Gary Glover
Encyclopedia
John Gary Glover was a Major League Baseball
pitcher
who currently plays for the SK Wyverns
of the Korean Baseball League. He has a career major league ERA
of 5.03 over eight seasons, including time spent with the Anaheim Angels
, Chicago White Sox
, Detroit Tigers
, Milwaukee Brewers
, Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays
and Toronto Blue Jays
, who selected Glover in the 15th round of the 1994 Major League Baseball Draft
. He also played for the Yomiuri Giants
of Nippon Professional Baseball and the Sydney Storm
of the Australian Baseball League.
, selecting him the 15th round of the 1994 draft. Glover spent the next three seasons (– playing for rookie-level minor affiliates; the Gulf Coast Blue Jays
from 1994 to 1995 and the Medicine Hat Blue Jays
in 1996. In those years Glover worked as a starter but had a spotty record. At Medicine Hat he posted a 3–12 record with a 7.75 ERA. Promoted the next year to the Single-A Hagerstown Suns
Glover reduced his ERA to 3.73 but won only six games in twenty-eight starts. In Toronto promoted Glover to the High-A Dunedin Blue Jays
where his record finally improved. In eighteen starts he was 7–6 with an ERA of 4.28.
Toward the end of the 1998 season Toronto had promoted Glover to the Double-A Knoxville Smokies but he immediately struggled, losing five games without registering a single win and seeing his ERA skyrocket to 6.75. In however Glover pitched to an 8–2 record with Knoxville and made the Southern League
All-Star team before being promoted mid-season to the Triple-A Syracuse SkyChiefs
. At Syracuse Glover went 4–6 with a 5.19 ERA; he also developed a notable pitching rivalry against Ottawa Lynx
pitcher Shayne Bennett
, against whom he pitched three times (Glover won twice). Called up at the end of the season Glover made his major league debut with the Blue Jays on September 30, 1999, throwing one inning of no-hit shutout ball amid a 9–2 loss to the Cleveland Indians
.
Glover did not join the Blue Jays for the season, spending the year at Knoxville where he put together a strong winning streak but overall went 9–9 with a 5.02 ERA. On November 7, 2000 Toronto traded Glover to the Chicago White Sox
for left-handed relief pitcher Scott Eyre
.
. Unfazed, Glover finished out the season in Venezuela, commenting that the experience made him realize that "this game is only going to be kind to you for so many years, so you've got to try to make the best of the game when you're in it." Glover opened the and got off to a strong start; retiring the first sixteen hitters he faced and picking up his first major league victory on April 11 in relief of Jim Parque
against Cleveland. After a rocky May Chicago demoted Glover to the Triple-A Charlotte Knights
, but he returned to the team in mid-June after posting a 1.88 ERA in six starts. On July 27 Glover made his first career major league start in place of the just-traded James Baldwin; like his debut and first win, it came against the Cleveland Indians. Glover allowed two hits in 3 1/3 innings but did not figure in the decision. Glover finished out the year at Chicago with a 5–5 record and a 4.93 ERA in 46 appearances, including 11 starts.
Between the 2001 and seasons there was speculation that Glover would be part of the starting rotation, but Opening Day found him in the bullpen. Out of the bullpen he had an ERA of 1.15 by the third week of June, but his ERA as a starter was well over 6. Glover eventually made 22 starts in 2002, but Chicago manager Jerry Manuel
moved him back to the bullpen in mid-September and indicated that Glover would pitch in relief in as well. Glover accepted the decision but indicated a desire to return to the rotation. On the year Glover was 7-8 with a 5.20 ERA.
Glover opened the 2003 season with the White Sox but was little used, making just 24 appearances by the end of the July. During one stretch Glover went 19 days between appearances. On July 30 the Sox traded Glover along with minor-leaguers Scott Dunn
and Tim Bittner to the Anaheim Angels for veteran pitcher Scott Schoeneweis
.
