Aroldis Chapman

Aroldis Chapman
Chapman pitching for the Cincinnati Reds in 2010 spring training
Cincinnati Reds – No. 54
Pitcher
Born: (1988-02-28) February 28, 1988 (age 24) Holguín Province, Cuba
Bats: Left	Throws: Left
MLB debut
August 31, 2010 for the Cincinnati Reds
Career statistics (through June 2, 2012)
Win–loss record	10-3
Earned run average	2.29
Strikeouts	137
Saves	5
Teams
Cincinnati Reds (2010–present)

Medal record
Men's Baseball
Competitor for  Cuba
Pan American Games
Gold	2007 Rio de Janeiro	Team
Baseball World Cup
Silver	2007 Taipei	Team

Albertin Aroldis Chapman de la Cruz also known as the "Cuban Missile" (born February 28, 1988^[1]) is a Cuban-Andorran^[2] Major League Baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds. Chapman bats and throws left-handed. He is listed at 6'4" (193 cm) tall and weighing 195 pounds (88 kg). He currently holds the record for the fastest recorded pitch speed in Major League Baseball,^[3] throwing 105.1 mph (169.1 km/h); however, the accuracy of this is disputed.^[4] He was also clocked by one radar gun at 106 mph (170.6 km/h) in a game against Pittsburgh, although, again, there is some controversy as to the actual speed.^[5]

Cuban career

This section requires expansion.

Chapman was part of the Cuban national team at the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He played domestically for Holguín in the Cuban National Series.

American career

Defection

After a failed attempt to defect in the spring of 2008, Chapman was brought to Havana to meet with Cuban President Raúl Castro who gave him a conditional reprieve, suspending him for the remainder of the National Series season and also keeping him off Cuba's national team for the Beijing Olympics, but allowing him to return to the National Series and play in the World Baseball Classic.^[6]

A few years after Alexei Ramírez defected, Chapman successfully defected from Cuba while in Rotterdam, Netherlands where the Cuban national team was participating in the World Port Tournament on July 1, 2009; Chapman walked out the front door of the team hotel and entered into an automobile driven by an acquaintance.^[6][7] Gerardo Concepción defected from the Cuban national team in the same tournament.^[8] Chapman eventually established residency in Andorra^[2] and petitioned Major League Baseball to be granted free agent status.^[9]

Cincinnati Reds

Chapman throwing a pitch

On January 10, 2010, Chapman agreed to a long-term contract with the Cincinnati Reds.^[10] The Reds announced that they had signed Chapman to a six-year contract, worth $30.25 million according to MLB sources.^[11] The Associated Press reported that the bonus totals $16.25 million, paid annually over eleven years, with an additional bonus if he becomes eligible for salary arbitration in 2012 or 2013.^[12]

Chapman began the 2010 season assigned to the Triple-A Louisville Bats,^[13] and made his professional debut with the Louisville Bats on Sunday, April 11, in Toledo against the Mud Hens, where he pitched 4.2 innings, giving up 1 unearned run, while striking out 9.^[14]

Chapman made his major league debut August 31, 2010, in the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers; his first pitch was clocked at 98 miles per hour (158 km/h) as a called strike (which was promptly tossed to the dugout by catcher Ryan Hanigan, to be saved) and in the same inning was measured at up to 103 miles per hour (166 km/h). In nine pitches he retired the side.^[15][16] He recorded his first major league win on September 1 after pitching an inning of relief against the Brewers.^[17]

In Game 2 of the 2010 NLDS vs the Philadelphia Phillies, Chapman allowed 3 runs (all unearned) due to miscues of the outfielders. Chapman would get his first career postseason loss and the Reds would lose the division series to the Phillies in 3 games.

Playing style

According to MLB scouts,^[18] Chapman's fastball has been clocked as high as 103 mph (166 km/h) (during the 2010 Minor League season),^[19] and in his second career appearance for the Cincinnati Reds Chapman threw a fastball clocked at 103.9 mph (167.2 km/h). In his first 19 career pitches, 10 hit triple digits and his fastball averaged 101.3 mph (163.0 km/h). He also throws a plus slider and an average changeup. Scouts worry about his control issues and lack of a solid third pitch, noting that these issues could affect his ability to be a major league starter.^[20] Sports Illustrated writer Joe Posnanski described Chapman thus: "There is no violence at all in his motion; he’s like the anti-Bob Gibson in that way. Just a slow beginning, a fluid motion, and BLAMMO the ball just fires out like the Batmobile rolling out of the cave."^[21]

On September 24, 2010, against the San Diego Padres, Chapman was clocked at 105.1 mph (169.1 km/h), according to PITCHf/x, which is the fastest pitch ever recorded in Major League Baseball.^[3]

On April 18, 2011, Chapman threw a pitch to Pittsburgh's Andrew McCutchen that the scoreboard at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati clocked at a speed of 106 mph (171 km/h), although the box on Fox Sports Ohio’s broadcast listed it at 105 mph (169 km/h) and the pitch f/x system calculated a release speed of 102.4 mph (164.8 km/h). The disparity between these velocities has been widely discussed and questioned.^[4]

Personal life

When Chapman defected, he left his father, mother, two sisters,^[6] girlfriend, Raidelmis Mendosa Santiestelas, and newborn baby, Ashanti Brianna.^[22] His father is a boxing trainer.^[6] In May 2012, it was reported that Chapman was being sued after he allegedly served as "an informant for Cuban state authorities after a failed defection attempt and helped turn in another man in order to get back on the country's national baseball team."^[23]

See also

	Biography portal
	Baseball portal
	Cuba portal

• List of Major League Baseball players from Cuba
• Cincinnati Reds award winners and league leaders

References

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Cuban Baseball Career statistics