Cincinnati Reds Pitcher Edinson Volquez’s Changeup Has Nothing To Do With His Pitches

While most of the press was aimed at his pitching partner Johnny Cueto at the beginning of this season, it’s Edinson Volquez who has dominated so far this year. After last night’s win over the Marlins, he’s allowed two or less earned runs in his first eight starts, only the fourth pitcher to do so in MLB history. So the question is, “Who is Edinson Volquez?” Well, that’s kinda hard to answer since the guy’s had more aliases than Jennifer Garner since coming from the Dominican Republic five years ago.

Over the years, his baseball card has listed two different birthplaces and his name has gone from Julio Reyes to Edison Volquez and finally to his current moniker, Edinson. “We believe his age is accurate,” one of his agents, Bill Shupper, quipped.

“A lot of the players in the Dominican change their name,” said Volquez, whose name was revealed after an immigration crackdown in 2003. “If you go one year lower, you’re gonna get more money. It’s all about money.”

Yup, it’s true. According to ESPN, Miguel Tejada bought his mom a house and built his village a hospital, all at the tender age of seven.
Volquez earning ‘Little Pedro’ nickname on the mound [ESPN]
Image [AP]