Joe Borowski, baseball player, 1995-2008

Joe Borowski

Born: 5/4/1971 in Bayonne, NJ, USA

MLB Debut: 1995-07-09 | Final Game: 2008-07-01

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 225 lbs

Full name: Joseph Thomas Borowski

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Biography

Joe Borowski, born in 1971, was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1995 to 2008. Over his time in Major League Baseball, Borowski played for several teams, including the New York Yankees, the Chicago Cubs, and the Florida Marlins. He was known for his tenacity on the mound and his ability to close games, finishing his career with a record of 22-34 and an earned run average (ERA) of 4.18. Borowski accumulated a total of 372 strikeouts and recorded 131 saves, showcasing his effectiveness as a late-inning reliever during an era that increasingly relied on specialized bullpen roles. Borowski’s career was marked by resilience, as he navigated the challenges of a competitive pitching landscape in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He was part of the wave of pitchers who emerged as closers during a time when the role was becoming more prominent in baseball strategy. Despite his ups and downs, Borowski's contributions to his teams in critical moments made him a valued player, particularly noted for his performances in high-pressure situations. After retiring in 2008, he left behind a legacy as a reliable arm in the bullpen, remembered for his determination and competitive spirit.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
22 34 423 1 0 0 131 454.3 450 211 53 177 372 4.18 0

Career ERA 4.18 vs. league average 4.42 across their career seasons — 5.4% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1995 BAL AL 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 7.3 5 1 4 3 1.23 — 0.0
1996 ATL NL 2 4 22 0 0 0 0 26.0 33 14 13 15 4.85 4.61 (-5%) -668.0
1997 ATL NL 2 2 20 0 0 0 0 24.0 27 10 16 6 3.75 4.39 (+15%) -785.7
1997 NYY AL 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 2.0 2 2 4 2 9.00 — -
1998 NYY AL 1 0 8 0 0 0 0 9.7 11 7 4 7 6.52 4.43 (-47%) -
2001 CHC NL 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1.7 6 6 3 1 32.40 — -
2002 CHC NL 4 4 73 0 0 0 2 95.7 84 29 29 97 2.73 4.28 (+36%) -
2003 CHC NL 2 2 68 0 0 0 33 68.3 53 20 19 66 2.63 4.40 (+40%) -
2004 CHC NL 2 4 22 0 0 0 9 21.3 27 19 15 17 8.02 4.46 (-80%) -
2005 CHC NL 0 0 11 0 0 0 0 11.0 12 8 1 11 6.55 4.29 (-53%) -
2005 TBR AL 1 5 32 0 0 0 0 35.3 26 15 11 16 3.82 4.29 (+11%) -
2006 MIA NL 3 3 72 0 0 0 36 69.7 63 29 33 64 3.75 4.53 (+17%) -
2007 CLE AL 4 5 69 0 0 0 45 65.7 77 37 17 58 5.07 4.47 (-13%) 582.7
2008 CLE AL 1 3 18 0 0 0 6 16.7 24 14 8 9 7.56 4.32 (-75%) -956.7

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
423 9 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0.222 0.222 0.222 0.444 0.0

Career AVG .222 vs. league average .266 across their career seasons — 16.4% below league average.

Career OBP .222 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — 33.6% below league average.

Career SLG .222 vs. league average .422 across their career seasons — 47.4% below league average.

Career OPS 0.444 vs. league average 0.757 across their career seasons — 41.3% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1995 BAL AL 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1996 ATL NL 22 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1997 ATL NL 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1997 NYY AL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1998 NYY AL 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2001 CHC NL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2002 CHC NL 73 7 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0.286 — — — — 0.0
2003 CHC NL 68 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2004 CHC NL 22 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2005 CHC NL 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2005 TBR AL 32 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2006 MIA NL 72 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2007 CLE AL 69 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2008 CLE AL 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2007 ALCS CLE 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2007 ALDS2 CLE 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2003 NLCS CHN 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2003 NLDS2 CHN 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1 0 11 0 3 13.7 13 4 8 8 2.63

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
2007 ALCS CLE 0 0 4 0 1 4.0 6 2 3 1 4.50
2007 ALDS2 CLE 0 0 2 0 1 2.0 1 1 2 1 4.50
2003 NLCS CHN 1 0 3 0 0 5.7 5 1 3 1 1.59
2003 NLDS2 CHN 0 0 2 0 1 2.0 1 0 0 5 0.00

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 423 1 25 52 2 7

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1995 BAL P 6 0 1 2 0 0
1996 ATL P 22 0 0 12 0 1
1997 ATL P 20 0 4 3 0 2
1997 NYA P 1 0 0 0 0 0
1998 NYA P 8 0 0 2 0 0
2001 CHN P 1 1 0 0 0 0
2002 CHN P 73 0 5 9 1 3
2003 CHN P 68 0 5 11 0 0
2004 CHN P 22 0 0 1 0 0
2005 CHN P 11 0 2 0 0 0
2005 TBA P 32 0 3 3 0 0
2006 FLO P 72 0 1 3 1 0
2007 CLE P 69 0 4 6 0 1
2008 CLE P 18 0 0 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 423

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
2007 TSN All-Star RP
2007 TSN Reliever of the Year

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2008 CLE AL $4,000,000
2007 CLE AL $4,000,000
2006 FLO NL $327,000
2005 CHN NL $2,300,000
2004 CHN NL $2,000,000
2003 CHN NL $410,000
2002 CHN NL $235,000
1998 NYA AL $188,800
1997 ATL NL $157,500
1996 ATL NL $111,500
1995 BAL AL $109,000
Total Career Earnings $13,838,800