Esteban Loaiza is a reputed name in Major League Baseball in the late 90s and early 2000s. The retired Mexican player had made his unique identity with great stats while playing for eight different teams.
A Mar Vista High School graduate, Loaiza was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an undrafted free agent on March 21, 1981. He made his debut that year with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast Pirates, finishing with a 5-1 record and 2.26 ERA in 11 stats.
He moved to the big league in 1985, making his major league debut on April 29, 1995, for the Pirates against the Philadelphia Phillies. After playing for 13 seasons in MLB, he amassed $44 million in salary.
As of 2024, Esteban has an estimated net worth of $5 million.
Besides his career and net worth, the former MLB player has been involved in drug trafficking. San Diego Country police arrested him in February 2018 for possessing 20 kilograms of cocaine.
Here in this article, we will talk about Esteban Loaiza in detail. His early life, education, MLB career, net worth, and social media presence, we will try to cover everything, so buckle up.
But before that, let’s go through his quick facts.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Esteban Antonio Loaiza Veyna |
| Nickname | Esteban Loaiza |
| Birth Date | December 31, 1971 |
| Birth Place | Tijuana, Mexico |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Nationality | Mexican |
| Ethnicity | Mexican |
| Education | Mar Vista High School |
| Horoscope | Capricorn |
| Father’s Name | Luis Antonio Loaiza |
| Mother’s Name | María del Socorro Veyna |
| Siblings | Brother(Sabino Loaiza) ,Sister(Maria Luisa) |
| Height | 6’2″/1.88 m/188 cm |
| Weight | 104 kg/229 lb |
| Age | 52 Years Old |
| Hair Color | Dark Brown |
| Eye Color | Hazel |
| Marital Status | Jenni Rivera (m. 2010-2012) |
| Girlfriends | Christine Eustace, Ashely Esposito |
| Children | 2 Sons, Esteban Sage (with Ashley Esposito), Esteban Loaiza Eustace (from Cristina Eustace) |
| Profession | Baseball Pitcher (Retired) |
| Net Worth | $5 Million-$10 Million |
| Affiliations | MLB, Mexican Summer League, American League |
| Disease | Type 2 Diabetes |
| Legal Issues | Overspeed driving, Drug trafficking |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Merch | Baseball Cards, Autographed Items |
| Last Update | April 2024 |
Early life, Parents & Education
Esteban was born on December 31, 1971, in Tijuana, Mexico, to the supporting parents María del Socorro Veyna and Luis Antonio Loaiza.
He is 52 years old in 2024, born under the sun sign Capricorn. People with this sun sign are overachievers, persistent, practical, and sensitive.
The retired MLB player has a sister named Maria Luisa and a big brother named Sabino Loaiza. Also, he holds dual Mexican and American citizenship and is of Mexican descent.
Education
High School
Esteban completed his schooling at Mar Vista High School in Imperial Beach, California.
He spent his young age playing various games. Likewise, he developed a passion for baseball through his father.
Sickness
Unfortunately, Loaiza has type 2 diabetes (a condition that causes the blood sugar level (glucose) to become too high). Due to diabetes, his body suffered a lot.
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Professional Life And Career
Early Career At Pittsburgh Pirates
On March 21, 1991, Pittsburgh Pirates signed Esteban. The same year, he made his debut with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast Pirates, finishing with a 5-1 record and a 2.26 earned average (ERA) in 11 starts.
He was then promoted to August (Class A)in 1992, Salem(Class-A) in 1993, and Carolina (Class AA) in 1993-1994, respectively.
Played In Major League For Pittsburgh Pirates
On April 29, 1995, he debuted in Major League for the Pirates. But in 1996, he returned to the minors with the Triple-A Calgary Cannons.
However, the major league called him back again on June 7 of the same year. On 1998 July 17, the Pirates traded Esteban to the Texas Rangers.
A career At Texas Rangers And Toronto Blue Jays
He spent the next two seasons with Texas, pitching as a starter and a reliever for the Rangers.
Later, the Rangers traded him to the Toronto Blue Jays on July 19, 2000. Esteban pitched for the Blue Jays for the next two years, i.e., 2002.
Chicago White Sox And New York Yankees
Loaiza signed a minor league contract with Chicago White Sox on January 24, 2003. His first season with the Sox was fruitful, as he received his first career All-Star selection.
Loaiza led the American League pitchers in strikeouts (227) and finished second in wins (21) and strikeouts per nine innings (8.23). His 21 wins in 2003 tie for the most ever in a season with Fernando Valenzuela.
After his appearances in the All-Star, he was traded to the New York Yankees on July 31. Despite his worse games with the Yankees, Esteban still recorded an 8.46 ERA in six August starts.
Game With Washington Nationals
The retired MLB star signed a one-year, $2.9 million deal with the Washington Nationals on January 18, 2005. He went 12-10 with a 3.77 ERA in 33 starts for the National.
A career At Oakland Athletics
On November 28, 2005, Esteban signed a three-year contract with Oakland Athletics. But his performance started downhill which raised questions regarding his acquisition.
His 2007 regular season was partly affected due to injury and back & shoulder problems. When he returned on June 8, he was inconsistent but appeared fit than before.
Games with Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers bought the remaining of Esteban’s contract with Oakland Athletics.
