Geremi González
Jeremi González (born January 8, 1975) is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who has played for the Chicago Cubs (1997-98) and Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2003-04).
Born Geremis Segundo González Acosta in Maracaibo, Zulia State, Venezuela, he was signed by the Cubs as a non-draft amateur free agent in 1991, and made his debut in the 1997 season.
A highly touted young arm in the Cubs system, González had been out of baseball entirely nearly five years due to three surgeries and a variety of injuries. In 1993, he was regarded by Tampa Bay with the Out of nowhere Award. He ended up being the Rays' most consistent pitcher, despite his 6-11 record. He allowed three runs or fewer in 17 starts, but received the lowest run support of any AL East starter (3.91 runs per game). He finished with a .391 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 156 innings.
Like so many young pitchers, González was a thrower with the Cubs in 1997-98. Currently, he knows how to pitch rather than just throw hard. González has a variety of breaking pitches, and even his 92 MPH fastball comes in two ways: a riser four-seamer and a sinking two-seamer, neither overpowering. He also has an above-average changeup and a decent curve. González fields his position well and has a quick delivery, giving his catcher a chance to nail runners trying to steal (he has 14 pickoff in his career).
In a four-season career, González has compiled a 24-32 record with 282 strikeouts and a 4.69 ERA in 460.2 innings., a 4.41 ERA, four complete games, and two shutouts in 410 innings. He became a free agent at the end of the 2004 season.