Matt Chico
Encyclopedia
Matthew Bryan Chico is an American
professional baseball
pitcher
who is a free agent. Chico is of Mexican-American descent.
During the offseason, Chico and his wife, Stephanie, reside in Viera, Florida
.
in 2001-2002 and then transferred to Palomar College
for the 2002-2003 academic year.
in the third round of the 2003 amateur draft.
pitcher Garrett Mock
from Arizona in a trade for veteran right-handed pitcher Liván Hernández
.
Chico began the 2006 season pitching for Lancaster
of the high Class A California League
, where he accrued a 3-4 record and a 3.75 ERA
in 10 starts. Immediately prior to the trade for Hernández, he was pitching for Tennessee
of the Class AA Southern League
, accumulating a win-loss record of 7-2 and an ERA of 2.22 in 13 starts. After joining the Nationals organization, Chico pitched for the Harrisburg Senators
of the Class AA Eastern League
, winning 2 and losing none of his first 4 starts and compiling a 3.27 ERA.
His first major league win came on April 16, in a Nats 5-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves. Chico got off to a rocky start, on a cold and bitterly windy night, walking the bases loaded in the first inning, but escaping unscathed. He went on to pitch five innings, before walking two in the sixth and getting relieved, allowing just one run.
During his next start, at Florida
on April 21, 2007, in the bottom of the first inning, Chico attempted to throw a changeup to Josh Willingham
. He missed the plate badly; the ball sailed over the first-base dugout.
Chico ended up becoming a mainstay for the Nationals in the first half of the season. By Mid-May, four of the Nats' five starting pitchers were out with injuries, but by July 4, Chico had not missed a turn, and was second in the league with 18 starts. From June 23 to July 4, he pitched 20 innings allowing only one run.
He ended the 2007 season with a 7-9 record and an ERA of 4.63 over 167 innings.
on May 23. After he pitched only one game for Columbus, an MRI examination in early June revealed loose bodies in his throwing elbow.
On July 3, Chico underwent elbow reconstruction surgery
. He was expected to miss the rest of the 2008 season and most or all of the 2009 season.
at Nationals Park while giving up six hits, striking out three and walking none but did not get a decision. A day after pitching, Chico was designated for assignment on May 9. Chico remains on the 40-man roster and was sent down to the Double-A Harrisburg Senators.
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...
who is a free agent. Chico is of Mexican-American descent.
During the offseason, Chico and his wife, Stephanie, reside in Viera, Florida
Viera, Florida
Viera is a master planned community located in the central coastal region of Brevard County, Florida. It is part of an unincorporated section adjacent to the Melbourne, Florida area.-Geography:...
.
College career
Chico attended the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
in 2001-2002 and then transferred to Palomar College
Palomar College
Palomar College is a community college with one campus and six education sites in San Diego County, California. The main campus is located in San Marcos, while the six education sites are located elsewhere throughout north San Diego County. The largest of these is the education center located in...
for the 2002-2003 academic year.
Professional career
Chico was selected by the Arizona DiamondbacksArizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
in the third round of the 2003 amateur draft.
2006
On August 7, 2006, Washington acquired Chico and fellow minor leagueMinor 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...
pitcher Garrett Mock
Garrett Mock
Garrett Lee Mock is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball. A graduate of Houston's North Shore Senior High School, Mock attended the University of Houston where he played as part of the Houston Cougars baseball team...
from Arizona in a trade for veteran right-handed pitcher Liván Hernández
Liván Hernández
Eisler Liván Hernández Carrera is a Cuban professional baseball pitcher. He is the half-brother of pitcher Orlando "El Duque" Hernández.-Playing career:...
.
Chico began the 2006 season pitching for Lancaster
Lancaster JetHawks
The Lancaster JetHawks are a minor league baseball team of the California League located in Lancaster, California. The team is named for the city's association with the aerospace industry and plays its home games at Clear Channel Stadium...
of the high Class A California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
, where he accrued a 3-4 record and a 3.75 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...
in 10 starts. Immediately prior to the trade for Hernández, he was pitching for Tennessee
Tennessee Smokies
The Tennessee Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in the Knoxville, Tennessee metropolitan area. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball as of the 2011 season...
of the Class AA Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
, accumulating a win-loss record of 7-2 and an ERA of 2.22 in 13 starts. After joining the Nationals organization, Chico pitched for the Harrisburg Senators
Harrisburg Senators
The Harrisburg Senators are a minor league baseball team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals....
of the Class AA Eastern League
Eastern League (U.S. baseball)
The Eastern League is a minor league baseball league which operates primarily in the northeastern United States, although it has had a team in Ohio since 1989. The Eastern League has played at the AA level since 1963. The league was founded in 1923 as the New York-Pennsylvania League...
, winning 2 and losing none of his first 4 starts and compiling a 3.27 ERA.
2007
At the end of 2006, Chico had earned a spot on the Nationals' 40-man protected roster. Coming out of 2007 spring training, Chico had made the club's starting rotation, and he made his major league debut on April 4, 2007, at RFK Stadium versus the Florida Marlins.His first major league win came on April 16, in a Nats 5-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves. Chico got off to a rocky start, on a cold and bitterly windy night, walking the bases loaded in the first inning, but escaping unscathed. He went on to pitch five innings, before walking two in the sixth and getting relieved, allowing just one run.
During his next start, at Florida
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...
on April 21, 2007, in the bottom of the first inning, Chico attempted to throw a changeup to Josh Willingham
Josh Willingham
Joshua David Willingham is an American Major League Baseball left fielder. He has played for the Florida Marlins, Washington Nationals and Oakland Athletics.-Early years:...
. He missed the plate badly; the ball sailed over the first-base dugout.
Chico ended up becoming a mainstay for the Nationals in the first half of the season. By Mid-May, four of the Nats' five starting pitchers were out with injuries, but by July 4, Chico had not missed a turn, and was second in the league with 18 starts. From June 23 to July 4, he pitched 20 innings allowing only one run.
He ended the 2007 season with a 7-9 record and an ERA of 4.63 over 167 innings.
2008
Chico emerged as the Nationals' #2 starter at the beginning of the season. However, he struggled to an 0-6 record in eight starts and three relief appearances, and was optioned to the Class AAA Columbus ClippersColumbus Clippers
The Columbus Clippers are a minor league baseball team based in Columbus, Ohio. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The team is owned by the government of Franklin County, Ohio....
on May 23. After he pitched only one game for Columbus, an MRI examination in early June revealed loose bodies in his throwing elbow.
On July 3, Chico underwent elbow reconstruction 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...
. He was expected to miss the rest of the 2008 season and most or all of the 2009 season.
2010
He returned to the major leagues on May 8 when he tossed five-plus innings and allowed two earned runs to the Florida MarlinsFlorida 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 Nationals Park while giving up six hits, striking out three and walking none but did not get a decision. A day after pitching, Chico was designated for assignment on May 9. Chico remains on the 40-man roster and was sent down to the Double-A Harrisburg Senators.