Arnie Muñoz

Arnaldo Rafel "Arnie" Muñoz (born June 21, 1982 in Mao, Dominican Republic) is a former professional baseball pitcher. Muñoz bats and throws left-handed.

Muñoz made his major league debut in 2004 for the Chicago White Sox in a start against the Montreal Expos. It was a disaster, as Muñoz allowed eleven runs in three innings (including nine in the second inning alone) tying for third all-time for most runs allowed in a major league debut. (Bill James' "Game Score" statistic, which measures pitcher starts — 50 is average, 90 is exceptional, below 20 is poor — scores Munoz' start at minus-7, the worst for a debut start since at least 1918.) [1] Amazingly, Muñoz almost did not emerge as the losing pitcher, as the Sox mounted an incredible comeback, finally falling 17-14. Muñoz went back to the minors, then returned in September, pitching fairly well in relief.

2007

Muñoz's contract was purchased by the Washington Nationals in September 2007. Muñoz became the Nationals' left-handed specialist after the team traded Ray King to the Milwaukee Brewers.

2008 to present

Before the start of the season, it was not certain whom the Nationals would use as their left-handed specialist. Although neither was on the 40-man roster, both Muñoz and Ray King were invited to spring training. However, Muñoz was assigned to the Double-A Harrisburg Senators of the Eastern League at the end of the preseason. He became a free agent at the end of the season; he did not play in 2009.

In 2010, Muñoz pitched for Petroleros de Minatitlan of the Mexican League, compiling a 1-2 record and a 2.77 ERA, in what was his last year as a professional ballplayer.