Randy Choate is a former American professional baseball player who played as a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 15 seasons. He was born on September 5, 1975, in San Antonio, Texas, and attended Florida State University, where he played college baseball for the Florida State Seminoles.
Choate was drafted by the New York Yankees in the fifth round of the 1997 MLB draft and made his MLB debut with the Yankees in 2000. He played for the Yankees until 2003, when he was traded to the Montreal Expos. Choate played for the Expos for one season before being traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2004.
Over the course of his career, Choate played for several MLB teams, including the New York Yankees, Montreal Expos, Arizona Diamondbacks, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals, and the Baltimore Orioles. He was primarily used as a left-handed specialist, coming in to face left-handed batters in key situations.
Choate was known for his ability to get left-handed batters out, and he was particularly effective against them throughout his career. He finished his career with a 2.90 earned run average (ERA) and 100 holds, which is a statistic that measures a relief pitcher's effectiveness in holding a lead for his team.
One of Choate's most memorable moments came during the 2013 MLB playoffs, when he was a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. In Game 6 of the National League Championship Series (NLCS) against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Choate was brought in to face Dodgers' first baseman Adrian Gonzalez with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Cardinals leading by one run. Choate struck out Gonzalez on three pitches, securing the Cardinals' victory and sending them to the World Series.
Choate retired from baseball after the 2015 season, finishing his career with a record of 17-14 and 16 saves. He was known as a reliable and effective left-handed specialist throughout his career, and his ability to get left-handed batters out made him a valuable asset to any team he played for.
⚾