Vinnie Chulk

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Vinnie Chulk

|image=ヴィニー・チューク2010.jpg

|caption = Chulk with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in 2010

|position=Pitcher

|birth_date={{birth date and age|1978|12|19}}

|birth_place=Miami, Florida, U.S.

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate = September 8

|debutyear = 2003

|debutteam = Toronto Blue Jays

|debut2league = NPB

|debut2team = Hiroshima Toyo Carp

|debut2date = August 1

|debut2year = 2010

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate = May 18

|finalyear = 2012

|finalteam = Milwaukee Brewers

|final2league = NPB

|final2date = September 14

|final2year = 2010

|final2team = Hiroshima Toyo Carp

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label = Win–loss record

|stat1value = 8–15

|stat2label = Earned run average

|stat2value = 4.51

|stat3label = Strikeouts

|stat3value = 199

|stat2league = NPB

|stat21label = Win–loss record

|stat21value = 2–0

|stat22label = Earned run average

|stat22value = 5.79

|stat23label = Strikeouts

|stat23value = 12

|teams=

Toronto Blue Jays ({{mlby|2003}}–{{mlby|2006}})
San Francisco Giants ({{mlby|2006}}–{{mlby|2008}})
Cleveland Indians ({{mlby|2009}})
Hiroshima Toyo Carp ({{npby|2010}})
Milwaukee Brewers ({{mlby|2012}})

}}

Charles Vincent "Vinnie" Chulk (born December 19, 1978) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians, and Milwaukee Brewers, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. He is of Cuban heritage.

Early life

Chulk played baseball at the Perrine Khoury League throughout much of his childhood, and graduated in 1996 from Miami Palmetto Senior High School. That year, he was named MVP and received Best Pitcher Award. He defeated the Southridge Spartans during the playoffs in 1996, the team that had cut him the year prior. He attended St. Thomas University in Miami, where he graduated in 2000, majoring in Sports Management. Chulk played college baseball and received Best Pitcher Award of the Sun Conference in 1998, 1999, and 2000, and the Regional Pitcher of the Year Award in his senior year.

Professional career

Chulk played for the Toronto Blue Jays of the American League from 2003 to 2006. On July 21, 2006, he was traded by Toronto to the San Francisco Giants of the National League with Shea Hillenbrand in exchange for reliever Jeremy Accardo.{{cite news|title=Giants acquire Hillenbrand and Chulk from Toronto for Accardo|url=http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20060722&content_id=1569133&vkey=pr_sf&fext=.jsp&c_id=sf|access-date=April 24, 2016|work=MLB.com|date=July 22, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508100614/http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20060722&content_id=1569133&vkey=pr_sf&fext=.jsp&c_id=sf|archive-date=May 8, 2016|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}{{cite news|title=Giants acquire Hillenbrand from Jays|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=2526825|access-date=April 24, 2016|agency=Associated Press|work=ESPN.com|date=July 22, 2006}} He was designated for assignment by the Giants on June 24, 2008.{{cite news|last1=Haft|first1=Chris|title=Chulk designated for assignment|url=http://m.giants.mlb.com/news/article/2993733|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508083012/http://m.giants.mlb.com/news/article/2993733|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 8, 2016|access-date=April 24, 2016|work=MLB.com|date=June 24, 2008}} He became a free agent at the end of the season.{{cite news|last1=Eddy|first1=Matt|title=Minor League Transactions|url=http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/minor-league-transactions-74/|work=Baseball America|access-date=April 24, 2016|date=October 6, 2008}}

