Mike Munoz is a former professional baseball player who played as a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams. He was born on August 12, 1965, in Baldwin Park, California, and attended Baldwin Park High School. Munoz was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 16th round of the 1983 MLB draft.
Munoz made his MLB debut on September 1, 1987, with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played for the Dodgers for three seasons before being traded to the Kansas City Royals in 1990. Munoz played for the Royals for two seasons before being traded to the Cincinnati Reds in 1992. He played for the Reds for one season before being traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1993.
Munoz played for the White Sox for three seasons before being traded to the Oakland Athletics in 1996. He played for the Athletics for one season before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in 1997. Munoz played for the Brewers for two seasons before being released in 1999. He then signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates and played for them for one season before being released in 2000.
Throughout his career, Munoz was primarily used as a relief pitcher. He had a career record of 18 wins and 23 losses, with an earned run average (ERA) of 4.66. Munoz recorded 12 saves and struck out 276 batters in 383 innings pitched.
Munoz's best season was in 1993 with the White Sox, where he had a record of 7 wins and 2 losses with an ERA of 2.83. He also recorded 4 saves and struck out 62 batters in 76 innings pitched.
After his playing career, Munoz became a coach and instructor. He worked as a pitching coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks' minor league system from 2001 to 2003. He then worked as a pitching coach for the Los Angeles Angels' minor league system from 2004 to 2005. Munoz also worked as a pitching instructor for the Los Angeles Dodgers' minor league system from 2006 to 2008.
In 2009, Munoz became the pitching coach for the Lancaster JetHawks, a minor league affiliate of the Houston Astros. He then worked as a pitching coach for the Corpus Christi Hooks, another Astros' minor league affiliate, from 2010 to 2012. Munoz also worked as a pitching coach for the Oklahoma City RedHawks, the Astros' Triple-A affiliate, in 2013.
Overall, Mike Munoz had a solid career as a relief pitcher in MLB. While he never became a star player, he was a reliable pitcher who played for several teams throughout his career. After his playing career, Munoz continued to work in baseball as a coach and instructor, helping to develop the next generation of players.
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