. In December Glover was granted his release and signed a minor-league contract with the Chicago Cubs
.
but started the year with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs
after a terrible spring training. Glover made 20 appearances for the Iowa team, all but one in relief, going 3–2 with a 7.93 ERA. Exercising an option in his contract Glover was released from the Cubs and signed with the Rochester Red Wings
, the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins
. There he continued to struggle, with an ERA of 8.44, and was released in mid-July to make room for Matt Guerrier
. As Glover tells it, he had more or less given up on the 2004 season. Returning to the Tampa area, he "figured the season was over...I planned to go down to Florida for a while and help out the hurricane relief effort there, then go to winter ball and try to figure some things out." Glover was mulling various Independent League teams when on July 25 the Milwaukee Brewers
offered him a contract.
and rediscovered his control, going 3–3 with a 3.98 ERA. At the end of the minor league season the Brewers recalled Glover to the major leagues, his first appearance there since the end of the 2003 season. Glover appeared in four games, starting three of them, and went 2–1 with a 3.50 ERA. After a strong spring training Glover began the season as Milwaukee's fifth starter. Glover went 3-3 in his first nine starts but lost his spot in the starting rotation at the end of May to Wes Obermueller
. Brewers manager Ned Yost
cited Obermueller's hot streak: "I'm going with what amounts to the hot hand even though Glover pitches great the last time...Gary's done everything we've asked of him but Obermueller is starting to come on." As in Chicago, Glover was disappointed. The move was not a success: Obermueller was rocked in two successive starts, while Glover was hit hard in relief and sent down to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds
in early June to make room for backup catcher Julio Mosquera
.
At Nashville Glover went 6–4 with a 3.03 in 16 starts; the Brewers recalled him in September to place a struggling Obermueller. In his final start of the year Glover pitched seven shutout innings in a 2–0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds
, striking out a career-high ten. The victory left the Brewers 80–79; they finished the season 81–81, the first time since 1992 that the team had finished at or above .500. On November 30, the Brewers released Glover, who signed with the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball.
and signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
, and after a year in Japan
he believed he was ready to break in to the big leagues for good. Reflected Glover ruefully: "I've always been a fifth starter or the last bullpen guy, which always made it difficult for me." Glover made the team and worked out of the bullpen and by the middle of the season he had earned a reputation for reliability. In a notable appearance July 30 against the Boston Red Sox
he recorded the final seven outs on fifty pitches to complete a 5–2 win. Glover finished the season 6–5 with a 4.89 ERA and two saves.
Glover returned to the re-christened Tampa Bay Rays for but was bedeviled by tendinitis in his shoulder and an injury to his left calf. On July 29, the Rays designated Glover for assignment
. Manager Joe Maddon
expressed regret: "There's just no room in the inn right now...There's no real complicated explanation. I like him and he fits in well here." On August 2, the Rays released Glover.
who assigned him to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens
on August 9, 2008. The Tigers called up Glover on August 17, 2008 to replace the injured Todd Jones; Glover had not allowed a run in three appearances with the Mud Hens. Glover made his debut for the Tigers on August 18, 2008 in relief of Kenny Rogers against the Texas Rangers
; he pitched a 1-2-3 inning and struck out a batter.
Glover became a free agent on October 30, 2008 after electing free agency
. In 18 appearances, he went 1-1 with a 4.43 ERA.
camp but was sent back to the minors on March 31, 2009. Glover joined the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs which marked a sort of homecoming: nine years previous, he had pitched for the Chiefs, then the SkyChiefs and an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays
. He was released on May 9, 2009, to make room for Mike MacDougal
.
in South Korea, with whom he won the 2010 Korean Series on October 19, 2010. Glover started for the Wyverns in the deciding Game 4, in which the Wyverns defeated the Samsung Lions 4-2.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
who currently plays for the SK Wyverns
SK Wyverns
SK Wyverns Baseball Club is a South Korean professional baseball team founded in 2000. Based in Incheon, they play their home games at Munhak Baseball Stadium.Their current manager is Man Soo Lee .-History:...
of the Korean Baseball League. He has a career major league ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
of 5.03 over eight seasons, including time spent with the Anaheim Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
, Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
and Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
, who selected Glover in the 15th round of the 1994 Major League Baseball Draft
1994 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1994 Major League Baseball draft.-Compensation picks:-Other notable players:*A.J. Pierzynski , Minnesota Twins, 3rd round*Bobby Howry , San Francisco Giants, 5th round...
. He also played for the Yomiuri Giants
Yomiuri Giants
The are a professional baseball team based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. The team competes in the Central League in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top level of professional play in Japan. They play their home games in the Tokyo Dome, opened in 1988. The English-language press occasionally calls the...
of Nippon Professional Baseball and the Sydney Storm
Sydney Storm
The Sydney Storm, originally Sydney Blues were a team in the now defunct Australian Baseball League. The franchise won one ABL championship under the former name, defeating the Melbourne Reds in the 1995 championship, also finishing runner-up twice - once against the Brisbane Bandits in 1994, and...
of the Australian Baseball League.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays drafted Glover right out of high school in DeLand, FloridaDeLand, Florida
DeLand is the county seat of Volusia County, Florida. In 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population to be 24,375. It is part of the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 436,575 in 2006...