Surprisingly, his debut for this team was quite impressive. Instantly, expectations rose higher as Loaiza had fully recovered from his injuries and regained his Dodgers spot.
However, the performance could not make a difference. The rest of the season went off without making any significant marks. Later, Loaiza was released on May 24 from the contract.
Back To Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox signed Esteban on a one-year contract on June 4, 2008. But his injuries kept him on the disabled list.
Unfortunately, he was released on July 25 after making three appearances.
Awards
During his legendary career, Esteban Loaiza got various awards. The list goes like this:
- In 2003, He received Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Month for April.
- Players Choice Comeback Player of the year (2003) was given to Loaiza.
- Again in 2006, Loaiza received Pitcher of the Month for August month.
- On July 1, 2011, Esteban’s name was kept on Las Vegas’s Walk of Fame.
Career Stats
| Season | Team | GP | GS | IP | K | BB | K/BB | H | R | ER |
| 2008 | CWS | 3 | 0 | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Total Career Stats | 377 | 333 | 2099.0 | 1382 | 604 | 2.3 | 2352 | 1170 | 1084 |
Personal life
First Wife
Esteban Loaiza had quite a life of Cassanova. His alleged relationship and failed marriage indicate his playboy trait.
Loaiza married a woman named Christina Teadora Barrasso on October 1998. Unfortunately, they parted ways in 2004.
Illicit Relation/Misstress
Loaiza dated Ashley Esposito while Ashley was working as a nanny in his teammate’s house.
Interestingly, the affair started weeks before he and Christina got married.
Esteban showered her with lavish gifts. They welcomed a son called Sage Loaiza. However, their relationship got faded after some time.
Second Wife
Esteban got married to Jenni Rivera in 2010. Jenni was a Mexican-American singer, songwriter, actress, television producer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. The pair first met in 2008 and instantly fell for each other.
Their marriage ceremony became the “wedding of the year,” as it was advertised on various TV channels and magazine pages.
Appearance In I Love Jenni Show
I Love Jenni is a Mexican-American reality television series aired on March 5, 2011.
The series reflected the personal and professional life of Jenni-Rivera, Esteban Loaiza’s second wife, who was a great Mexican-American singer.
Furthermore, he appeared in this series with his step-children.
Controversy And Divorce
Ultimately, Esteban was called unfaithful to Jenni. Rumors of an affair circulated between Esteban and her step-daughter, Janney Marín Rivera, AKA Chiquis Rivera, but this theory was never proven.
People still had doubts about his character as the six weeks of the security camera’s recording had been erased from Jenni’s room.
Unfortunately, the marriage did not last. Later, Esteban and Jenni filed for divorce in 2012.
Broken Relation With Cristina Eustace
Esteban dated Mexican singer Cristina Eustace from 2013 to 2016. Cristina ended the relationship herself. She took a bold step when their’s son was barely three months old.
Relation With Ross Labra
Ross was Esteban’s new and fifth (that too on public only) love. He has been dating her since 2018.
Legal Issues And Present Status
Esteban seems to have a problem with handling his fame before retirement. He got into two major legal issues that hampered his and his family’s lives.
Exceeding Speed And No Sobriety While Driving
The traffic police arrested Loaiza for driving his Ferrari at 120 mph on the California Highway near San Lorenzo. Moreover, he also failed the sobriety test.
He appeared in court on July 14, 2006, as the Alameda Country district attorney pressed misdemeanor drunken driving and excessive speed charges against him.
Drug Trafficking
On February 9, 2018, Loaiza was arrested with over 20 kilograms of cocaine in San Diego while returning to the USA from Mexico. The drug is valued at around $500k.
Initially, he denied the possessions but later admitted that he did it with the intent to distribute the cocaine to another person.
The San Diego Country police charged him with possessing or purchasing narcotics and transportation of narcotics sales. On March 8, 2019, Loaiza was sentenced to serve a three-year prison.
Furthermore, the retired major league baseball pitcher was released in August 2021 and was deported to Mexico.
Net Worth
Esteban’s net worth of $5 million as of 2024. After playing for 13 seasons in MLB, he amassed $44 million in salary.
However, he had to pay a lot of money as compensation for his illegal activities.
Net Worth Of Esteban Loaiza In Different Currencies
Here we have presented Esteban Loaiza’s net worth in different currencies.
| Currency | Net Worth |
| Euro | € 4617350 |
| Pound Sterling | £ 4045300 |
| Australian Dollar | A$ 7221835 |
| Canadian Dollar | C$ 6734175 |
| Indian Rupee | ₹ 406080000 |
| BitCoin | ฿ 238.42 |
Being a criminal has affected his appearance in public. His social media has been inactive since his arrest. Esteban’s tweets are even protected at the present moment.
Instagram: 35.6k followers
Twitter: 1571 followers
View this post on Instagram
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Which baseball team did Loaiza last play with?
Loaiza last played with the Chicago White Sox team before retirement.
Is Chiquis the Daughter of Esteban?
Chiquis is not the daughter of Esteban. However, Chiquis is the daughter of Jenni Rivera and her first husband, José Trinidad Marín. Esteban is the third husband of Jenni Rivera.
Was Loaiza sent to Prison?
Yes, he has been sent to prison after police found 22 kilograms of drugs hidden in his rented townhouse. He was arrested in February in Imperial Beach, near the border of Tijuana, Mexico
When did the baseball player retire?
He retired in the year 2008.
