Kevin Tapani is a former professional baseball player who played as a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 13 seasons. He was born on February 18, 1964, in Des Moines, Iowa, and attended Central Michigan University, where he played college baseball.
Tapani was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the second round of the 1986 MLB draft but did not sign with the team. Instead, he signed with the Chicago Cubs as a free agent in 1987 and made his MLB debut with the team in 1989. He played for the Cubs for four seasons before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1993.
After one season with the Dodgers, Tapani signed with the Minnesota Twins as a free agent in 1994. He spent six seasons with the Twins, during which he had some of the best seasons of his career. In 1995, he won a career-high 16 games and was named an All-Star for the first time. He also helped lead the Twins to the American League Central division title that year.
In 1998, Tapani signed with the Chicago White Sox as a free agent and spent two seasons with the team. He then signed with the Cubs again in 2001 and played his final season with the team before retiring from baseball.
Throughout his career, Tapani was known for his consistency and durability as a pitcher. He had a career record of 143-125 with a 4.35 earned run average (ERA) and 1,330 strikeouts in 2,230 innings pitched. He also had a reputation for being a smart and cerebral pitcher who relied on his intelligence and knowledge of the game to succeed.
Off the field, Tapani was known for his charitable work and community involvement. He and his wife, Donna, founded the Tapani Family Foundation, which supports various causes in their home state of Iowa.
In conclusion, Kevin Tapani was a successful and respected pitcher in MLB for 13 seasons. He played for four different teams during his career and was known for his consistency, durability, and intelligence on the mound. He also made significant contributions to his community through his charitable work and philanthropy.
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