Ray King
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Washington Nationals — No. 34 | |
| Relief pitcher | |
| Bats: Left | Throws: Left |
| Major League Baseball debut | |
|---|---|
| May 21, 1999 for the Chicago Cubs | |
| Selected MLB statistics (through 2006 Season) |
|
| Appearances | 512 |
| Strikeouts | 252 |
| Earned run average | 3.28 |
| Former teams | |
Raymond Keith King (born January 15, 1974 in Chicago, Illinois) is a relief pitcher for the Washington Nationals. King stands at 6'1" tall and weighs 240 pounds. He bats and throws left handed.
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[edit] Pro career
King's professional baseball career began on June 1, 1995 when the Cincinnati Reds selected him in the eight round of the amateur draft. The southpaw spent the next four seasons playing for minor league affiliates in the Reds, Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs organizations before finally making his major league debut on May 21, 1999 as a member of the Cubs.
After two different stints with Chicago in 1999, King was dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers the following spring. During the 2001 and 2002 seasons the relief pitcher was a staple in the Brewers bullpen, appearing in over 75 games each of those seasons.
That off-season, King was dealt back to Atlanta for infielder Wes Helms and pitcher John Foster. King showed his durability once again appearing in 80 games as the Braves primary left-handed reliever. He also made his first career postseason appearance that season, pitching a scoreless inning of relief. He was on the move again, however during the winter of 2003 joining the St. Louis Cardinals along with fellow pitchers Jason Marquis and Adam Wainwright.
2004 has been King's finest season in the majors to date. The rubber-armed lefty appeared in a career and team high 86 games for the Cardinals, and also notched career bests in holds (32), wins and ERA along the way to a (5-2) record and 2.41 ERA. From May to July King built a 30 game scoreless streak, another personal best. He also pitched 6.2 innings that postseason as St. Louis captured the National League pennant.
King joined the Colorado Rockies for the 2006 season after a trade from St. Louis for outfielder Larry Bigbie and second baseman Aaron Miles. He joined the Nationals on a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training the following winter.
In eight seasons as a professional, King has appeared in 512 games and pitched 365 innings. He is a 19-22 lifetime with a 3.28 ERA, 156 walks, 252 strikeouts, 120 holds and 2 saves. The infrequent batter is 0-6 at the plate, with three strikeouts.
[edit] Scouting report
A lefty specialist with a durable arm, King ranked amongst the top ten National League relievers in appearances from 2001 through 2005. Armed with a late-moving, low 90s fastball and sharp breaking slider, King pitches to the bottom of the strike zone and offers up few home runs. He is also adept and holding runners, and fielding his position, having committed only 6 errors in over 500 hundred career games.
[edit] High school and college years
King attended Ripley High School (Ripley, Tennessee) and lettered in football, basketball, and baseball. In baseball, he won All-America honors as a senior. The lefty is also an alumnus of Lambuth University located in Jackson,TN. http://www.lambuth.edu/
[edit] Personal life
Resides with his wife Charie in Litchfield Park, Arizona during the off-season with his son Tyrell and daughter Brookelynn.
[edit] Facts
- Despite over 500 career games, King has only two saves and has yet to start a game.
- King holds the second most number of single-season appearances for two organizations; the Atlanta Braves (80 appearances in 2003) and the Milwaukee Brewers (83 appearances in 2001).
- King earned Milwaukee's Manager's Award and the Michael Harrison Award for Community Service in 2001.
[edit] External references
- ESPN profile
- Baseball-Reference.com - career statistics and analysis
Categories: 1974 births | Living people | Major league pitchers | Atlanta Braves players | Chicago Cubs players | Colorado Rockies players | Milwaukee Brewers players | St. Louis Cardinals players | Indianapolis Indians players | African American baseball players | Major league players from Illinois | People from Chicago | People from St. Louis | People from Arizona
