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New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. The city is referred to as New York City or The City of New York to distinguish it from the State of New York, of which it is a part. As a global power city, New York exerts a significant impact upon commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment. The home of the United Nations Headquarters, New York is an important center for international diplomacy and has been described as the cultural capital of the world.
Located on one of the world's largest natural harbors, New York City consists of five boroughs, each of which comprises a state county. The five boroughs—The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island—were consolidated into a single city in 1898. With a Census-estimated 2011 population of 8,244,910 distributed over a land area of just 305 square miles (790 km2), New York is the most densely populated major city in the United States. As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world. The New York City Metropolitan Area's population is the United States' largest, with 18.9 million people distributed over 6,720 square miles (17,400 km2), and is also part of the most populous combined statistical area in the United States, containing 22.1 million people as of the 2010 Census.
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Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area (which includes the cities of San Francisco, Oakland, and the largest city of the region, San Jose), and Sacramento (the state capital) as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers. It also contains redwood forests, along with the Sierra Nevada including Yosemite Valley and Lake Tahoe, Mount Shasta (the second-highest peak in the Cascade Range after Mount Rainier in Washington), and the northern half of the Central Valley, one of the world's most productive agricultural regions.
The area also contains one of the 11 megaregions of the United States, spanning from the San Francisco Bay Area east to the Lake Tahoe-Reno area, and from Metropolitan Fresno north to Greater Sacramento.
Native Americans arrived in Northern California at least as early as 8,000 to 5,000 BC and perhaps even much before, and successive waves of arrivals led to one of the most densely populated areas of pre-Columbian North America. The arrival of European explorers from the early 16th to the mid-18th centuries, did not establish European settlements in Northern California. In 1770, the Spanish mission at Monterey was the first European settlement in the area, followed by other missions along the coast—eventually extending as far north as Sonoma County.
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San Francisco
San Francisco (/ˌsæn frənˈsɪskoʊ/), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.6 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland. The only consolidated city-county in California, it encompasses a land area of about 46.9 square miles (121 km2) on the northern end of the San Francisco Peninsula, giving it a density of about 17,179 people per square mile (6,632 people per km2). It is the most densely settled large city (population greater than 200,000) in the state of California and the second-most densely populated large city in the United States after New York City. San Francisco is the fourth most populous city in California and the 13th most populous city in the United States, with a population of 805,235 as of the 2010 Census. The San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metropolitan area has a population of 4,335,391.
In 1776, colonists from Spain established a fort at the Golden Gate and a mission named for Francis of Assisi a few miles away. The California Gold Rush of 1849 propelled the city into a period of rapid growth, increasing the population in one year from 1,000 to 25,000, and thus transforming it into the largest city on the West Coast at the time. After three-quarters of the city was destroyed by the 1906 earthquake and fire, San Francisco was quickly rebuilt, hosting the Panama-Pacific International Exposition nine years later. During World War II, San Francisco was the port of embarkation for service members shipping out to the Pacific Theater. After the war, the confluence of returning servicemen, massive immigration, liberalizing attitudes, and other factors led to the Summer of Love and the gay rights movement, cementing San Francisco as a center of liberal activism in the United States.
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The Plain Dealer
The Plain Dealer is the major daily newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It has the largest circulation of any Ohio newspaper and was a top 20 newspaper for circulation in the United States as of September 2009. As of 31 March 2011 (2011 -03-31)[update], for the preceding six-month period, the newspaper reported an average daily paid circulation of 254,372 and a Sunday paid circulation of 403,001.
As of May 2006[update], The Plain Dealer had more than 785,000 readers on weekdays and 1 million readers on Sunday.The Plain Dealer's media market, Greater Cleveland, is ranked #1 in the country for Sunday newspaper readership percentage (75.4% of total adults) and #2 in daily newspaper readership percentage (62.6% of total adults), second only to The New York Times in the weekday editions.
The newspaper was established in 1842, less than 50 years after Moses Cleaveland landed on the banks of the Cuyahoga River in The Flats, and is currently owned by Advance Publications (Newhouse Newspapers).The Plain Dealer is under the direction of Terrance C.Z. Egger, who serves as President and Publisher, Robert M. Long, Executive Vice President, as well as Debra Adams Simmons, who serves as Editor, replacing Susan Goldberg. The paper employs over 1,500 people.
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Aaron Sele
Aaron Helmer Sele (born June 25, 1970 in Golden Valley, Minnesota) is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who is currently the minor league pitching instructor for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
His family moved to Poulsbo, Washington, a Scandinavian town on the Kitsap Peninsula, where he pitched for North Kitsap High School.
Sele was drafted out of high school in the 37th round by the Minnesota Twins, but he chose to attend Washington State University where Bobo Brayton was the baseball coach. John Olerud was a pitcher in his last year at WSU when Sele was a freshman, and he gave Aaron some advice on pitching. Another incoming freshman was catcher Scott Hatteberg. During Sele and Hatteberg's three years at Washington State, they won three conference titles. In Sele's sophomore year, 1990, the Cougars ended a surprising season ranked 18th in the nation. Sele won his first seven decisions and finished at 12-3 with 2.22 ERA. He was named a third-team All-American by Baseball America. In the summer of 1990, Sele pitched for Team USA and shut out the powerful Cuba national baseball team on 3 hits and 8 strikeouts.
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Adrian Gonzalez
Adrian Gonzalez (born May 8, 1982) is a Mexican-American professional baseball first baseman with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.
Gonzalez was the first overall pick in the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft by the Florida Marlins. He was traded to the Texas Rangers, and later to the San Diego Padres, where he was an All-Star selection four times and two-time Gold Glove winner. The four-time Padres team Most Valuable Player (MVP) was traded to the Boston Red Sox before entering the final year of his contract during the 2010 offseason.
Gonzalez was born in San Diego, but played for Mexico in the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classic. His nicknames include Gonzo and A-Gon.
Gonzalez was projected to be a late first-round pick out of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, California, but he advanced with his senior year performance. In June 2000, Gonzalez became the first infield position player to be drafted first overall since Alex Rodriguez in 1993. He was given a $3 million signing bonus by the Florida Marlins. While in the Marlins organization, Gonzalez played with the Gulf Coast League Marlins, Kane County Cougars, Utica Blue Sox, Portland Sea Dogs (2002), Albuquerque Isotopes (2003), and Carolina Mudcats (2003). With the A level Kane County Cougars in his 2nd professional season, Gonzalez hit .312 with 17 home runs and 103 RBI's in 127 games.
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Al Kaline
Albert William "Al" Kaline (
/ˈkeɪlaɪn/; born December 19, 1934 in Baltimore, Maryland) is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Kaline played his entire 22-year baseball career with the Detroit Tigers. Immediately after retiring from playing, he became the Tigers' TV color commentator, a position he held until 2002. Kaline still works for the Tigers as a front office official. Because of his lengthy career and longtime association with the Tigers organization, Kaline's nickname is "Mr. Tiger."
For most of his career, Kaline played in the outfield, mainly as a right fielder, where he was known for his strong throwing arm. Near the end of his career, he also played as first baseman and, in his last season, was the Tigers' designated hitter.
Kaline bypassed the minor league system and joined the team directly from Baltimore's Southern High School as an 18-year-old "bonus baby" signee, receiving $35,000 ($304,030 as of 2012), to sign with the Tigers. He made his major league debut on June 25, 1953 in Philadelphia as a late-inning replacement for outfielder Jim Delsing. Kaline wore No. 25 during his rookie campaign, but asked teammate Pat Mullin for his No. 6 after the 1953 season ended. Kaline, who was also known simply as "Six" in the Tiger clubhouse, wore the number for the rest of his major league playing career.
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Alex Cora
José Alexander "Alex" Cora (born October 18, 1973 in Caguas, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican professional baseball infielder who is a free agent. He played college baseball at the University of Miami.
Cora was drafted in the 12th round of the 1993 Major League Baseball Draft by the Minnesota Twins, but did not sign a contract and decided instead to play collegiate baseball at the University of Miami. While there, Cora was named to the College World Series all-tournament team in both 1995 and 1996. He led the team to the title game in 1996, a game they lost to Louisiana State University.
Having been rated by Baseball America as the best collegiate defensive player going into the 1996 draft, Cora was once again drafted, this time by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third round. Cora made his major league debut on June 7, 1998 for the Dodgers, and spent the next seven years in Los Angeles, batting .246 with 27 home runs and 173 RBIs. During his time with the Dodgers, he played at second and shortstop. During the 2000 and 2001 seasons, Cora mostly played shortstop as the Dodgers moved the aging Mark Grudzielanek to second base. With the emergence of Cesar Izturis in 2002, and the trade of Grudzielanek to the Chicago Cubs in December of the same year, Cora spent the rest of his stint with the Dodgers as their primary second baseman.
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Alex Ochoa
Alex Ochoa (pronounced /oʊˈtʃoʊ.ə/; born March 29, 1972) is a Cuban American professional baseball coach and former Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball outfielder. On December 23, 2011, he was named the first-base coach on the 2012 Major League staff of Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine.
