Robert Michael File (born January 28, 1977) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. File spent three-plus seasons as a reliever for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2001 to 2004. He signed with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2005, retiring shortly after spring training with a back injury.
File was drafted as a third baseman out of NCAA Division II, then converted to pitcher while in the Jays' farm system.
File is a former pitching coach at La Salle University in Philadelphia. La Salle University competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Atlantic 10 baseball conference.
Pitching style and biography
File threw a 96 mph (154 km/h) four-seam fastball, a 91–94 mph (146–151 km/h) sinker, a 77–82 mph (124–132 km/h) slider, and an 82–84 mph (132–135 km/h) sweeper.
File is one of seven pitchers in major-league history to win a game in his first appearance while throwing five pitches or fewer.
File was a standout infielder at Father Judge High School in Philadelphia before becoming a pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays.
File was one of the top players in the history of Philadelphia University's (now Thomas Jefferson University) baseball program.