Raymond Anthony Black (born June 26, 1990) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants and Milwaukee Brewers.
| Ray Black | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born: June 26, 1990 Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 8, 2018, for the San Francisco Giants | |
| Last appearance | |
| September 24, 2020, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 2–3 |
| Earned run average | 5.53 |
| Strikeouts | 54 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Early life
editBlack had Tommy John surgery during his senior year in high school.[1][2]
College career
editHe recovered from the surgery and played college baseball at the University of Pittsburgh for the Panthers from 2009 to 2011. He appeared in 30 games with Pittsburgh, finishing with a 10.95 earned run average (ERA) with 41 strikeouts and 41 walks in 37 innings.
Professional career
editSan Francisco Giants
editMinor leagues
editDespite his college numbers, Black was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the seventh round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft.[3] He signed with the Giants rather than return to Pittsburgh.[4] He did not pitch in 2011 and before the 2012 season, Black suffered a torn labrum in his right shoulder.[5] The injury would cause him to miss both 2012 and 2013 while he recovered.[6] Black finally made his professional debut in 2014 with the Augusta GreenJackets and in August, he was promoted to the San Jose Giants.[7] He finished the year with a 3.57 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 35+1⁄3 innings. After the season, the Giants assigned him to the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League. In 2015, he pitched for the San Jose Giants where he was 2–1 with a 2.88 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in 25 innings, and in 2016, he played with the Richmond Flying Squirrels where he compiled a 1–4 record and 4.88 ERA in 31.1 innings pitched out of the bullpen.[8] He spent most of 2017 rehabbing an elbow injury with his only action of the season being three rehab appearances in August. He began 2018 with Richmond.
Major leagues
editBlack was called up to the majors for the first time on July 8, 2018.[9] In 26 appearances during his rookie campaign, Black registered a 2–2 record and 6.17 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 23+1⁄3 innings pitched.[10]
Milwaukee Brewers
editOn July 31, 2019, the Giants traded Black and Drew Pomeranz to the Milwaukee Brewers for Mauricio Dubón.[11] Between San Francisco and Milwaukee in 2019, Black pitched to a combined 5.06 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 16.0 innings across 17 appearances.[12] Black began the 2020 season on the injured list with a shoulder strain, and spent most of the season on the IL.[13] He was activated in September and managed to throw 3 innings of 1 run ball in 3 appearances.
On March 30, 2021, Black was outrighted off of the Brewers' 40-man roster.[14] He did not appear for the organization in 2021 and was placed on the restricted list on August 31.[15]
Black has since retired from professional baseball and is a trainer for RailRiders University winter camps.[16]
References
edit- ^ "Black in for elbow surgery today". The Times Leader. Wilkes-Barre, Scranton PA. Archived from the original on October 24, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
- ^ Bennett, Steve (June 5, 2011). "Big league dreams". citizensvoice.com. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
- ^ Bennett, Steve (June 8, 2011). "World champion Giants draft Coughlin's Ray Black". citizensvoice.com. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
- ^ Bennett, Steve (August 5, 2011). "GIANT LEAP Coughlin grad Ray Black signs with San Francisco, off to rookie league". citizensvoice.com. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
- ^ "Augusta GreenJackets reliever Ray Black rises from 'absolute bottom'". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
- ^ "Giants' Patience With Black Paying Off – BaseballAmerica.com". BaseballAmerica.com. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
- ^ "Augusta GreenJackets lose relievers Ray Black, Jake Smith to promotions". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
- ^ "Ray Black Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
- ^ Kelly, Kenny (July 8, 2018). "Giants trade Jackson and Gearrin to Rangers; call up Ray Black and Steven Duggar". McCovey Chronicles. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
- ^ "Ray Black is baseball's most polarizing reliever". beyondtheboxscore.com. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
- ^ Haudricourt, Tom (July 31, 2019). "Brewers send infield prospect Mauricio Dubon to Giants for pitchers Drew Pomeranz and Ray Black". jsonline.com. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
- ^ "The pitchers who would be traded". October 18, 2019.
- ^ "A strained rotator cuff has put Brewers reliever Ray Black on injured list to start the season".
- ^ "Brewers Outright Ray Black".
- ^ "Ray Black Stats, Fantasy & News". milb.com. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
- ^ "Pro career behind him, hard-throwing Ray Black slows things down to basics". thetimes-tribune.com. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
External links
edit- Career statistics from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Pittsburgh Panthers bio