Ochoa played in part of eight seasons for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies and Anaheim Angels. He was originally drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the third round of the 1991 amateur draft, but he never played in the majors for them, as Baltimore traded him to the Mets as part of a trade for Bobby Bonilla in 1995. Ochoa would make his big league debut later that year for New York. Ochoa would eventually be traded seven times in his career, winning a World Series ring with the Angels in 2002.
Ochoa played for the Chunichi Dragons from 2003 to 2006. He signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox before the 2006 season and was invited to spring training. He started the season with Triple-A Pawtucket, but was released after a poor performance. On June 18, 2007, he signed a deal to play with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp for the rest of the season, and he re-signed with them for the 2008 season.
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Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975) is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.
Rodriguez is considered one of the best all-around baseball players of all time. He is the youngest player ever to hit 500 home runs, breaking the record Jimmie Foxx set in 1939, and the youngest to hit 600, besting Babe Ruth's record by over a year. Rodriguez has fourteen 100-RBI seasons in his career, more than any other player in history. On September 24, 2010, Rodriguez hit two home runs, surpassing Sammy Sosa's mark of 609 HRs, and became the all-time leader in home runs by a player of Hispanic descent.
In December 2007, Rodriguez and the Yankees agreed to a 10-year, $275 million contract. This contract was the richest contract in baseball history (breaking his previous record of $252 million).
In February 2009, after previously denying use of performance-enhancing drugs, including during a 2007 interview with Katie Couric on 60 Minutes, Rodriguez admitted to using steroids, saying he used them from 2001 to 2003 when playing for the Texas Rangers due to what he called "an enormous amount of pressure" to perform.
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Alfredo Aceves
Alfredo Aceves Martínez (born December 8, 1982, in San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora) is a Mexican professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He uses a fastball, which can reach the mid 90s, a curveball, a changeup, and a cut fastball. He is known for his control and his ability to throw any pitch in any count. He previously pitched for the New York Yankees.
Aceves was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays as an amateur free agent in 2001. He made ten starts in the Dominican Summer League that year. However, Aceves felt isolated, and when the Blue Jays assigned him to stay in the DSL for 2002, Aceves stayed in Mexico, and his contract was purchased by the Yucatán Leones of the Mexican League. Aceves pitched for Yucatán and Sultanes de Monterrey for the next six seasons.
Yankees scout Lee Sigman followed Aceves in the Mexican League, feeling he could achieve similar success as Teddy Higuera, who Sigman had signed for the Milwaukee Brewers. Feeling that he had developed well in the Mexican League, the Yankees purchased Aceves, along with Manny Banuelos and two other players, for $450,000 during the 2007–08 offseason. He began 2008 with the Single-A Advanced Tampa Yankees. He was quickly promoted to the Double-A Trenton Thunder and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. He was named Eastern League pitcher of the week for the week ending May 25, 2008.
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Allen Russell
Allen E. "Rubberarm" Russell (July 31, 1893 – October 20, 1972) was a professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher over parts of 11 seasons (1915–1925) with the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators. For his career, he compiled a 71–76 record in 345 appearances, with a 3.52 earned run average and 603 strikeouts. Russell played on the 1924 World Series champion Senators, making one appearance in the World Series, giving up one run over three innings of work.
He was a spitball pitcher who was allowed to throw the pitch after it was banned following the 1920 season. He was one of 17 pitchers exempt from the rule change.
He was born and later died in Baltimore, Maryland, at the age of 79. His brother Lefty Russell also played Major League Baseball.
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Andre Dawson
Andre Nolan Dawson (born July 10, 1954 in Miami, Florida), nicknamed "The Hawk", is an American former center fielder and right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played for four different teams, spending most of his career with the Montreal Expos (1976–1986) and Chicago Cubs (1987–1992).
An 8-time National League (NL) All-Star, he was named the league's Rookie of the Year in 1977 after batting .282 with 19 home runs and 65 runs batted in (RBI), and won the Most Valuable Player Award in 1987 after leading the league with 49 homers and 137 RBI; he had been runner-up for the award in both 1981 and 1983. He batted .300 five times, drove in 100 runs four times and had 13 seasons of 20 home runs. A strong baserunner early in his career, he also stole 30 bases three times. He is one of six MLB players with at least 300 home runs and 300 stolen bases during his career.
Dawson was a center fielder until knee problems – worsened by the artificial surface at Olympic Stadium – forced his shift to right field, followed by his move to a team which played on grass. He led the NL in outfield putouts three consecutive years (1981–1983), and won eight Gold Glove Awards for fielding excellence. Upon his retirement, his NL totals of 409 home runs and 962 extra base hits both ranked tenth in league history; he also ranked seventh in NL history in games as an outfielder (2,303), and sixth in both outfield putouts (5,116) and total chances (5,366). He set Expos franchise records for career games, at bats, runs scored, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, runs batted in, extra base hits, total bases and steals, all of which have since been broken variously by Tim Raines, Tim Wallach and Vladimir Guerrero. Dawson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on July 25, 2010.
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Andre Thornton
André Thornton (born August 13, 1949 in Tuskegee, Alabama), nicknamed "Thunder," is a former first baseman and designated hitter in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago Cubs, Montreal Expos and Cleveland Indians during a 14-year career. André grew up in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, in a family of athletes, and graduated from Phoenixville Area High School.
In 1967, a week before his 18th birthday, the Philadelphia Phillies signed Thornton as an amateur free agent. In 1972, the Phillies traded André to the Atlanta Braves, who traded him to the Chicago Cubs the following year.
Thornton, playing first base, made his major-league debut with the Cubs on July 28, 1973 and played for the Cubs until May 1976. He was named to the 1974 All-Rookie Team as a first baseman by Baseball Digest. Thornton had one of his best seasons in 1975; although his 18 home runs were only the seventh-best season total of his career, he hit .293 with a .428 on base percentage and a slugging percentage of .516. It was the first of six seasons in which Thornton walked more than he struck out.
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Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948), best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American baseball player who spent 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) playing for three teams (1914–1935). Known for his hitting brilliance, Ruth set career records for home runs (714), slugging percentage (.690), runs batted in (RBI) (2,217), and on-base plus slugging (OPS) (1.164). Ruth originally entered the major leagues with the Boston Red Sox as a starting pitcher, but after he was sold to the New York Yankees in 1919, he converted to a full time right fielder. He subsequently became one of the league's most prolific hitters and with his home run hitting prowess, he helped the Yankees win seven pennants and four World Series titles. Ruth retired in 1935 after a short stint with the Boston Braves, and the following year, he became one of the first five players to be elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Ruth was the first player to hit 60 home runs in one season (1927), a mark first eclipsed by Roger Maris in 1961 with 61. Ruth's lifetime record of 714 home runs stood until 1974 when it was surpassed by Hank Aaron. Unlike many power hitters, Ruth also hit for a high batting average: his .342 lifetime average is the tenth highest in baseball history, and in one season (1923) he batted .393, a Yankee record. Ruth dominated the era in which he played. He led the league in home runs during a season twelve times, slugging percentage and OPS thirteen times each, runs scored eight times, and RBIs six times. Each of those totals represents a modern record.
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Bill Dinneen
William Henry Dinneen, alternately spelled Dineen (April 5, 1876 – January 13, 1955), was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who followed his 12-year career from 1898 to 1909 with a highly regarded tenure as an American League umpire from 1909 to 1937. Born in Syracuse, New York, he played for the Washington Senators and Boston Braves (both of the National League), and the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Browns of the American League. Dinneen was most instrumental in helping the Red Sox win the first World Series in 1903, by winning three of Boston's five victories against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Dinneen also broke the record for most strikeouts in a World Series with 11; the previous mark of 10 had been set one day earlier by Pittsburgh's Deacon Phillippe.
He led the AL in losses in 1902 with 21, and led the league in saves in 1903 (2) and 1907 (4). In his remarkable 1904 season for the Red Sox, as they repeated as AL champions, he started 37 games, completing every one of them for a total of 335 2/3 innings pitched, posting a record of 23–14. On June 12, he won a 16-inning contest by a score of 2–1 over the Browns, and four of his next five starts also went at least 10 innings though he only won the first. On the season's final day, October 10, he faced the New York Highlanders in the first game of a doubleheader, with New York needing a sweep to take the pennant from Boston; the opposing pitcher, Jack Chesbro, had already established a modern record with 41 victories. The game went into the final inning tied 2–2 before a wild pitch by Chesbro gave a 3–2 victory, and the flag, to Boston. On September 27, 1905, Dinneen pitched a 2–0 no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox.
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Bill Monbouquette
William Charles (Bill) Monbouquette (born August 11, 1936 in Medford, Massachusetts) is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played for the Boston Red Sox (1958–1965), Detroit Tigers (1966–1967), New York Yankees (1967–1968), and the San Francisco Giants (1968).
During an 11-year career, Monbouquette compiled 114 wins, 1,122 strikeouts, and a 3.68 earned run average.
A finesse pitcher who relied on changing speeds and a superb control, Monbouquette was signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent in 1955 and started his majors career on July 18, 1958. He became the ace of a weak Boston pitching rotation in the early 1960s, winning at least 14 games from 1960–63, with a career-high 20 victories in 1963. A four-time All-Star, he pitched a no-hitter in 1962 against the Chicago White Sox; collected three one-hit games, and set a club record with a 17 strikeout-game against the Washington Senators in 1961.
