Is a cousin of Hall of Fame pitcher Juan Marichal...Originally signed as a non-drafted free agent by the
Cincinnati Reds on December 7, 1996 by scout Johnny Almaraz.
2006
Resigned with Colorado as a minor league free agent and spent the season at AAA Colorado
Springs...Season was interrupted once and ended by trips to the disabled list...Was sidelined with a strained hip after making his first start of the year on April 7 and missed the next
6 weeks...Returned from the DL on May 18...Lost his first 4 starts of the season, one before going on the DL and 3 after returning, before earning
the win on June 6 vs. Tacoma...Allowed one run in 7.0 innings after yielding 15 earned runs in 18.2 IP
in his first 4 starts...Won 4 straight starts, July 4-21, posting a 2.70 ERA (27.0IP, 7ER)...Surrendered 8 runs in 5.0 innings in each of his final 2 starts of the year...Was placed on the disabled list on August 21 with a strained left oblique muscle and missed the remainder of the season.
2005
A non-roster invitee to Rockies spring training camp, he was purchased from Colorado Springs in early June and would lead the team with 66 starts at catcher...it was his most major league action in a season as he easily set career highs in every category...had appeared in just 6 major league games in the prior 4 seasons...batted .229 (48-for-210) with 6 home runs and 22 RBI in 80 total games for the Rockies, his first contests in the National League...had 4 catcher pickoffs, tied with Washington's Brian Schneider for the NL lead and also T3rd-most in the major leagues...threw out 18 of 41 (43.9%) attempted base stealers, 3rd-highest percentage in National League among catchers with 20 or more chances...pitching staff had a 4.87 ERA (591.0 ip, 320 er) with Ardoin behind the plate, lowest among Colorado catchers by over one-third of a run...was starter for 2 of club's 4 shutouts in 2005...tied Todd Helton for team lead with 9 hit by pitches and ranked 4th on club with 7 sac bunts...homered 3 times both at home and on road...2 of his 3 career 3-hit games have come against Arizona...caught both runners attempting to steal on June 8 vs. Chicago-AL...began the year with Triple-A Colorado Springs...hit 4 home runs in a span of 6 games from April 21-30, including a long ball in both ends of doubleheader on April 30 vs. Portland...when purchased by Colorado on June 6, ranked among PCL leaders in average (6th, .338) and on-base percentage (5th, .438)...batted .364 (24-for-66) in home games for Sky Sox...made his Colorado debut on June 7 vs. Chicago-AL, going 1-for-2 with a walk and his only steal of the year...homered in last contest of a 5-game hit streak on June 30 at St. Louis...it was his first major league home run since Aug. 10, 2000 at Tampa Bay, that being his first major league hit...of his 9 hits in July, 3 came in one game, a 3-for-3 effort on July 25 vs. New York-NL...was one of a trio of career-high 3-hit games for Ardoin in '05...hit .400 (12-for-30) over a 12-game stretch from Aug. 6-23...had 3 hits and career-high 3 runs scored on Aug. 6 at Arizona...homered in consecutive games with an at-bat Aug. 6-8 (G2)...homered 3 times in a career-high 6-game hit streak from Sept. 16-23...3 of his 6 hits in that span were homers...went 2-for-19 over final 7 games to finish at .229...had 9 walks in his last 24 games after 11 walks in first 56 contests.
