Francisco Cordero
Encyclopedia
Francisco Javier Cordero (born May 11, 1975 in Santo Domingo
, Dominican Republic
) is a Major League Baseball
relief pitcher
for the Cincinnati Reds
. Cordero is frequently referred to by his nickname, CoCo, which is a combination of the last two letters of his first name and the first two letters of his last name.
Cordero throws a hard fastball
—capable of reaching the upper 90s, and also has an excellent slider
that he can throw for strikes early in the count, and which he uses as his outpitch. On June 1, 2011, Cordero recorded his 300th career save, becoming only the 22nd player to reach that mark.
He attended Colegio Luz Arroyo Hondo High School in the Dominican Republic.
in a multi-player deal for Juan González. Cordero was the last player from that trade to play with the Texas Rangers
. Coco had his most dominant year in , making the AL All-Star team
, but he blew some crucial saves late in September of that year to keep the Rangers from advancing to the playoffs. After blowing a team record five saves in April , Cordero was removed from the closer role and replaced with Akinori Otsuka
, before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers
at the trading deadline.
, Laynce Nix
, and Minor Leaguer Julian Cordero (no relation) for Carlos Lee
and Nelson Cruz to take over the closer role from Derrick Turnbow
who, despite being an All-Star that year, struggled mightily in July converting only 1 of 5 opportunities with an ERA over 8. In 28 games with Milwaukee after the trade, he won three games, saved 16 games, and struck out
30 in 26.2 innings
of work with an ERA
of 1.69. His final 2006 stats were career highs of 10 wins
, 84 strikeouts, 3.70 ERA, 22 saves (one of his career highs), and 75.1 innings of work between Texas and Milwaukee in 77 games (a career high). The Brewers exercised the club option on Cordero on October 6, 2006 to keep him as their closer in .
On May 4, 2007 Cordero was selected as the winner of “DHL Presents the Major League Baseball Delivery Man of the Month Award” for April, 2007. This officially-sanctioned Major League Baseball (MLB) award recognizes the most outstanding relief pitcher during each month of the regular season.
In 2007 he was successful on his first 22 save attempts before, on June 9, Cordero blew his first save of the season against his former team, the Texas Rangers.
Cordero was selected to play in the 2007 All-Star Game
at AT&T Park
in San Francisco
, California
.
On September 25, 2007, Cordero was named as one of 10 finalist for the "DHL Presents the Major League Baseball Delivery Man of the Year Award
." Cordero opted out of his contract and became a free agent. After mulling offers from the Brewers and Astros
, he signed with the Reds
.
officially announced that Cordero had been signed to a 4-year, $46 million deal, the most expensive deal ever signed by a relief pitcher. In 2010, Cordero reached the playoffs for the first time in his career with the Reds, also notching 40 saves in the same season. He is the first player in Cincinnati Reds history to get 300 saves while playing for the Reds. He is currently the Reds' closer with Nick Masset
as the setup man.
On June 1, 2011, Cordero recorded his 300th career save.
He is ranked #12 on the all time saves leaderboard making him the all time leader in saves by a player from the Dominican Republic, passing his childhood idol Jose Mesa
.
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
) is a Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major 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...
relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A 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...
for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The 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....
. Cordero is frequently referred to by his nickname, CoCo, which is a combination of the last two letters of his first name and the first two letters of his last name.
Cordero throws a hard fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
—capable of reaching the upper 90s, and also has an excellent slider
Slider
In baseball, a slider is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball....
that he can throw for strikes early in the count, and which he uses as his outpitch. On June 1, 2011, Cordero recorded his 300th career save, becoming only the 22nd player to reach that mark.
He attended Colegio Luz Arroyo Hondo High School in the Dominican Republic.
Texas Rangers
He was acquired after the season from the Detroit TigersDetroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
in a multi-player deal for Juan González. Cordero was the last player from that trade to play with the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
. Coco had his most dominant year in , making the AL All-Star team
2004 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2004 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 75th playing of the midseason exhibition baseball game between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 13, 2004 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas,...
