Jo-Jo Reyes
Encyclopedia
Joseph Albert "Jo-Jo" Reyes (born November 20, 1984 in West Covina, California
) is an American
professional baseball
pitcher
for the Baltimore Orioles
of Major League Baseball
. Listed at 6'2", 230 lb., Reyes bats and throws left-handed
.
out of Riverside Polytechnic High School
in the second round (43rd overall) of the 2003
MLB Draft. He spent his entire first professional season in the Gulf Coast League
. In 10 starts with the Gulf Coast Braves, Reyes went 5-3 with a 2.56 ERA
and 55 strikeout
s in 45.0 innings pitched
. He allowed just one home run
all season.
With Class-A Rome
in 2004
, Reyes struggled most of the season, going 2-5 with a 5.33 ERA. Tommy John surgery
kept him out for the end of the year and the first half of the 2005
season. He was sent back to the GCL in 2005, and after doing well received a mid-season promotion to Class-A Danville
. While his strikeout total fell (27 in 43 innings), he went 3-0 with a 3.53 ERA and posted a WHIP
of 0.99, but a torn anterior cruciate ligament
(ACL) ended his season prematurely.
In 2006
, Reyes went 8-1 with a 2.99 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP in 13 starts for Rome. He struck out 84 in 75.1 innings, and his performance during the first half of the season earned him a start in the All-Star Game for the Southern Division of the South Atlantic League
. He also received a promotion to the Braves' Advanced-A club Myrtle Beach Pelicans
. He went 4-4 with a 4.11 ERA and 1.34 WHIP.
After his 10-1 performance in 2007
, Reyes has moved ahead of left-handed Matt Harrison as the Braves' top pitching prospect. He was 8-1 with a 3.56 ERA in 13 starts at Double-A Mississippi
, with a 3.56 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 73-1/3 innings. He pitched even better since a promotion to Triple-A Richmond
, posting a 2-0 record with 27 strikeouts and a 1.57 ERA in in 23.0 innings.
On July 7, 2007 he was promoted to the Major League ball club, starting in place of the disabled
John Smoltz
against David Wells
and the San Diego Padres
. His first earned run came in the second inning on a solo home run
by Khalil Greene
. In his first plate appearance the following inning, he laid down a successful sacrifice bunt to move Jarrod Saltalamacchia
to third base. Reyes lasted only 3+ innings however, giving up five earned runs on five hits and three walks while striking out one. He received no decision in the game. Reyes earned his first Major League win on September 18, 2007 in a 4-3 Braves' win against the Florida Marlins
at Turner Field
.
The Braves hoped to find a number 5 starter in Reyes. In the 10 starts he made in 2007, he was 2-2 with an 6.22 ERA, but
with all the Braves injuries in 2008 Reyes became a regular starter.
along with Yunel Escobar
for shortstop Álex González and 2 prospects.
He made his Blue Jays debut on April 5 against the Oakland Athletics
, giving up 9 hits and 5 earned runs over just 3.1 innings.
Reyes had not won a game since June 13, 2008. On May 25, 2011, he lost against the New York Yankees
for his 28th consecutive start without earning a win, tying the Major League record set by Cliff Curtis (1910–11) and Matt Keough
(1978–79). Reyes was able to break his consecutive winless streak on May 30, 2011, with an 11-1 complete game victory over the Cleveland Indians
. The win was also the first complete game victory of the season for the Blue Jays.
In his next start on June 5 against the Baltimore Orioles
, Reyes won, pitching 6.1 innings with 4 walks and 3 strikeouts. With the win, Reyes won consecutive starts for the first time in his career. On July 23, he was designated for assignment
after making 20 starts in 2011, recording a 5.40 ERA and a 5–8 win–loss record.
.
On August 31, Reyes faced the Blue Jays for the first time since being released. He pitched only 2.2 innings, surrendering 8 hits and 7 earned runs, while striking out 2. The Orioles went on to lose 13-0.