Chulk signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians on January 15, 2009.{{cite news|last1=Hoynes|first1=Paul|title=Report: Indians sign reliever Vinnie Chulk to minor-league deal|url=http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2009/01/report_clevelnd_indians_have_s.html|access-date=April 24, 2016|work=Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=January 15, 2009}} The deal was finalized in February.{{cite news|last1=Hoynes|first1=Paul|title=Cleveland Indians sign another veteran pitcher in Vinnie Chulk|url=http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2009/02/cleveland_indians_sign_another.html|access-date=April 24, 2016|work=Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=February 3, 2009}} The Indians purchased his contract and added him to the roster on April 11.{{cite news|last1=Castrovince|first1=Anthony|title=Chulk takes Lewis' place on roster|url=http://m.indians.mlb.com/news/article/4221408|access-date=April 24, 2016|work=MLB.com|date=April 11, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508082717/http://m.indians.mlb.com/news/article/4221408|archive-date=May 8, 2016|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} On May 6, Chulk was designated for assignment.{{cite news|last1=Hoynes|first1=Paul|title=Cleveland Indians drop Vinnie Chulk to make room for Jeremy Sowers|url=http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2009/05/cleveland_indians_drop_vinnie.html|access-date=April 24, 2016|work=Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=May 6, 2009}} He cleared waivers and accepted a minor league assignment to Triple-A affiliate Columbus Clippers.{{cite news|last1=Eddy|first1=Matt|title=Minor League Transactions|url=http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/minor-league-transactions-104/|access-date=April 24, 2016|work=Baseball America|date=May 18, 2009}} In October 2009, Chulk was granted free agency.{{cite news|last1=Eddy|first1=Matt|title=Minor League Transactions|url=http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/minor-league-transactions-124/|access-date=April 24, 2016|work=Baseball America|date=October 12, 2009}}

He was signed to a minor league contract by the Pittsburgh Pirates on December 7, 2009.{{cite news|last1=Langosch|first1=Jenifer|title=Bucs ink Chulk to Minor League deal|url=http://m.pirates.mlb.com/news/article/7767408|access-date=April 24, 2016|work=MLB.com|date=December 7, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508080942/http://m.pirates.mlb.com/news/article/7767408|archive-date=May 8, 2016|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}

In July 2010, Chulk's rights were sold to the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball.{{cite news|title=Perseverance pays as Chulk returns to bigs|url=http://m.mlb.com/news/article/29955062/|access-date=April 24, 2016|work=MLB.com|date=April 29, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508102451/http://m.mlb.com/news/article/29955062/|archive-date=May 8, 2016|url-status=bot: unknown}}{{cite news|last1=Eddy|first1=Matt|title=Minor League Transactions: July 20–28|url=http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/minor-league-transactions-159/|access-date=April 24, 2016|work=Baseball America|date=August 2, 2010}}

He signed a minor league contract with the Oakland Athletics in December 2010.{{cite news|last1=Eddy|first1=Matt|title=Minor League Transactions: Dec. 9-14|url=http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/minor-league-transactions-dec-9-14/|access-date=April 23, 2016|work=Baseball America|date=December 15, 2010}}

For the 2012 season, Chulk played in the Milwaukee Brewers organization. On April 28, after going 0–0 with a 3.18 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 11.1 innings, the Brewers purchased his contract from Triple-A Nashville.{{cite web|last=Latsch|first=Nate|title=Tired bullpen forces Crew to make moves|url=http://m.brewers.mlb.com/news/article/29881580|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150519114343/http://m.brewers.mlb.com/news/article/29881580/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 19, 2015|work=MLB.com|access-date=28 April 2012}} Chulk was designated for assignment by Milwaukee on May 19, 2012.{{cite news|title=Brewers swap Chulk for Perez in bullpen|url=http://m.brewers.mlb.com/news/article/31727206|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508094739/http://m.brewers.mlb.com/news/article/31727206|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 8, 2016|access-date=April 24, 2016|work=MLB.com|date=May 19, 2012}} Following the season, he became a free agent.{{cite news|last1=Eddy|first1=Matt|title=Minor League Transactions: Oct. 2-8|url=http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/minor-league-transactions-oct-2-8/|access-date=April 24, 2016|work=Baseball America|date=October 11, 2012}}