Jose Mijares
Encyclopedia
José Manuel Mijares is a left-handed
major league
pitcher
with the Minnesota Twins
.
on March 2, and bounced around every level of the Twins' farm system-- having risen as high as the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings
in . He was awarded the Gulf Coast League
Rolaids Relief Man Award
in and elected to be an All-Star
in the Eastern League in 2007.
On January 24, , he was re-signed to a one-year deal, and on March 9, 2008, he was cut from spring training
and optioned to the Double-A New Britain Rock Cats
of the Eastern League. He also spent part of the 2008 season with the Gulf Coast League Twins
and Fort Myers Miracle
before ended the minor league
season again assigned to the Rock Cats.
In September 2008, Mijares received a call up to the Minnesota Twins, and made his major league debut on September 13 against the Baltimore Orioles
. The Twins won that game 12–6. Mijares wound up becoming the Twins main set-up man for the remainder of the season.
Following a rocky spring training
camp, he was reassigned to Rochester
. On April 20, Twins set-up man Jesse Crain
went on the fifteen day disabled list
with shoulder inflammation, and Mijares was brought back up to the big club to fill the roster spot. In his first appearance of the season, he pitched a perfect eighth inning in Boston
in the Twins' 7–3 loss to the Red Sox.
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...
major league
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...
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...
.
Baseball career
Mijares signed with the Twins as a free agentFree 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....
on March 2, and bounced around every level of the Twins' farm system-- having risen as high as 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...
in . He was awarded 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...
Rolaids Relief Man Award
Rolaids Relief Man Award
The Rolaids Relief Man Award is an annual Major League Baseball award given since the 1976 MLB season to the top relief pitchers of the regular season, one in the American League and one in the National League . Relief pitchers are the pitchers who enter the game after the starting pitcher is...
in and elected to be an All-Star
All-star
All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
in the Eastern League in 2007.
On January 24, , he was re-signed to a one-year deal, and on March 9, 2008, he was cut from 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...
and optioned to the Double-A New Britain Rock Cats
New Britain Rock Cats
The New Britain Rock Cats are the Double-A minor league baseball affiliate of the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball club. They compete in the Eastern League and play their home games at New Britain Stadium in New Britain, Connecticut.-History:...
of the Eastern League. He also spent part of the 2008 season with the Gulf Coast League Twins
Gulf Coast League Twins
The Gulf Coast League Twins are the Rookie "A" Level Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. The team plays in Fort Myers, Florida, at the Lee County Sports Complex....
and Fort Myers Miracle
Fort Myers Miracle
The Fort Myers Miracle is the Class A Advanced minor league baseball affiliate of the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball club, currently managed by Jake Mauer. Home games are played at the Lee County Sports Complex in Hammond Stadium, which has a capacity of 7,500, and opened in...
before ended the minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
season again assigned to the Rock Cats.
In September 2008, Mijares received a call up to the Minnesota Twins, and made his major league debut on September 13 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...
. The Twins won that game 12–6. Mijares wound up becoming the Twins main set-up man for the remainder of the season.
Following a rocky 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...
camp, he was reassigned to Rochester
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...
. On April 20, Twins set-up man Jesse Crain
Jesse Crain
Jesse Alan Crain is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher with the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball.-High school and college:...
went on the fifteen day 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 shoulder inflammation, and Mijares was brought back up to the big club to fill the roster spot. In his first appearance of the season, he pitched a perfect eighth inning in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in the Twins' 7–3 loss to the Red Sox.