Freddy Antonio GarcÃÂa (born October 6, 1976) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He is best known for his many seasons with seven Major League Baseball (MLB) franchises, including the Seattle Mariners, Chicago White Sox, and New York Yankees. GarcÃÂa has also pitched in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL), Mexican League, and Venezuelan Professional Baseball League.
GarcÃÂa'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. He was a member of the 2005 World Series-winning White Sox and started the series-ending Game 4.
Originally signed by the Houston Astros as an international free agent in 1993, GarcÃÂa was acquired by Seattle in 1998, along with Carlos Guillén and John Halama in the trade that sent Randy Johnson to the Astros.
During GarcÃÂa's rookie season, he pitched 201 innings, compiling a 17âÂÂ8 record with 170 strikeouts and a 4.07 ERA in 33 starts. After going 9âÂÂ5 in his second season, he went on to compile a 45âÂÂ42 winâÂÂloss record over the course of the next three and a half seasons with Seattle. His strongest season was in 2001, when he earned 18 of the Mariners' American League record-setting 116 wins and led the AL with innings pitched and a 3.05 earned run average. He finished third in AL Cy Young Award voting that year.
On June 27, 2004, GarcÃÂa and catcher Ben Davis were traded to the Chicago White Sox for Michael Morse, Miguel Olivo, and Jeremy Reed. As a Mariner, GarcÃÂa had a 76âÂÂ50 record with a 3.89 ERA and 819 strikeouts.
GarcÃÂa was the starting pitcher in Game 4 of the 2005 World Series for the Chicago White Sox, pitching seven scoreless innings against the Houston Astros. The White Sox won the game and the World Series, completing a four-game sweep.
Before the 2006 season, GarcÃÂa tested positive for marijuana during the World Baseball Classic.
In 2006, he surpassed 1,000 strikeouts for his career. In eight post-season games, he was 5âÂÂ2 with a 3.56 ERA in 48 innings. Also during 2006, on April 29, GarcÃÂa recorded his 103rd career win in a game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, surpassing former White Sox left-hander Wilson ÃÂlvarez as the Venezuelan native with the most career wins in Major League history. He finished the season 17âÂÂ9 with a 4.53 ERA. He was given the nickname "Big Game" while a member of the White Sox.
In December 2006, GarcÃÂa was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for prospects Gavin Floyd and Gio González.
GarcÃÂa experienced a shoulder injury that limited his performance for the first several months of the season. He was placed on the disabled list (DL) in June, and had shoulder surgery in August. GarcÃÂa made 11 starts before being placed on the DL and earned one win.
In August 2008, GarcÃÂa signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers. In his first 2 minor league starts with the Tigers he pitched 5 innings, gave up no runs, and struck out 5. In his Tigers debut in late September, GarcÃÂa, with a limited pitch count, threw 5 scoreless innings to get the win.
In January 2009, GarcÃÂa agreed to a minor league deal with the New York Mets. He was released on April 28, 2009, after two bad starts for the Buffalo Bisons.
On June 8, 2009, the Chicago White Sox signed GarcÃÂa to a minor league contract. GarcÃÂa started on August 18 against the Kansas City Royals for the first time with the White Sox since 2006.
In his first game back with the White Sox, GarcÃÂa went innings allowing 5 earned runs in a losing effort. He finished the season with a 3âÂÂ4 record and a 4.34 ERA.
On October 5, 2009, the Chicago White Sox exercised their 2010 option on GarcÃÂa, a $1 million base salary with $2 million in possible incentives. He became a free agent following the 2010 season.
On January 31, 2011, GarcÃÂa agreed to a minor league contract with the New York Yankees worth $1.5 million. On March 25, 2011, the Yankees announced that GarcÃÂa would be in the Yankees' starting rotation. He finished the 2011 season with a solid 12âÂÂ8 record and a 3.62 ERA, however, he was consistently hammered by teams with winning records, most notably the Boston Red Sox. GarcÃÂa was on the mound in relief as the Sox won their second game of the season on April 10, as well as 2 other losses on May 15 and June 7. However, GarcÃÂa did manage to defeat the Red Sox on September 24.
GarcÃÂa also lost his only playoff start in Game 2 as the Yankees were defeated by the Detroit Tigers in the American League Division Series in five games. Despite this, the Yankees offered him a one-year deal worth $4 million with incentives for the 2012 season. The deal became official on December 9.
In 2012, GarcÃÂa was expected to challenge for a starting spot with Phil Hughes, A. J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte and Michael Pineda. However, Burnett was traded in the offseason, and Pineda was diagnosed with a shoulder injury, thereby allowing GarcÃÂa into the rotation.
