Vicente Padilla is a former professional baseball player who played as a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for over a decade. He was born on September 27, 1977, in Nicaragua, and began his professional baseball career in 1994 when he was signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks as an amateur free agent.
Padilla made his MLB debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1999 and played for them until 2003. During his time with the Diamondbacks, he was primarily used as a relief pitcher and had a record of 14-14 with an ERA of 4.64.
In 2004, Padilla was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies, where he played for two seasons. He had a record of 22-20 with an ERA of 3.98 during his time with the Phillies. In 2006, he was traded to the Texas Rangers, where he played for four seasons. During his time with the Rangers, he had a record of 33-28 with an ERA of 4.92.
Padilla's best season came in 2010 when he played for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He had a record of 6-5 with an ERA of 4.07 and was named the National League Pitcher of the Month in August of that year. He also helped the Dodgers reach the playoffs that season.
Padilla's career was not without controversy. He was known for his fiery temper and was involved in several on-field altercations with opposing players. In 2006, he was suspended for seven games after throwing a fastball at the head of Oakland Athletics outfielder Nick Swisher. In 2011, he was involved in a brawl with the San Francisco Giants that resulted in a bench-clearing altercation.
Padilla retired from professional baseball in 2014. He finished his career with a record of 108-91 and an ERA of 4.32. He also had 1,076 strikeouts in 1,697 innings pitched.
In addition to his MLB career, Padilla also played for the Nicaraguan national baseball team in the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classic tournaments. He was inducted into the Nicaraguan Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.
Overall, Vicente Padilla had a successful career as a professional baseball player, despite his controversial reputation. He was known for his strong fastball and his ability to pitch effectively as both a starter and a reliever.
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