Joel Zumaya

{{Infobox baseball biography

| name = Joel Zumaya

| image = Joel Zumaya.jpg

| width = 250

| caption = Zumaya with the Detroit Tigers in 2009

| position = Pitcher

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1984|11|9}}

| birth_place = Chula Vista, California, U.S.

| bats = Right

| throws = Right

|debutleague = MLB

| debutdate = April 3

| debutyear = 2006

| debutteam = Detroit Tigers

|finalleague = MLB

| finaldate = June 28

| finalyear = 2010

| finalteam = Detroit Tigers

|statleague = MLB

| stat1label = Win–loss record

| stat1value = 13–12

| stat2label = Earned run average

| stat2value = 3.05

| stat3label = Strikeouts

| stat3value = 210

| teams =

Detroit Tigers ({{mlby|2006}}–{{mlby|2010}})

}}

Joel Martin Zumaya (born November 9, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers from 2006 through 2010.

Baseball career

Zumaya was drafted out of Bonita Vista High School in the 11th round by the Tigers, the 320th overall selection of the 2002 MLB Draft. He was chosen because of his power arm, but it was not clear whether he would be able to develop adequate control of an off-speed pitch. He is known for his {{convert|100|mph}} fastball, which catcher Iván Rodríguez credits as having been the fastest pitch he ever caught.{{cite web |last=Crasnick |first=Jerry |date=March 26, 2007 |title=High-speed pursuit |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/preview07/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=2809709 |access-date=July 30, 2013 |website=ESPN}}

=Minor league career=

Zumaya began his stint in the Tigers minor league system as a starting pitcher. Because he was drafted straight out of high school, Zumaya frequently pitched against players older than himself. In 2003, the 18-year-old Zumaya made great strides pitching for the Low-A affiliate West Michigan Whitecaps. 2004 saw Zumaya begin the year pitching for the High-A affiliate Lakeland Tigers, before a late season promotion to the Double-A Erie SeaWolves. He finished the season with a .500 win–loss record and struggled with walks. Zumaya began the 2005 season back in Erie; however, his results were much improved from 2004, and he was soon promoted to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens. He finished the season with 199 strikeouts in 151 innings pitched. In 77 games over four seasons, Zumaya was 27–19, and averaged 6.4 hits and 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings.

=Major league career=

==Detroit Tigers (2006–2011)==

With the Tigers, he was most often used as a middle relief pitcher and occasionally as a setup man. Zumaya was a fan favorite for his intense, aggressive attitude on the mound and his {{convert|100|mph}} fastball, which topped out at {{convert|104.8|mph}}. This was the fastest pitch ever recorded at that time.{{Cite web |title=Fastest Pitcher in Baseball |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/articles/fastest-pitcher-in-baseball.shtml |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=Baseball Almanac}} He also had a very good knuckle-curve that he used as an off-speed pitch. He was among the primary reasons for the Tigers bullpen success in 2006, joining fellow rookie Justin Verlander on the resurgent 2006 Tigers team. However, Zumaya was hampered by injuries to his throwing arm following his rookie season in 2006, and was never the same pitcher again.