GarcÃÂa began the 2012 season with bad footing as he threw 5 wild pitches in his first start against the Baltimore Orioles. He was demoted to the bullpen after going 0âÂÂ2 in April with a 12.51 ERA, averaging only 3.1 innings per start. David Phelps was moved into the starting rotation.
GarcÃÂa immediately improved once in the bullpen. In his two-month relief stint, he posted a 1.56 ERA in 17.1 innings. His sinker's speed also improved, from an average of 87.1 mph in April to 88.6 in May/June.
A fibula injury to Andy Pettitte in late June brought GarcÃÂa back into the rotation. Overall, GarcÃÂa finished the 2012 season with a 7âÂÂ6 record and a 5.20 ERA in 30 games appeared (17 started). He became a free agent following the season.
On January 28, 2013, GarcÃÂa signed a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres. He was released by the Padres on March 24. He promptly signed a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles and joined the Triple-A Norfolk Tides. He was called up on May 4 to make his Orioles debut on the road at Anaheim. He was designated for assignment on June 24. Three days later, GarcÃÂa signed another minor league contract and returned to Norfolk.
On August 23, 2013, the Orioles traded GarcÃÂa to the Atlanta Braves for cash considerations. He had his contract selected to the major league roster on September 1. GarcÃÂa pitched effectively for the Braves, going 1âÂÂ2 with a 1.65 ERA in September (1âÂÂ1, 1.83 ERA in 3 starts). He started Game 4 of the NLDS. Although the Braves lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers, GarcÃÂa pitched well, giving up 2 runs over 6 innings and was in line for the win when he left the game. The 2014 postseason would be his last appearance in the majors.
He returned to the Braves on a minor league contract signed January 24, 2014. He was released on March 24.
On April 18, 2014, GarcÃÂa signed with the EDA Rhinos of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). The seven-month deal included incentives that increased its worth up to $392,000, and was the most lucrative in CPBL history until Lin Chih-sheng signed a 3-year deal for $1.36 million in January 2016. In his first game for the Rhinos on May 10, 2014, GarcÃÂa pitched six innings of shutout ball on four hits in a no-decision before being pulled after 77 pitches. The Rhinos won the game 5âÂÂ0 against the Chinatrust Brother Elephants in front of a sellout crowd of more than 12,000.
On February 25, 2015, GarcÃÂa signed with the Olmecas de Tabasco of the Mexican League. He made 6 starts throwing 33.1 innings going 1-2 with a 5.67 ERA and 21 strikeouts.
On April 9, 2015, GarcÃÂa signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was assigned to the AAA Oklahoma City Dodgers. He appeared in four games and made one start for Oklahoma City, allowing seven runs in 7.1 innings and was released on April 21.
He rejoined the Olmecas de Tabasco in June, then was traded to the Sultanes de Monterrey. In September GarcÃÂa was assigned to the Tigres de Aragua. He spent the rest of 2015 with Aragua, where he won a league championship, and started the first and final games of the 2016 Caribbean Series. He retired after the series concluded. In 5 starts 35.1 innings he went 3-1 with a 2.55 ERA and 23 strikeouts.
On April 8, 2016, GarcÃÂa came out of retirement and signed with the Sultanes de Monterrey of the Mexican League. He was released on May 3, 2016. In 5 starts 23.1 innings he went 2-0 with a 5.01 ERA and 14 strikeouts.
On March 5, 2018, GarcÃÂa signed with the Leones de Yucatán of the Mexican League. He was released on April 23, 2018. He made 5 starts throwing 23.2 innings going 2-2 with a 5.32 ERA and 22 strikeouts.
GarcÃÂa was eligible to be elected in the Hall of Fame in 2019. He received no votes and became ineligible for the 2020 ballot.
GarcÃÂa threw a fastball that topped out in the 90s in his prime and a hard slider. He also threw a two-seam fastball, a curveball, a split-finger fastball and occasionally used a changeup.
GarcÃÂa was once a power pitcher, but as he got older, GarcÃÂa lost velocity on his pitches and compensated by developing a broad repertoire of up to six or seven pitches. In the 2013 season, GarcÃÂa threw the following pitches, in order of their use:
GarcÃÂa has also adjusted his approach to the strike zone, being especially careful not to leave pitches in the middle of the plate: "He doesn't really have the electric stuff, so he's going to stay on the corners and stay out of the zone."
GarcÃÂa and his wife married in 2004. They have two children.