Steve Ontiveros

From SoSH

Steven Ontiveros, a right-handed pitcher, started just one game for the Boston Red Sox, on September 16, 2000, lasting one inning and giving up 5 hits, 2 walks, and six earned runs. He also pitched twice in relief, hurling 4 1/3 shutout innings. While with the Red Sox, Ontiveros wore uniform number 41.

Contents 1 Overall Career 2 Ontiveros's Moments in the Sun 3 Awards 4 Achievements 5 Trivia 6 Transactions 7 External Links

Overall Career

Steve Ontiveros was drafted in the second round (54th overall) of the 1982 amateur draft. After three seasons in the minors, he made his major league debut for the Oakland Athletics on June 14, 1985, pitching two perfect innings of relief. Ontiveros finished the season in impressive fashion, working his way into the closer's role by pitching 74 2/3 innings and allowing only 45 hits, 19 walks, and 16 earned runs (for a 1.93 ERA and a 0.857 WHIP) while striking out 36 batters.

Needless to say, Ontiveros's phenomenal rookie season led to high expectations for his 1986 campaign. Unfortunately, his next few years in Oakland weren't nearly as impressive. In 1986, he compiled a 4.71 ERA and a 1.335 WHIP in 72 2/3 innings. The following year, Oakland decided to convert Ontiveros to a starter, with mixed results: in 150 2/3 innings, he was 10-8 with an ERA of 4.00 and a WHIP of 1.268, slightly better than league average. Injuries limited Ontiveros to just 10 starts in 1988 (in which he committed an astounding 5 balks, along with a 3-4 record and a 4.61 ERA), and he was released by Oakland after the season.

Steve Ontiveros then signed with the Philadelphia Phillies in February 1989, but was plagued by injuries during his three seasons with Philadelphia. As a result, he appeared in only 11 games over two seasons, then missed the 1991 season entirely after having elbow surgery.

In February of 1992, Ontiveros signed with the Detroit Tigers, but the pain in his elbow made him unable to pitch, and he was released in April. A couple of months later, Steve's wife, who had become pregnant with the aid of fertility drugs, lost the baby. Depression and physical pain caused Ontiveros to retire from baseball. However, a few months later, Ontiveros was throwing a football around and realized that the pain in his arm was gone. The Minnesota Twins were willing to give him a shot, and he worked his way through the Twins' minor league system until August 10, when he was traded to the Seattle Mariners. Ontiveros pitched 18 innings out of the Seattle bullpen, giving up only 2 earned runs (although opponents had 18 hits and 6 walks against him). Oakland apparently saw enough to give him another shot, however, and when Seattle released him that winter, Steve re-signed with the A's.

Ontiveros's 1994 season more than justified Oakland's renewed interest in him. Ontiveros appeared in 27 games for the A's (13 of them starts) during the strike-shortened season, and posted a 2.65 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP, leading the league in both categories. He also ranked third, behind only Roger Clemens (177) and David Cone (170), in adjusted ERA+, at 167. Ontiveros returned to Oakland for the 1995 season and picked up right where he left off, allowing one run or less in eight of his first twelve starts and posting a 2.65 ERA through June 30. Not surprisingly, Ontiveros was selected to the 1995 American League All-Star team. After July 1, however, Ontiveros was not the same pitcher, allowing 5 or more runs in six out of his last ten starts and spending a month on the DL.

Steve's next few seasons were injury-riddled and ineffective. He spent the 1996 and 1997 seasons in the Anaheim Angels' system, but pitched only 8 1/3 innings. The following spring, he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals, but was released after less than a month, and subsequently signed with the Baltimore Orioles. He spent the rest of the season pitching for Triple-A Rochester, but did not reach the majors. In 1999, Ontiveros pitched in spring training with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, but was released, and signed with the Milwaukee Brewers. Once again, he spent time pitching in Triple-A until being released on July 24, 1999. The Colorado Rockies signed him midway through the 2000 season, but he was once again relegated to Triple-A and then released. Finally, the Red Sox signed Ontiveros on September 10, 2000, and inexplicably asked him to start a game during their playoff run. He did start a game, lasting a grand total of one inning and surrendering five hits, two walks, and six earned runs. Ontiveros also pitched twice in relief, totally 4 1/3 scoreless innings, to redeem himself somewhat. Those appearances would be his last in a major league uniform.

