Jesse Orosco

'CAREER PATHS': November 2003 (Updated September 2004)

******************************

New York Mets 1979-87: The Minnesota Twins second round pick in 1978, Orosco was acquired by the Mets in February 1979 as part of the Jerry Koosman trade. He made his major league debut in 1979, and after spending all of 1980 and parts of 1981 in the minors, Orosco was in the big leagues to stay in 1982. In 1983, the left-hander made the first of two All Star appearances, winning 13 games in relief and posting 17 saves. Orosco finished third in the NL Cy Young voting that season.

By 1986, the once doormat Mets were ready to dominate. They cruised through the regular season and won hard fought series against Houston and Boston in the NLCS and World Series. Orosco did his part that championship season, saving 21 games during the regular season, winning three in the NLCS, and saving two in the World Series. He struggled, however, in 1987, going 3-9, and was dealt to Los Angeles in a three team deal that December.

******************************

Los Angeles Dodgers 1988: Orosco saved 9 games and posted a 2.72 ERA for the World Champion Dodgers. He signed a lucrative free agent contract with Cleveland following the season.

******************************

Cleveland Indians 1989-91: Acting as a setup man for Doug Jones and Steve Olin in Cleveland, Orosco pitched well, posting a 2.08 ERA in 1989. In 1990, he appeared in 55 games and pitched 64 2/3 innings. It would be the last time his innings pitched exceeded his appearance total. Following the 1991 season, the veteran reliever was dealt to Milwaukee.

******************************

Milwaukee Brewers 1992-94: Orosco spent three seasons in Milwaukee setting up closer Doug Henry. He posted a 9-7 record with nine saves as a Brewer before signing with Baltimore following the 1994 season.

******************************

Baltimore Orioles 1995-99: Orosco remained an effective left-handed relief specialist in Baltimore. He appeared in a career high 71 games in 1997, and posted a 2.32 ERA, as the Orioles advanced to the ALCS. On August 17, 1999, Orosco pitched in his 1,072nd career game, surpassing Dennis Eckersley as the all time leader. That December he was dealt back to the Mets.

******************************

New York Mets 2000: Orosco's second stint with the Mets ended before it started. He was dealt to St. Louis during Spring Training.

******************************

St. Louis Cardinals 2000: An elbow injury limited Orosco to just 6 games as a Cardinal. He was placed on the Disabled List for the first time in April. By pitching that season, Orosco became just the eighth pitcher to appear in four different decades. He signed a free agent contract with Los Angeles in the off-season.

******************************

Los Angeles Dodgers 2001-02: During his second stint in LA, Orosco was almost exclusively use to get left handed hitters out, one at a time. He appeared in 91 games over two seasons, but pitched just 43 innings. Orosco signed a free agent contract with San Diego prior to the 2003 season.

******************************

San Diego Padres 2003: Orosco began the season in his hometown San Diego, but was dealt to the Yankees on July 22. He appeared in 42 games as a Padre.

******************************

New York Yankees 2003: The 46-year-old struggled in the Bronx, posting a bloated 10.39 ERA in 15 games as a Yankee. He was dealt to Minnesota on August 31.

******************************

Minnesota Twins 2003: Orosco, back with the team that drafted him 25 years earlier, was acquired to bolster the Twins bullpen during the stretch drive.

The Twins won their second consecutive AL Central crown, but Orosco was left of the playoff roster. The 47-year-old inked a minor league contract with Arizona in early 2004, but decided to retire before Spring Training began.

In his career, Orosco appeared in a record 1,252 games and compiled a 87-80 record with 144 saves and a 3.16 ERA.

******************************

Orosco's page @ Baseball-Almanac.com

Orosco's stats @ Baseball-Reference.com

*Click here for FEEDBACK*

BACK to simply-BASEBALL-notebook.com

DISCLAIMER: All pictures are assumed to be in the public domain. No violation of copyright is intended here. If one of the photos above is not in the public domain, please notify us and it will be removed.