Robert Joseph "Bobby" Ayala (born July 8, 1969 in Ventura, California) was a pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs and Montreal Expos. He was brought up as a starter before moving to the bullpen in his second season. The Reds traded Ayala with catcher Dan Wilson to the Mariners for Bret Boone and Erik Hanson in November 1993.

Ayala went to high school at Rio Mesa in Oxnard, California.

Ayala had some success in Seattle, finishing the strike-shortened 1994 season with a 2.86 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 57 innings while saving 18 games. During the "magical" Mariners 1995 season, the team held a promotional "Bobby Ayala Goatee Night," where fans wearing a goatee could get discounted tickets.

Ayala struggled mightily over the next few seasons, often blowing key saves and drawing criticism from Mariners fans and the Seattle press. Even years after his career was over, his name is still brought up to make unfavorable comparisons to struggling relief pitchers.^[1] The Mariners traded him to the Montreal Expos for minor-leaguer Jimmy Turman on April 3, 1999. Montreal released him a few months later and he finished the '99 season pitching 16 innings for the Chicago Cubs.

The Minnesota Twins signed Ayala as a free agent, making him a non-roster invitee for the 2000 season. Unimpressed, they released him before the start of the regular season.

He started the regular 2000 season pitching for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, but after starting 1-2 with a 4.61 ERA, was released on May 8.

On May 18, he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate, the Albuquerque Dukes. Two months and 9 saves later, the Dukes released him.

[edit] See also

• List of Major League Baseball all-time saves leaders

[edit] External links

• Bobby Ayala Career Statistics

[edit] References