While he held batters to a .187 batting average in 2006, he was even tougher with runners in scoring position (.176), and two outs and runners in scoring position (.143). Zumaya remained in the bullpen for the 2006 playoffs. However, Zumaya was sidelined for the 2006 American League Championship Series by a sore wrist, which Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski disclosed in a December 2006 radio interview was due to Zumaya playing the PlayStation 2 video game Guitar Hero.{{Cite web |date=2006-12-14 |title=Guitar hero? Pitcher hurt playing video game |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16212095/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070322094320/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16212095/ |archive-date=2007-03-22 |website=MSNBC}}{{Cite audio |url=http://podcast.1270sports.com/wxyt/54486.mp3 |title=Dave Dombrowski on WXYT |date=2006-12-13 |type=Radio broadcast |publisher=WXYT |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061218182911/http://podcast.1270sports.com/wxyt/54486.mp3 |archive-date=2006-12-18}} This was acknowledged by the game's developers with a message on the credits of the Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero II: No pitchers were harmed in the making of this game. Except for one. Joel Zumaya. He had it coming.{{cite web |date=April 26, 2007 |title=GUITAR HERO: Sequel strikes the perfect chord |url=http://www.whatsonwinnipeg.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21040&searchpanel=advrestaurant |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=June 2, 2007 |publisher=CanWest News Service}}{{Dead link|date=October 2024|fix-attempted=yes}}{{Cbignore}} In a 2016 interview with the Detroit News, however, Zumaya said the Guitar Hero story was just a cover, and not true. While refusing to disclose the actual source of the injury, and calling the Guitar Hero story his "final answer", he also admitted that it was "some bogus stuff."{{cite news|last1=Wojnowski|first1=Bob|title=Wojo: Zumaya flamed out in a blaze of glory|url=http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2016/06/07/wojo-zumaya-flamed-out-blaze-glory/85578402/|access-date=August 14, 2016|publisher=Detroit News|date=June 8, 2016}}

Zumaya's future was then clouded by injury: in May 2007, he ruptured a tendon in his hand, requiring surgery and 12 weeks rehab. On August 2, 2007, the Tigers activated Zumaya from the 15-day disabled list after not playing since May 1. The next day, he made his first major league appearance following the injury, pitching to one batter in a game against the Cleveland Indians.

Zumaya sustained another injury, this time to his shoulder, during the 2007 offseason. While helping his father move some boxes in the attic at his father's home in advance of a fire approaching the area, a {{convert|50|to|60|lb}} box fell on his right (pitching) shoulder, separating it.{{cite web |date=2007-11-01 |title=Zumaya hurts shoulder, might miss part of '08 season |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=3090054 |access-date=June 10, 2012 |website=ESPN |agency=Associated Press}}

He was placed on the 60-day disabled list at the start of the 2008 season. After appearing in six successful minor league rehab games for the Single-A Lakeland Flying Tigers and Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens, Zumaya rejoined the Tigers on June 20, 2008.

Zumaya was placed on the 15-day DL with a sore right shoulder on March 27, 2009.{{cite web|url=http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090329&content_id=4083898&vkey=news_det&fext=.jsp&c_id=det |title=Zumaya placed on 15-day DL |publisher=Detroit.tigers.mlb.com |access-date=December 5, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018183728/http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090329&content_id=4083898&vkey=news_det&c_id=det&fext=.jsp |archive-date=October 18, 2012 }} He was reactivated by the end of April; however, he was placed back on the 15-day DL following a July 18 appearance against the New York Yankees, where it was reported he could barely move his right (throwing) arm. Zumaya had surgery in August, ending his season.

On June 28, 2010, Zumaya injured his elbow in the eighth inning, while pitching against the Minnesota Twins' Delmon Young at Target Field. He was in obvious pain and needed assistance walking off the field. The next day an MRI revealed he had a non-displaced fracture of the olecranon. Doctors said it would take four months to heal, ending his season.[http://beck.mlblogs.com/archives/2010/06/zumaya_out_for_year_with_fract.html Zumaya out for year with fracture in elbow] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100702154244/http://beck.mlblogs.com/archives/2010/06/zumaya_out_for_year_with_fract.html |date=July 2, 2010 }} MLB.com