2004
Led the staff in losses (12), ranked T2nd in strikeouts (117) and third in innings pitched
(157.2)...ranked among the National League leaders in most home runs allowed (30, T8th) and most earned runs
allowed (104, 8th)...made his first 22 apps of the season as a starter (4-10, 6.46) and 12 of his last 17 apps in
relief...did not allow an earned run in his 12 relief apps (17ip, 7h, 1r, 0er, 1bb, 10k)...overall went 5-12, 6.65 in his 27
starts, including 9 quality starts (6ip, 3er)...in his first 10 starts went 3-3, 4.15 and produced 7 quality starts...in his last
17 starts went 2-9, 8.55 with 2 quality starts...in 12 of his last 16 starts allowed at least 3 runs in an inning, including
five 3-run innings, four 4-run frames and 5-run innings on 7/11 at Mil (1st inning), 7/18 vs StL (3rd) and 9/8 at Hou (1st
)...4 times was the victim of blown saves...in his 27 starts the Reds went 11-16 and scored 128 runs (4.7 r/g)...on 5/
5 vs Mil left the game with a blister on his right middle finger and didn't pitch again until 5/13...on 5/19 vs Col had a
career-high 11 strikeouts, the most by a Reds pitcher since LHP Ron Villone's 16k on 9/29/00 at StL and the most by
a Reds righthander since Pete Harnisch's 12k on 8/19/99 vs Pit...on 6/14 at Phi, in the makeup of a game rained out
on 4/14, allowed Jim Thome's 400th career homer...in 7 starts from 7/1-7/28 posted a 9.66era during a career-high 4-
game losing streak...in the first inning of the 5-2 loss on 9/8 at Hou, in the shortest start of his career (1.0ip), tied a
Major League record by allowing 4 homers (Biggio, Bagwell, Berkman, Lamb)...became the first Reds pitcher to allow
4 homers in an inning since Jeff Austin on 5/28/03 at Atl (1st)...as a batter had 2 hits, a single off Roberto Hernandez
on 4/15 at Phi and a single off Roger Clemens on 4/30 at Hou...finished the season hitless in his last 34ab, the longest
hitless skid by any Reds batter since pitcher Mike LaCoss went 0-for-36 in 1980.
2003
Didn't pitch after 8/6 because of a severely sprained left
ankle...suffered the injury on 8/6 at LA
while stepping into the dugout...on 10/1 had arthroscopic surgery on his
left ankle (Dr. Timothy Kremchek, Dr. James
Amis)...began the season at Class AAA Louisville and went 6-2, 3.43 in 29g
there before he was promoted on 7/18 as
1 of 4 roster moves that day...made 4 starts and 1 relief appearance for
the Reds before suffering the season-ending
injury...for Louisville made his first 26 apps in relief (6-2, 3.17) and
his last 3 apps as a starter (0-0, 4.50)...in his 4 starts
the Reds went 3-1 and scored 25 runs (6.3 r/g)...made his season debut in
relief on 7/19 vs Hou, threw 1.0 scoreless
inning...made his last 4 apps for the Reds as a starter...in his first
start, on 7/21 vs Mil, threw 7.0 shutout innings in the
11-2 victory (2h, 2bb, 6k)...on 7/26 at NYM, in the 8-3 victory threw a
5-hitter for his first career complete game (3er,
2bb, 1ibb, 10k, 1hr, 111 pitches)...recorded a career-high 10
strikeouts...made his last appearance of the season on 8/
6 at LA, started the 2-1 loss but left after 3.0 innings when he suffered
the ankle injury while walking off the field.
Career highlights: In 2000 was selected to play in the Midwest League
All-Star Game but did not pitch...was
Midwest League Pitcher of the Week from 6/30-7/6, 2000.
2002
Spent most of the season at Class AAA Louisville, where he went 12-7, 3.20 in 23 starts...tied Jared Fernandez for the club lead with 12 victories and led the Bats' staff in starts (23) and innings pitched (154.2ip)...among International League pitching leaders ranked fourth in strikeouts (128), T5th in wins and 10th in ERA...went 4-2, 7.23 in 5 starts and 1 relief appearance during 2 stints with the Reds (4/1-4/15, 5/7-5/20) ...began the season in Cin and went 2-1, 8.53 in 3 starts before he was optioned to Louisville on 4/16, when the Reds recalled OF Austin Kearns...in 3 starts for the Bats went 1-2, 3.32 in 3 starts before he was recalled on 5/7, when RHP Joey Hamilton went on the 15-day disabled list...for the Reds went 2-1, 5.73 in 2 starts and 1 relief appearance before he returned to Louisville on 5/21, when Hamilton was reinstated from the DL...spent the rest of the season with the Bats and in 20 more starts there went 11-5, 3.18...in his final 13 starts of the year went 7-2, 2.49...for the Reds made 1 quality start (6ip, 3er), in his first appearance of the season when he earned the 3-1 victory vs Cubs (6ip, 1er)...in his 5 starts the Reds went 3-2 and scored 19 runs (3.8 r/g)...allowed at least 1hr in each of his 5 starts (8hr), including a career-high 4hr on 4/16 vs Hou...in that 8-3 loss vs the Astros on 4/16 allowed the 4 homers in the shortest start of his career (1.2ip, 6h, 7er, 2bb, 1k)...following that start was optioned to Louisville...on 5/8 vs Mil, in his first appearance for the Reds after his 5/7 recall, made his first career relief appearance after 21 Major League starts and earned the 14-5 victory...on 5/14 at Mil earned the 4-3 victory when his 2-out, 2-run double off Ruben Quevedo gave the Reds a 4-3 lead
...following the season pitched for Aguilas in the Dominican Winter League (10g, 4-2, 2.53, 53.1ip, 49h, 11bb, 44k).