On September 25, 1965 in a game against the Kansas City A's, Monbouquette was the starting pitcher versus 58-year old Hall of Famer Satchel Paige. Monbouquette threw a complete game for his tenth win of the season, but became the final strikeout victim of Paige's in the 3rd inning.
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Bill Wegman
William Edward Wegman (born December 19, 1962 in Cincinnati, Ohio) was a Major League Baseball pitcher.
After graduating from Oak Hills High School, Wegman was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 5th round of the 1981 amateur draft, where he played throughout his entire eleven-year career, ending October 1, 1995. Wegman won a career-high 15 games in 1991, with a 2.84 earned run average. He earned a peak salary of USD$ 2,375,000 a year from 1992 to 1995.
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Bill Wight
William Robert Wight (April 12, 1922 – May 17, 2007) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1946 through 1958 for the New York Yankees (1946–47), Chicago White Sox (1948–50), Boston Red Sox (1951–52), Detroit Tigers (1952–53), Cleveland Indians (1953, 1955), Baltimore Orioles (1955–57), Cincinnati Reds (1958) and St. Louis Cardinals (1958). Listed at 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), 180 lb. Wight batted and threw left-handed. He was born in Rio Vista, California.
In a twelve-season career, Wight posted a 77–99 record with 574 strikeouts and a 3.95 ERA in 347 appearances, including 198 starts, 66 complete games, 15 shutouts and eight saves in 1,563 innings of work.
Wight died in Mount Shasta, California, at the age of 85.
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Bo Jackson
Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson (born November 30, 1962) is a former American baseball and football player. He was the first athlete to be named an All-Star in two major American sports, and also won the Heisman Trophy in 1985.
In football, he played running back for the Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League. In baseball, he played left field and designated hitter for the Kansas City Royals, the Chicago White Sox, and the California Angels of the American League in Major League Baseball. While at Auburn University, he won the 1985 Heisman Trophy, the prize annually awarded to the most outstanding collegiate football player in the United States. He also ran a 40-yard dash in a blistering 4.12 seconds (hand-timed), which is still the fastest verifiable 40-yard dash time ever recorded at any NFL Combine. A hip injury severely impaired his professional baseball career, and ended his NFL career.
In 1989 and 1990, Jackson's name became known beyond just sports fans through the "Bo Knows" advertising campaign, a series of advertisements by Nike, that starred Jackson alongside Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musician Bo Diddley, promoting a cross-training athletic shoe named for Jackson.
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Bob McClure
Robert Craig McClure (born April 29, 1952) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and current pitching coach with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He previously served as pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals, with whom he began his major league career in 1975.
McClure was born in Oakland, California and attended Terra Nova High School in Pacifica, California and College of San Mateo in San Mateo, California. He was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third round of the 1973 Major League Baseball Draft, however chose not to sign. Instead, he signed with the Royals, who selected him in the secondary phase of the draft that June, also in the third round.
The Royals used McClure as a starting pitcher his first professional season in the Pioneer League in 1973. He went 10-2 with a 2.11 earned run average for the Billings Mustangs. He started in 1974 as well, and was converted to a relief pitcher in 1975. He made his major league debut with the Royals on August 13, 1975 against the Baltimore Orioles, pitching one inning, striking out one and walking one. On September 23, he entered a ballgame at Kauffman Stadium against the Texas Rangers with one out and one on in the second inning. He pitched six scoreless innings to earn his first major league win. McClure spent most of 1976 with the double A Omaha Royals, appearing in only eight games and pitching only four innings with the big league club.
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Bob Stanley
Robert William "Bob" Stanley (born November 10, 1954 in Portland, Maine) is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher who played with the Boston Red Sox. He is currently the pitching coach for the Las Vegas 51s of the Pacific Coast League.
Over his 13-year career, Stanley played only for the Red Sox from 1977-89. Bob was a first-round pick of the Boston Red Sox in 1974.
A sinker ball specialist, Stanley was the club all-time saves leader with 132 until Jonathan Papelbon passed him on July 1, 2009, but to most Red Sox fans, he is simply known as "The Steamer" (he is also known as "Bigfoot"). He is also the all-time leader in appearances with 637 and is a member of the Red Sox Hall of Fame since 2000. His best season came in 1983 when he led the Sox with 33 saves and posted a 2.45 ERA.
Stanley was a key member of the 1986 Red Sox team that came within one strike of winning the World Series but ultimately fell to the Mets in seven games. Stanley entered Game 6 with the Red Sox one out away from clinching their first World Series since 1918. But his wild pitch to Mookie Wilson allowed the Mets to tie the score and then New York won it on Bill Buckner's error. Stanley failed to cover first on the play.
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Bobby Jenks
Robert Scott "Bobby" Jenks (born March 14, 1981) is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He was born in Mission Hills, California.
According to the Baseball Almanac, his fastest pitch was clocked at 102 mph on August 27, 2005, at Safeco Field. He also has a slider, changeup, and a hard, sharp-breaking curveball. Jenks is third all-time in saves by a pitcher in a White Sox uniform.
Jenks was not able to play with his teammates at Timberlake High School, in Spirit Lake, Idaho or Inglemoor High School in Kenmore, Washington, because of poor grades. Jenks did play his sophomore year of high school for Lakeland High School before Timberlake High School was opened in 1998. Since Jenks was ineligible to play the remaining years of his high school career due to poor academic performance, he played in the Prairie Cardinals American Legion program where he dominated as both a pitcher and hitter. During his final season for the Prairie Cardinals, Jenks had 123 strikeouts in 92 innings pitched.
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Bobby Kielty
Robert Micheal Kielty (last name pronounced KELT-ee) (born August 5, 1976 in Fontana, California) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the York Revolution of Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.
Kielty graduated from Canyon Springs High School (Moreno Valley, California) in 1994. After high school, he attended the University of Southern California from 1994 to 1995, Riverside City College from 1996 to 1997, and the University of Mississippi from 1997 to 1998. Kielty was named MVP of the Cape Cod League after leading the league in batting average (.384) and RBI (45). Kielty was also named 1998 Summer Player of the Year by Baseball America. In 1999, he was signed by the Minnesota Twins as an amateur free agent.
In 1999, Kielty began his minor league career with the Quad City River Bandits of the Midwest League. An eye problem forced him to miss more than a month of action (May 21-June 24), and he was disabled with a strained right hamstring (August 25-September 3). In only 69 games, Kielty batted .294 with 13 HR and 43 RBI and 12 SB. He homered in 3 consecutive games from August 14–16.
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Bobby Tolan
Robert Tolan (born November 19, 1945 in Los Angeles, California) is a former center and right fielder in Major League Baseball. Tolan, who batted and threw left-handed, played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1965–68), Cincinnati Reds (1969–73), San Diego Padres (1974–75, 1979), Philadelphia Phillies (1976–77) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1977). He also played one season in Japan for the Nankai Hawks (1978).
Tolan was a reserve outfielder during his years with the Cardinals, with whom he won a World Series title in 1967. He also played on the 1968 National League champions; however, the red birds lost to the Detroit Tigers in the World Series in seven games, after leading three games to one. The day after the final game of this Series Tolan was traded to the Cincinnati Reds along with reliever Wayne Granger for veteran outfielder Vada Pinson.
As their centerfielder, often batting second behind Pete Rose and in front of Alex Johnson in the Reds lineup, Tolan in 1969 hit .305 and established career highs in home runs and runs batted in (21 and 93 respectively). In this, the first year both leagues were split into two divisions, the Reds finished third in the National League West, four games behind the division-winning Atlanta Braves. The "Big Red Machine," which also featured future Hall of Famers Johnny Bench and Tony Perez (and would later feature a third, Joe Morgan), was just beginning to take shape.
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Bobby Valentine
Robert John "Bobby V" Valentine (born May 13, 1950) is an American professional baseball manager and former player who is currently the manager of the Boston Red Sox in Major League Baseball (MLB). As a player, Valentine played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1969, 1971–1972), California Angels (1973–1975), New York Mets (1977–1978), and Seattle Mariners (1979) in MLB. In addition to the Red Sox, he managed the Texas Rangers (1985–1992) and New York Mets (1996–2002) of MLB, as well as the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball (1995, 2004–2009).
Valentine has also served as the Director of Public Safety & Health for the city of Stamford, Connecticut and an analyst for ESPN Sunday Night Baseball.
Valentine was widely recruited out of Rippowam High School in Stamford, Connecticut by the University of Nebraska, Duke University, the University of Notre Dame and the University of Southern California as a star in football and baseball. He attended USC where he became a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. The Los Angeles Dodgers drafted him number five overall in the 1968 Major League Baseball Draft.
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Bret Saberhagen
Bret William Saberhagen ( /ˈseɪbərheɪɡɨn/; born April 11, 1964) is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher.
Saberhagen was born in Chicago Heights, Illinois. He attended Grover Cleveland High School, located in Reseda, California. Saberhagen starred in both basketball and baseball. In 1982, during Bret's senior year, he pitched a no-hitter and was the winning pitcher in the Los Angeles City Championship game, played at Dodger Stadium.
Saberhagen was drafted out of high school by the Kansas City Royals in the 19th round of the 1982 Major League Baseball Draft and made his major league debut on April 4, 1984. He made an immediate impact with the team, compiling a 10–11 record and a 3.48 ERA. The Royals made the postseason but lost to the Detroit Tigers. Saberhagen pitched well in his first postseason start, giving up two runs in 8 innings.
In 1985, the 21-year-old Saberhagen established himself as the ace of the staff, going 20–6 with a 2.87 ERA, leading the Royals to a World Series championship (and being named MVP of the Series along the way, pitching two complete games in the Series, including a shutout in Game 7), and winning the American League Cy Young Award. He was also the subject of much media attention during the Series as his wife gave birth to his first son, Drew William, on the same night of the infamous Don Denkinger call. Saberhagen developed an odd pattern of successful years in odd-numbered years (1985, 1987, 1989, 1991) and poor performances in even-numbered years. In 1986, he was 7–12 with a 4.12 ERA. In 1987, another odd-numbered year, Saberhagen had an excellent year, going 18–10 with a 3.36 ERA. That record, however, was disappointing because Saberhagen had entered the All-Star break with a 15–3 record and another Cy Young Award seemingly in the bag. He pitched in the 1987 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, but he suffered a shoulder injury that hampered his second-half performance.
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Bruce Hurst
Bruce Vee Hurst (born March 24, 1958) is a former Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher. He is best remembered for his brilliant performance for the Boston Red Sox in the 1986 postseason. He was even named 1986 World Series M.V.P. prior to the New York Mets' miraculous comeback in Game Six of the World Series.
Hurst was selected by the Bosox with the 22nd overall pick in the 1976 Major League Baseball Draft out of Dixie High School in St. George, Utah. After going 17-6 with a 2.88 earned run average for the Winter Haven & Bristol Red Sox in 1979, Hurst was put on Boston's opening day roster for 1980. He made his major league debut in relief in the second game of the season, giving up five earned runs in an inning of work in a 18-1 blowout at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers. He made six more appearances, all starts, before being optioned back to Pawtucket with a 10.57 ERA. He returned to the majors in August, ending the season with a 2-2 record and 9.10 ERA at the major league level.
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Carl Crawford
Carl Demonte "The Perfect Storm" Crawford (born August 5, 1981, in Houston, Texas) is an American professional baseball outfielder who plays for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws left-handed. Crawford has more triples (110) than any other active baseball player.
Crawford, a native of the Fifth Ward area of Houston, attended Jefferson Davis High School in Houston, Texas, and was a letterman in football, basketball, and baseball. In baseball, he batted .638 as a senior. Crawford was offered scholarships to play basketball as a point guard at UCLA. He also had an option to play college football as an option quarterback at Nebraska,USC, Oklahoma, Florida, and Tulsa. He had originally signed a letter of intent to play football for Nebraska but he turned down both offers in favor of a baseball career.
Crawford was drafted by the Devil Rays in the second round (52nd overall) of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft.
In 2002, the Tampa Bay chapter of the BBWAA named Crawford the Devil Rays' Most Outstanding Rookie and he earned International League Rookie of the Year playing for the AAA Durham Bulls.[citation needed]
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Carl Mays
Carl William Mays (November 12, 1891 – April 4, 1971) was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1915 to 1929. Despite impressive career statistics, he is primarily remembered for throwing a beanball on August 16, 1920, that struck and killed Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians, making Chapman one of two people to die from an injury sustained while playing major league baseball, the other being Doc Powers.
Carl Mays was the son of a Methodist minister named William Henry Mays. Carl had a strict upbringing as a child, and his devotion to his faith showed on the field. Much like legendary pitcher Christy Mathewson, Mays refused to pitch on Sundays. However, his strict belief in faith didn't always carry over to the playing field. He had a habit of throwing inside to any batter who hugged the plate and despite a stellar win/loss record, Mays usually could be counted on to be among league leaders in the American League in hit batsmen.
When Carl was 12, his father William died, and Carl internalized his grief, settling into a surly persona that resulted in his having very few friends in the baseball world. His best personal support group was a possibly-related man named Pierce Mays and Pierce's wife Genevieve, who served as a surrogate uncle and aunt to Carl.(Sean Deveney, The Original Curse, McGraw-Hill, 2010, pp.146-157).
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Carl Yastrzemski
Carl Michael Yastrzemski ( /jəˈstrɛmski/; nicknamed "Yaz"; born August 22, 1939) is a former American Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Yastrzemski played his entire 23-year baseball career with the Boston Red Sox (1961–1983). He was primarily a left fielder, with part of his later career played at first base and as a designated hitter. Yastrzemski is an 18-time All-Star, the possessor of seven Gold Gloves, a member of the 3000 hit club, and the first American League player in that club to also accumulate over 400 home runs. He is second on the all-time list for games played, and third for total at-bats. He is the Red Sox' all-time leader in career RBIs, runs, hits, singles, doubles, total bases, and games played, and is second on the team's list for home runs behind another Red Sox great, Ted Williams, his predecessor in left field. In 1967, Yastrzemski achieved a peak in his career, leading the Red Sox to the American League pennant for the first time in over two decades, in that season being voted the American League MVP, and being the most recent winner of the triple crown for batters in the major leagues.
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Carlos Zambrano
Carlos Alberto Zambrano (born June 1, 1981) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher with the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball. Zambrano, who stands 6' 5" and weighs 260 pounds, was signed by the Cubs as a free agent in 1997 and made his debut in 2001. After being used in both starting and relief duties, he enjoyed his first full season as a starter in 2003, finishing with a 13–11 record, 168 strikeouts and a 3.11 ERA.
The controversial pitcher is known as one of the best hitting pitchers of all time. He is a switch-hitter and has a career .244 batting average with 23 home runs, 69 RBIs and a slugging percentage of .396. The 23 home runs are the most ever by a Cubs pitcher, as well as also being the active leader in home runs hit by a pitcher. He also tied with Ferguson Jenkins for the club record for home runs by a pitcher in a single season, hitting six in 2006. Zambrano has been called on to pinch hit 20 times in his career and has won a Silver Slugger Award three times for his hitting. Zambrano is close friends with new Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen and is often thought to be the brother of former Venezuelan pitcher Victor Zambrano, although they are not related.
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Carney Lansford
Carney Ray Lansford (born February 7, 1957 in San Jose, California) is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball and the current hitting coach of the Colorado Rockies. Lansford, who played for the California Angels (1978–80), Boston Red Sox (1981–82) and Oakland Athletics (1983–92), batted and threw right-handed.
Originally drafted by the California Angels in the 3rd round of the 1975 Major League Baseball Draft, Lansford became the Angels' best rookie in 1978 and finished third in the overall AL Rookie of the Year vote. The Angels dealt Lansford to the Red Sox after the 1980 season. In 1981, he won the American League batting title in the strike-shortened season, becoming the league's first right-handed hitter to do so in 11 years. However, the emergence of Wade Boggs resulted in the Red Sox sending Lansford to Oakland[citation needed] in a trade involving Tony Armas during the 1982 off-season. Lansford became the A's third baseman for their 1988 through 1992 dynasty, typically hitting second behind Rickey Henderson. Lansford narrowly missed winning his second batting title in 1989 with a .336 average to Minnesota's Kirby Puckett, who finished with a .339 average. Although his power numbers dropped off during those years, and he missed almost all the 1991 season, Lansford's speed and solid hitting made him a significant contributor. He played in three World Series with the A's, losing in 1988, 1990 and winning in 1989.
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Charley Hall
Carlos Luis Hall was born in Ventura, California; started into baseball at the age of 21 with the Cincinnati Reds. He pitched in 118 games; 909.7 innings. He had 427 strikeouts, 3.09 ERA and 3 shutouts. He started 81 games.
"As far as the 'Sea Lion' name, the only thing I ever heard was, 'he had the voice of a walrus.'" - Historian Ed Walton
He is buried at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park in Ventura, California.
Charley Hall Statistics - Baseball-Reference.com at www.baseball-reference.com
Traded by St Paul (American Association) with Ed Karger to Boston Red Sox in exchange for Charlie Chech, Jack Ryan and cash (July 26, 1909).
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Chris Carpenter
Christopher John Carpenter (born April 27, 1975 in Exeter, New Hampshire) is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2003, and is currently signed with the team through the 2013 season.
Carpenter was 22 years old and a highly-regarded prospect when he broke into the majors in 1997 with the Toronto Blue Jays. He stayed with Toronto until after the 2002 season. He is 6' 6" tall and weighs 230 pounds.
Carpenter began his pro career with the Medicine Hat Jays of the short-season Pioneer League in 1994. In his debut against the Great Falls Dodgers, he tossed six scoreless innings of one-hit ball, fanning nine along the way. He ended up with a mark of 6–3 and turned in the league’s third-lowest ERA. He was also picked as the Pioneer League’s #3 prospect by league managers, behind Aaron Boone and Ray Brown.
Carpenter made his major league debut as a starter against the Minnesota Twins on May 12, 1997, pitching three innings in a 12–2 loss. He would lose his first five decisions before defeating the Chicago White Sox 6–5 on August 19, 1997. Carpenter pitched his first career complete game and shutout on September 9, 1997 as Toronto defeated the Anaheim Angels 2–0. Carpenter finished his rookie season with a 3–7 record and a 5.09 ERA.
