Yoel Hernández (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Yoel Alejandro Hernández (born April 15, 1980 in Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela) is a relief pitcher
in Major League Baseball
who plays for the Philadelphia Phillies
. Listed at 6' 2", 210 lb., he bats and throws right-handed.
According to Baseball America
, Hernandez has the best slider
in the Phillies organization. He signed in as a free agent
and was added to the 40-man roster prior to the season. From 2000 through , he posted a 34-36 record with a 3.45 ERA
and 17 saves in 204 games at five different levels. In 2000, he was selected to the Gulf Coast League
All-Star team.
Hernández started with the Triple-A Ottawa Lynx
, going 1-0, 1.74, 6, before joining the Phillies in May as a replacement for injured Tom Gordon
. In , he pitched in the Mexican League for the Vaqueros Laguna
and was named a Mid-Season All-Star. On December 17, 2008, he re-signed with the Phillies.
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...
in 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...
who plays for the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. Listed at 6' 2", 210 lb., he bats and throws right-handed.
According to Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
, Hernandez has the best 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....
in the Phillies organization. He signed in as a 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....
and was added to the 40-man roster prior to the season. From 2000 through , he posted a 34-36 record with a 3.45 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 17 saves in 204 games at five different levels. In 2000, he was selected to 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...
All-Star team.
Hernández started with the Triple-A Ottawa Lynx
Ottawa Lynx
The Ottawa Lynx were a minor league baseball team that formerly competed in the Triple-A International League from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field was Lynx Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. Over the team's 15 seasons, it was the Triple-A Minor League affiliate of the Montreal Expos , Baltimore...
, going 1-0, 1.74, 6, before joining the Phillies in May as a replacement for injured Tom Gordon
Tom Gordon
Thomas Gordon , nicknamed "Flash", is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played with the Kansas City Royals , Boston Red Sox , Chicago Cubs , Houston Astros , Chicago White Sox , New York Yankees , Philadelphia Phillies and the...
. In , he pitched in the Mexican League for the Vaqueros Laguna
Vaqueros Laguna
The Vaqueros Laguna are a AAA-level baseball team playing in the Mexican League.- History :The team was established in 1940 under the name Algodoneros de Unión Laguna. It did not take long for their first league pennant since in 1942 under the command of Martin Dihigo they won both the Zona Norte...
and was named a Mid-Season All-Star. On December 17, 2008, he re-signed with the Phillies.