Felipe Lira - WikiHQ

Categories

Living people

Major League Baseball pitchers

1976 births

Detroit Tigers players

Montreal Expos players

Toledo Mud Hens players

Seattle Mariners players

Tacoma Rainiers players

Ottawa Lynx players

20th-century Venezuelan sportsmen

Major League Baseball players from Venezuela

Mexican Baseball League pitchers

Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Mexico

Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the United States

Norfolk Tides players

Lakeland Tigers players

Yuma Scorpions players

Tiburones de La Guaira players

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons players

Rieleros de Aguascalientes players

Louisville Bats players

Bristol Tigers players

Everett AquaSox players

Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Taiwan

Baseball players from Miranda (state)

Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Canada

Fayetteville Generals players

London Tigers players

Guerreros de Oaxaca players

Macoto Cobras players

Felipe Antonio Lira (born April 26, 1972) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers (-), Seattle Mariners (1997-) and Montreal Expos (-).

In a six-year career, Lira compiled a 26–46 record with 348 strikeouts and a 5.32 ERA in 577 innings. As a batter with the Expos, he hit .211 (4-for-19) with two home runs, both hit in 2000. On August 29, 1995, Lira notched his only MLB save. He recorded the final out of the game to preserve a 7–5 Tigers victory over the Chicago White Sox. He saved the game for starter Sean Bergman. Lira was the Tigers Opening Day starter in 1996, taking the loss against the Minnesota Twins. On September 6, he gave up Eddie Murray's 500th home run.

Detroit traded Lira and Omar Olivares to the Mariners for Scott Sanders, Dean Crow, and Carlos Villalobos on July 18, 1997, following a plea from manager Lou Piniella to add pitching. Following a 4–0 stretch in May with the Tigers, Lira lost his final seven decisions in 1997 and finished the season in the minors. Lira returned to the Tigers in 1999, finishing his MLB career with two seasons with Montreal.