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Clay Buchholz
Clayton Daniel Buchholz (born August 14, 1984) is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. On September 1, 2007, in just his second major league start, he recorded a no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles, becoming the third MLB pitcher since 1900 to throw a no-hitter in his first or second start. He is the first Red Sox rookie and 17th Red Sox pitcher to pitch a no-hitter.
Raised in Lumberton, Texas, Buchholz played baseball for the local youth baseball leagues, and then for the Lumberton High School Raiders.
Buchholz began his college career in 2004 at McNeese State University. Also that year, he and a hometown friend were arrested for stealing 29 laptop computers from Lumberton Intermediate School, selling many to other students at McNeese. Buchholz later expressed regret, saying "That was a mistake. I was hanging out with the wrong person. But I think it helped me out in the long run." He was subsequently dismissed from the McNeese baseball team.
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Clayton Mortensen
Clayton Grant Mortensen (born April 10, 1985) is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.
After graduating from Madison High School, Mortensen went to Treasure Valley Community College, then Gonzaga University. Mortensen was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals 36th overall in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft.
He was invited to spring training 2009, but began the season in the minors. He was called up to the major leagues for the first time on June 29, 2009.
On July 24, 2009, Mortensen was traded to the Oakland Athletics along with Brett Wallace and Shane Peterson for Matt Holliday. He was called up to the Athletics to replace Russ Springer on August 8.
Mortensen was designated for assignment in January 2011 and was eventually traded to the Colorado Rockies for minor league pitcher Ethan Hollingsworth.
On January 21, 2012 Mortensen was traded to the Boston Red Sox for Marco Scutaro.
On the night of October 2, 2009, Mortensen was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and spent the night in the Santa Clara County jail.
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Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer "Cliff" Lee (born August 30, 1978) is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee has also played for the Cleveland Indians, the Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers.
Lee won the American League Cy Young Award in 2008.
Lee was drafted by the Florida Marlins with the 12th pick of the 8th round of the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft out of Benton High School in his hometown of Benton, Arkansas, but instead chose to attend Meridian Community College in Mississippi. Later, Lee was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 20th round of the 1998 amateur draft, but did not sign, opting to attend the University of Arkansas.
In the 2000 amateur draft, he was chosen in the 4th round by the Montreal Expos and signed in July of that year. During 2002, Lee played for Double-A Harrisburg, and compiled a 7–2 record with a 3.23 ERA in Eastern League play by mid-summer.
In June 2002, the Expos traded Lee along with Brandon Phillips, Lee Stevens, and Grady Sizemore to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Bartolo Colón and Tim Drew.
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Coco Crisp
Covelli Loyce "Coco" Crisp (born November 1, 1979) is an American professional baseball center fielder playing for the Oakland Athletics. Crisp is a switch-hitter and throws right-handed. He previously played for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, and Kansas City Royals.
Crisp was originally nicknamed "Coco" by his sister and brother who teased him that he looked like one of the characters on the Cocoa Krispies cereal box. The nickname did not stick, however, until he started playing AA baseball. The team had all the players fill out a questionnaire form to get to know one another. Covelli listed "Coco" as his nickname on the form. His teammates thought the name was funny, so they had it put on the scoreboard during the game. After a week and a half, he was traded to another team, but the nickname stuck, and he has been "Coco Crisp" ever since.
Crisp was born in Los Angeles, California, on November 1, 1979. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft.
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Cody Ross
Cody Joseph Ross (born December 23, 1980) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. Ross also played with the Detroit Tigers (2003), Los Angeles Dodgers (2005–2006), Cincinnati Reds (2006), and Florida Marlins (2006–2010) and San Francisco Giants (2010–2011).
Ross was born in Portales, New Mexico, and played high school baseball in Carlsbad, New Mexico. As a youth, Ross wanted to become a rodeo clown, with his father being a professional bull rider.
Ross was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the fourth round of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft. In 2003, Ross was named the Tigers Minor League Player of the Year. The following offseason, he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for pitcher Steve Colyer.
He was traded to the Marlins from the Cincinnati Reds for cash or a player to be named later (Ben Kozlowski). In 2006, Ross posted modest statistics for three different teams but had two seven-RBI games and a three-home run game. On April 13, 2006, as a member of the Dodgers, he hit a tie-breaking grand slam and a three run home run.
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Craig Biggio
Craig Alan Biggio (born December 14, 1965) is a former Major League Baseball second baseman, catcher, and outfielder. He played his entire 20-year baseball career with the Houston Astros (1988–2007). He ranks 21st all-time with 3,060 career hits, and is the ninth player in the 3000 hit club to get all his hits with the same team. He is currently the head varsity baseball coach for St. Thomas High School in Houston, Texas.
Craig Biggio graduated from Kings Park High School on Long Island, New York, where he excelled as a multi-sport varsity athlete. Most notably, after the 1983 season, Biggio was awarded the Hansen Award, which recognized him as being the best football player in Suffolk County. However, Biggio's passion lay with baseball, such that he turned down football scholarships for the opportunity to play baseball for Seton Hall University.
An infielder in school, Biggio switched to catcher at Seton Hall University because his team needed one. Biggio was an All-American baseball player at Seton Hall, where he played with other future Major League Baseball stars Mo Vaughn and John Valentin. Biggio, Vaughn and Valentin, along with Marteese Robinson, were featured in the book The Hit Men and the Kid Who Batted Ninth by David Siroty which chronicled their rise from college teammates to the major leagues. Biggio was drafted by the Houston Astros in the first round (22nd overall) in 1987.
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Curt Schilling
Curtis Montague Schilling (born November 14, 1966) is a former American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He helped lead the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series in 1993 and won World Series championships in 2001 with the Arizona Diamondbacks and in 2004 and 2007 with the Boston Red Sox. Schilling retired with a career postseason record of 11–2. His .846 postseason winning percentage is a major-league record among pitchers with at least 10 decisions.
After retiring, he founded Green Monster Games which was renamed 38 Studios. The company released Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning in February 2012, but just three months later, Schilling laid off his entire staff amid severe financial troubles that resulted in the company missing payroll the previous week.
Schilling graduated from Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1985, before attending Yavapai College in Prescott, Arizona.
Schilling began his professional career in the Red Sox farm system as a second-round pick in what would be the final January draft in MLB. He began his professional career with the Elmira Pioneers, a then Red Sox affiliate. After two and a half years in the minor leagues, he and Brady Anderson were traded to the Baltimore Orioles in 1988 for Mike Boddicker. His major league debut was with the Orioles (1988–1990), and he then spent one year with the Houston Astros (1991).
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Curtis Pride
Curtis John Pride (born December 17, 1968 in Washington, D.C.) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and is currently the head baseball coach at Gallaudet University. Pride stands at 6'0" tall and weighs 210 pounds. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
Deaf at birth from rubella, Pride developed oral skills early in his life and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School (Montgomery County, Maryland) in Silver Spring, Maryland. He excelled in baseball, basketball and soccer in high school. After high school, Pride attended the College of William and Mary. He was the starting point guard on the basketball team. He also was an excellent soccer player who played for the United States at the 1981 FIFA U-16 World Championship in China (1985), scored two goals in the tournament, including the match winner against Bolivia. He was named one of the top 15 youth prospects in the world for that year and was a 1986 Parade Magazine High School All American soccer player. Pride uses his 5% residual hearing to help him speak and is a fluent lip-reader.
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Cy Young
Denton True "Cy" Young (March 29, 1867 – November 4, 1955) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. During his 22-year baseball career (1890–1911), he pitched for five different teams. Young established numerous pitching records, some of which have stood for a century. Young compiled 511 wins, which is most in Major League history and 94 ahead of Walter Johnson who is second on the list. Young was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937. One year after Young's death, the Cy Young Award was created to honor the previous season's best pitcher.
In addition to wins, Young still holds the Major League records for most career innings pitched (7,355), most career games started (815), and most complete games (749). He also retired with 316 losses, the most in MLB history. Young's 76 career shutouts are fourth all-time. He also won at least 30 games in a season five times, with ten other seasons of 20 or more wins. In addition, Young pitched three no-hitters, including the third perfect game in baseball history, first in baseball's "modern era". In 1999, 88 years after his final Major League appearance and 44 years after his death, editors at The Sporting News ranked Cy Young 14th on their list of "Baseball's 100 Greatest Players". That same year, baseball fans named him to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.
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Daisuke Matsuzaka
Daisuke Matsuzaka (松坂 大輔, Matsuzaka Daisuke?, born September 13, 1980) is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball in the United States. He previously played for the Seibu Lions in Japan's Pacific League. He was selected the MVP of the inaugural and the second World Baseball Classic, and is an Olympic bronze medalist.
Matsuzaka was born on September 13, 1980, in Kanita, Aomori Prefecture. He was named after Japanese high school star pitcher Daisuke Araki. Growing up in Koto, Tokyo, he studied kendo from the age of five to nine and began playing organized baseball when he was in 3rd grade.
After excelling at the Little League and junior high level, Daisuke Matsuzaka was admitted into Yokohama High School, a baseball powerhouse, in the spring of 1996. By his second of three years, he had developed into the school's ace pitcher. Despite his early success, he would experience a setback that summer when he allowed a go-ahead wild pitch in the semi-final game of the Kanagawa Prefecture preliminary round of the National High School Baseball Championship (Summer Koshien).
