Miguel Batista Relief Pitcher and World Renown Author

Miguel Batista meets Miss Iowa whom he was runner up to for best looking pitcher that day, but he did beat John Lackey..

No. 44 Miguel Batista – (R/R):  We are going from youngest to oldest just like that, Bergenstein to Batista.  In the words of the great Jim Carey, "senior citizens, although slow and dangerous behind the wheel, can still serve a purpose," and number 44 of the Cardinals is living proof of that.  Miguel was born sometime between WW I and the Great Depression.  On long road trips he likes to ramble on to the younger guys about back in the day they played baseball the "right way, back when teams took trains to games, home plate was an actual dinner plate and players were issued 2 sticks of bazooka joe gum per game." 

Well the bazooka joe comics that came with the gum must have inspired Miguel.  Besides his baseball career he is author of 2 books, Sentimientos en Blanco y Negro – a Spanish poetry book, and The Avenger of Blood – a thriller about a serial killer.  While met with mixed reviews, I know I am excited to read a copy and post the only review that matters to readers, mine.

So what about Batista’s baseball career?  Well he is 96-110 with a 4.51 lifetime era.  He has played in the majors since 1992 and bounced around between Pittsburgh, Florida, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto, Kansas city, Arizona, Seattle, Washington and now St. Louis.  In 2000 he played for 3 different teams, in which he was the hot potato that no one wanted for too long.  He also had 2 separate stints with Toranto and Arizona, each team must have  grown nostalgic for his services.   

Some highlights on his wiki page include;

 - He signed a three-year $13.1-million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays prior to the 2004 season, but struggled in his first season with his new club, posting a 4.80 ERA and losing his starter's job late in the season.

 - During 2008, he had the lowest percentage of quality starts in the majors, at 25%, and the fewest innings pitched per start, at 4.6.

 - Miguel also was told he would replace the injured Stephan Strausburg 10 minutes before game time and was booed by the home crowd before winning them over.   

Lucky for us Batista is being asked to be a reliever, most likely long relief appearances after Westbrook or Lohse are taken out after 3 innings.  He may also get a spot start as is needed.  Although hard to tell based on this article, I like Batista, even though I am giving him a hard time.  I think he will be a great club house addition, he seems like he has a good sense of humor and is well liked by his teammates.  You know what you are going to get from him so just keep expectations in check.  I am looking forward to seeing him pitch, as well as reading his latest book regarding poetry and/or serial killers that he writes in his free time in the pen on those long days in which he doesn't pitch. 

We will review the remaining bullpen of Boggs, Miller, Tallet, Motte and Franklin later in the week.