Lester Paul Straker Bolnalda (born October 10, 1959) is a former professional baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played two seasons for the Minnesota Twins in 1987-88. Straker is currently the pitching coach for the DSL Phillies.
| Les Straker | |
|---|---|
 Straker in 1987 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: October 10, 1959 Ciudad Bolívar, Bolívar State, Venezuela | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 11, 1987, for the Minnesota Twins | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 1, 1988, for the Minnesota Twins | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 10–15 |
| Earned run average | 4.22 |
| Strikeouts | 99 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Career
editA ten-year minor leaguer, Straker went all the way to the 1987 World Series in his rookie year. As a young prospect, Straker was released by the Cincinnati Reds and Oakland Athletics. He made his major league debut with the Twins as their number-three starter behind Frank Viola and Bert Blyleven.
Straker became the first Venezuelan to pitch in the World Series when he started games three and six. He began 1988 on the disabled list and never completely recovered his form, being released when the season was over. He played two additional seasons in the minor leagues.
In his two-season, 47-game career, Straker had a record of 10–15, with 99 strikeouts, one shutout, one save, and a 4.22 earned run average.
Coaching
editStraker was named as the pitching coach for the DSL Phillies for the 2018 season.
See also
editExternal links
edit- Career statistics and player information from ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Pura Pelota
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