Stan Belinda
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What is MS
Stanley Peter Belinda (Born August 6, 1966 in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania
) is a former Major League Baseball
player. A right-handed relief pitcher
who batted from the right side, Belinda is 6'3" tall and weighs 187 pounds. He pitched from a three-quarters arm slot (sometimes categorized as a "sidearm" delivery) and threw both a regular low-90's fastball
and a split-fingered fastball. He never started a professional game.
and (after graduation) Allegany College of Maryland
. In , the Pittsburgh Pirates
selected him with the 238th overall pick in the June draft, as part of the draft's 10th round. He made his professional debut in the Gulf Coast League
and advanced steadily through the minors, making his major league debut with the Pirates on September 8, 1989. From -, Belinda was a key reliever for the Pirates, setting up for Bill Landrum
in the first two years before being promoted to closer in 1992.
. Belinda was front-and-center for their failure in 1992, when in Game 7 of the NLCS
, he came out of the bullpen in the ninth inning, trying to protect a 2-0 Pittsburgh lead with three men on base and nobody out. Belinda induced Ron Gant
to fly out, scoring one run, then walked
Damon Berryhill
and retired Brian Hunter on a popup. Then, with little-used Braves reserve Francisco Cabrera at the plate, Belinda surrendered a game-winning single, with slow-footed Sid Bream
barely beating the throw from left fielder
Barry Bonds
to score the winning run from second base.
that offseason ended the team's days as a contender. The Pirates entered a rebuilding mode, and on July 31, 1993, they traded Belinda to the Kansas City Royals
for pitchers Jon Lieber
and Dan Miceli
. Arm problems plagued Belinda during his year and a half with the Royals, and he left the team as a free agent, signing with the Boston Red Sox
shortly before the 1995 season.
Temporarily healthy once more, Belinda enjoyed a great season in 1995, picking up 8 wins and 10 saves as the primary setup man for Rick Aguilera
. Boston won the American League's East division that year, but was swept
in three games by the Cleveland Indians
in the ALDS
. Belinda's arm troubles resurfaced in , and he was largely ineffective, walking more batters than he struck out and pitching only 28 innings.
that offseason, and improbably went on to enjoy the best season of his career, delivering 99 innings of quality pitching. His 84 games pitched ranked second in the league, and his 114 strikeouts led all relief pitchers in baseball. He began to suffer from tingling and numbness in his legs the following season, and on September 22, 1998, the Mayo Clinic
issued a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis
.
were traded to the Colorado Rockies
for outfielder Dante Bichette
. Belinda put up a 7.07 ERA
with the Rockies in , before being released in July. He signed with the Atlanta Braves
but was released again on September 12, ending his professional career. He retired with 41 wins, 37 losses, and 79 saves, putting up a 4.15 ERA in 685 career innings.
also known as MS.
Stanley Peter Belinda (Born August 6, 1966 in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania
Huntingdon, Pennsylvania
Huntingdon is a borough in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Huntingdon County. It is located along the Juniata River, west of Harrisburg, about halfway between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, in an agricultural and fruit-growing region, with valuable forests and deposits of...
) is a former 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...
player. A 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...
who batted from the right side, Belinda is 6'3" tall and weighs 187 pounds. He pitched from a three-quarters arm slot (sometimes categorized as a "sidearm" delivery) and threw both a regular low-90's fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
and a split-fingered fastball. He never started a professional game.
Pittsburgh Pirates
As an amateur, Belinda pitched at both State College Area High SchoolState College Area High School
State College Area High School is the only public high school in the State College Area School District. Located within walking distance of Penn State University, the school offers a wide and diverse selection of electives, and is known for its academic, athletic, and musical prominence.State High...
and (after graduation) Allegany College of Maryland
Allegany College of Maryland
Allegany College of Maryland is a two-year public community college located in Cumberland, Maryland. It was previously known as Allegany Community College .- History :...
. In , 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...
selected him with the 238th overall pick in the June draft, as part of the draft's 10th round. He made his professional debut 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...
and advanced steadily through the minors, making his major league debut with the Pirates on September 8, 1989. From -, Belinda was a key reliever for the Pirates, setting up for Bill Landrum
Bill Landrum
Thomas William Landrum is a former right-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played eight seasons with four teams, the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Montreal Expos from to .Landrum finished sixth in the National League in saves with 26 in and had a...
in the first two years before being promoted to closer in 1992.
1992 National League Championship Series
The Pirates were one of the dominant teams in the National League at that time, winning the East division in all three years, but they ultimately proved unable to advance to the World SeriesWorld Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
. Belinda was front-and-center for their failure in 1992, when in Game 7 of the NLCS
1992 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 6, 1992 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaA rather uneventful opening to what would prove to be a memorable series, Game 1 was an easy win for the Braves. Atlanta scored four early runs, highlighted by Jeff Blauser's fifth-inning homer, and coasted to...