, selecting him the 15th round of the 1994 draft. Glover spent the next three seasons (– playing for rookie-level minor affiliates; the Gulf Coast Blue Jays
Gulf Coast Blue Jays
The Gulf Coast Blue Jays are a Rookie Level minor league affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. The team, which began play in 2007 replacing the Pulaski Blue Jays in the Blue Jays farm system, is based in Dunedin, Florida at the Bobby Mattick Training Center at Englebert Complex.-External links:...
from 1994 to 1995 and the Medicine Hat Blue Jays
Medicine Hat Blue Jays
The Medicine Hat Blue Jays were the Toronto Blue Jays rookie-level affiliate in the Pioneer League beginning in 1978 and remained with their parent club for 25 seasons. They played their home games at Athletic Park. Over the years, the club generally struggled on the field and with attendance, but...
in 1996. In those years Glover worked as a starter but had a spotty record. At Medicine Hat he posted a 3–12 record with a 7.75 ERA. Promoted the next year to the Single-A Hagerstown Suns
Hagerstown Suns
The Hagerstown Suns are a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. They play in Municipal Stadium, which was opened in 1930 and seats 4,600 fans....
Glover reduced his ERA to 3.73 but won only six games in twenty-eight starts. In Toronto promoted Glover to the High-A Dunedin Blue Jays
Dunedin Blue Jays
The Dunedin Blue Jays are a minor league baseball team based in Dunedin, Florida. They play in the Florida State League, and are the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball club...
where his record finally improved. In eighteen starts he was 7–6 with an ERA of 4.28.
Toward the end of the 1998 season Toronto had promoted Glover to the Double-A Knoxville Smokies but he immediately struggled, losing five games without registering a single win and seeing his ERA skyrocket to 6.75. In however Glover pitched to an 8–2 record with Knoxville and made the Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
All-Star team before being promoted mid-season to the Triple-A Syracuse SkyChiefs
Syracuse SkyChiefs
The Syracuse Chiefs are a minor league baseball team based in Syracuse, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals...
. At Syracuse Glover went 4–6 with a 5.19 ERA; he also developed a notable pitching rivalry against Ottawa Lynx
Ottawa Lynx
The Ottawa Lynx were a minor league baseball team that formerly competed in the Triple-A International League from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field was Lynx Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. Over the team's 15 seasons, it was the Triple-A Minor League affiliate of the Montreal Expos , Baltimore...
pitcher Shayne Bennett
Shayne Bennett
Shayne Anthony Bennett was an Australian rules footballer who played for North Adelaide Football Club in the South Australian National Football League , and a right-handed pitcher, who last played in Major League Baseball for the Montreal Expos on 15 August 1999.The younger brother of fellow North...
, against whom he pitched three times (Glover won twice). Called up at the end of the season Glover made his major league debut with the Blue Jays on September 30, 1999, throwing one inning of no-hit shutout ball amid a 9–2 loss to the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
.
Glover did not join the Blue Jays for the season, spending the year at Knoxville where he put together a strong winning streak but overall went 9–9 with a 5.02 ERA. On November 7, 2000 Toronto traded Glover to the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
for left-handed relief pitcher Scott Eyre
Scott Eyre
Scott Alan Eyre is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball.-Career:Eyre attended the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls, Idaho and was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 9th round of the 1991 Major League Baseball Draft...
.
Chicago White Sox
Over the 2000–2001 winter Glover played in the Venezuelan Winter League, where he and former SkyChiefs teammate John Bale were robbed by a man with a shotgunShotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
. Unfazed, Glover finished out the season in Venezuela, commenting that the experience made him realize that "this game is only going to be kind to you for so many years, so you've got to try to make the best of the game when you're in it." Glover opened the and got off to a strong start; retiring the first sixteen hitters he faced and picking up his first major league victory on April 11 in relief of Jim Parque
Jim Parque
James Vo Parque is a former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Devil Rays from to .-High school:...
against Cleveland. After a rocky May Chicago demoted Glover to the Triple-A Charlotte Knights
Charlotte Knights
The Charlotte Knights are a minor league baseball team representing Charlotte, North Carolina. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox of the American League...
, but he returned to the team in mid-June after posting a 1.88 ERA in six starts. On July 27 Glover made his first career major league start in place of the just-traded James Baldwin; like his debut and first win, it came against the Cleveland Indians. Glover allowed two hits in 3 1/3 innings but did not figure in the decision. Glover finished out the year at Chicago with a 5–5 record and a 4.93 ERA in 46 appearances, including 11 starts.
