Product Code Database
Daniel Peter Graves (born August 7, 1973) is a Vietnamese-born American former professional baseball player and current baseball analyst. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right-handed pitcher from 1996 to 2006, most prominently as a member of the Cincinnati Reds where he was their primary relief pitcher for five seasons and became the franchise's all-time leader in career saves. A two-time National League All-Star, Graves was the winner of the 2002 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award. Graves also pitched for the Cleveland Indians and the New York Mets.
Born to a Vietnamese mother and an American serviceman father, Graves is the only Vietnam-born player in Major League history and one of the few American players of Vietnamese descent. After his playing career he became a radio and television Sports analyst. Graves was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2023.
In his first nine seasons with Cleveland and Cincinnati, Graves compiled a 40–42 record as a pitcher with 406 , a 3.89 ERA, and 172 saves in 755.2 innings. He is the only player ever to have more than one season in which all his hits were . This happened in and , with one homer each.
In 2003, Graves was converted into a starter. He went 4–14 as a starter in 26 starts.
In 2004, Graves was again used as a closer. On April 16, 2004, Graves gave up a milestone and game-tying home run to Sammy Sosa in the bottom of the ninth inning. The game ended two pitches later, with Graves allowing a walk-off home run to Moisés Alou. Graves went on to save 41 games in the 2004 season.
The 2005 season did not start well for Graves. He struggled, posting a 7.36 ERA through 20 games. Fans in Cincinnati took notice and consistently booed Graves, leading up to a May 23 incident when Graves made an obscene hand gesture to a fan that leaned in the dugout after being called a "gook" while getting taken out of the game by Reds manager Dave Miley. The Reds quickly released Graves after the incident.
After putting up a 5.89 ERA with the Mets, he was designated for assignment on August 23, 2005. He cleared waivers and was sent to Triple-A Norfolk Tides on August 26, but was called back to the Mets when rosters expanded. Graves was 0–2 with an 18.00 ERA in five games with Norfolk.
On December 19, 2005, Graves signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians. He pitched well in spring training, earning a spot in the Indians' bullpen, but was designated for assignment on May 12, , after he opened the season with a 2–1 record and 5.79 ERA in 13 relief appearances.
On May 18, 2006, Graves was assigned to the Indians' Triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons, in Buffalo. He finished the 2006 season with the Bisons with a 4.01 ERA (1 Win, 1 Loss).
Graves signed a minor league deal with the Rockies on December 19, 2006. He was released during Spring training in March 2007 before the season. During the 2007 season, Graves was on the roster of the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, leading the league in saves.
Graves later signed with the Minnesota Twins on March 30, , and played for the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings most of the year. He became a free agent at the end of the season and signed a minor league contract with the Houston Astros in January . The Astros released him on March 25, .
/ref>
|
|
