World Series champion with Marlins to attempting murder: Dark story of Ugueth Urbina who was sentenced for assault
Ugueth Urbina, a former All-Star closer, was freed from a Venezuelan jail in 2012 after spending a total of seven and a half years there.
According to a statement from the Attorney General's Office in 2017, Urbina, a former pitcher with the Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers, and Philadelphia Phillies, was also found guilty of illegal deprivation of liberty and breaking a rule against taking justice into his own hands during a dispute over a gun on Oct. 16, 2005.
The 32-year-old unsigned free agent was charged with participating in a gang of men's machete attacks on ranch employees at his family's ranch, which is situated approximately 25 miles south of Caracas, wounding them and pouring gasoline on them.
Ugueth Urbina's baseball career
Urbina, a two-time All-Star, led the National League in saves in 1999 with 41 and contributed to the Florida Marlins' 2003 World Series victory. He is the sole major league player to have ever worn the letters "UU" or "UUU".
Urbina had a 44-49 record, 237 saves, 814 strikeouts, and a 3.45 ERA in 11 seasons in the major leagues. Urbina began his professional career with the Montreal Expos as a middle reliever, where he played for six seasons and was selected to the All-Star team once, in 1998.
In the same trade that sent Rich Rundles and Tomo Ohka to Montreal, Urbina was going to the Red Sox. On December 23, 2002, Urbina agreed to a free agency contract with the Texas Rangers.
Texas transferred Urbina to the Florida Marlins on July 11, 2003. Urbina helped the Marlins upset the New York Yankees in six games to win the 2003 World Series, capping off his brief time with the team. On March 29, 2004, Urbina agreed to a two-year deal with the Detroit Tigers. Urbina was sent by the Tigers on June 8, 2005, and he made his final Major League outing on October 2, 2005, at RFK Stadium, when the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Washington Nationals 9-3.