Zumaya missed the entire 2011 season after undergoing exploratory surgery on his right elbow on May 10. While the surgery, performed by James Andrews found no new damage, it was determined that the screw inserted during his previous surgery needed to be replaced.{{Cite web |date=May 11, 2011 |title=No new damage found during Joel Zumaya's elbow surgery |url=http://aol.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2011-05-11/no-new-damage-found-during-joel-zumayas-elbow-surgery |access-date=October 29, 2011 |website=Sporting News}}{{Dead link|date=October 2024|fix-attempted=yes}} He was unable to recover sufficiently to return to the team that season, his last before being able to enter free agency for the 2012 season.{{Cite web |last=Ellis |first=Vince |date=2011-10-12 |title=Was Tuesday Joel Zumaya's swan song? |url=http://www.freep.com/article/20111012/SPORTS02/110120483/Was-Tuesday-Joel-Zumaya-s-swan-song- |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015033349/http://www.freep.com/article/20111012/SPORTS02/110120483/Was-Tuesday-Joel-Zumaya-s-swan-song- |archive-date=2011-10-15 |website=Detroit Free Press}}

==Minnesota Twins (2012)==

On January 15, 2012, Zumaya agreed to a one-year contract with the Minnesota Twins worth $800,000 to $1.7 million.{{cite news|last=Silva|first=Drew|title=Twins, Joel Zumaya agree to terms on one-year deal|url=http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/15/twins-joel-zumaya-agree-to-terms-on-one-year-deal/|access-date=January 15, 2012|newspaper=NBC Sports|date=January 15, 2012}}{{Cite web |last=Axisa |first=Mike |date=2012-01-18 |title=Twins Agree To Sign Joel Zumaya |url=http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/01/twins-agree-to-sign-joel-zumaya.html |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=MLB Trade Rumors |language=en-US}}

On February 25, 2012, Zumaya tore an ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow 13 pitches into a live batting practice session, requiring Tommy John surgery and ending his 2012 season, in which he was guaranteed to earn $400,000.{{cite web |url=http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120226&content_id=26867436&vkey=news_min&c_id=min |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227132221/http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120226&content_id=26867436&vkey=news_min&c_id=min |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 27, 2012 |title=Torn elbow ligament to cost Twins reliever Joel Zumaya 2012 season |work=twinsbaseball.com |first=Chris |last=Girandola |date=February 26, 2012}} He was released on March 3.

Zumaya retired in February 2014.{{Cite web |last=Slagter |first=Josh |date=2014-02-08 |title=Report: Former Detroit Tigers reliever Joel Zumaya to retire; last pitched in majors in 2010 |url=https://www.mlive.com/tigers/2014/02/report_former_detroit_tigers_r_2.html |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=Michigan Live |language=en}}

Record-setting fastballs

During the 2006 season, Zumaya often threw pitches that were measured at or above the official record reading of {{convert|101|mph}}. On July 3, 2006, at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, California, Justin Verlander, Zumaya, and Fernando Rodney each threw multiple fastballs measured in at over {{convert|100|mph}}, becoming the first time in MLB history that three pitchers on the same team had done so during a game. Just five games into the season, they became the first MLB team to have the same three pitchers throw over {{convert|100|mph}} in a season. On July 4, 2006, at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, California, Zumaya threw a pitch measured at {{convert|103|mph}}, thus tying the "unofficial" record held by Mark Wohlers.{{cite web |title=The Fastest Pitcher in Baseball History |url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/articles/fastest-pitcher-in-baseball.shtml |access-date=December 5, 2013 |website=Baseball Almanac}} Similarly, on May 20, 2006, Zumaya gave up a grand slam to Ken Griffey Jr. on a pitch that FSN Detroit's radar gun measured at {{convert|104|mph}}.{{cite web|url=http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/multimedia/tp_archive.jsp?c_id=cin&ym=200605 |title=Reds Top Plays Archive (multimedia, see "Griffey's slam" under May 20 |publisher=Cincinnati.reds.mlb.com |access-date=December 5, 2013}}{{dead link|date=October 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