West Covina, California
West Covina is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. Located some east of Downtown Los Angeles in the eastern San Gabriel Valley, it is a mostly middle class suburb of Los Angeles...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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 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...
of 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...
. Listed at 6'2", 230 lb., Reyes 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...
.
Atlanta Braves
Reyes was drafted by the Atlanta BravesAtlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
out of Riverside Polytechnic High School
Riverside Polytechnic High School
Riverside Polytechnic High School is a four-year public high school in Riverside, California, United States, and part of the Riverside Unified School District...
in the second round (43rd overall) of the 2003
2003 in baseball
-Headline event of the year:*The Florida Marlins become World Series champions, holding off a dynastic New York Yankees team, 4 games to 2.-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champion - Florida Marlins...
MLB Draft. He spent his entire first professional season in the Gulf Coast League
Gulf Coast League
The Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
. In 10 starts with the Gulf Coast Braves, Reyes went 5-3 with a 2.56 ERA
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 55 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 in 45.0 innings pitched
Innings pitched
In 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...
. He allowed just one 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...
all season.
With Class-A Rome
Rome Braves
The Rome Braves are a Class-A minor league affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. In 2003, the team, previously known as the Macon Braves, moved from Macon, Georgia, to Rome, Georgia, 60 miles northwest of Atlanta....
in 2004
2004 in baseball
-Headline events of the year:*The Boston Red Sox win their first World Series since , ending the Curse of the Bambino.*With 262 hits, Ichiro Suzuki of the Mariners breaks George Sisler's record of 257. Suzuki also sets the record for most singles in a season, with 225.*2004 also marked the final...
, Reyes struggled most of the season, going 2-5 with a 5.33 ERA. Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery, known in medical practice as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body...
kept him out for the end of the year and the first half of the 2005
2005 in baseball
-Headline events of the year:*Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros to win the 2005 World Series.*2005 also marked the inaugural season of the Washington Nationals, who relocated from Montreal and were formerly known as the Expos....
season. He was sent back to the GCL in 2005, and after doing well received a mid-season promotion to Class-A Danville
Danville Braves
The Danville Braves are a minor league baseball team in Danville, Virginia, USA. They are an Advanced Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League and have been a farm team of the Atlanta Braves since 1993. The Braves play home games at American Legion Post 325 Field...
. While his strikeout total fell (27 in 43 innings), he went 3-0 with a 3.53 ERA and posted a WHIP
Walks plus hits per inning pitched
In baseball statistics, walks plus hits per inning pitched is a sabermetric measurement of the number of baserunners a pitcher has allowed per inning pitched. It is a measure of a pitcher's ability to prevent batters from reaching base...
of 0.99, but a torn anterior cruciate ligament
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...
(ACL) ended his season prematurely.
In 2006
2006 in baseball
-Headline Event of the Year:*The 2006 World Baseball Classic final 4 teams are Japan, Cuba, Korea and the Dominican Republic, with the United States at 3–3 failing to qualify for the semi-finals. Under the leadership of manager Sadaharu Oh and veterans Ichiro Suzuki and Daisuke Matsuzaka, Japan ...
, Reyes went 8-1 with a 2.99 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP in 13 starts for Rome. He struck out 84 in 75.1 innings, and his performance during the first half of the season earned him a start in the All-Star Game for the Southern Division of the South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
. He also received a promotion to the Braves' Advanced-A club Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are a minor league baseball team in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. They are a Class A Advanced team in the Carolina League and the franchise is currently the farm team of the Texas Rangers. From their inaugural season until 2010, the Pelicans were an affiliate of the...
. He went 4-4 with a 4.11 ERA and 1.34 WHIP.
After his 10-1 performance in 2007
2007 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champion – [Boston Red Sox]*Postseason – October 2 to October 28Click on any series score to link to that series' page....
, Reyes has moved ahead of left-handed Matt Harrison as the Braves' top pitching prospect. He was 8-1 with a 3.56 ERA in 13 starts at Double-A Mississippi
Mississippi Braves
The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they are referred to locally, are a minor league baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson. The team is the Class AA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, and plays in the Southern League. The team is owned and operated by Liberty Media, which...
