Candy Sierra

Ulises Sierra Pizarro

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 190 lb.

• Debut April 6, 1988
• Final Game June 10, 1988
• Born March 27, 1967 in Rio Piedras, P.R.

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Biographical Information

Pitcher Candy Sierra was signed by the San Diego Padres as a 16-year-old in 1983 and made his pro debut that summer with the Spokane Indians, going 1-5 with a 5.35 ERA in 23 games. He was with the Reno Padres the following year, 1984, and on June 15th of that season, he threw a 7-inning no-hitter against the Modesto A's. Overall, he had perhaps his best season that year, going 11-4 with a 3.72 ERA in 28 appearances.

Sierra made the Padres' Opening Day roster in 1988 and appeared in 15 games for the club, going 0-1 with a 5.70 ERA. On June 8th, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for Dennis Rasmussen. Two days later, he made his final big league appearance, pitching 4 innings against the San Francisco Giants and giving up 2 earned runs while striking out 4. He spent the rest of the year with the AAA Nashville Sounds, going 5-5 in 13 starts.

He was still only 21 at the time of his only major league appearances, but his career was derailed when he was injured and limited to just 3 games with the AA Chattanooga Lookouts in 1989. He returned to the Padres in 1990, going 5-5, 2.91 after starting the year back in Class A with the Riverside Red Wave of the California League, then being promoted to the AAA Las Vegas Stars. All 53 of his appearances that year were as a reliever, and he saved 11 games with Riverside. He then moved to the Chicago Cubs system for 1991, making 6 starts in 18 appearances for the AA Charlotte Knights of the Southern League. He was 4-1, 4.78, but was just surviving on the mound, with a K/W ratio of 24/22 in 47 2/3 innings. It was his final professional season. However, he was given a look in spring training in 1995 when teams were scrambling to find potential replacement players in case the strike was not settled before the start of the season. A few of these players were kept on board when the conflict was settled at the end of March, but not him.

He played for the Santurce Crabbers of the Puerto Rican Winter Baseball League.