Chicago White Sox Rauch, weighing , was drafted in the third round of the
1999 amateur draft by the
Chicago White Sox. He debuted with the White Sox on April 2, . In 2002, Rauch's first stint in the big leagues resulted in a 6.59
ERA in eight games and six
starts. He did not play in the majors in , then returned to the majors in after a strong
Triple-A campaign. However, against major league batters he again posted a high ERA of 6.23. In July 2004, Rauch was traded to the
Montreal Expos along with
Triple-A reliever
Gary Majewski for
Carl Everett.
Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals On August 13, 2004, Rauch hit a
home run against the
Houston Astros off
Roger Clemens, making him the tallest man ever to hit a home run in Major League Baseball. Despite a strong finish to the season in Montreal, Rauch was sent to the minors when the Expos moved to
Washington. After putting up better numbers in the minors, Rauch finished the season with the Nationals, used mostly as a reliever, and going 2–4 with a 3.60 ERA. In , Rauch had his best season, posted a 4–5 record, a 3.35 ERA, and appearing in 85 games, second most in the NL. In , Rauch led the Major Leagues in appearances with 88. He finished the year with an 8–4 record, four saves, and a 3.61 ERA. His eight victories led the team in wins, a rarity in baseball for a relief pitcher. On February 2, , Rauch signed a two-year contract with the Nationals, worth a total of $3.2 million. Before being traded, Rauch spent most of the year as the
closer in place of injured
Chad Cordero. Rauch was the winning pitcher in the first game in the history of
Nationals Park.
Arizona Diamondbacks On July 22, 2008, Rauch was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for
second base prospect
Emilio Bonifacio.
Minnesota Twins On August 28, 2009, Rauch was traded to the Minnesota Twins for RHP
Kevin Mulvey. He appeared in 17 games for the Twins before the end of the season, posting a 5–1 record with a 1.72 ERA. On April 2, 2010, Twins manager
Ron Gardenhire named Rauch the team's closer, replacing the injured
Joe Nathan. On April 6, 2010, Rauch earned his first save as a Twin with a perfect ninth with two strikeouts versus the
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in a 5–3 win. Rauch served as the team's closer through August, when the Twins acquired
Matt Capps. During his time as closer, he saved 21 games in 25 opportunities. After the Twins acquired Capps, Rauch returned to his previous role as a set-up man and long reliever. He became a free agent following the season.
Toronto Blue Jays On January 17, 2011, the Blue Jays signed Rauch to a one-year deal worth $3.5M that included a club option for $3.75M in 2012. Blue Jays manager
John Farrell suffered a dislocated jaw while attempting to restrain Rauch from going after umpire
Alfonso Marquez during a game on July 2, 2011. Both Rauch and Farrell were ejected from the game. After pitching in a game against the
Seattle Mariners on August 15, 2011, Rauch was taken to a Seattle hospital for an emergency appendectomy. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list on August 16, 2011. At the time of injury, Rauch led the Blue Jays in appearances (with 51), posting a 5–4 record with a 4.47 earned run average and 11 saves.
New York Mets On December 6, 2011, Rauch agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the
New York Mets. On May 1, 2012, Rauch faced
Houston Astros second baseman
Jose Altuve. The 17-inch (432mm) height difference between Rauch and Altuve (5 feet 6 inches) is believed to be the biggest between pitcher and batter with exception of a 1951 publicity stunt in which a 3-foot-7-inch (1.09m) Eddie Gaedel had one at bat for the St. Louis Browns.
Miami Marlins On February 5, 2013, Rauch agreed to a one-year deal with the
Miami Marlins. Rauch was designated for assignment on May 18. At the time of his designation, Rauch had a 1–2 record with an earned run average of 7.56. He was released on May 22, 2013.
Baltimore Orioles On June 1, 2013, it was announced that the Orioles had signed Rauch to a minor league contract. On July 3, Rauch opted out of his minor league contract. He went 1–0 with a 2.89 ERA in 10 appearances over 9.1 innings, striking out 10.
Kansas City Royals On January 23, 2014, Rauch signed a minor league contract with the
Kansas City Royals with an invitation to spring training. He was released on March 26. Rauch retired following the 2014 season. ==Personal life==