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Daniel Bard
Danny Paul Bard (born June 25, 1985) is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. Bard made his debut with the Red Sox in May 2009.
At the midpoint of the 2004 season, Baseball America named Danny Bard the top freshman pitcher in the U.S. and gave him Freshman All-America honors. For the entire season, Bard was named to Baseball America's All-Freshman second team and was named as Freshman All-America by Collegiate Baseball. He was Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Freshman of the Year and earned first-team all-conference honors. In 16 games pitched, Bard was 8–4 with a 3.88 ERA; his eight wins tied the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill freshman record.
For the 2005 season, Bard was named preseason first-team All-America by Baseball America and was named preseason third-team All-America by Collegiate Baseball and by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Bard went 7–5 with a 4.22 ERA in 16 starts and was third in the ACC in opponents' batting average at .219. He was named to the Roger Clemens Award Watch List.
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Daniel Nava
Daniel James Nava (born February 22, 1983) is an American professional baseball outfielder with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.
Nava is only the second player in Major League Baseball history to hit a grand slam on the very first pitch he saw in the majors.
Nava was born in Redwood City, California. He played baseball at St. Francis High School in Mountain View, California and received his Psychology degree from Santa Clara University. He was 4 ft 8 in (1.42 m) and 70 pounds (32 kg) in his freshman year in high school and grew to 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) and 150 pounds (68 kg) by his senior year.
After an opportunity to walk-on to the Santa Clara University baseball team, he failed to make the team as a player and became the team equipment manager.
He left Santa Clara after two years because he could no longer afford the tuition. He then enrolled in the College of San Mateo (junior college). He tried out for the baseball team on the encouragement of an old friend he happened to run into at a gym. While at the College of San Mateo, he became a Junior College All-American. Later Santa Clara wanted him back and eventually offered him a full scholarship. He hit .395 with an on-base percentage of .494 in his lone season with the Broncos, both tops in the West Coast Conference, and earned first-team All-WCC honors. He stole 15 bases without being caught, and he had more walks (31) than strikeouts (29).
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Danny MacFayden
Daniel Knowles MacFayden (June 10, 1905 – August 26, 1972) was an American starting and relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1926 through 1943, he played for the Boston Red Sox (1926–1932), New York Yankees (1932–1934), Cincinnati Reds (1935), Boston Braves (1935–1939, 1943), Pittsburgh Pirates (1940) and Washington Senators (1941). In a 17-season career, he posted a 132–159 record with 797 strikeouts and a 3.96 earned run average in 2706.0 innings pitched. His best season was 1936, when he earned 17 victories with 86 strikeouts and a 2.87 ERA, all career bests.
He batted and pitched right-handed. His money pitch was a side-arm curve ball.
MacFayden's serious demeanor won him the nickname "Deacon Danny", though New York World-Telegram sportswriter Dan Daniel, a harsh critic of his play, called him "Dismal Danny" when he was with the Yankees.
MacFayden was born in North Truro, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod but in 1920, his mother moved the family to Somerville, located across the Charles River from Boston. His father had died when he was four years old, and they went to live with his mother Sarah's brother, building contractor Joshua Knowles. His uncle eventually adopted Danny.
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Darnell McDonald
Darnell Tyrone McDonald (born November 17, 1978 in Fort Collins, Colorado) is an American professional baseball outfielder with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.
In 1997, McDonald was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles 26th overall in the first round in the amateur entry draft. He began his professional career with Single-A Frederick, but after four games and two stolen bases there, he moved to Single-A Delmarva. In 134 games with Delmarva, he stole 35 bases and hit .261. His 35 stolen bases were a professional career high for him. He stayed with Single-A Frederick for the entire 1999 season, and in 130 games, he stole 26 bases and hit .266. He earned a promotion to Double-A Bowie in 2000, with whom he hit .242 in 116 games, and stealing 11 bases.
In 2001, McDonald played in Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Rochester, where he hit .238 and stole 13 bases in 104 games. He began the 2002 season with Bowie again and hit .292 and stole 9 bases in 37 games. He was again promoted to AAA Rochester, where he hit .289. In 2007, he was traded to the Minnesota Twins and re-united with the Red Wings.
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Dave Dravecky
David Francis Dravecky (born February 14, 1956, in Youngstown, Ohio, graduated from Boardman High School in 1974, United States) is a Christian motivational speaker, author, and former Major League Baseball player for the San Diego Padres (1982–87) and San Francisco Giants (1987–89). He is well remembered for his battle against cancer, which ended his career as his team was reaching the 1989 World Series. He won the Hutch Award in 1989.
A left-handed pitcher, Dravecky represented the Padres at the All-Star game in 1983, his second season, in which he won 14 games. Equally proficient as a starter or coming out of the bullpen, Dravecky helped the Padres to their first pennant the following year.
On July 4, 1987, the San Francisco Giants acquired Dravecky, P Craig Lefferts and 3B Kevin Mitchell from the San Diego Padres for P Mark Grant, P Mark Davis and 3B Chris Brown for their pennant drive. He went 7–5 during the stretch, and in the playoffs pitched a shutout in Game 2 against the St. Louis Cardinals and lost Game 6 by a score of 1–0. The Cards won in seven games.
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Dave Magadan
David Joseph Magadan (born September 30, 1962 in Tampa, Florida) is a former Major League Baseball first and third baseman and current Boston Red Sox hitting coach. He is the cousin and godson of former manager, Lou Piniella.
Magadan is 6'4" tall, weighs 245 lbs, batted from the left side, and threw from the right. While a student at Jesuit High School of Tampa, Magadan was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the twelfth round of the 1980 Major League Baseball Draft, but elected not to sign and remain in school. His status as a prospect improved after he led West Tampa Memorial Post No. 248 to a win against a team from Richmond, Virginia in the American Legion World Series and was named series Most Valuable Player. He also received the George W. Rulon American Legion Baseball Player of the Year award.
After high school, Magadan attended the University of Alabama, where, in 1983, his .525 batting average led the entire National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), while setting an SEC Southeastern Conference record, and is still the fifth best in NCAA history. After defeating Michigan and Arizona State University twice, Alabama lost to the University of Texas at Austin in the 1983 College World Series. Magadan was named the All-Tournament Team's first baseman. He also was selected as an AP All-American, was named the starting designated hitter on The Sporting News's college All-America team, received College Player of the Year honors from Baseball America and won USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award as the best amateur baseball player. His .439 career batting average is the SEC record and tenth best in NCAA history.
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David Cone
David Brian Cone (born January 2, 1963) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1986-2003 for six different teams. Cone pitched the sixteenth perfect game in baseball history. He also set the MLB record for most years between 20-win seasons. He was a member of five World Series championships (1992 with the Toronto Blue Jays and 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000 with the New York Yankees). He has a career 8–3 postseason record over 21 postseason starts and a postseason ERA of 3.80.
He is the subject of the book A Pitcher's Story: Innings With David Cone by Roger Angell. His fans are known as "Cone-Heads."
Cone lives in Stamford, Connecticut, and is a color commentator for the Yankees on the YES Network.
Cone was born in Kansas City, Missouri and attended Rockhurst High School, an all-boys Jesuit school. Cone played quarterback on the Rockhurst football team, leading them to the district championship. He also played point guard on the school's basketball team, but did not play baseball in high school because Rockhurst did not have a baseball program at the time. Cone played summer ball in the Ban Johnson League. At 16, he reported to an invitation-only tryout at Royals Stadium and an open tryout for the St. Louis Cardinals. Upon graduation, he was drafted by his hometown Kansas City Royals in the third round of the 1981 Major League Baseball Draft.
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David Ortiz
David Américo Ortiz Arias (born November 18, 1975), nicknamed "Big Papi", is a Dominican-American professional baseball player with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. Previously, Ortiz played with the Minnesota Twins from 1997 until 2002. Ortiz is a seven-time All-Star and holds the Red Sox single season record for home runs in a regular season with 54, set during the 2006 season. In 2005, Red Sox ownership presented him with a plaque proclaiming Ortiz "the greatest clutch-hitter in the history of the Boston Red Sox".
Ortiz graduated from Estudia Espallat High School in the Dominican Republic and in 1992 he was signed by the Seattle Mariners who listed him as "David Arias". He played for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, a Mariners farm team, until 1996, when he was traded to the Minnesota Twins as the player to be named later in an earlier trade for Dave Hollins. When he arrived in Minnesota, he informed the team that he preferred to be listed as "David Ortiz."
He made his Twins debut in September 1997. For a few years, he was moved back and forth between the Twins and their minor league affiliate in Connecticut, the New Britain Rock Cats. The Twins advanced to the American League Championship Series that year, where they lost to the Anaheim Angels. Despite showing flashes of talent, Ortiz's time with the Twins will be remembered as a series of injuries and inconsistency both in the field and at the plate. Ortiz suffered wrist injuries in both 1998 and 2001. He continued to experience knee problems in early 2002 that plagued him throughout the season, despite hitting 32 doubles, 20 home runs and 75 RBIs in 125 games. He was released by the Twins after the season. In six seasons with the Twins, Ortiz hit 58 home runs and 238 RBI.