Between the 2001 and seasons there was speculation that Glover would be part of the starting rotation, but Opening Day found him in the bullpen. Out of the bullpen he had an ERA of 1.15 by the third week of June, but his ERA as a starter was well over 6. Glover eventually made 22 starts in 2002, but Chicago manager Jerry Manuel
Jerry Manuel
Jerry Manuel , nicknamed "The Sage" is a former major league manager. He previously managed the Chicago White Sox from 1998 to 2003 and the New York Mets from the middle of 2008 to 2010 and played in the majors for parts of five seasons in the 1970s and early 1980s.-Playing career:Manuel played...
moved him back to the bullpen in mid-September and indicated that Glover would pitch in relief in as well. Glover accepted the decision but indicated a desire to return to the rotation. On the year Glover was 7-8 with a 5.20 ERA.
Glover opened the 2003 season with the White Sox but was little used, making just 24 appearances by the end of the July. During one stretch Glover went 19 days between appearances. On July 30 the Sox traded Glover along with minor-leaguers Scott Dunn
Scott Dunn
Scott Allen Dunn is a Major League Baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. After graduating from Winston Churchill High School in San Antonio, he attended the University of Texas at Austin...
and Tim Bittner to the Anaheim Angels for veteran pitcher Scott Schoeneweis
Scott Schoeneweis
Scott David Schoeneweis is an American Major League Baseball left-handed relief pitcher who is currently a free agent.In the five seasons from 2003–07, Schoeneweis allowed only one home run to left-handed batters...
.
Anaheim Angels
Glover worked in relief for the Angels and made 18 appearances, going 1–0 with 5.00 ERA and nearly equaling his playing time with Chicago that year. At the end of the season the Angels sent him outright to the Salt Lake StingersSalt Lake Bees
The Salt Lake Bees are a Pacific Coast League minor league baseball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Bees serve as the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. They play their home games at Spring Mobile Ballpark, known to fans as the Apiary, which was...
. In December Glover was granted his release and signed a minor-league contract with the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
.
Around the minors
At the start of the season Glover was a candidate to fill a spot in the bullpen left open by the injured Mike RemlingerMike Remlinger
Michael John Remlinger is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. Remlinger has played with the San Francisco Giants , New York Mets , Cincinnati Reds , Atlanta Braves , Chicago Cubs , and the Boston Red Sox...
but started the year with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs are a Triple-A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, that plays in the Pacific Coast League. Their home games are played in Des Moines, Iowa, at Principal Park.-Franchise history:...
after a terrible spring training. Glover made 20 appearances for the Iowa team, all but one in relief, going 3–2 with a 7.93 ERA. Exercising an option in his contract Glover was released from the Cubs and signed with the Rochester Red Wings
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
, the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. There he continued to struggle, with an ERA of 8.44, and was released in mid-July to make room for Matt Guerrier
Matt Guerrier
Matthew Olson Guerrier is an American Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He attended college at Kent State University, and made his major league debut on June 17, .-Chicago White Sox:...
. As Glover tells it, he had more or less given up on the 2004 season. Returning to the Tampa area, he "figured the season was over...I planned to go down to Florida for a while and help out the hurricane relief effort there, then go to winter ball and try to figure some things out." Glover was mulling various Independent League teams when on July 25 the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
offered him a contract.
Milwaukee Brewers
Glover joined the Triple-A Indianapolis IndiansIndianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
and rediscovered his control, going 3–3 with a 3.98 ERA. At the end of the minor league season the Brewers recalled Glover to the major leagues, his first appearance there since the end of the 2003 season. Glover appeared in four games, starting three of them, and went 2–1 with a 3.50 ERA. After a strong spring training Glover began the season as Milwaukee's fifth starter. Glover went 3-3 in his first nine starts but lost his spot in the starting rotation at the end of May to Wes Obermueller
Wes Obermueller
Wesley Mitchell Obermueller is a free agent Major League Baseball pitcher with a career ERA of 5.82. He began his career in the Kansas City Royals organization when he was selected in the 2nd round of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft...
. Brewers manager Ned Yost
Ned Yost
Edgar Frederick "Ned" Yost III is a former Major League Baseball catcher and current manager of the Kansas City Royals. He is the former manager of the Milwaukee Brewers.-Playing career:...
cited Obermueller's hot streak: "I'm going with what amounts to the hot hand even though Glover pitches great the last time...Gary's done everything we've asked of him but Obermueller is starting to come on." As in Chicago, Glover was disappointed. The move was not a success: Obermueller was rocked in two successive starts, while Glover was hit hard in relief and sent down to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds
Nashville Sounds
The Nashville Sounds are a minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League , and the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the city's association with the music industry...
in early June to make room for backup catcher Julio Mosquera
Julio Mosquera
Julio Alberto Mosquera Cervantes is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He played for the Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers ....