, but he blew some crucial saves late in September of that year to keep the Rangers from advancing to the playoffs. After blowing a team record five saves in April , Cordero was removed from the closer role and replaced with Akinori Otsuka
Akinori Otsuka
is a currently inactive Japanese Major League Baseball player. He was formerly the set-up man for the San Diego Padres and the Texas Rangers...
, before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
at the trading deadline.
Milwaukee Brewers
He was acquired on July 28, 2006 from the Rangers with Kevin MenchKevin Mench
Kevin Ford Mench is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent.-High school and college career:...
, Laynce Nix
Laynce Nix
Laynce Michael Nix is a Major League Baseball outfielder. Nix plays all three outfield positions, but plays most of his games at left field. His younger brother is Jayson Nix, a utility player for the Toronto Blue Jays....
, and Minor Leaguer Julian Cordero (no relation) for Carlos Lee
Carlos Lee
Carlos Noriel Lee is a first basemen in Major League Baseball who plays for the Houston Astros. He bats and throws right-handed....
and Nelson Cruz to take over the closer role from Derrick Turnbow
Derrick Turnbow
Thomas Derrick Turnbow is a former right-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher.-Early career:...
who, despite being an All-Star that year, struggled mightily in July converting only 1 of 5 opportunities with an ERA over 8. In 28 games with Milwaukee after the trade, he won three games, saved 16 games, and struck out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
30 in 26.2 innings
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
of work with an ERA
Earned run average
In 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...
of 1.69. His final 2006 stats were career highs of 10 wins
Win (baseball)
In 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...
, 84 strikeouts, 3.70 ERA, 22 saves (one of his career highs), and 75.1 innings of work between Texas and Milwaukee in 77 games (a career high). The Brewers exercised the club option on Cordero on October 6, 2006 to keep him as their closer in .
On May 4, 2007 Cordero was selected as the winner of “DHL Presents the Major League Baseball Delivery Man of the Month Award” for April, 2007. This officially-sanctioned Major League Baseball (MLB) award recognizes the most outstanding relief pitcher during each month of the regular season.
In 2007 he was successful on his first 22 save attempts before, on June 9, Cordero blew his first save of the season against his former team, the Texas Rangers.
Cordero was selected to play in the 2007 All-Star Game
2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 78th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 10, 2007, at AT&T Park, the home of the NL's San Francisco Giants...
at AT&T Park
AT&T Park
AT&T Park is a ballpark located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of Third and King Streets, it has served as the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2000....
in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
On September 25, 2007, Cordero was named as one of 10 finalist for the "DHL Presents the Major League Baseball Delivery Man of the Year Award
DHL Delivery Man of the Year Award
Major League Baseball honors its best relief pitcher monthly with the Major League Baseball Delivery Man of the Month Award and annually with the Major League Baseball Delivery Man of the Year Award. The awards were initially part of a sponsorship agreement between MLB and package delivery company...
." Cordero opted out of his contract and became a free agent. After mulling offers from the Brewers and Astros
Houston Astros
The 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...
, he signed with the Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The 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....
.
Cincinnati Reds
On November 28, 2007, the Cincinnati RedsCincinnati Reds
The 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....
officially announced that Cordero had been signed to a 4-year, $46 million deal, the most expensive deal ever signed by a relief pitcher. In 2010, Cordero reached the playoffs for the first time in his career with the Reds, also notching 40 saves in the same season. He is the first player in Cincinnati Reds history to get 300 saves while playing for the Reds. He is currently the Reds' closer with Nick Masset
Nick Masset
Nicholas Allen Masset is a right-handed pitcher for Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds. He was selected in the eighth round of the entry draft by the Texas Rangers. After graduating from Pinellas Park High School, Masset attended St...
as the setup man.
On June 1, 2011, Cordero recorded his 300th career save.
He is ranked #12 on the all time saves leaderboard making him the all time leader in saves by a player from the Dominican Republic, passing his childhood idol Jose Mesa
José Mesa
José Ramón Nova Mesa [MAY-sah] is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. His nickname was "Joe Table," the literal translation of his name in the English language....
.