Rafael Betancourt is calling it a career, per LiderEndeportes.com. The 40-year-old Venezuelan enjoyed 12 years in Major League Baseball, playing for the Cleveland Indians and Colorado Rockies.
Betancourt posted a career 3.36 ERA, and though he wasn't a "strikeout pitcher" per se, posted an impressive 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings in his 12 years. Betancourt was often used as a set-up man or a middle reliever, but in 2012 he got a chance to be the Rockies' closer, saving 31 games with a 2.81 ERA.
Betancourt's Final Season and Career
Betancourt was rather consistent throughout his baseball career, but after injuring his right elbow in 2013 -- which forced him out of the entire 2014 season -- Betancourt returned to the mound last year to find a more struggling time than usual. In 45 games and 39 1/3 innings, his ERA was 6.18 and his WHIP was 1.4, though the altitude of Coors Field probably didn't help his cause.
Either way, Betancourt will exit the game with some very strong seasons under his belt. In 2007 with the Indians, he was one of the best relievers in the game. In 68 appearances he chalked up a 1.47 ERA and a career best 0.756 WHIP. That season, Betancourt made seven postseason appearances, but the Indians fell short to the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS.
Betancourt won't be remembered for flash. He generally threw in the low 90s, coupling his 4-seamer with a slurve and a changeup. Additionally, Betancourt had one of the slower windups in the league, chock full of foot taps, cap brushes, and finger tapping.
While Betancourt managed to find strikeouts throughout his career, he was also a good control pitcher. Over his tenure, he averaged 4.41 strikeouts per 1 walk, and in his best seasons his walks were in the single digits.