Rafael Betancourt
Encyclopedia
Rafael Jose Betancourt is a Major League Baseball
right-handed relief pitcher
for the Colorado Rockies
. He was originally signed as an amateur free agent
by the Boston Red Sox
in September 1999. The Red Sox released him following the 1999 season and then re-signed him as a free agent in December 2000. He was granted free agency again in October 2001 and signed with the Highgate Rock in January 2003. On July 8, 2005 he became the sixth Major League player to be suspended for testing positive in steroid
s testing.
On January 23, 2008, he signed a two-year contract with the Indians with a club option for 2010.
His best pitches are a 90–94 MPH four-seam fastball
, and slider
which is often mistakenly called a slurve
. He also throws a changeup
. Although he's not classified as a strikeout
pitcher, Betancourt gets more than his share by throwing a significant number of strikes. He is a converted shortstop
with a metal plate and six screws in his pitching elbow.
Betancourt is known in some circles for his odd windup. He constantly taps his foot on the rubber before coming set with a runner on base. He will constantly move his hands around and then tug on his baseball cap (sometimes doing it nine times) prior to throwing the next pitch. This is among the longest windups in the league. There is a rule to avoid unnecessary delays which states that if a pitcher takes at least 12 seconds to deliver a pitch, the pitch is automatically ruled a ball. Betancourt is one of the few pitchers who have had this rule enforced while pitching.
for minor league pitcher Connor Graham. His $5.4 million dollar club option was declined at the end of the season, making him a free agent. Betancourt qualified as a Type A free agent, and was offered arbitration by the Rockies.
On December 7, 2009, Betancourt accepted the arbitration offer from the Colorado Rockies, returning to the team from free agency.
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...
right-handed 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...
for 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...
. He was originally signed as an amateur free agent
Free 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....
by the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
in September 1999. The Red Sox released him following the 1999 season and then re-signed him as a free agent in December 2000. He was granted free agency again in October 2001 and signed with the Highgate Rock in January 2003. On July 8, 2005 he became the sixth Major League player to be suspended for testing positive in steroid
Steroid
A steroid is a type of organic compound that contains a characteristic arrangement of four cycloalkane rings that are joined to each other. Examples of steroids include the dietary fat cholesterol, the sex hormones estradiol and testosterone, and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone.The core...
s testing.
On January 23, 2008, he signed a two-year contract with the Indians with a club option for 2010.
His best pitches are a 90–94 MPH four-seam fastball
Four-seam fastball
A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family...
, and slider
Slider
In baseball, a slider is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball....
which is often mistakenly called a slurve
Slurve
The slurve is a baseball pitch in which the pitcher throws a slider as if he were throwing a curve ball. The term is a portmanteau of the words "slider" and "curve".-History:...
. He also throws a changeup
Changeup
A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball. Other names include change-of-pace, Bugs Bunny change-up, the dreaded equalizer, and simply change. The changeup is sometimes called an off-speed pitch, although that term can also be used simply to mean any pitch that is slower than a fastball...
. Although he's not classified as a 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....
pitcher, Betancourt gets more than his share by throwing a significant number of strikes. He is a converted shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
with a metal plate and six screws in his pitching elbow.
Betancourt is known in some circles for his odd windup. He constantly taps his foot on the rubber before coming set with a runner on base. He will constantly move his hands around and then tug on his baseball cap (sometimes doing it nine times) prior to throwing the next pitch. This is among the longest windups in the league. There is a rule to avoid unnecessary delays which states that if a pitcher takes at least 12 seconds to deliver a pitch, the pitch is automatically ruled a ball. Betancourt is one of the few pitchers who have had this rule enforced while pitching.
Colorado Rockies
On July 22, 2009, Betancourt was traded to the Colorado RockiesColorado 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 minor league pitcher Connor Graham. His $5.4 million dollar club option was declined at the end of the season, making him a free agent. Betancourt qualified as a Type A free agent, and was offered arbitration by the Rockies.
On December 7, 2009, Betancourt accepted the arbitration offer from the Colorado Rockies, returning to the team from free agency.