Matt Garza
Chicago Cubs – No. 22
Starting pitcher
Born: (1983-11-26) November 26, 1983 (age 28) Selma, California
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
MLB debut
August 11, 2006 for the Minnesota Twins
Career statistics (through May 27, 2012)
Win-Loss record	54–57
Earned run average	3.85
Strikeouts	818
Teams
Minnesota Twins (2006–2007) Tampa Bay Rays (2008–2010) Chicago Cubs (2011–Present)
Career highlights and awards
ALCS MVP (2008) Pitched a no-hitter on July 26, 2010 against the Detroit Tigers. MLB Player of the Week

Matthew Scott Garza (born November 26, 1983) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball.

Early years[link]

Garza was born in Selma, California. He attended Washington Union High School and Fresno State.

Professional career[link]

Minnesota Twins[link]

He was the 25th pick in the first round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft, drafted by the Minnesota Twins.

Garza pitching for Minnesota Twins in 2006.

2006[link]

Entering 2006, Garza was ranked as the Minnesota Twins seventh-best prospect by Baseball America.^[1] He gained attention for rising through the ranks of the Twins' minor league system, starting the season at Single-A Fort Myers and ending at the major league level, pitching with the Double-A New Britain Rock Cats and the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings in between. Garza was a combined 14–4 at the three minor league levels in 2006, with a 1.99 ERA and 154 strikeouts in 135 ⅔ innings. He earned All-Star berths in the Single-A Florida State League and Double-A Eastern League. Backed by those numbers, Garza earned the USA Today Minor League Player of the Year Award for 2006, the second consecutive year in which a Twin won the award (in 2005, Garza's teammate Francisco Liriano was the winner).^[2] On August 8, Minnesota purchased Garza's contract, promoting him to the majors to replace the injured Liriano.^[3] Garza is one of a small number of players to advance through the minors and reach the major league level in a single season. On August 11, his major league debut, Garza allowed seven earned runs in 2 ⅔ innings to the Toronto Blue Jays.^[4] Garza earned his first win on August 23 against the Baltimore Orioles, allowing just one unearned run in six innings.^[5]

2007[link]

Entering 2007, Garza was rated as the top prospect in the Twins organization^[6] and the 21st-best prospect in Major League Baseball^[7] by Baseball America. Garza did not make the Twins rotation out of spring training, being assigned to Rochester instead. He was recalled to the Minnesota Twins on June 28 after being passed by other Twins pitching prospects such as Kevin Slowey and Scott Baker due to disagreements with the club over his pitch selection.^[8] He was selected to the 2007 All-Star Futures Game in San Francisco, but did not get to participate due to his call up to the major league club.^[9] On July 6, in a game against the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field, Garza became the first Twins pitcher to bat in an American League game since Allan Anderson in 1989. Garza was put in the eight-spot when catcher Mike Redmond left the game after his head was cut by Jim Thome's bat on a backswing. Joe Mauer, the designated hitter for the game, replaced Redmond as the catcher, forcing Garza into the lineup. On July 29, Garza recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts in six innings against the Cleveland Indians.

Tampa Bay Rays[link]

2008[link]

After the 2007 season, the Twins traded Garza along with Jason Bartlett and Eduardo Morlan to the Tampa Bay Rays for Delmon Young, Jason Pridie, and Brendan Harris. Garza had a successful season with the Rays, going 11–9 while posting a 3.70 ERA. He also earned MVP honors for the ALCS in which he helped the Rays beat the Boston Red Sox by posting a 1.38 ERA in two starts, and earning the decisive victory in game 7 of the ALCS.

On June 26, he carried a perfect game through 6.0 innings against the Florida Marlins before giving up a leadoff home run in the seventh inning to Hanley Ramírez. That proved his only blemish as he won the complete game with 10 strikeouts and one walk.

2009[link]

As of the end of July 2009, opposing batters were hitting .222 against him, which was the second-lowest batting average in the league; he was just behind Edwin Jackson (.216), and was followed by Jarrod Washburn (.224) and Scott Feldman (.228; .217 as a starter).^[10]

In 2009 he had the lowest range factor of all starting major league pitchers (0.93).^[11]

2010[link]

Garza during his tenure with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2010 spring training.

Garza threw a no-hitter on July 26, 2010 at home against the Detroit Tigers, becoming the fifth pitcher that season to throw a no-hitter. It was also the first no-hitter thrown by a Tampa Bay Rays pitcher in the team's history.^[12] He faced the minimum 27 batters as the lone base runner, Brennan Boesch, who drew a 1-out second inning walk, was erased on a double play hit by Ryan Raburn in the next at-bat. Garza threw 120 pitches, 80 for strikes, and tallied six strikeouts.^[13] 101 of his pitches were fastballs.^[14]

Chicago Cubs[link]

2011[link]