, he came out of the bullpen in the ninth inning, trying to protect a 2-0 Pittsburgh lead with three men on base and nobody out. Belinda induced Ron Gant
Ron Gant
Ronald Edwin "Ron" Gant is a former American Major League outfielder and second baseman earlier on who played for the Atlanta Braves , Cincinnati Reds , St...
to fly out, scoring one run, then 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...
Damon Berryhill
Damon Berryhill
Damon Scott Berryhill is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played ten seasons for the Chicago Cubs, the Atlanta Braves, the Boston Red Sox, the Cincinnati Reds, and the San Francisco Giants from to . He threw right and was a switch hitter...
and retired Brian Hunter on a popup. Then, with little-used Braves reserve Francisco Cabrera at the plate, Belinda surrendered a game-winning single, with slow-footed Sid Bream
Sid Bream
Sidney Eugene "Sid" Bream is an American former Major League Baseball player. He played his entire 11-year career in the National League...
barely beating the throw from left fielder
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
to score the winning run from second base.
Kansas City Royals and Boston Red Sox
Belinda was the subject of intense criticism in Pittsburgh after the loss, although his overall performance in the playoffs had been very good, and the loss of Bonds in free agencyFree 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....
that offseason ended the team's days as a contender. The Pirates entered a rebuilding mode, and on July 31, 1993, they traded Belinda to the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
for pitchers Jon Lieber
Jon Lieber
Jonathan Ray Lieber is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates , Chicago Cubs , New York Yankees , Philadelphia Phillies . He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
and Dan Miceli
Dan Miceli
Daniel Miceli is former major league baseball relief pitcher.-Early career:Miceli was signed by the Kansas City Royals as an amateur free agent in , but never saw time at the major league level for Kansas City. Instead, he was dealt to the Pittsburgh Pirates with pitcher Jon Lieber in exchange...
. Arm problems plagued Belinda during his year and a half with the Royals, and he left the team as a free agent, signing with 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"...
shortly before the 1995 season.
Temporarily healthy once more, Belinda enjoyed a great season in 1995, picking up 8 wins and 10 saves as the primary setup man for Rick Aguilera
Rick Aguilera
Richard Warren Aguilera is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 16-year baseball career, he pitched from 1985-2000 for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs....
. Boston won the American League's East division that year, but was swept
Sweep
-Cleaning :* Chimney sweep* Street sweeper* Swept quartz, a cleaning of quartz crystal from alkali metal ions-Sports: * Sweep * Sweep , winning a five game series 3 games to none, or winning a seven game series 4 games to none; typically fans bring brooms to ballparks or ball courts in the final...
in three games by 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...
in the ALDS
1995 American League Division Series
-Seattle Mariners vs. New York Yankees:-Game 1, Tuesday, October 3:Jacobs Field in Cleveland, OhioAfter a 39-minute rain delay, Game 1 got underway with two veterans, Roger Clemens and Dennis Martínez, starting the opener. The Red Sox jumped in front first in the third on John Valentin's two run...
. Belinda's arm troubles resurfaced in , and he was largely ineffective, walking more batters than he struck out and pitching only 28 innings.
Cincinnati Reds
Belinda signed with the Cincinnati RedsCincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
that offseason, and improbably went on to enjoy the best season of his career, delivering 99 innings of quality pitching. His 84 games pitched ranked second in the league, and his 114 strikeouts led all relief pitchers in baseball. He began to suffer from tingling and numbness in his legs the following season, and on September 22, 1998, the Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
issued a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
.
Colorado Rockies and Atlanta Braves
Daily injections of the drug Copaxone and changes to his diet and lifestyle enabled Belinda to keep pitching professionally for a time http://www.mult-sclerosis.org/news/Dec1999/Belinda.html, but his performance suffered. He spent as a mop-up pitcher for the Reds, and on October 30 of that year, he and outfielder Jeffrey HammondsJeffrey Hammonds
Jeffrey Bryan Hammonds is a former Major League Baseball player. He attended Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School in Scotch Plains, New Jersey and Stanford University in California before playing pro ball...
were traded to 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...
for outfielder Dante Bichette
Dante Bichette
Alphonse Dante Bichette, Sr. is a former Italian-American Major League Baseball player. Bichette was a four-time All-Star as a member of the Colorado Rockies.-Career:...
. Belinda put up a 7.07 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...
with the Rockies in , before being released in July. He signed with the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta 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....
but was released again on September 12, ending his professional career. He retired with 41 wins, 37 losses, and 79 saves, putting up a 4.15 ERA in 685 career innings.
Multiple Sclerosis
Belinda is currently suffering from multiple sclerosisMultiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
also known as MS.