Topic: Freddy Garcia

Freddy Antonio García (born October 6, 1976 in Caracas, Venezuela), nicknamed "The Chief", is a Venezuelan Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher for the New York Yankees. During his major league career, he pitched for the Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers and the Chicago White Sox. García throws a fastball that can get into the 90s and a hard slider. He also throws a two-seamer, a curve, a splitter and occasionally uses a changeup. Garcia's best year was in 2001 in which he led the American League in innings pitched and ERA. He made the All-Star team in 2001 and 2002. In 2005, he was a member of the World Series winning Chicago White Sox and started the series winning game 4.

Originally signed by the Houston Astros as a non-draft amateur free agent in 1993, García was acquired by Seattle in 1998, along with Carlos Guillén and John Halama in the trade that sent Randy Johnson to the Astros.

During García's rookie season, he pitched 201 innings, compiling a 17-8 record with 170 strikeouts and a 4.07 ERA in 33 starts. After going 9-5 in his second season, he went on to win 18, 16, 12, 13, and 14 games over the course of the next five seasons. Garcia was the American League pitcher on the mound when the 2002 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was called after 11 innings, and ended as a 7-7 tie. The other pitcher was Vicente Padilla of the Philadelphia Phillies.