The 2001 season saw Ontiveros signing with the New York Mets and (later) the Oakland A's, but he spent the entire season in Triple-A once again. He appears to have been unsigned since the 2001 season.

Ontiveros's Moments in the Sun

• Ontiveros's ERA during his rookie season of 1985 was an impressive 1.93, and his WHIP was 0.857 (the only time in his career it would be below 1.0). He allowed only 45 hits and 19 walks in 74 2/3 innings.
• June 28, 1987: Steve Ontiveros allowed just two hits and did not walk anyone in a complete game shutout of the Cleveland Indians. The Athletics won the game 10-0.
• April 11, 1989: Ontiveros pitched seven shutout innings against the Montreal Expos, allowing 5 hits and 1 walk while striking out three. He also contributed offensively to Philadelphia's 6-2 win, hitting a three-run double in the contest. Amazingly, that double was the only major league hit of Steve's career.
• Ontiveros's 1994 season with Oakland was an outstanding one: he posted a 2.65 ERA and a 1.032 WHIP, both of which led the American League. During that season, Ontiveros allowed only 7.26 hits and 2.03 walks per nine innings pitched.
• May 27, 1995: Steve Ontiveros pitched a one-hit complete game shutout, allowing two walks and striking out seven Yankees in a 3-0 Oakland win.

Awards

• 1995 American League All-Star.

Achievements

• 1994 American League ERA Leader (2.65).

Trivia

• Steve Ontiveros the pitcher is completely unrelated to the "other" Steve Ontiveros, a third baseman with a goofy mustache who played for the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago Cubs.
• Ontiveros took the loss in the 1995 All-Star Game, allowing the game-winning home run to pinch-hitter Jeff Conine in the eighth inning.

Transactions

• June 11, 1982: Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 2nd round of the 1982 amateur draft. Player signed June 11, 1982.
• December 21, 1988: Released by the Oakland Athletics.
• February 16, 1989: Signed as a Free Agent with the Philadelphia Phillies.
• November 11, 1991: Granted Free Agency.
• February 28, 1992: Signed as a Free Agent with the Detroit Tigers.
• April 16, 1992: Released by the Detroit Tigers.
• April 5, 1993: Signed as a Free Agent with the Minnesota Twins.
• August 10, 1993: Traded by the Minnesota Twins to the Seattle Mariners for Greg Shockey (minors).
• October 8, 1993: Granted Free Agency.
• January 31, 1994: Signed as a Free Agent with the Oakland Athletics.
• October 24, 1994: Granted Free Agency.
• April 11, 1995: Signed as a Free Agent with the Oakland Athletics.
• November 1, 1995: Granted Free Agency.
• January 26, 1996: Signed as a Free Agent with the California Angels.
• October 10, 1996: Granted Free Agency
• January 20, 1997: Signed as a Free Agent with the Anaheim Angels.
• October 6, 1997: Released by the Anaheim Angels.
• February 15, 1998: Signed as a Free Agent with the St. Louis Cardinals.
• April 23, 1998: Released by the St. Louis Cardinals.
• May 1, 1998: Signed as a Free Agent with the Baltimore Orioles.
• July 25, 1998: Released by the Baltimore Orioles.
• January 20, 1999: Signed as a Free Agent with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
• March 31, 1999: Released by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
• May 24, 1999: Signed as a Free Agent with the Milwaukee Brewers.
• July 24, 1999: Released by the Milwaukee Brewers.
• July 7, 2000: Signed as a Free Agent with the Colorado Rockies.
• September 9, 2000: Released by the Colorado Rockies.
• September 10, 2000: Signed as a Free Agent with the Boston Red Sox.
• November 1, 2000: Granted Free Agency.
• January 5, 2001: Signed as a Free Agent with the New York Mets.

External Links

• Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis