Ramiro Mendoza (born June 15, 1972), nicknamed "El Brujo" (The Witch Doctor), is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Mendoza played with the New York Yankees (1996–2002, 2005) and Boston Red Sox (2003–04). He batted and threw right-handed. Although Mendoza made 62 starts in his major league career, he was primarily known as a middle relief pitcher. He threw a sinker along with a slider, a four-seam fastball and a changeup. In Mendoza's ten seasons in the Major Leagues he was a part of five World Series champion teams. Major league career (1996–2005) In a nine-year career, Mendoza compiled a 59–40 record with 463 strikeouts and a 4.30 earned run average in 797 innings pitched. New York Yankees (1996–2002) Mendoza made his major league debut in 1996, going 4–5 with a 6.79 ERA in his rookie season. He did not appear on the postseason roster. In 1997, Mendoza went 8–6 with a 4.24 ERA, while starting 15 games, as both a starter and a reliever. He also appeared in his first two postseason games in 1997, going 1–1 with an ERA of 2.45 while throwing innings, a sharp increase from the 53 he pitched in 1996. 1998 was statistically Mendoza's best season, as he went 10–2 with an ERA of 3.25, both career bests. In the postseason, he pitched scoreless innings against the Cleveland Indians over two games of the American League Championship Series. In the 1998 World Series against the San Diego Padres, Mendoza pitched one inning of two hit, one run, one strikeout ball in Game 3. He earned his second World Series ring when the Yankees swept the Padres. The following year, Mendoza struggled to a 9–9 record with an ERA of 4.29 in innings pitched. That year, he started only six games and was quickly moved to the bullpen. He gave up 68 runs that year, a career worst, and was left off of the roster for the 1999 American League Division Series. He rejoined the team for the Championship Series, where he pitched innings and pickup up a save. In the World Series, he pitched innings of relief and surrendered 3 hits and 2 runs, all earned, however, he still earned the win as the Yankees went on to sweep the Braves, 4–0. Mendoza's performance improved slightly in 2000 as he went 7–4 with a 4.25 ERA in innings pitched, including his first complete game