Gil Heredia was a professional baseball player who played as a pitcher in the Major League Baseball (MLB) for over a decade. He was born on October 26, 1965, in Nogales, Arizona, and grew up in Tucson, Arizona. Heredia attended the University of Arizona, where he played college baseball for the Arizona Wildcats.
Heredia began his professional baseball career in 1987 when he was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 11th round of the MLB draft. He spent several years in the minor leagues before making his MLB debut with the Rangers in 1991. Heredia played for the Rangers for three seasons before being traded to the Montreal Expos in 1994.
Heredia played for the Expos for two seasons before being traded to the Texas Rangers in 1996. He played for the Rangers for one season before being traded to the Oakland Athletics in 1997. Heredia had his best season in 1999 when he posted a 13-8 record with a 3.55 ERA for the Athletics. He also pitched in the playoffs that year, helping the Athletics reach the American League Championship Series.
Heredia played for the Athletics for four seasons before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in 2001. He played for the Brewers for one season before retiring from professional baseball at the end of the 2001 season.
Throughout his career, Heredia was known for his control and ability to pitch to contact. He was not a strikeout pitcher, but he was able to induce ground balls and weak contact from opposing batters. Heredia was also known for his durability, as he pitched over 200 innings in a season twice during his career.
In total, Heredia played in 276 MLB games, starting 214 of them. He had a career record of 68-60 with a 4.28 ERA. Heredia also pitched in 10 playoff games, posting a 1-1 record with a 3.86 ERA.
After retiring from professional baseball, Heredia returned to Tucson, Arizona, where he worked as a high school baseball coach. He also worked as a pitching coach for the Tucson Sidewinders, a minor league baseball team. Heredia was inducted into the University of Arizona Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.
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