Clay Rapada | |||
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Rapada in 2012 with the Yankees
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Relief pitcher | |||
Born: Chesapeake, Virginia |
March 9, 1981 |||
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MLB debut | |||
June 14, 2007, for the Chicago Cubs | |||
Last appearance | |||
September 22, 2013, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
MLB statistics | |||
Win–loss record | 8–0 | ||
Earned run average | 4.09 | ||
Strikeouts | 82 | ||
Teams | |||
Clayton Anthony Rapada (born March 9, 1981) is a former Filipino American professional baseball pitcher. He played for the Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, and Cleveland Indians.
Rapada was born in Chesapeake, Virginia to a Filipino father whose roots traces to Cabangan, Zambales and an American mother. and graduated from Deep Creek High School of Chesapeake, Virginia in 1999. He then attended Virginia State University and played on the NCAA Division II Trojans baseball team.
Rapada started in the Chicago Cubs organization pitching for the Single-A Boise Hawks from 2002–03. At the beginning of 2003, he was promoted to the Single-A Lansing Lugnuts, where he posted a 4.96 earned run average (ERA) and recorded 27 strikeouts over 45⅓ innings pitched, primarily in relief.
In 2004, Cubs coaches suggested that Rapada try a sidearm delivery. Rapada showed improvement that season for the Lugnuts, going 6–6 with an ERA of 2.33 in 57 appearances.
In 2005, the Cubs moved Rapada up to the Single-A Daytona Cubs, where he went 1–3 with an ERA 3.83 in 27 appearances. 2006 saw Rapada progressing through the Cubs minor league organization, and he pitched for both the Double-A West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx and the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. Between the two teams, he appeared in 61 games and posted an ERA of 1.59.