jose rijo

The Dominican MLB pitcher has led quite a career in the sport from his early days with the New York Yankees to his retirement a whole 18 years later with the Cincinnati Reds. Jose was first signed by the Yankees in 1980 as an amateur free agent at the young age of 15. He made his MLB debut with the team 4 years later as the youngest player in the league at only 18 years of age.

At the end of the season the young superstar was traded to the Oakland Athletics where he played before joining the Reds in 1988. 1990 was a big year for Jose and the team as they won the World Series Title defeating the defending champions Oakland Athletics in a four game sweep. The pitcher’s extraordinary performance earned him the Most Valuable Player Award on top of the team’s victory. In 1993 the baseball star was the National League leader in strikeouts and Wins Above Replacement, with a 10.6. Following this success Jose was named to the All-Star Game in 1994.

Due to unfortunate injuries the superstar had to stop the game for almost 6 years to focus on his recovery. In 2001 he made an astonishing return to the Cincinnati Reds, making him the first player since Minnie Minosa in 1976 to appear in a game after receiving a Baseball Hall of Fame vote. This unbelievable show of courage and determination earned Jose the Tony Conigliaro Award in 2002, awarded to the player who best overcomes obstacles and adversity. He retired on a high at the end of that season. In 2005 Jose was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.