Rafael Betancourt

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Rafael José Betancourt (born April 29, 1975 Cumaná, Sucre State, Venezuela) is a Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher who has pitched with the Cleveland Indians since 2003. On July 8, 2005 he became the 6th MLB player to be suspended for testing positive in steroids testing.

According Baseball America, Betancourt may be the future closer for the Indians. His best pitches are a curveball which is often mistakenly called a slider, and a 90-94 MPH fastball. He also throws a change-up. Although he's not classified as a strikeout pitcher, Betancourt gets more than his share by throwing a significant number of strikes. He is a converted outfielder with a metal plate and six screws in his pitching elbow.

In a two-season career, Betancourt has compiled a 5-6 record with 112 strikeouts, a 3.27 ERA, and five saves in 101 innings pitched.

See also