About José Rijo
José Antonio Rijo Abreu (born May 13, 1965) is a Dominican former pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) who spent the majority of his career with the Cincinnati Reds (1988–1995 and 2001–2002). Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1980, Rijo made his MLB debut with them in 1984, and also played in MLB for the Oakland Athletics. He pitched and batted right-handed, stood 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall, and weighed 200 pounds (91 kg) during his playing career. The most notable success of Rijo's career came as a member of the Reds, where each year as a starting pitcher from 1988 to 1993, he posted an earned run average (ERA) below 3.00. He led the Reds to the 1990 World Series title and was named World Series MVP as Cincinnati swept the defending champion Oakland A's. In 1993, he led the National League in strikeouts and Wins Above Replacement (WAR), at 10.6. He was named to the All-Star Game in 1994. Elbow injuries sidelined Rijo for most of the 1995 season and the entire 1996−2000 seasons. In 2001, he returned to the Reds as a relief pitcher. By doing so, he became the first player to appear in a game after receiving a Baseball Hall of Fame vote since Minnie Miñoso in 1976. Rijo won the Tony Conigliaro Award in 2002. He retired after that season, and was elected to the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2005. Rijo is perhaps best known for his performance in the 1990 World Series, when he recorded two victories in a four-game sweep over the defending champion Oakland A's, including a two-hitter in the final Game Four. Rijo's performance earned him the World Series MVP Award as the Reds won their first championship in 14 years. When Rijo broke into the majors with the New York Yankees in 1984, he was 18 years old and the youngest player in either league.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.