2001
In his Major League debut went 5-7, 5.44 in 18 starts after he
was promoted from Class AA Chattanooga on 6/19. He joined the Reds'
rotation that day and remained there the rest of the season.
Was one of 11 Reds players to make his Major League debut, one of
four Reds pitchers to make that debut as a starter (Chris Reitsma,
Brian Reith, Lance Davis) and one of four Reds pitchers to skip Class
AAA (Reith, Reitsma, Chris Piersoll)...from 6/19-7/4 pitched in a
rotation that included fellow rookies Brian Reith, Chris Reitsma and
Lance Davis, giving the Reds four rookies in the same rotation for
the first time since 1993 (Bobby Ayala, Larry Luebbers, John Roper,
Tim Pugh).
Ended the season as one of three rookies in the Reds' starting
rotation (Davis, Jared Fernandez)...was one of five first-year
pitchers to make at least one start (Chris Reitsma, Lance Davis,
Jared Fernandez, Brian Reith)...five first-year pitchers started at
least one game for the Reds for the first time since 1945.
Ranked among National League rookie leaders in opponents' BA
(.272, T8th) and starts (T9th).
Made nine quality starts (6ip, 3er)...in his 18 starts the Reds
went 8-10 and scored 101 runs (5.6 r/g).
Was the victim of one blown save...in the 8-5 loss vs Det on 7/15
left the game leading, 5-3, but was the victim of a blown save when
the Tigers scored five runs in the ninth off Chris Nichting.
Made two starts in which the Reds were shut out (7-0 loss on 9/1
vs Pit, 2-0 loss on 10/4 at Cubs).
In the 11-6 loss vs StL on 8/21 allowed a season-high eight runs
in a season-low 2.0 innings, pushing his ERA from 5.49 to 6.49.
In six appearances the rest of the season made five quality
starts and went 2-2, 3.60 while only once allowing more than three
runs.
At Chattanooga went 4-4, 3.69 in 16 appearances...made his first
five appeaarances for the Lookouts in relief (0-1, 6.14) and his last
11 appearances in the starting rotation (4-3, 3.44).
Earned his big league promotion by finishing 3-1, 1.82 in his
last four minor league starts.
Made his Major League debut with a 10-8 loss vs Mil (4IP, 4H,
6ER, 2BB, 4K, 3HR)...allowed all six runs on three homers...in the
first inning allowed five runs on a three-run HR by Jeremy Burnitz
and a two-run HR by Jose Hernandez...in the third allowed a solo HR
to Richie Sexson...following Hernandez' first-inning homer retired 11
of his last 13 batters, including his last five batters after
Sexson's HR...three times allowed back-to-back HR.
In his first career plate appearance singled off Ben Sheets...
became the first Reds player to record a hit in his first plate
appearance since D.T. Cromer on 4/5/00 vs Mil's Jimmy Haynes...on
8/26 at Montreall recorded his first extra-base hit and RBI with a
run-scoring double off Darwin Cubillan.
In the 7-1 victory at Cubs on 6/30 earned his first victory in
his third Major League start.
Following the season pitched for Aguilas in the Dominican Winter
League.
2000
In 2000, was tied for second in the Reds organization with 11 wins and ranked seventh with a 3.89 ERA.
Allowed 16 homers, which was second in the Midwest League.
Was selected to play in the Midwest League All-Star Game, but did not pitch.
Matched a career high with 13 strikeouts over 5.2 innings in a 7-3 win on 4/22 at Fort Wayne.
Tossed 7.2 scoreless innings, allowing only four hits, in a 3-0 win on 6/23 vs. Kane County (4BB, 7K).
Was named the Midwest League's Pitcher of the Week for 6/30-7/6 after tossing 7.0 innings of five-hit, one-run ball in a 3-1 win on 7/3 at Michigan.
Won seven consecutive starts from 6/23-7/24, posting a 2.20 ERA (49.0IP, 12ER).
Played for Aguilas in the Dominican Winter League.
