Víctor Zambrano
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Víctor Manuel Zambrano (born August 6, 1975 in Miranda State, Venezuela) is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the New York Mets. Previously, he played for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2001-04). He is a switch-hitter and throws right-handed.
Zambrano has a good repertory and he pitches aggressively, using his 92-95 MPH sinking fastball, a changeup, and occasionally a quality slider that is practically unhittable. He is a converted infielder who fields his position well and he does a decent job holding on runners. Unfortunately, Zambrano lacks control, which limits his effectiveness. In 2003 he led the American League in walks, wild pitches, and hit batsmen, and in walks and wild pitches again in 2004, despite being traded to the National League in the midseason. Zambrano was traded to the Mets in an infamous trade for highly coveted pitching prospect Scott Kazmir.
Through the 2005 season, Zambrano has compiled a 44-39 record with 498 strikeouts and a 4.38 ERA in 662.0 innings pitched. At bat, he is a .132 hitter (nine-for-45) with three runs and three RBI.
On May 6, 2006, Zambrano suffered a torn flexor tendon in his pitching elbow, disabling him for the rest of the 2006 season. Doctors unexpectedly found a torn elbow ligament during surgery on May 15, resulting in the second Tommy John elbow surgery of his career. Zambrano is expected to be sidelined well into the 2007 season, and is unlikely to be offered a contract by the Mets at the end of 2006. His performance over 5 starts in 2006 consisted of a 1-2 record with 15 strikeouts and a 6.75 ERA in 21 1/3 innings pitched.
Fact
- August 7, 2005 - In just the fourth meeting of pitchers with the same last name since 2000, Víctor Zambrano outdueled Carlos Zambrano of the Chicago Cubs in front of 40,321 fans at Shea Stadium, pitching the Mets to a 6-1 win and a sweep of the three-game series. Both Zambranos entered with 42 career wins, the second time in major league history that opposing starters with the same last name came in with matching victory totals, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The other was on June 15, 1944, when Red Barrett of the Boston Braves and Dick Barrett of the Philadelphia Phillies each had 19 career wins. Like the Barretts, Víctor and Carlos obviously share a double feat, but the similarities don't end there. The Zambranos were born in Venezuela, both throw with their right arm, and both wear No. 38. Beside this, it was the fourth time in modern major league history that starting pitchers with a last name beginning with Z faced each other, according to ESPN. Víctor and Carlos Zambrano have both faced Barry Zito of the Oakland Athletics.
See also
External links
- [Victor Zambrano] at ESPN.com
- [Baseball Reference] - statistics and analysis
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