Bats Left Throws Left Earned run average 1.96 Height 1.91 m Salary 507,500 USD (2016) | Win–loss record 0–0 Strikeouts 13 Weight 98 kg | |
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Similar Chasen Shreve, Tommy Layne, Ben Heller, Luis Cessa, Chad Green | ||
Richard bleier 4 30 09
Richard Sidney Bleier (born April 16, 1987) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Contents
- Richard bleier 4 30 09
- Early life
- College
- Minor league career
- Major league career
- Team Israel World Baseball Classic
- References
In high school, he was a State of Florida All Star in 2005. In his junior year of college at Florida Gulf Coast University, he was selected unanimously as the Atlantic Sun Conference Pitcher of the Year and First Team All Sun Conference. The Texas Rangers selected Bleier in the sixth round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft. In 2009, his 125 strikeouts were the second-most in the Rangers' minor league system, and he gave up the fewest walks-per-9 innings in the California League. Bleier signed with the Washington Nationals organization before the 2015 season, pitched for the Harrisburg Senators that year, and had the most wins (14) and the lowest ERA (2.57) of all minor league pitchers in the Nationals minor league system. He was a 2015 post-season Class AA Eastern League All Star, and was voted a Washington organization All Star by MILB.com.
Bleier debuted in the majors in 2016 for the New York Yankees, following nine minor league seasons in which he pitched 956 innings, and was one of 12 Yankees pitchers since 1919 to make his debut after turning 29 years old. In 23 relief appearances in 2016 he had a 1.96 ERA. In February 2017 the Yankees traded Bleier to the Baltimore Orioles.
Used as both a starting pitcher and a relief pitcher in his career, the left-hander throws a fastball that hits the low 90s, a changeup, a curveball, and a slider. His approach is to "pitch to contact," and use excellent control.
Early life
Bleier was born in Davie, Florida. Bleier's father, Lawrence, is from the Bronx, in New York City, and grew up playing stickball in Brownsville, Brooklyn; his mother is Kathy Bleier. Bleier has a brother and a sister, and is Jewish. His wife is Brett Bleier.
Bleier played baseball at South Plantation High School in Plantation, Florida, from which he graduated in 2005. As a freshman, he was 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m) tall, and weighed 117 pounds (53 kg). He was chosen for the county and state All Star games in 2005.
College
Bleier played college baseball at Florida Gulf Coast University for the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles in Fort Myers, Florida on a partial scholarship. By 2008, Bleier had grown to 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) and 210 pounds (95 kg), and was throwing 90 miles per hour (140 km/h). In his junior year of college he was selected unanimously as the Atlantic Sun Conference Pitcher of the Year and First Team All Sun Conference after he had a 7–1 win-loss record and a 2.09 earned run average (ERA), leading the conference in wins, ERA, complete games, and innings pitched. In his three years at the university, he had a 2.70 ERA (2nd-best all-time in school history), 17 wins (7th), and 181 strikeouts (7th).
Minor league career
The Texas Rangers selected Bleier in the sixth round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft, after his junior year in college. His signing made him the highest draft pick in the history of Florida Gulf Coast University.
Bleier played in the Rangers system. Playing for Bakersfield in 2009, he was 7-11 and gave up the fewest walks per 9 innings in the California League, 1.25, and had the best strikeout/walk ratio in the league, 5.40. In 2009 between Bakersfield and Hickory, he was 9-12 and his 125 strikeouts were the second-most in the Rangers' minor league system.
In 2010, he was 7-11 for Frisco, and gave up the third-fewest walks per 9 innings in the Texas League, at 1.54. Bleier was voted Pitcher of the Week in the Class AA Texas League with the Rangers' Frisco RoughRiders on both May 10, 2010, and June 6, 2011.
After the 2013 season, the Toronto Blue Jays selected him from the Rangers in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 draft. Bleier signed with the Washington Nationals organization before the 2015 season, and pitched for the Harrisburg Senators. In the 2015 season, Bleier had the most wins (14) and the lowest ERA (2.57) of all minor league pitchers in the Washington Nationals minor league system. He was a post-season Class AA Eastern League All Star with Harrisburg in 2015. In 2015, he was also voted a Washington organization All Star by MILB.com. He was voted Pitcher of the Week in the Eastern League with the Senators on May 25, 2015. He was promoted to the Syracuse Chiefs of the Class AAA International League, for whom he was 6-2 with a 2.75 ERA.
After he elected free agency, Bleier signed with the Yankees prior to the 2016 season. He began the 2016 season with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders of the International League.
Major league career
Bleier was called up to the majors for the first time on May 26, 2016, by the New York Yankees. He debuted in the majors on May 30, becoming the 27th Yankee to wear uniform number 50. His debut followed nine minor league seasons in which he pitched 956 innings, and Bleier was one of 12 Yankees pitchers since 1919 to make his debut after turning 29 years old, and the first since Amauri Sanit in 2011. He became the third former FGCU player to play in the majors, joining pitchers Chris Sale and Casey Coleman.
Yankee manager Joe Girardi said: "I can use him either way – for distance or I could use him if I wanted (to pitch to) a couple lefties. He’s a ground ball guy. He gets a ton of ground balls.... He was a starter down there, so he’s built up." In 23 relief appearances in 2016 he had a 1.96 ERA.
On February 21, 2017, the Yankees traded Bleier to the Baltimore Orioles for a player to be named later or cash considerations.
Team Israel; World Baseball Classic
In 2012, Bleier, by virtue of his Jewish heritage, played for the Israel national baseball team in the qualifying rounds of the 2013 World Baseball Classic. He pitched one scoreless inning, over the course of two appearances. After not pitching in the first game, Bleier got one the only batter he faced in the second game, and was credited with a hold. During the third and final game, Bleier recorded two outs while walking two, and was again credited with a hold.
Bleier turned down Israel's offer to once again play for Israel at the World Baseball Classic main tournament, because he was trying to win a job in spring training in the Orioles’ bullpen. He said: "It was really appealing to me to do it again. I wanted to represent Israel in the Classic. But I feel like I have such a small window at this point in my career. I didn't get to the big leagues until I was 29. I felt I should do whatever I could to get as much big league time as I can with what little time I have left."