Eddie Oropesa

Edilberto (Eddie) Oropesa...he and his wife, Rita, have a son, Edilberto (2/16/94) and daughter, Jessica (4/9/99) and make their off-season home in Conoga Park, CA...attended University of Mantazas in Cuba.

2003

Eddie was a non-roster invitee to Spring Training, knowing that he was restricted from joining the Diamondbacks' Major League roster until May 15 ... because he was unconditionally released by Arizona during the previous off season, MLB rule 8(i) prohibited Eddie and the D-Backs from re-signing a major-league deal until mid-May ... he traveled to Miami on February 24 to formally become a United States citizen after defecting from the Cuban National team in 1993 during an All-Star tour stop in Buffalo, NY ... Oropesa opened 2003 with a strong month and a half for Triple-A Tucson, pitching 15 times and going 0-1 with a 2.35 ERA ... he closed out his time with the Sidewinders with 7.0 consecutive scoreless innings over 8 appearances ... Eddie had his contract purchased prior to the May 18 contest against the Pirates and made his season debut that day with a pair of runners aboard and 2 out in the eighth inning, yielding a pinch 3-run home run to Reggie Sanders, the first batter he faced upon entering the game ... following Sanders' blast, first batters went 0-for-17 with 4 walks against Oropesa over his next 21 appearances ... he was tough on the opposition during May and June, limiting batters to a combined .135 average (10-for-74) ... Eddie retired all 6 batters he faced on June 1 in San Diego, including a career-high 4 strikeouts ... he absorbed his first career defeat on June 10 in Kansas City, allowing a pair of runs (1 earned) on 2 hits in an inning ... he was struck in the left forearm by a line drive off the bat of Minnesota's Christian Guzman on June 15 and though x-rays were negative, the impact left baseball stitch marks on Eddie's arm ... he picked up his first victory of the year on June 22 vs. Cincinnati ... a week later he notched his second win on June 29 in Detroit, pitching 2.0 scoreless frames prior to Robby Hammock's game-winning 10th-inning home run ... Oropesa took the mound 16 times during June, establishing a club record for the month ... he struggled in August, going 1-2 with a 9.35 ERA and 18 hits for a .439 average against that month ... he absorbed the defeat on August 1, an extra-inning affair at Wrigley Field, working a scoreless 13th but allowing a walk and 3 hits leading to the winning run in the 14th ... Eddie improved to 3-2 with the win over Montreal on August 6, equaling his single-season victory best ... Eddie allowed 2 runs on 2 hits in 0.1 inning against the Padres on August 26, his last mound work for nearly a month ... he was optioned to Double-A El Paso on August 31 but returned to the big league roster the very next day ... he was sidelined for 4 weeks due to a sore muscle in his left elbow, then had a rough return to the mound on September 23 in Colorado as he was touched for 5 runs (4 earned) on 3 hits ... he took the hill again 2 days later and did not retire any of the 3 Colorado batters he faced, allowing an inherited runner to score on a walk, a double and an intentional walk, while all 3 of his baserunners scored in the inning ... the inherited runner that scored was the first to do so against Oropesa since June 2 ... he struggled with his control throughout the season, averaging 6.3 walks per 9-innings ... he limited left-handers to a .206 average (13-for-63, 21 K's) while righties hit .294 (25-for-85, 18 K's) ... Eddie posted better numbers at home, going 2-0 with a 4.42 ERA in 24 games at Bank One Ballpark while owning a 1-3 mark and a 7.08 ERA in 23 road appearances ... first batters were 7-for-37 (.189) with 9 walks and a hit by pitch.

2002

Eddie was a non-roster invitee to Philadelphia's Spring Training and earned a spot on the big-league roster after a successful camp...he retired the only batter he faced batter in his major league debut on April 2 at Florida...he finished tied for fourth in the National League in best inherited runner pct.at 79.4, allowing only 7 of 34 to score...Eddie held opponents scoreless in 6 straight outings (6.1 innings) from May 6-27...he notched his first big league victory on May 25 vs. Montreal, tossing 1.2 shutout innings...a lower back strain placed him on the disabled list on June 14 which was fol- lowed with a trip to Scranton (AAA)...he allowed one run over 9.1 innings from July 15-August 6 before being recalled by Philadelphia on August 7 when Dennis Cook went on the disabled list...he closed out his season without allowing a run in 10 appearances (4.1 innings) while facing 19 batters and giving up only 3 hits from August 9-September 27, which included 8 appearances in August and 2 late September outings...his shutout streak with the Phils was interrupted by a brief stop at Clearwater (A) from August 31-September 1 where he pitched 2.0 shutout innings in 2 appearances.

2000

Eddie worked out of the bullpen at Shreveport (AA), pacing the Texas League in appearances...allowed 4 earned runs in his first 17 appearances spanning 19.1 innings (1.86 ERA)...fanned a season-high 6 batters on May 20 against Tulsa...held opponents to a 0.57 ERA (15.2 IP, 1 ER) while going 1-1 in 13 outings in July...the southpaw dominated his counterparts at the plate, holding lefties to a .190 average.

1999

He was used mainly as a starter for Fresno (AAA)...he made his AAA debut on April 8, giving up 1 hit in 4.0 shutout innings...he was transferred to Bakersfield (A) on June 30 and sent on loan to Reynosa, the Angels AAA-affiliate in the Mexican League, on July 8...spent less than a month with Reynosa then returned to Bakersfield on August 5 and was transferred back to Fresno on August 9 for the remainder of the season.

1998

Appeared in 8 games for the President Lions of Taiwan in the Chinese Professional Baseball League before returning stateside...got the starting nod in more than half of his appearances with Shreveport (AA), posting the fourth best ERA in the San Francisco organization.

1997

Played at Shreveport (AA) in his first season as a Giants'farmhand.

1996

Held hitters to the lowest batting average in the league with a .207 mark while his ERA ranked second in the California League...chosen in the Rule 5 Minor League Draft by San Francisco.

1995

Played the first 2 months for San Antonio (AA)...transferred to Vero Beach (A) on June 25 and spent 2 months as a reliever...sent to San Bernadino (A) on September 1, notching a save in his only appearance for the California League Champions... went a combined 4-2 in 36 games (1 start) with a 3.47 ERA (18 ER in 46.2 IP).

1994

Drafted in the 14th round of the June Draft by Los Angeles and assigned to Vero Beach (A).

1993

Signed by St. Paul in the Independent Northern League.