Dateline: Cincinnati
It was July 30, 2003 when acting GM, Brad Kuhkman, traded nare-do-well, clubhouse head case, Jose Guillen for three pitchers.
Minor leaguer Jeff Bruksch, Joe Valentine and 6’7” Aaron Harang. The 25-year old, the only player in the trade with the Oakland Athletics, who had impact.
Harang was voted into the Reds Hall of Fame and be inducted on April 25 before a game with the Detroit Tigers.
Harang made 14 starts for the Athletics in 2002. Called up to the big leagues in May, Harang made his first start on May 15, 2002, throwing seven scoreless innings against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He allowed three hits and three walks. He also struck out the first 10 of his career that would complete with 1,842 strikeouts over a 14-year career.
Harang was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 22nd round out of Patrick Henry High School in San Diego, California. He decided to stay home and pitch at San Diego State. The Texas Rangers selected him in the sixth round in 1999. Then traded him later in the year for infielder Randy Velarde.
With the Reds, Harang flourished. He pitched eight seasons in the Cincinnati rotation.
Harang started 213 games for the Reds in those seasons, chiseled a 75-80 record and a 4.82 over 1,343 innings.
He won 16 games twice, leading the National League in 2006 and had an eye-opening 16-6 record in 2007.
He had double digit wins in six of those eight campaigns. Harang had an ERA under four, three times. He completed 13 games, including a league leading six in 2006. He struck out 200 or more batters twice, including 216 to lead the league in 2006 but had a career-high with 218 in 2007.
Most importantly, the big man pitched over 200 innings three years in a row and barely missed a fourth with 184 in 2008. He was the bullpen’s day off.
The irony was one of his four relief appearances was problematic in the Reds 2008. Two days after a start, Reds manager, Dusty Baker ran out of pitchers in an 18-inning game in San Diego. He threw 63 pitches from the 13th through 17th innings, all scoreless. The Reds lost in the 18th when Baker had to use another starter Edinson Volquez.
At that point in the season, Harang had 10 starts and a 2-4 record with a 3.50 ERA. He had two starts of eight innings, one of 7 1/3 and three straight with seven innings.
Harang finished with a 6-17 record and a 4.78 ERA. His last two year with the Reds, he was 6-14 in 2009 and 6-7 in the Reds’ Central Division Champions in 2010.
He started two winning games down the stretch in August in September to help the Reds win it, including the final game of the season on October 3, a 3-2 win against the Milwaukee Braves.
Harang was the Reds most effective starter on an improving team that won the first division title since 1995.
Harang went home to pitch for the Padres in 2011. He was 14-7 with a 3.64 ERA that season. He was 10-10 with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012 with a 3.61 ERA. Harang was 12-12 with the Atlanta Braves in 2014.
He finished with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2015 with a 6-15 record and 4.86 ERA in 29 starts.
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