Chacin signs with the Flock
(Central Islip, N.Y., Mar. 27, 2012) – The Long Island Ducks today announced the signing of pitcher Gustavo Chacin. The former Major Leaguer begins his first season in the Atlantic League and 14th in professional baseball.
“Gustavo brings a tremendous amount of Major League experience to our rotation,” says Ducks President/General Manager Michael Pfaff. “We are excited to see him on the mound this season.”
Chacin joins the Ducks having spent parts of five seasons in the big leagues with the Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros. He made his Major League debut on September 20, 2004 at Yankee Stadium, tossing seven innings and earning the win in a 6-3 victory over the Yankees. The left-hander’s best year came in 2005 with Toronto when he went 13-9 with a 3.72 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 34 games (all starts), earning a fifth place finish in the American League Rookie of the Year voting. Overall, the 31-year-old has a 27-17 record with a 4.23 ERA and 216 strikeouts in 102 Major League contests (58 starts).
The Venezuela native is a veteran of 259 minor league games (150 starts) and has a 65-53 career record with a 4.23 ERA. His best season came in 2004 when he combined to go 18-2 with a 2.82 ERA in 27 games (all starts) with Double-A New Hampshire and Triple-A Syracuse, earning his first Major League call-up. That season, he was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Year and Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Player of the Year. Chacin was originally signed by the Blue Jays as an undrafted free agent in 1998.
The Long Island Ducks are members of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and play their home games at Bethpage Ballpark. Opening Day is May 4. For further information, call (631) 940-DUCK or visit www.liducks.com.
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