Russell Reid Ortiz (born June 5, 1974) is a retired Major League baseball pitcher. Ortiz played for the Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers. He is 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) tall, and weighs 220 pounds.

College and high school

Ortiz attended Montclair School in Van Nuys, California before he continued on to the University of Oklahoma. In 1994, he pitched for a Sooners squad that would win the College World Series. In 38 innings, he had three saves and 30 strikeouts.

Professional career

San Francisco Giants (1998–2002)

The right-hander was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 4th round of the June 1995 Major League Baseball Draft. He was drafted as a closer, but converted to the starting rotation while in the Giants' farm system. On April 2, 1998, Ortiz made his major league debut in relief, collecting four strikeouts over two innings. The rookie bounced all over the Giants pitching staff and between San Francisco and Triple-A Fresno, working in relief, out of the rotation and in the minors as injuries and inconsistency plagued the Giants rotation.