Chad Karl Reineke is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional
baseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
pitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for the
Cincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
of
Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
.
Personal life
Reineke attended Ayersville High School. He married long-time girlfriend Kelli Battershell on November 7, 2009.
College career
Reineke attended
Miami UniversityMiami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
in which he played
college ballCollege baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
. For the RedHawks, he was mainly used as a
relief pitcherA relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
, but would make the occasional
startIn baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
. His best season for the RedHawks came in , when he made five starts and eight relief appearances, notching a 2-2 record with a 4.22
ERAIn baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
.
Major League Baseball
Reineke was drafted by the
Houston AstrosThe Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
in the 13th round (394th overall) of the
2004 Major League Baseball DraftThe 2004 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 7 and 8. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams...
.
Houston Astros
After signing with the Astros on June 16, 2004, Reineke was assigned to the Single-A Tri-City ValleyCats. For the ValleyCats, he pitched in 23 games, all in relief, and had a 1-2 record with a 2.45 ERA and 3 saves. Reineke advanced one level in , playing the entire season for the Single-A
Lexington LegendsThe Lexington Legends are a minor league baseball team of the South Atlantic League , and the Class A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Lexington, Kentucky, and play their home games at Whitaker Bank Ballpark, located in an industrial area on the northeast side of the city just...
. He was both a starter and a reliever for the Legends, making 11 starts and 31 relief appearances. Reineke went a combined 10-8 with a 3.52 ERA and got 4 saves.
In , Reineke played at two levels, the Single-A
Salem AvalancheThe Salem Red Sox are a minor league baseball team in Salem, Virginia, USA, an independent city adjacent to Roanoke, Virginia. They are a Class High-A team in the Carolina League and are a farm team of the Boston Red Sox...
and the Double-A
Corpus Christi HooksThe Corpus Christi Hooks are a minor league baseball team of the Texas League, and are the Double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Corpus Christi, Texas, and are named for the city's association with fishing. The team's ownership group is headed by Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan...
. For the Avalanche, he was in their starting rotation, making 17 starts and posting a 6-5 record with a 2.98 ERA. For the Hooks, he was primarily used as a reliever, playing in a total of 15 games and getting a 1-3 record with a 3.05 ERA.
Reineke advanced another level in , this time playing at the Triple-A level for the
Round Rock ExpressThe Round Rock Express is a class Triple-A Pacific Coast League minor league baseball team in Round Rock, Texas, owned by RSR Sports and founded by Reid Ryan, son of Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. The team is affiliated with the Texas Rangers, for whom Nolan Ryan serves as the president and...
. Making 16 starts and the same number of relief appearances, Reineke went a combined 5-5 with a 4.68 ERA.
On November 20, 2007, Reineke's contract was purchased, protecting him from the
Rule 5 draftThe Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to...
.
San Diego Padres
On July 22, 2008, he was traded to the
San Diego PadresThe San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
for
Randy WolfRandall Christopher Wolf is a left-handed pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball. Randy's older brother Jim is a Major League umpire. Unlike his brother Jim and Houston Astros relief pitcher Ross Wolf, Randy is a boss...
. On August 16, , Reineke made his major league debut as the starting pitcher for the Padres against the
Philadelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. He pitched five innings, giving up three
runsIn baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, getting the
winIn professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
, and also going 1 for 2 at the plate with an
RBIRuns batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
singleIn baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
. He earned his second win by defeating
Brandon WebbBrandon Tyler Webb is a Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the 2006 National League Cy Young Award winner.-High school:Webb attended Paul G...
, who was seeking his 20th win of the season.
Oakland Athletics
Before the 2009 minor league baseball season began, Reineke was traded to the
Oakland AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
for
outfielderOutfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
J. D. Pruitt. Reineke has played for the A's Triple-A farm team, the
Sacramento River CatsThe Sacramento River Cats is a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. The team plays in the Pacific Coast League and is the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics....
. He was called up to make an emergency start for the A's on August 5, 2009, and returned to Sacramento the next day. In November 2009, Reineke was granted free agency.
Cincinnati Reds
On December 22, 2009, Reineke signed a minor league contract with the
Cincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. He spent the entire 2010 season with their Triple-A farm team, the
Louisville BatsThe Louisville Bats, which play in Louisville, Kentucky, are the AAA minor league baseball affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. The team, formerly known as the Louisville RiverBats, plays in the International League...
. He received a non-roster invitation to spring training for 2011.
He had his contract purchased by the Reds on May 31, 2011. He started that night against Milwaukee in place of the injured
Homer BaileyDavid Dewitt "Homer" Bailey, Jr. is an American Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds....
. He was designated for assignment after one start for the Reds, presumably to clear a roster space for another player. On October 10, he elected free agency. He re-signed a minor league contract with the Reds on November 28.
External links