Miguel Batista

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Miguel Batista (born February 19, 1971 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is a former MLB pitcher who played from 1992 to 2012 for 12 teams, including the Pittsburgh Pirates, Montreal Expos, Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners and New York Mets. He could start games, pitch in relief, or close games.

Batista debuted in 1992 with the Pirates after being picked in the Rule 5 Draft, then returned to the majors in 1996. His best years came with the Diamondbacks, especially 2001 when he went 11-8 with a 3.36 ERA and helped the team win the World Series, including a strong outing in Game 5 at Yankee Stadium. He also had a solid 2003 season (10-9, 3.54 ERA) for Arizona.

In 2004–05 he played for the Toronto Blue Jays, serving as closer in 2005 with 31 saves. He was part of a big trade back to Arizona after the 2005 season. He then joined the Seattle Mariners in 2006 and had a good 2007 season (16-11, 4.29 ERA). His later MLB stops included the Mets, Nationals, Cardinals, and Braves. He was nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award in 2009 for his charity work.

Batista finished his playing career with a 102-115 record, a 4.48 ERA, and 1,250 strikeouts. He also played in the Dominican Republic in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. Off the field, he writes poetry and novels, including Sentimientos en Blanco y Negro and Ante los ojos de la ley, with an English edition of The Avenger of Blood. He has donated books and money to education programs, including 11,000 books to a Navajo Nation library and funding to build a baseball diamond in Sacaton, Arizona.