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David Wells
David Lee Wells (born May 20, 1963), nicknamed "Boomer", is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. Wells was considered to be one of the game's better left-handed pitchers, especially during his years with the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays. He pitched the fifteenth perfect game in baseball history. He is tied only with Kenny Lofton for appearing in the post-season with six different teams. Wells is currently a broadcaster on MLB on TBS and the host of "The Cheap Seats" on FOXSports.com.
Wells was born in Torrance, California. He grew up in the San Diego neighborhood of Ocean Beach and attended local public schools. He graduated from Point Loma High School in 1982. He was a self-described "gym rat" who spent most of his time at the Ocean Beach Recreation Center and Robb Field. Baseball facilities at both Point Loma High School and Dana Middle School are named for him. He lives in San Diego with his wife and two sons. He has a tattoo of Babe Ruth.
Wells was a journeyman starter for the first eight seasons of his career. He debuted for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1987 as a reliever and did not secure a job as a full-time starter until he was 30 years old, despite pitching well most of the time and helping the Blue Jays win a World Series. He was released by the Blue Jays during spring training in 1993 and was signed by the Tigers almost immediately.
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DeMarlo Hale
DeMarlo Hale (born July 16, 1961 in Chicago, Illinois) is a Major League Baseball coach for the Baltimore Orioles.
Hale is a former first baseman and outfielder in minor league baseball who played in part of four seasons for the Boston and Oakland organizations between 1984 and 1988.
Following his playing career, Hale worked at the Bucky Dent baseball school in Boca Raton, Florida from 1989 through 1992, when he became a coach for Double-A New Britain in the Eastern League.
Hale started his managerial career in 1993 in the Boston farm system with High-A Fort Lauderdale Red Sox in the Florida State League. A year later, he guided Sarasota to the FLS playoffs, and in 1995 he also was a playoff qualifier with Michigan in the Midwest League, being rewarded as Manager of the Year. He spent 1996 with Sarasota and was promoted to Double-A Trenton in 1997, managing the American League team in the Double-A All-Star game.
Hale guided Trenton to a league-best 92-50 record in 1999. That season, he also coached United States team in the All-Star Futures Game at Fenway Park, and was honored as Minor League Manager of the Year by Baseball America, The Sporting News and USA Today Baseball Weekly, as well as winning Eastern League honor.
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Dennis Eckersley
Dennis Lee Eckersley (born October 3, 1954), nicknamed "Eck", is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. Eckersley had success as a starter, but gained his greatest fame as a closer, becoming the first of only two pitchers in Major League history to have both a 20-win season and a 50-save season in a career (the other being John Smoltz).
He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004, his first year of eligibility. He is also noted as the pitcher who gave up a dramatic, walk-off home run (a phrase Eckersley coined after this home run) to the injured Kirk Gibson in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series.
Eckersley was drafted by the Cleveland Indians out of Washington High School of Fremont, California, in the third round of the 1972 amateur draft, and made his Major League debut on April 12, 1975. He was the American League Rookie Pitcher of the Year in 1975, compiling a 13–7 record and 2.60 ERA. His unstyled, long hair, moustache, and live fastball made him an instant and identifiable fan favorite. Eckersley pitched reliably over three seasons with the Indians; he even threw the 200th no-hitter in history on May 30, 1977, against the California Angels.
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Dennis Leonard
Dennis Patrick Leonard (born May 8, 1951 in Brooklyn, New York) was one of the Kansas City Royals' most dominating pitchers of the late '70s and early '80s, but a promising career cut short due to injuries. In 1975, his first full year he managed to bust out with a 15-7 record. He would keep adding on to that with three 20 win seasons, but more impressive was the amount of games he started and finished. Despite his success in the regular season his post season record is less than impressive. He started 9 postseason games for the Royals between 1976 and 1981, but ended with a record of only 3-5, including a 1-1 record in the 1980 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Towards the end of his career he missed most of the remaining seasons due to knee injuries. His final season was in 1986 where he ended up with a 8-13 record despite a strong showing. Besides his rookie season of 1974 this was the only time he had a losing record. At the end of the 1986 season he retired as a player.
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Dewon Brazelton
Dewon Cortez Brazelton (born June 16, 1980 in Tullahoma, Tennessee) is a professional baseball pitcher. He pitched all or part of five seasons in Major League Baseball, and is currently a free agent.
While pitching in high school, Brazelton had knee surgery in 1995, then Tommy John surgery in 1996. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays selected him with the third overall draft pick in the first round of the 2001 MLB amateur draft, and Brazelton made his MLB debut September 13, 2002. In 2004, Brazelton, after being called the second coming of Roger Clemens by Peter Gammons, received the Tony Conigliaro Award.
After Stuart Sternberg took over as principal owner of the Devil Rays, Brazelton was traded during the 2005 annual baseball winter meetings to the Padres for third baseman Sean Burroughs.
In spring training of 2006, Brazelton appeared impressive, going 1–0 with a 1.77 ERA in 5 starts and earned the position of fourth starter in the Padres's four-man rotation, behind Jake Peavy, Chris Young, and Shawn Estes. However, Brazelton's first two starts were disastrous, taking the loss for both while pitching a combined 6 1/3 innings and giving up 17 hits and 17 earned runs. Brazelton was then moved to the bullpen and used as a spot reliever where between March 8 and April 19, he pitched 11.1 innings with a 2.31 ERA. However, on May 11 against the Milwaukee Brewers, Brazelton came in relief of Jake Peavy in the 8th inning with an 8–0 lead and gave up 4 runs on 3 hits and a walk without recording an out. Brazelton was promptly demoted to the Padres' AAA affiliate the following day and has not pitched in the major leagues since.
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Dick Ellsworth
Richard Clark Ellsworth (born March 22, 1940 in Lusk, Wyoming) is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1958 through 1971 for the Chicago Cubs (1958, 1960–66), Philadelphia Phillies (1967), Boston Red Sox (1968–69), Cleveland Indians (1969–70) and Milwaukee Brewers (1970–71). Ellsworth batted and threw left-handed. He is the father of Steve Ellsworth. Ellsworth attended Fresno High School in California, alongside fellow pitcher Jim Maloney. In a 13-season career, Ellsworth posted a 115–137 record with 1140 strikeouts and a 3.72 ERA in 2155.2 innings.
Ellsworth made his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs in 1958. His most productive season came in 1963, when he won 22 games (after losing 20 in 1962), with a 2.11 ERA.
A popular player at Wrigley Field, Ellsworth made the National League All-Star team in 1964. His career faded after that, except for one year with the Boston Red Sox, when he was 16–7 with an ERA of 3.03. He retired in 1971 after playing for the Phillies, Red Sox, Indians and Brewers.
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Dick Newsome
Heber Hampton Newsome (December 13, 1909 – December 15, 1965) was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Boston Red Sox between the 1941 and 1943 seasons. Listed at 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m), 185 lb., Newsome batted and threw right-handed. A native of Ahoskie, North Carolina, he graduated from Wake Forest University.
In his rookie year, Newsome won 19 games (third in the American League) and compiled 10 shutouts, leading a Red Sox pitching rotation that included Charlie Wagner, Mickey Harris, Joe Dobson and Lefty Grove. He was considered for the MVP Award, ending ninth in the ballot.
But Newsome slumped badly the next two years, winning only eight games in each of them. After the 1943 season, he served in the Army during the World War II, and then returned to his farm.
In a three-season career, Newsome posted a 35–33 record with 138 strikeouts and a 4.50 ERA in 526.0 innings pitched.
Newsome died in an automobile accident in Ahoskie, North Carolina, just two days after his 56th birthday.
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Dickie Thon
Richard William "Dickie" Thon (born June 20, 1958 in South Bend, Indiana) is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball.
Thon was raised in Puerto Rico after spending only the first two weeks of his life in Indiana where his father had just completed a bachelor's degree at the University of Notre Dame.
He was signed by the California Angels as an amateur free agent on November 23, 1975 while in high school in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. During his 15-year career, Thon spent two seasons with the Angels (1979–1980), seven seasons with the Houston Astros (1981–1987), one season with the San Diego Padres (1988), three seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies (1989–1991), one season with the Texas Rangers (1992), and finished his career with the Milwaukee Brewers (1993).
Touted by some as a future Hall of Famer, his career was permanently altered on April 8, 1984, when he was hit in the face by a Mike Torrez fastball. [1] The pitch broke the orbital bone around his left eye and ended his 1984 season. He returned in 1985, but suffered from problems with depth perception that permanently hampered his potential. In 1991, Thon received the Tony Conigliaro Award in recognition of his recovery from this severe injury.
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Don Schwall
Donald Bernard Schwall (born March 2, 1936 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania) is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who played with the Boston Red Sox (1961–62), Pittsburgh Pirates (1963–66) and Atlanta Braves (1966–67).
Schwall was selected an All-Big Eight basketball star at the University of Oklahoma in 1957. A year later, he signed with the Red Sox.
In 1961, Schwall posted a 15-7 record with 91 strikeouts and a 3.22 earned run average, for a Boston team that finished 33 games out of first place and ten games under .500. He won his first six decisions, extended the dazzling first-year stats to 13-2, and won Rookie of the Year honors, beating out Hall of Fame-bound teammate Carl Yastrzemski. At Fenway Park, on July 31, he pitched three innings in the first All-Star Game tie in major league baseball history (1-1), occurred when the game was stopped in the 9th inning due to rain.
