip Bere is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for parts of 11 seasons from to...
, who had gone 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:...
with a contusion to his right knee. Beltran made his major league debut on June 28, 2002 in an interleague
Interleague play
Interleague play is the term used to describe regular season Major League Baseball games played between teams in different leagues, introduced in . Before the 1997 season, teams in the American League and National League did not meet during the regular season...
game against the crosstown rival 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...
. Beltran 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...
two over a third of an inning but, did not surrender a run
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...
. In a second appearance on July 1, Beltran gave up one run in two-thirds of an inning while striking 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....
one. The next day, the Cubs sent him back to West Tennessee to make room for reliever Tom "Flash" Gordon
Tom Gordon
Thomas Gordon , nicknamed "Flash", is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played with the Kansas City Royals , Boston Red Sox , Chicago Cubs , Houston Astros , Chicago White Sox , New York Yankees , Philadelphia Phillies and the...
. In August, the Cubs recalled Beltran as reliever Juan Cruz
Juan Cruz (baseball)
Juan Carlos Cruz is a Major League Baseball pitcher.-Career:Cruz was signed for the Chicago Cubs by scout Jose Serra. He began his pro career with the Cubs' Rookie Level team, the Mesa Cubs, where he went 2-4 with a 6.10 earned run average and 36 strikeouts in only 41.1 innings pitched...
went on the disabled list. Beltran appeared in an additional nine games for the Cubs, with an overall ERA of 7.50.
The Cubs invited Beltran to 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 , but he started the year with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs are a Triple-A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, that plays in the Pacific Coast League. Their home games are played in Des Moines, Iowa, at Principal Park.-Franchise history:...
; the first time he had played for that team. Beltran pitched the whole year at Iowa, going 6–2 with a 2.96 ERA. The Cubs briefly recalled him in June after David Kelton
David Kelton
David Wayne Kelton is a former Major League Baseball player for the Chicago Cubs. He batted and threw right-handed.-Career:...
was sent down, but optioned him back to Iowa before he made an appearance. In July, there was talk that Beltran would be the player to be named later
Player to be named later
The concept of the "player to be named later" is most often associated with Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball trades.-Description:...
in a deal between the Cubs and 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...
in which the Cubs sent José Hernández
José Hernández (baseball)
José Antonio Hernández Figueroa nicknamed, "The Strikeout King" is a former Major League Baseball infielder....
and Matt Bruback to the Pirates in exchange for Kenny Lofton
Kenny Lofton
Kenneth Lofton is a former Major League Baseball outfielder known for his great speed on the base paths as well as in the field, award-winning defensive play , timely hitting, and playful spirit. He batted and threw left-handed...
and Aramis Ramirez
Aramis Ramírez
Aramis Nin Ramírez is an All-Star Major League Baseball third baseman for the Chicago Cubs.He started his professional career with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1998, before being traded to the Cubs in 2003. On November 12, 2006, Ramírez signed a five-year deal with the Cubs...
; in the end the Pirates took Bobby Hill. Beltran's season ended early because of biceps tendinitis, but during the off-season played in the Caribbean World Series
Caribbean World Series
The Caribbean Series , also called the Caribbean World Series is the highest baseball tournament at club level in Latin America. The league winners from the Winter Leagues of Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela participate in the tournament...
and was named series MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
. The Cubs had him marked down as their future closer
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
. Beltran began the year with Iowa after a "horrendous" spring training. After just a few appearances, however, the Cubs recalled him to replace Andy Pratt, who had struggled. Said manager Dusty Baker
Dusty Baker
Johnnie B. "Dusty" Baker, Jr. is a former player and current manager in Major League Baseball, currently the manager of the Cincinnati Reds. He enjoyed a 19-year career as a hard-hitting outfielder, mostly with the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers...
of Beltran: "[He] was doing well down there [in Iowa], and we felt he deserved a chance."
Beltran made 35 appearances for the Cubs that year, posting a 2–2 record with a 4.36 ERA. He struck out 40 batters in 35 innings, but also gave up eight 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, including a record-breaking 503-foot shot by Richie Sexson
Richie Sexson
Richmond Lockwood "Big Sexy" Sexson is a former Major League Baseball first baseman who played for five teams from 1997 to 2008...
in Bank One Ballpark on April 26, 2004. On July 21, 2004, the Cubs sent Beltran back to Iowa and replaced him with Jon Leicester
Jon Leicester
Jonathan David Leicester is a professional baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres organization...
. A week later, he was traded to the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
as part of a four-team deal which sent Nomar Garciaparra
Nomar Garciaparra
Anthony Nomar Garciaparra is a former Major League Baseball player. After playing parts of 9 seasons as an All-Star shortstop for the Boston Red Sox, he played third base, first base, and designated hitter for the Oakland Athletics, first base and third base for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and...
to the Cubs. The Expos optioned Beltran to the Triple-A Edmonton Trappers
Edmonton Trappers
The Edmonton Trappers were a minor league baseball team in the Pacific Coast League, ending with the 2004 season. Home games were played at Telus Field in downtown Edmonton, Alberta, Canada....
.
Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals
At Edmonton, Beltran worked as a closer and saved five games with an ERA of 1.80. The Expos recalled Beltran in mid-August; he posted a 7.53 ERA over 11 appearances. Beltran pitched the final inning of the last game played by the Expos, an 8–1 loss to the New York MetsNew 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...
. Beltran remained with the Expos as they became the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
, but sat out the entire season because of elbow surgery. He missed much of the season as well, making a combined 10 appearances with the Gulf Coast Nationals
Gulf Coast Nationals
The Gulf Coast League Nationals are the Rookie Level minor league affiliate of the Washington Nationals. The team plays in Viera, Florida, at the Washington Nationals Training Center next to Space Coast Stadium...
and New Orleans Zephyrs
New Orleans Zephyrs
The New Orleans Zephyrs are a minor league baseball team based in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. The Zephyrs play in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. The Zephyrs play their home games at Zephyr Field....
, and was released at the end of the year.
Baltimore Orioles
In , 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...
signed Beltran to a minor-league contract and sent him to the Triple-A Norfolk Tides
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...
. Beltran did not get the call and spent the entire year in Norfolk, going 2–9 with a 4.70 ERA and eight saves.
Detroit Tigers
found Beltran with the Detroit Tigers, who invited him to spring training. At the conclusion of spring training, Beltran went to the Triple-A Toledo Mud HensToledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a minor league baseball team located in Toledo, Ohio. The Mud Hens play in the International League, and are affiliated with the major league baseball team the Detroit Tigers, based approximately 50 miles to the north of Toledo. The current team is one of several...
, but was called up almost immediately after the Tigers received word that injured reliever Fernando Rodney
Fernando Rodney
Fernando Rodney is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher. Rodney throws a fastball in the mid to upper-90 miles per hour and a changeup in the low 80s.-Minor leagues:...
's return to the team would be delayed (Rodney would return in June). Beltran made five appearances for the Tigers, allowing five runs in 4 1/3 innings for an ERA of 5.79. The Tigers designated him 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 after he cleared waivers returned him to Toledo. He was recalled by Detroit on August 13, but was designated for assignment on August 26, and was sent outright to the minors the following day. Detroit released him at the end of the 2008 season.