Bronson Arroyo

Bronson Arroyo
Arroyo's signature leg kick.
Cincinnati Reds – No. 61
Starting pitcher
Born: (1977-02-24) February 24, 1977 Key West, Florida
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
MLB debut
June 12, 2000 for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Career statistics (through May 18, 2013)
Win–loss record	128–119
Earned run average	4.20
Strikeouts	1,391
Teams
Pittsburgh Pirates (2000–2002) Boston Red Sox (2003–2005) Cincinnati Reds (2006–present)
Career highlights and awards
Joe Nuxhall Good Guy Award (2006, 2009) All-Star (2006) Gold Glove Award (2010) World Series champion (2004)

Arroyo in 2006.

Bronson Anthony Arroyo (born February 24, 1977) is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, as well as a musician. He has previously played for the Pittsburgh Pirates between 2000 and 2002 and Boston Red Sox from 2003 to 2005. Arroyo, a Cuban-American from Brooksville, Florida, pitched for Hernando High School (class of 1995).^{[citation needed]}

Professional career

Pittsburgh Pirates

Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third round of the 1995 draft, Arroyo made his major league debut with Pittsburgh in 2000.

Boston Red Sox

Arroyo came to the Boston Red Sox after being selected off waivers before the 2003 season.

On August 10, 2003, Arroyo pitched the fourth nine-inning perfect game in the 121-year history of the International League as the PawSox beat the Buffalo Bisons 7–0. He struck out nine, and went to a three-ball count to just three hitters all game.

Arroyo improved in 2004, jumping from middle relief to be the Red Sox No. 5 starter. On July 24, 2004, Arroyo hit Alex Rodriguez with a pitch, which led to a bench-clearing brawl. He compiled a 10–9 mark with a 4.03 ERA in 178 ²⁄₃ innings, while posting a respectable 3.02 strikeout-to-walk ratio (142-to-47). He also got his first championship title when the Red Sox won the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Arroyo made 2 starts and 4 relief appearances in the playoffs, compiling a 0–0 record with 2 holds and a 7.82 ERA for the 2004 World Series champion Red Sox. During Game 6 of the 2004 American League Championship Series, Alex Rodriguez knocked away the ball from Arroyo's glove. The umpires reversed the ruling that Rodriguez was safe, forcing Derek Jeter to return to 1st base, and calling Rodríguez out on the play.

Arroyo's most productive season came in 2005, when he posted career-highs in wins (14), starts (32), innings (205.1) and pitching appearances (35). He also excelled at holding runners, as he only gave up five stolen bases. Before the 2006 season, Arroyo signed a three-year, $11.25 million contract with the Red Sox. Arroyo said the deal was a "hometown discount" and agreed to the terms against the advice of his agent.

Cincinnati Reds

Arroyo was traded during spring training of the 2006 season for Cincinnati Reds outfielder Wily Mo Peña.

2006 was a high point in Arroyo's career. Highlights of the season included a league-leading 240 ²⁄₃ innings pitched, his first selection to an All-Star game, as well as his first career shutout in the major leagues. In February 2007, Arroyo signed a contract extension with the Cincinnati Reds which kept him with the organization through the 2010 season, with an option for the year 2011.

Arroyo was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome in his pitching hand during the 2008–09 offseason. As a result, he missed games during the 2009 spring training, as well as being advised to stop playing guitar until the symptoms disappeared. After a sub-par first half of the 2009 season, Arroyo turned in an excellent second half, lowering his ERA from the 5's to the 3's, throwing multiple shutouts and complete games, and putting himself in position to be the Reds top starter in 2010 since Edinson Volquez, the #1 starter in 2009, was out for the start of the season following Tommy John surgery.

In 2010, Arroyo was chosen as the #2 starter in the Reds' first playoff series in 15 years. He pitched 5 ¹⁄₃ innings against the Philadelphia Phillies, allowing one earned run and leaving with the lead. However, he would earn a no-decision as the Reds went on to lose the game. Arroyo won his first Gold Glove on November 10, 2010, the first by a Reds pitcher since Harvey Haddix in 1958.

The Reds exercised the 2011 option on Arroyo's contract on November 3, 2010. After exercising his option, the Reds and Arroyo agreed on a three-year, $35 million contract extension, keeping him with the team through 2013.

On March 26, 2011 Arroyo was diagnosed with mononucleosis, a condition where there is a high lymphocytes count in the blood from an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection.

Arroyo was chosen by Reds' manager Dusty Baker to start Game 2 of the 2012 National League Division Series versus the San Francisco Giants. He took a perfect game into the fifth inning, and allowed only two base-runners (a base hit with two outs in the fifth, and a walk in the seventh) in seven scoreless innings. The Reds won the game 9-0 to take a 2-0 series lead. The win was Arroyo's first in thirteen postseason appearances, including five starts.

Possible use of performance-enhancing drugs

A day after reports claimed former Red Sox teammate David Ortiz was among 104 Major League players to have failed drug tests in 2003, Arroyo revealed he had used androstenedione and amphetamines in his career. Bronson Arroyo remarked that he would not be surprised if he was among the 104 players that failed tests, as he suspected the androstenedione he was taking may have been tainted with steroids.

His name was not among those revealed in the Mitchell Report.

Pitching style

Arroyo's fastball is in the 87–92 miles per hour range. While it is considered average among major league pitchers, his fastball has excellent movement and Arroyo is adept at "spotting" it. He also throws a hard slider that moves away from right-handed batters, and a straight changeup as well. Arroyo's best pitch is his curveball. He throws the pitch from multiple arm angles and is known to throw it in any count. The angle of the curveball itself can vary from a straight 12–6 to a sweeping 1–7. Arroyo's delivery is somewhat unique; he incorporates a leg kick in his pitching motion, extending his front leg completely straight and lifting it up to a level above his waist before delivering the ball. His kick often appears to reach head level and deceives hitters with its exaggerated motion. From the stretch position with runners on base, his leg-kick is much less pronounced and his delivery to home plate is very quick by major league standards. As a result, Arroyo is one of the better pitchers at holding runners on base.

Music

Bronson Arroyo concert at Mohegan Sun in January 2008

In 2005, Bronson Arroyo released his debut album, Covering the Bases. It included covers from bands such as Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Foo Fighters and Incubus. The album also includes the Red Sox victory song "Dirty Water" by The Standells, in which Arroyo is accompanied by Johnny Damon, Lenny DiNardo, and Kevin Youkilis. He also taught Kevin Millar how to play guitar and performed vocals for the song "Tessie" as covered by the Dropkick Murphys.

In 2008, commercials for JTM Food Group featuring a 'music video' by Arroyo; also featuring FSN Ohio color analyst and former Cincinnati Reds player Chris Welsh began airing during Cincinnati Reds games.

Arroyo appears as a vocalist on the song "Since You" on Chad Perrone's album, Wake.

Bronson made his public debut on stage in January 2004 at the Hot Stove Cool Music fundraiser at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston. He performed a cover of Pearl Jam's "Black" with teammate Kevin Millar. He later performed full sets at four other Hot Stove Cool Music events with a full band that featured saxophonist Elan Trotman and two members of Gnarls Barkley (drummer Eric Gardner and guitarist Clint Walsh).

See also

• List of Cuban Americans

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• BronsonArroyo.com - Bronson's Official Website