Gustavo Adolfo ChacÃÂn (; born December 4, 1980) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros.
In 2004, ChacÃÂn led all minor leaguers with 18 wins, and was the 24th pitcher used by the Blue Jays, tying the team record set in the 2002 season.
ChacÃÂn began the 2004 campaign with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats of the DoubleâÂÂA Eastern League. He was 16âÂÂ2 with 109 strikeouts and a 2.86 ERA in innings, having earned his promotion to the Syracuse Chiefs of the TripleâÂÂA International League after a 34-innings scoreless streak. With the Chiefs, ChacÃÂn posted a 2âÂÂ0 record with 14 strikeouts and a 2.31 ERA in innings. Then, he was promoted to the major leagues for the first time and made his debut on September 20, 2004, against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. ChacÃÂn allowed two earned runs on three hits over seven innings for the win, as Toronto beat the Yankees 6âÂÂ3. In his second start, ChacÃÂn held the Baltimore Orioles to four hits and a run in seven innings, but took the loss. At the end of the season, he had compiled a 1âÂÂ1 record with six strikeouts and a 2.57 ERA in 14 innings
At spring training in 2005, ChacÃÂn landed a spot in the Jays' starting rotation. He jumped out to a hot start, earning a record of 4âÂÂ1 with 18 strikeouts and a 2.41 ERA over 32.2 innings through the month of April, and was selected the American League Rookie of the Month. In July, ChacÃÂn won five of his six starts, being named Rookie of the Month for the second time in the season. ChacÃÂn pitched and won the final game of the season for the Blue Jays against the Kansas City Royals with a solid line of innings, 7 hits allowed, 1 run, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts in the 7âÂÂ2 Blue Jay win. ChacÃÂn finished the season with a record of 13âÂÂ9 and 3.72 ERA in 34 starts. He collected 121 strikeouts in 203 innings. He finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting, netting two first place votes and fourteen total points, and was named to the Topps All-Star Rookie Team along with fellow Blue Jay Russ Adams.
ChacÃÂn finished his 2006 season 9âÂÂ4 with a 5.05 ERA. He opened the 2007 season with Toronto, but was sent down to the minors by the end of April.
In 2008, ChacÃÂn spent the entire season with Toronto's SingleâÂÂA affiliate Dunedin Blue Jays. He finished the 2008 campaign at Dunedin with a 1-7 won-loss record, and a 7.88 ERA, and was granted free agency by the Blue Jays at the conclusion of the season.
ChacÃÂn signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals on December 23, 2008, but was released by that club at the conclusion of spring training. Only a few days later, ChacÃÂn signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies organization He split the 2009 season between the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Phillies' TripleâÂÂA affiliate, and the DoubleâÂÂA Reading Fightin Phils, compiling a cumulative 9âÂÂ4 record and 3.20 ERA with 62 strikeouts across innings pitched.
Chacin was signed to a minor-league contract by the Houston Astros on December 14, 2009. He also received an invitation to spring training.
On May 3, 2010, the Astros purchased the contract of Chacin from the TripleâÂÂA Round Rock Express of the Pacific Coast League. Previously, Chacin had been exclusively a starter in the majors; with Houston, he was used exclusively as a relief pitcher.
ChacÃÂn had his only major-league hit in a game against the Washington Nationals on the May 31, 2010, a solo home run off Nationals starter Luis Atilano. It was ChacÃÂn's first major-league plate appearance in almost five years. It also proved to be the final at bat of his major-league career.
Chacin made 44 appearances for the Astros in 2010, all in relief. He went 2âÂÂ2, with one save, and an ERA of 4.70. He did not make the 2011 club, however, and was sent down to the Triple-A Oklahoma City RedHawks. After going 3âÂÂ6 with a 5.13 ERA, he was released by the Astros organization on July 14, 2011.
He signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets on July 16, 2011. The Mets assigned him to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. He went 0âÂÂ1 with the Bisons, compiling a 12.00 ERA in 15 innings of work, and was granted free agency after the season ended.
ChacÃÂn cannot grow hair because of alopecia areata.
Gustavo ChacÃÂn and MLB pitcher Jhoulys ChacÃÂn are second cousins (once removed).
A joke on Toronto sports radio station Fan 590 that the name ChacÃÂn sounds like it should be the name of a cologne led the Blue Jays to do a "ChacÃÂn Cologne Night" on June 27, 2006.
ChacÃÂn was arrested on March 16, 2007, for driving under the influence in Tampa, Florida. He was stopped by Tampa Police at 3:43 a.m. ET and booked on the misdemeanor charge. Police reports indicated that ChacÃÂn's blood alcohol level measured .150, above the legal limit of .08. The pitcher was released on a $500 bond.
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