Geremi González led the Chicago Cubs with 11 wins in his rookie season with the team. However, he struggled in subsequent season and spent some time in the minor leagues with hopes of improvement. He bounced around the majors with the Rays, the Red Sox and the Mets until he landed in Milwaukee, pitching for the Brewers. It was here — after eight seasons in the Major Leagues — that he told his team that his name had been misspelled as “Jeremi.” It was finally corrected by the Brewers. Geremi lasted one season with the Brewers and headed for Japan to play a season with the Yomiuri Giants before calling it a career.
Geremi González holds two unusual baseball distinctions. He was the pitcher of record when home-run powerhouse Sammy Sosa was caught using a corked bat. Geremi was the only pitcher to have faced Barry Bonds six or more times and never allowed him reach base — the only one of 583 pitchers that Bonds faced in his career.
In 2008, in his native Venezuela, 33-year-old Geremi was struck by lightning and killed.