Throws a sneaky quick, sidearm pitch that’s very deceptive Brian Fuentes broke into professional baseball back in 1996 with Everett of the NW League, going 0-1 in 26, spanning 13 games. He worked mostly as a starter in the minors in the Midwest League in ’97, for Lancaster of the Cal League in ’98 (7-7 with a 4.17 ERA) and New Haven of the Eastern League (1999-00). In 2001 pitching out of the bullpen with the Tacoma Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League Triple-A (Seattle Mariners farm club), Fuentes hung up a 3-2 record with a 2.94 ERA in 35 games and struck out 70 would be hitters in just 52 innings WOW! Scouting reports of his 90 plus fastball, with a cut fastball from a long sidearm motion and a overhand curve and a slurve (part slider/part curve) reached Mariners management quickly and he joined the team in late 2001, had a 1-1 record with a 4.63 ERA in 10 relief jobs. Then on December 15, 2001 when guys/and/girls were eating Figgie Pudding, Brian Fuentes was traded to the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies closer from 2005-2008, he gathered 31 saves… 30 … 20 … 30 saves and won 9 games besides in those 4 years. In 2007 he helped Colorado reached the NL playoffs and in the Division Series appeared in 3 games, 2.1 innings, did not allow a run and picked up a win. However in the NL Championship Series he got hit hard in 4 relief jobs, no decision but had a 7.36 ERA in 3.2 IP. In the 2009 World Series Colorado got sweep by the Boston Red Sox in 4 games, Fuentes yielded runs in 3 appearances, 3.2 innings with an ERA in the 9.00s. Then Brian signed a free agent deal with the Los Angeles Angels in late December of ’08. He appeared in 65 relief games, had a 1-5 record with a 3.93 ERA and led the AL with 48 saves had 46 Ks in 55 innings which helped the Angels reach the AL Division Series, pitching in 2 games, no runs in 1.2 innings. In AL Championship Series he came thru fine, picking up a save in 3 appearances. As of 2012 Brian Fuentes is still going strong. Baseball Historian Pitching Records Page 322 |