On January 7, 2011, Garza was traded from the Rays to the Chicago Cubs as part of an eight-player deal. The Cubs sent outfielder Sam Fuld, and prospects Christopher Archer, Hak-Ju Lee, Brandon Guyer, and Robinson Chirinos to the Rays for Garza, outfielder Fernando Perez and minor league left-handed pitcher Zachary Rosscup.^[15][16] In spring training he led all pitchers in the major leagues in earned runs given up, with 25, in 21.2 innings.^[17]Garza finished the season with a 10-10 record and a 3.32 ERA.^[18]

Scouting[link]

Garza throws a 2-seam fastball that varies from 90–94 mph, as well as a 4-seam fastball that varies from 93–96 mph that can, on occasion, reach 98. His arsenal also includes a big, breaking curveball that he throws for 72–77 mph, a tight slider in the mid-high 80s, and a changeup he uses to fool hitters.^[19]

Rays' pitching coach Jim Hickey has commented that Garza has "the best stuff on the staff".^[20]

Personal life[link]

Matt Garza is married to his high school sweetheart; together they have three children.

As someone who has had to deal with teen pregnancy, Garza was invited to sit on a panel for The Candie's Foundation in New York City about combating teen pregnancy with Hayden Panettiere and Bristol Palin on May 6, 2009.^[21]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Matt Garza

	Biography portal
	Baseball portal

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• "Garza takes wild ride in stride" – Minnesota Public Radio
• No. 25 – MLN FAB50 Baseball 2006
• Video of Matt Garza warming up in the bullpen

Craig Wilson is a columnist for USA Today. He has been a feature writer at the newspaper for over two decades. He has written his The Final Word column each Wednesday since 2000. He is also the author of It's the Little Things: An Appreciation of Life's Simple Pleasures (Random House, ISBN 0-375-75896-8).^[1]

Prior to joining USA Today, Wilson was a columnist for the Saratogian in Saratoga Springs, New York.^[2]

He was an AFS exchange student to Great Britain in 1966.

External links[link]

• Final Word
• Final Word archive
• transcript of chat with Wilson

References[link]

This article about a United States journalist is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Buckwild is a Hip hop producer hailing from The Bronx, New York. Originally a DJ, Buck began producing after meeting MC/Producer Lord Finesse. He later joined Finesse's super-crew D.I.T.C., along with Showbiz and A.G., Diamond D, Fat Joe, and the late Big L and brought O.C. with him. His first released production came in 1993, the posse-cut "Shit Is Real (You Can't Front)" featuring Diamond D, Lord Finesse and Sadat X; a B-side to Diamond & The Psychotic Neurotics's "!*! What U Heard".

His first major exposure came when he produced the majority of O.C.'s 1994 underground classic Word...Life, most notably the single "Time's Up". The same year, he produced 3 songs for Organized Konfusion's second album Stress: The Extinction Agenda, as well as a track for Brand Nubian's Everything Is Everything album. He also produced 3 songs for Artifacts on their 1994 album Between a Rock and a Hard Place. Buck continued his exposure in 1995, producing on a number of hailed underground albums, including Big L's Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous, AZ's Doe Or Die, Kool G Rap's 4,5,6, and Mic Geronimo's The Natural. He also became known for being one of the most active remixers in hip-hop music at the time, remixing singles for Guru, Beastie Boys/Q-Tip, Channel Live/KRS-One, Kool Keith and many others.

In the mid-to-late 1990s, he produced for and remixed artists like Akinyele, Tha Alkaholiks, Beastie Boys, Big Pun, Show & AG, Lord Finesse, Brand Nubian, Capone-N-Noreaga, Diamond D, Fat Joe, Jay-Z, Mase, Memphis Bleek, Nas, O.C., Organized Konfusion, Sadat X, Grand Puba, Mad Skillz and The Notorious B.I.G.. In 2001 he produced 12 of 15 songs on OC's third album Bon Appetit. Perhaps his most famous beat came in 2000, with Black Rob's hit single "Whoa!".

In 1996, Buckwild appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation CD, America is Dying Slowly, alongside Biz Markie, Wu-Tang Clan, and Fat Joe, among many other prominent hip hop artists. The CD, meant to raise awareness of the AIDS epidemic among African American men, was heralded as "a masterpiece" by The Source magazine.

Kurrup Money, Inc. which is the name of a collective of rappers that the producer has taken under his wing. The group consists of Murder Cap, Mello, Mal, Shakes, D-Lux and H-Mob; in 2003 they released their debut mixtape Hard 4 The Streets which featured production by Buckwild on 8 of the 20 songs.

In 2007 Ground Floor Recordings issued an official double CD worth of Buckwild's rare remixes and productions recorded between 1993 and 1997, Diggin' In The Crates (Rare Studio Masters 1993-1997). Shortly after Tampa MC Celph Titled reached out to the producer with an idea to create a concept album, featuring new vocals by Celph Titled and guests over unheard and previously unreleased Buckwild beats dating back to the period between 1994 and 1995. The result is the album Nineteen Ninety Now which was released through No Sleep Recordings in November 2010 to great critical acclaim.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Still Diggin' Composition EP (1998)
• Diggin' In The Crates (Rare Studio Masters 1993-1997) (2007)
• Nineteen Ninety Now w/ Celph Titled (October 26, 2010)
• Buckwild Presents... EP (November 16, 2010)
• Nineteen Ninety More w/ Celph Titled (November 8, 2011)