Zumaya hit {{convert|104|mph}} on the Comerica Park radar gun on August 7 while pitching against Minnesota Twins infielder Nick Punto. Zumaya reached {{convert|101|mph}} or higher on five of six pitches during the at-bat. He also reached {{convert|103|mph}} during the Tigers' 4–3 playoff victory at Yankee Stadium on October 5, 2006;{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/tigers-even-series-with-yankees-1.590341 |title=Tigers even series with Yankees |publisher=Cbc.ca |date=October 5, 2006 |access-date=December 5, 2013}} and also on October 10, 2006, during Game 1 of the ALCS in Oakland, against the A's.{{cite web|last=Wetzel |first=Dan |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=dw-tigers101006&prov=yhoo&type=lgns |title=Mo' town |publisher=Sports.yahoo.com |date=October 11, 2006 |access-date=December 5, 2013}}

In an interview for Detroit radio station WRIF, former Tigers pitcher Denny McLain stated that he believed the numbers on stadium and television radar guns were inflated.

However, there is a new technology on the horizon that reads pitch speeds more accurately and does not inflate those numbers. It uses cameras and software to obtain the data. This new technology comes from Major League Baseball in its Advanced Media section. Part of Enhanced Gameday tracks pitch speed, break, and trajectory.{{cite web |last=Newman |first=Mark |date=2006-10-20 |title=Latest technology enhances playoffs |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061018&content_id=1716309&vkey=ps2006news&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107093908/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061018&content_id=1716309&vkey=ps2006news&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb |archive-date=2012-11-07 |website=MLB.com}} One pitch registered on this was measured at {{convert|104.8|mph}} at release by Joel Zumaya. This was during Game 1 of the ALCS against Frank Thomas of the Oakland Athletics on October 10, 2006, at Oakland's McAfee Coliseum (other readings were at {{convert|103|mph}}; the slowest reading was {{convert|102|mph}}).

After the 2006 season, The Bill James Handbook published a list of pitchers and the number of their pitches thrown at {{convert|100|mph}} or more. Zumaya led the major leagues with 233. Zumaya's average fastball was {{convert|98.6|mph}}, with 100+ mph fastballs coming one out of six pitches.{{cite web |title=Zumaya more than just a flame-thrower |url=http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070324&content_id=1857984&vkey=spt2007news&fext=.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109085906/http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070324&content_id=1857984&vkey=spt2007news&fext=.jsp |archive-date=November 9, 2007 |website=MLB.com}}

In 2009 and 2010, Zumaya's fastball averaged {{convert|99|mph}}, according to Pitch f/x.{{Cite web |last=Posnanski |first=Joe |date=2010-09-07 |title=Thirty-Two Fast Pitchers |url=http://joeposnanski.si.com/2010/09/07/thirty-two-fast-pitchers/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100909000933/http://joeposnanski.si.com/2010/09/07/thirty-two-fast-pitchers/ |archive-date=2010-09-09 |website=SI.com}}

Post Career

After his baseball career, Zumaya had other careers distinct from baseball. In 2016, he worked as a fisherman.{{Cite web |last=Wojnowski |first=Bob |title=Wojo: Zumaya flamed out in a blaze of glory |url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2016/06/07/wojo-zumaya-flamed-out-blaze-glory/85578402/ |access-date=2025-01-26 |website=The Detroit News |language=en-US}} In 2019, he worked at the San Diego Airport.{{Cite web |last=Fenech |first=Anthony |title=I went to Detroit Tigers fantasy camp. The people are better than my fastball |url=https://www.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2019/02/07/detroit-tigers-fantasy-camp/2790895002/ |access-date=2025-01-26 |website=Detroit Free Press |language=en-US}} He resides in Chula Vista, California.{{Cite web |date=2008-07-04 |title=Tigers heat up with Zumaya |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2008/jul/04/tigers-heat-up-with-zumaya/ |access-date=2025-03-23 |website=Spokesman.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2020-05-29 |title=Detroit Tigers: Looking Back at the 2002 MLB Draft |url=https://motorcitybengals.com/2020/05/29/detroit-tigers-2002-mlb-draft/ |access-date=2025-03-23 |website=Motor City Bengals |language=en-us}}