Early 2000's Mets Pitcher: Jerrod Riggan (2000-2001)

He was released in April 1998 & was signed by the New York Mets that summer. He was 4-1 at A ball Capitol City in 1998 moving on to St. Lucie in 1999. By 2000 he was pitching as the closer at AA Binghamton, where he saved 28 games going 2-0 with a 1.11 ERA.
That summer he got called up for one game when a pitcher from AAA Norfolk couldn't make it due to terrible weather in Virginia. Riggan got the break, debuting at Shea Stadium on August 29th pitching three innings of late relief against the Houston Astros. He even earned a share of the Mets 2000 NL Champion bonus money. Manager Bobby Valentine took a liking to Riggan & he was on the staff starting out the 2001 season.

He earned his first win on August 18th in Los Angeles beating the Dodgers pitching one inning. On August 25th he benifited from a Rey Ordonez game winning single to earn win number two. In the second game back after the break following 911, Riggan got the win in Pittsburgh pitching 1.1 innings of solid relief. He ended the year at 3-3 with four holds & a 3.40 ERA in 35 appearances.
That December he was traded to Cleveland (along with players to be named later Matt Lawton & Alex Escobar) for Roberto Alomar & Mike Bacsik. In Cleveland he went 2-1 with 29 appearances in 2002 for the Indians & then pitched in just two games the next season.

Retirement: In his MLB career he was 5-4 with a 5.19 ERA, eight HRs allowed, 66 strike outs 43 walks in 67 games pitched. After his playing days he became a pitching coach with the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks.
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