Selected Production Work[link]

• 50 Cent "I Don't Need Em", from The Massacre (2005)
• 702 "Better Day (Ghetto Girl)", from Star (2003)
• A+ "Me & My Microphone" and "I Wanna Be Rich" from The Latch-Key Child (1996)
• Artifacts "C'Mon Wit Da Git Down" from Between a Rock and a Hard Place (1994)
• AZ "Ho Happy Jackie", from Doe or Die (1995)
• AZ "I'm Back" and "Re-Birth", from Aziatic (2002)
• AZ "Live Wire", from A.W.O.L. (2005)
• Beanie Sigel "Look At Me Now", from The B.Coming, "What A Thug About", from The Truth (2000)
• Big L "Put It On", "8 Iz Enuff", "Danger Zone" and "Da Graveyard", from Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous (1995)
• Big Pun "Dream Shatterer [Original Version]", from Endangered Species (2001)
• Black Rob "Whoa!", from Life Story (2000)
• Brand Nubian "Alladat", from Everything Is Everything (1994)
• Brand Nubian "Maybe One Day" and "Brand Nubian", from Foundation (1998)
• Capone-N-Noreaga "Neva Die Alone" and "Black Gangstas", from The War Report (1997)
• Capone-N-Noreaga "With Me", from The War Report 2: Report the War (2010)
• Cormega "Mega Fresh X", from Born and Raised (2009)
• Cormega "A Thin Line" from The True Meaning (2002)
• D.I.T.C. "Champagne Thoughts" (By O.C.), from Worldwide^{[disambiguation needed ]} (1999)
• D.I.T.C. "Insomnia" (By O.C., A-Bless & D Flow), from The Movement (2008)
• Faith Evans "I Love You" from Faithfully (2001)
• Fat Joe "Walk On By" from Don Cartagena (1998)
• Fat Joe "Still Real", "My Lifestyle from Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.) (2001)
• Fat Joe "Take A Look At My Life", from Loyalty (2002)
• Grand Puba "I Like It (Buckwild Remix)" (1995)
• Immortal Technique "Stronghold Grip" from The 3rd World (2008)
• Jadakiss "Pain & Torture" from The Last Kiss (2009)
• Jay-Z "Lucky Me", from In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1997)
• Jemini the Gifted One "Scars & Pain", "Story Of My Life" from Scars & Pain EP (1995)
• Kool G Rap "Blowin' Up In The World" and "Fast Life", from 4,5,6 (1995)
• Kool G Rap "Holla Back" and "The Streets", from The Giancana Story (2002)
• Kool Keith "Yo Black (Buckwild Remix)" (1995)
• Little Brother "Back At It", from Soldiers Of Fortune^{[disambiguation needed ]}
• Lord Finesse "Hip 2 Da Game (Buckwild Remix)" (1995)
• Mad Skillz "VA In The House", "Doin Time In The Cypha" and "Get Your Groove On", from From Where??? (1996)
• Method Man & Redman "Mrs. International" from Blackout! 2 (2009)
• Mic Geronimo "Train Of Thought", "Masta I.C." and "Three Stories High", from The Natural (1995)
• Nas "These Are Our Heroes", from Street's Disciple (2004)
• O.C. "Word...Life", "O-Zone", "Born 2 Live", "Time's Up", "Point O Viewz", "Let It Slide", "Ma Dukes" and Outro (Sabotage), from Word...Life (1994)
• O.C. "Burn Me Slow" , "Love Child" (1997)
• O.C. "The Chosen One", "Far From Yours" and "Hypocrite", from Jewelz (1997)
• O.C. 12 of 15 songs from Bon Appetit (2001)
• Organized Konfusion "Stress", "Thirteen", "Why" and "Bring It On (Remix)", from Stress: The Extinction Agenda (1994)
• P. Diddy & The Bad Boy Family "So Complete", from The Saga Continues... (2001)
• Playaz Circle "U Can Believe It" from "Supply & Demand" (2007)
• R.A. the Rugged Man Every Record Label Sucks Dick (1994)
• Redman "Let's Go", from Red Gone Wild: Thee Album (2007)
• Terror Squad, "Rudeboy Salute"
• Terror Squad "Pass Away"
• The Game "Like Father, Like Son", from The Documentary (2005)
• The Notorious B.I.G. "I Got A Story To Tell", from Life After Death (1997)
• Shyne "Quasi O.G.", from Godfather Buried Alive (2004)
• Toshi Kubota "Living For Today" from Time To Share (2004)
• Swizz Beatz "Come N' Get Me" featuring Cassidy
• Freddie Gibbs "The Wrong One", (2009)
• I-20 - "Work", 2010
• Celph Titled - Nineteen Ninety Now (entire album)
• Saigon - Oh Yeah (Our Babies) from The Greatest Story Never Told (2010)
• Maino "Nino brown" from The Day After Tomorrow (2012)

External links[link]

• Pure Righteousness : Interview with Buckwild, published in Egotrip in 1995
• D-Bless interview about working with Buckwild