Les Straker

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: (1959-10-10) October 10, 1959 (age 65) 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
Stats at Baseball Reference
Teams
Minnesota Twins (1987–1988)
Career highlights and awards
World Series champion (1987)

Career

A 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

Straker was named as the pitching coach for the DSL Phillies for the 2018 season.

See also

• List of players from Venezuela in Major League Baseball

External links

• Career statistics from ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
• Pura Pelota