1)  Kelvim Escobar was signed by famed scout Epy Guerrero, who was responsible for finding over 130 big leaguers in Latin America.  Carlos Delgado, Tony Fernandez, Luis Sojo, Jose Mesa, George Bell and Alfredo Griffin are just a small sample of the players Guerrero has signed in his career.

2)  After a successful 1993 season playing for the Blue Jays' Santo Domingo team in the Dominican Summer League (he was 2-1 with a 4.13 ERA), Escobar was moved to the Gulf Coast League for the 1994 season and won the R. Howard Webster Award as the team's MVP.

3)  During the 1995 season, playing for Medicine Hat in the Pioneer League, Escobar averaged 9.74 strikeouts per nine innings on the season and tossed a no-hitter on July 20th.  In the Pioneer League playoffs that season, Escobar went 0-2 but did have a great 1.30 ERA (12 IP, 2 ER, 15 K).

4)  Escobar continued to climb the ranks in 1996 jumping from Class-A to Class-AA that year.  He combined for a 12-9 record and 3.56 ERA between the two leagues.  For his performance, he was selected to the Florida State League All-Star Team, was selected to the Howe SportsData 1996 All-Teen Team (he was just 19) and was named as the second best prospect in the Florida State League by Baseball America.

5)  In 1997, Escobar made the jump to the major leagues and won his debut on June 29th after pitching 4.1 innings of relief for the Blue Jays against the Baltimore Orioles.  In the game, he allowed just one run and two hits while striking out five.  On July 13th of that year, Escobar picked up his first major league save against the Boston Red Sox.  He went on to record saves in seven straight attempts before blowing his first save against the Kansas City Royals on August 24th.  Escobar finished the year 3-2 with a 2.90 ERA and led all AL rookies with 14 saves.

6)  1998 was an up and down season for Escobar as he spent time on the disabled list (elbow inflammation), Triple-A (Syracuse) and played in 22 games with the Blue Jays.  His first win of the season came against the then Anaheim Angels pitching 1.1 innings of relief on May 6th.  The best game of his season came on August 22nd against the Angels when he struck out 11 batters, but he got the loss as the Angels won the game 5-1.  Escobar finished the year 7-3 with a 3.73 ERA.

7)  Kelvim Escobar was used primarily as a starter for the first time in his career during the 1999 season.  He finished the season with 14 wins (second highest on the Jays that season), but he also lost 11 games and finished with a 5.69 ERA.

8)  The Blue Jays gave Escobar another chance to be a starter in the 2000 season, but Escobar struggled going 7-13 with a 5.42 ERA.  He was moved back into the bullpen in August and went 3-2 with two saves and a 4.94 ERA.  Before the move, Escobar notched his first career shutout on June 21st against the Detroit Tigers.  He was a combined 10-15 with a 5.35 ERA in the 2000 season.

9)  In 2001, Escobar once again split time between the bullpen and the rotation, finishing the season 6-8 with a 3.50 ERA in 59 games.  He was named as a Co-AL Player of the Week in August after going 2-0 with a 1.04 ERA in two starts.

10)  The Blue Jays named Escobar as their closer in the 2002 season.  Escobar went 5-7 with 38 saves (46 attempts) and a 4.27 ERA in 68 games as the team's closer.  His 38 saves were fourth highest in the league and the second most for a Blue Jays pitcher in franchise history (Duane Ward - 45).  He was named as the Rolaids Relief Pitcher of the Month for September.

11)  Even after saving 38 games the previous season, Escobar spent most of the 2003 season as a starter for the Jays, finishing the season 13-9 with four saves and a 4.29 ERA.  He set career bests in innings pitched (180.1) and strikeouts (159) and even picked up his second career shutout on June 8th against the Reds.

12)  Kelvim Escobar said good-bye to the Blue Jays following the 2003 season and signed a three-year, $18.75 million deal with the Angels.  He finished with a 58-55 record and 58 saves with the Blue Jays.  He is the only player in franchise history to be ranked in the top 10 in wins (9th) and saves (4th).

13)  He turned the page on the Blue Jays and started fresh with the Angels in 2004.  He had a successful campaign as a starter for the Angels as he posted an 11-12 record and 3.93 ERA as strictly a starter.  He set career highs for innings pitched (208.1) and strikeouts (191).  He also set a career high with a 12-strikeout performance against his former team on September 8th.  Escobar could easily have won more games in 2004, but the Angels scored an average of 3.9 runs during his starts.

14)  Escobar got his first taste of the playoffs in 2004 against the Boston Red Sox.  Escobar received a no-decision in the decisive Game 3 of the ALDS, allowing five runs, five hits and five walks through five innings.

15)  A majority of Escobar's 2005 season was spent on the disabled list after undergoing surgery to shave down a bone spur in his pitching elbow.  He played in just 16 games (seven starts) and finished the season 3-2 with one save and 3.02 ERA.  His lone save was his first since he recorded his last save May 4, 2003 against the Angels.