, with a 3.56 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 73-1/3 innings. He pitched even better since a promotion to Triple-A Richmond
Richmond Braves
The Richmond Braves were the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and played in the International League. Colloquially referred to as the R-Braves, they were based in Richmond, Virginia, where they played from 1966, when the Milwaukee Braves moved to Atlanta where their AAA team, the Crackers,...
, posting a 2-0 record with 27 strikeouts and a 1.57 ERA in in 23.0 innings.
On July 7, 2007 he was promoted to the Major League ball club, starting in place of the disabled
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:...
John Smoltz
John Smoltz
John Andrew Smoltz is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and active sportscaster. He is best known for his prolific career of more than two decades with the Atlanta Braves, in which he garnered eight All-Star selections and received the Cy Young Award in 1996...
against David Wells
David Wells
David Lee Wells , nicknamed "Boomer", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Wells was considered to be one of the game's better left-handed pitchers, especially during his years with the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays. He pitched the fifteenth perfect game in baseball history...
and the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
. His first earned run came in the second inning on a solo 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...
by Khalil Greene
Khalil Greene
Khalil Thabit Greene is a Major League Baseball shortstop who is currently a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed.-High school and college:...
. In his first plate appearance the following inning, he laid down a successful sacrifice bunt to move Jarrod Saltalamacchia
Jarrod Saltalamacchia
Jarrod Scott Saltalamacchia , nicknamed "Salty" is an American professional baseball catcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.His last name is the longest in Major League Baseball history...
to third base. Reyes lasted only 3+ innings however, giving up five earned runs on five hits and three walks while striking out one. He received no decision in the game. Reyes earned his first Major League win on September 18, 2007 in a 4-3 Braves' win against 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...
at Turner Field
Turner Field
Turner Field is a stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, home to Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves since 1997. Turner Field was originally built as Centennial Olympic Stadium, it was completed in 1996 to serve as the centerpiece of the 1996 Summer Olympics...
.
The Braves hoped to find a number 5 starter in Reyes. In the 10 starts he made in 2007, he was 2-2 with an 6.22 ERA, but
with all the Braves injuries in 2008 Reyes became a regular starter.
Toronto Blue Jays
On July 14, 2010, Jo-Jo Reyes was traded to the Toronto Blue JaysToronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
along with Yunel Escobar
Yunel Escobar
Yunel Almenares Escobar is a professional baseball shortstop with the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball.-Early life:Escobar was born in Havana, Cuba...
for shortstop Álex González and 2 prospects.
He made his Blue Jays debut on April 5 against 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....
, giving up 9 hits and 5 earned runs over just 3.1 innings.
Reyes had not won a game since June 13, 2008. On May 25, 2011, he lost 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...
for his 28th consecutive start without earning a win, tying the Major League record set by Cliff Curtis (1910–11) and Matt Keough
Matt Keough
Matthew Lon Keough Drafted by the Oakland A's out of Corona del Mar High School in 1973. Keough is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from through for the Oakland Athletics , New York Yankees , St. Louis Cardinals , Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros...
(1978–79). Reyes was able to break his consecutive winless streak on May 30, 2011, with an 11-1 complete game victory over the 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...
. The win was also the first complete game victory of the season for the Blue Jays.
In his next start on June 5 against 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...
, Reyes won, pitching 6.1 innings with 4 walks and 3 strikeouts. With the win, Reyes won consecutive starts for the first time in his career. On July 23, he 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...
after making 20 starts in 2011, recording a 5.40 ERA and a 5–8 win–loss record.
Baltimore Orioles
On August 2, he was claimed off waivers by 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...
.
On August 31, Reyes faced the Blue Jays for the first time since being released. He pitched only 2.2 innings, surrendering 8 hits and 7 earned runs, while striking out 2. The Orioles went on to lose 13-0.