Javier J. Ortiz

Javier Jesus Ortiz Angulo

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 155 lb.

• Born November 28, 1979 in Cartagena, Bolívar Colombia

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Javier Ortiz pitched as high as AAA. He spent over 15 seasons in pro ball, playing in the Dominican Republic, US, Canada, Italy, Venezuela, Mexico and Colombia.

Ortiz debuted as a pro with the 1997 DSL Yankees, going 3-2 with a 4.47 ERA. With the same club in 1998, he improved to 6-3, 2.32 with 66 K in 66 innings. Coming stateside in 1999, Ortiz fell to 3-2, 5.68 for the GCL Yankees with a WHIP close to two. In 2000, he allowed two runs in 2 1/3 IP for the GCL Yanks.

Ortiz showed improvement in 2001 with the GCL Yankees (0 R in 4 IP) and Staten Island Yankees (1-1, 1.98 in 3 G). In '02, the Cartagena native was 9-5 with a 4.11 ERA for the Greensboro Bats, walking only 25 in 127 innings; promoted to the Tampa Yankees, he was 4-3 with a 2.52 ERA. He led Yankee farmhands with 177 innings and was one win behind leader Julio DePaula.

Javier walked almost as twice as many in 2003 (up to 71 from 38) despite working 27 fewer innings. He was just 6-11 with a 5.76 ERA for the Trenton Thunder, allowing a .298 average and leading Yankee minor leaguers in walks. He paced the Eastern League in runs allowed (105) and earned runs allowed (96) and was two losses behind leader Mitch Walk.

In '04, the right-hander was better for Trenton (6-7, 4.10, 33 BB in 105 1/3 IP) but bombed in his AAA debut with the Columbus Clippers (1-5, 7.50, .357 opponent average in 9 starts). Moving to the Chicago White Sox organization, Ortiz was 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA for the 2005 Winston-Salem Warthogs, 2-1 with a 3.52 ERA for the Birmingham Barons and 1-1 with a 7.84 ERA and .416 opponent average in 10 outings for the Charlotte Knights.

Let go by the Pale Hose, Ortiz signed with the independent Calgary Vipers for 2006 and was 2-3 with a 4.36 ERA. He pitched for the Colombian national team in the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games, going 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA and 21 K in 16 innings while walking just one. He led the event in whiffs.

In 2007, Ortiz signed with Italy's Cariparma Parma club. He went 8-3 with a save and a 1.71 ERA in the regular season but was obliterated in the playoffs (0-2, 7.36). He tied Sandy Patrone for second in wins behind Jesus Matos and was second to Junior Oberto in ERA.

Ortiz remained on Parma's roster for 2008 but did not pitch in a game. For 2009, he joined a Yuma Scorpions club consisting almost entirely of fellow Colombians. Javier went 7-3 with a 4.32 ERA to finish third on the club in ERA behind former major leaguer Emiliano Fruto and Dorian Castro; he led the club in victories, tied for sixth in the loop.

Javier pitched for Colombia when they won a Silver Medal at the 2010 South American Games. He was 1-2 with a 3.47 ERA for the 2010 Chico Outlaws and was 5 for 20 with a double at the plate. In the 2010 Pan American Games Qualifying Tournament, he allowed one run in 1 1/3 IP. He gave up six runs in 2 2/3 IP for the 2010-2011 Navegantes del Magallanes in the Venezuelan Winter League. In 2012, he went to Mexico and was 1-2 with a 6.43 ERA for the Rieleros de Aguascalientes.

Ortiz was the winning pitcher in the 2015 South American Championship as Colombia beat Rafael Fernándes and Brazil to earn their first Pan American Games trip in 32 years. He started their opener of the 2015 Pan American Games, losing to Cuba, giving up four runs in four innings (two on a homer by José Adolis García) before Yesid Salazar relieved him. He was then suspended for the rest of the Games due to a positive test for stanozolol.

Sources

• 1998-2010 Baseball Almanacs
• Pat Doyle's Professional Baseball Player Database
• Italian Baseball and Softball Federation
• 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games site
• Coverage of 2010 South American Games mentioning Ortiz
• Baseball.it
• 2015 Pan American Games
• Defunct COPABE site
• CTV News