Guide Note:

Baseball player Joe Borowski is currently a relief pitcher with the Cleveland Indians.

Fast Facts:

1. Born: May 4, 1971
2. Birthplace: Bayonne, New Jersey
3. Bats: Right
4. Throws: Right
5. College: Rutgers University
6. Led American League in saves in 2007 with 45

A native of Bayonne, New Jersey, Borowski was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1989, but didn't make his Major League debut until 1995, when he appeared in six games for the Baltimore Orioles, amassing a stellar 1.23 ERA. He pitched for the Atlanta Braves and then the New York Yankees over the next few years, and then in 1999, finding himself without a job, pitched for the Mexican League and the Northern League. In 2001, Borowski was signed by the Chicago Cubs, and the next year he finally began saving games. As the Cubs closer in 2003, he saved a solid 33 games while compiling a 2.63 ERA, and helped lead the team to the postseason.

Despite his success in 2003, the next two years would be disappointing ones for Borowski. He suffered major injuries in both years, the first involving a torn rotator cuff and the second involving a broken hand. He lost the closer's role and was dropped by the Cubs in 2005. After pitching briefly for the Tampa Bay Rays, he signed with the Florida Marlins in 2006, saving 36 games. After the season, he signed a one-year, $4.25 million contract with the Cleveland Indians and saved an American League-high 45 games, leading the team to the postseason, where they were beated by the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS. He returned as the Indians closer in 2008, but after a dismal start to the season, was placed on the disabled list.