.
At Nashville Glover went 6–4 with a 3.03 in 16 starts; the Brewers recalled him in September to place a struggling Obermueller. In his final start of the year Glover pitched seven shutout innings in a 2–0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, striking out a career-high ten. The victory left the Brewers 80–79; they finished the season 81–81, the first time since 1992 that the team had finished at or above .500. On November 30, the Brewers released Glover, who signed with the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball.
Yomiuri Giants
Glover spent the entire season with the Giants, where he amassed a 5–7 record with a 4.97 ERA, primarily as a starter. Glover did not find the transition to Japanese baseball difficult and was full of praise for his new team: "I realize the Giants are a great organization, and I feel fortunate to be playing for Yomiuri." The Giants kept him on a seven-day rotation, and as a consequence of starting on Sundays acquired the nickname "Mr. Sunday." At the end of the season Glover returned to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Glover signed with Tampa Bay for several reasons: he wanted to return to the United States, it was close to his off-season home of Lutz, FloridaLutz, Florida
Lutz is an unincorporated census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The population was 19,344 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Lutz is located at ....
, and after a year in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
he believed he was ready to break in to the big leagues for good. Reflected Glover ruefully: "I've always been a fifth starter or the last bullpen guy, which always made it difficult for me." Glover made the team and worked out of the bullpen and by the middle of the season he had earned a reputation for reliability. In a notable appearance July 30 against the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
he recorded the final seven outs on fifty pitches to complete a 5–2 win. Glover finished the season 6–5 with a 4.89 ERA and two saves.
Glover returned to the re-christened Tampa Bay Rays for but was bedeviled by tendinitis in his shoulder and an injury to his left calf. On July 29, the Rays designated Glover for assignment
Designated for assignment
Designated for assignment is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball. When a player is designated for assignment, he is immediately removed from the club's 40-man roster. This gives the club 10 days to decide what to do with the player while freeing up a roster spot for another...
. Manager Joe Maddon
Joe Maddon
Joseph John Maddon is the Major League Baseball manager for the Tampa Bay Rays.He previously served as interim manager of the Anaheim Angels in both 1996 and 1999. He was also a long-time bench coach for the team.-Early life and career:Maddon attended Lafayette College, where he played baseball...
expressed regret: "There's just no room in the inn right now...There's no real complicated explanation. I like him and he fits in well here." On August 2, the Rays released Glover.
Detroit Tigers
Glover signed with the Detroit TigersDetroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
who assigned him to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens
Toledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a minor league baseball team located in Toledo, Ohio. The Mud Hens play in the International League, and are affiliated with the major league baseball team the Detroit Tigers, based approximately 50 miles to the north of Toledo. The current team is one of several...
on August 9, 2008. The Tigers called up Glover on August 17, 2008 to replace the injured Todd Jones; Glover had not allowed a run in three appearances with the Mud Hens. Glover made his debut for the Tigers on August 18, 2008 in relief of Kenny Rogers against the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
; he pitched a 1-2-3 inning and struck out a batter.
Glover became a free agent on October 30, 2008 after electing free agency
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. In 18 appearances, he went 1-1 with a 4.43 ERA.
Washington Nationals
In January , Glover signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals. He attended the Nationals 2009 spring trainingSpring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
camp but was sent back to the minors on March 31, 2009. Glover joined the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs which marked a sort of homecoming: nine years previous, he had pitched for the Chiefs, then the SkyChiefs and an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
. He was released on May 9, 2009, to make room for Mike MacDougal
Mike MacDougal
Robert Meiklejohn MacDougal is a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball, who is currently a free agent...
.
Florida Marlins
On May 26, 2009, Glover signed a minor league contract with the Florida Marlins.SK Wyverns
On June 21, 2009, Glover signed with SK WyvernsSK Wyverns
SK Wyverns Baseball Club is a South Korean professional baseball team founded in 2000. Based in Incheon, they play their home games at Munhak Baseball Stadium.Their current manager is Man Soo Lee .-History:...
in South Korea, with whom he won the 2010 Korean Series on October 19, 2010. Glover started for the Wyverns in the deciding Game 4, in which the Wyverns defeated the Samsung Lions 4-2.