Jerry Gil
Encyclopedia
Jerry Bienvenido Gil Manzanillo (born October 14, 1982 in San Pedro de Macorís
, Dominican Republic
) is a Dominican
professional baseball
pitcher
for the Toronto Blue Jays
of Major League Baseball
. Gil made his MLB debut in with the Arizona Diamondbacks
.
Gil played almost exclusively shortstop
in the minor leagues until when he became a utility player
mostly playing in the outfield
. On October 13, 2006, Gil was traded from the Diamondbacks to the Cincinnati Reds for Abe Woody. He missed all of after having elbow ligament replacement surgery. In after batting
below the Mendoza Line
in both Triple-A and Double-A, Gil was converted to a pitcher. He has a strong throwing arm and can throw his fastball
up to 95 MPH. .
In November 2011, Gil signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.
San Pedro de Macorís
San Pedro de Macorís is a municipality and the capital of the San Pedro de Macorís province in the Dominican Republic.-Demographics:...
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
) is a Dominican
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
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...
for 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 ....
of Major League Baseball
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...
. Gil made his MLB debut in with the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
.
Gil played almost exclusively shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
in the minor leagues until when he became a utility player
Utility player
In sport, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently, a sort of jack of all trades. Sports in which the term is often used include association football , baseball, rugby, rugby league, water polo and softball....
mostly playing in the outfield
Outfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
. On October 13, 2006, Gil was traded from the Diamondbacks to the Cincinnati Reds for Abe Woody. He missed all of after having elbow ligament replacement surgery. In after batting
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
below the Mendoza Line
Mendoza Line
The Mendoza Line is an expression in baseball in the United States, deriving from the name of shortstop Mario Mendoza, whose lifetime batting average is taken to define the threshold of incompetent hitting...
in both Triple-A and Double-A, Gil was converted to a pitcher. He has a strong throwing arm and can throw his fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
up to 95 MPH. .
In November 2011, Gil signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.