After a sub-par 1962 season (9-15), Schwall was sent to Pittsburgh. He and catcher Jim Pagliaroni were traded to the Pirates for first baseman Dick Stuart and pitcher Jack Lamabe. He went 6-12 in 1963, and later switched to a reliever, recording a career-best 2.92 ERA while winning nine games in 1965. The Pirates traded him to the Braves on June 15, 1966 for left-handed pitcher Billy O'Dell. Schwall finished his career with Atlanta early in the next season.
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Doug Mirabelli
Douglas Anthony Mirabelli (born October 18, 1970 in Kingman, Arizona) is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He played for the San Francisco Giants (1996–2000), Texas Rangers (2001), Boston Red Sox (2001–2005), and San Diego Padres (2006) before returning to the Red Sox (2006–2007) to end his eleven year career. He batted and threw right-handed.
Mirabelli was a career .231 hitter with 58 home runs and 206 RBI in 566 games. While with the Red Sox, he was well known as the personal catcher for knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. He was part of the Red Sox' World Series championship teams in 2004 and 2007.
After leading Valley High School in his hometown of Las Vegas to two state baseball titles, Mirabelli was originally selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 6th Round (159th overall) of the 1989 Major League Baseball amateur draft, but did not sign. Instead, Mirabelli chose to attend Wichita State University, and was part of the 1989 College World Series championship team which included future major leaguers Eric Wedge, Mike Lansing, and Pat Meares.
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Drake Britton
Drake Britton (born May 22, 1989) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Boston Red Sox organization.
Britton was born in Waco, Texas on May 22, 1989 and attended Tomball High School. The lefty was drafted out of Tomball in the 23rd round of the 2007 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox. Britton signed a $700,000 signing bonus with the Red Sox. He began his professional career in 2008 with the Class A shortseason Lowell Spinners, appearing in 8 games, 7 starts, with an ERA of 4.28 in 33.2 innings. In 2009, Britton split time between the Gulf Coast League Red Sox and Lowell; he combined to appear in 11.2 innings over 7 games. He missed most of the season due to Tommy John Surgery.2010 saw Britton promotion to Class A fullseason Greenville Drive, where he started 21 games and earned a 2.97 ERA. Britton was promoted once again in 2011 to the Salem Red Sox. In Salem, Britton finished the season with 13 losses, a league worst. His 6.91 ERA was worst of all Carolina League starters.
In November 2011, Britton, Che-Hsuan Lin and Will Middlebrooks were added to the Red Sox 40-man roster to avoid being selected in the Rule 5 Draft.
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Dustin Pedroia
Dustin Luis Pedroia (born August 17, 1983, in Woodland, California) is an American professional baseball second baseman. Pedroia has won several awards in Major League Baseball, including the 2007 American League Rookie of the Year and the 2008 AL MVP award. He also won a Silver Slugger as a second baseman and a Gold Glove in 2008 and 2011. He finished second overall in the AL in batting average in 2008. In addition to his offensive performance, Pedroia has been a major defensive contributor to the Red Sox.
Pedroia is listed by Major League Baseball and the Red Sox as 5' 8" (173 cm) and 165 pounds. In 2003 a USA Today article gave his height as 5' 7" (170 cm), and when he was in college the NCAA and Arizona State University gave his height as 5' 8".
Pedroia attended Woodland Senior High School in Woodland, California. Pedroia batted .445 his senior year and was chosen as his league's most valuable player. Good childhood friend and high school teamate Frankie Vartuli gave him some inspirational words before he started his college season. What was said on the rainy Thursday night during the phone conversation was, "In order to excel, you must be completely dedicated to your chosen sport. You must also be prepared to work hard and be willing to accept constructive criticism. Without one-hundred percent dedication, you won't be able to do this." Vartuli used the famous quote from Willie Mays to inspire the 5 foot 7 phenom to excel in college.
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Eddie Cicotte
Edward Victor Cicotte ( /ˈsiːkɒt/; June 19, 1884 – May 5, 1969), nicknamed "Knuckles", was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball best known for his time with the Chicago White Sox. He was one of eight players permanently ineligible for professional baseball for his alleged participation in the Black Sox scandal in the 1919 World Series, in which the favored White Sox lost to the Cincinnati Reds in eight games. The fixing of the 1919 World Series is the only recognized gambling scandal to tarnish a World Series.
Cicotte was the son of Ambrose Cicotte (1843–1894) and Archange Mary Drouillard (1843–1909), both of mainly French-Canadian extraction. His father's early death is said to have pushed Cicotte to excel and be very protective of his family. He married Rose Ellen Freer (1885–1958), daughter of Russell John Freer (1852–1932) and Annie Cecile Thornton (1863–1928), both of whom would later live with the Cicottes. They had two daughters, Rose (born 1906) and Virginia (1916–1992), and one son, Edward Jr. (1919–1992).
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Eric Hinske
Eric Scott Hinske (born August 5, 1977 in Menasha, Wisconsin) is a Major League Baseball outfielder, first baseman, and third baseman currently in the Atlanta Braves organization. Hinske has spent time at the major league level with the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, and Atlanta Braves playing third base, first base, left field, and right field. He is listed at 6'2", 235 pounds. The 2002 AL Rookie of the Year Award winner, Hinske may be best known for having played in three consecutive World Series each one with a different team, losing with the Rays in 2008 and winning with the Red Sox in 2007 and Yankees in 2009.
Eric played for Menasha High School under the coach of Terry Wittmann, where he broke many hitting records, in addition to playing football as a running back. After playing for the University of Arkansas, he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 17th round of the 1998 amateur draft.
In March 2001, Hinske was traded to the Oakland Athletics for Miguel Cairo.
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Eric Patterson
Eric Scott Patterson (born April 8, 1983, in Tallahassee, Florida) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Detroit Tigers organization. He has also played second base in the majors, which he predominantly played in the minor leagues. Patterson made his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs on August 6, 2007.
Although Patterson originally was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 23rd round of the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft out of Harrison High School in Kennesaw, Georgia, he did not sign and went on instead to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology. With the Yellow Jackets, Patterson was named an Atlantic Coast Conference All-Star three times (2002-2004) and an All-American twice (in 2002 on the Freshman 1st Team, and in 2004 on the 3rd team). He was named to the USA Baseball team twice, in 2002 and 2003.
Patterson was selected in the 8th round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft by the Chicago Cubs.
Patterson played in the 2006 All-Star Futures Game in Pittsburgh, and was ranked the sixth-best prospect in the Cubs organization by Baseball America prior to the 2007 season. He collected his first major league hit on August 7, by singling against Woody Williams in a game against the Houston Astros. On June 22, 2008, Patterson hit the first home run of his career.
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Ernie Shore
Ernest Grady Shore (March 24, 1891 – September 24, 1980) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox during some of their best years in the 1910s.
He was born near East Bend, North Carolina. Shore graduated from Guilford College in 1913. Along with Babe Ruth, he was sold by the Baltimore Orioles to the Red Sox.
Shore's best year with the Red Sox was 1915, when he won 18, lost 8 and compiled a 1.64 earned run average. He was 3–1 in World Series action in 1915 and 1916. He missed the 1918 Red Sox World Championship season, having enlisted in the military in that war year.
His most famous game occurred on June 23, 1917, against the Washington Senators in the first game of a doubleheader at Fenway Park. Ruth started the game, walking the first batter, Ray Morgan. As newspaper accounts of the time relate, the short-fused Ruth then engaged in a heated argument with apparently equally short-fused home plate umpire Brick Owens. Owens tossed Ruth out of the game, and the even more enraged Ruth then slugged the umpire a glancing blow before being taken off the field; the catcher, Pinch Thomas, was also ejected. Shore was recruited to pitch, and came in with very few warmup pitches. With a new pitcher and catcher, runner Morgan tried to steal but was thrown out. Shore then proceeded to retire the remaining 26 Senators without allowing a baserunner, earning a 4–0 Red Sox win. For many years the game was listed in record books as a "perfect game," but officially it is scored as a no-hitter, shared (albeit unequally) by two pitchers. Following the game, Ruth paid a $100 fine, was suspended for ten games, and issued a public apology for his behavior.
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Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Arthur "Fergie" Jenkins, CM, (born December 13, 1942) is a Canadian former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He was a three-time All-Star and the 1971 NL Cy Young Award winner. In 1991, Jenkins was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. During a 19-year career, he pitched for four different teams, spending the majority of his career with the Chicago Cubs. Jenkins also played basketball as a member of the Harlem Globetrotters.
In 1962, he was signed by Philadelphia Phillies scout Tony Lucadello. Jenkins made his major-league debut as a 22-year-old in 1965 as a relief pitcher. He was traded the following year to the Chicago Cubs, along with Adolfo Phillips and John Herrnstein, for pitchers Larry Jackson and Bob Buhl. Jenkins would become one of the best pitchers in the majors. In his first full year as a starter for the Cubs (1967), Jenkins recorded twenty wins while posting a 2.80 ERA and 236 strikeouts. He finished tied for second in the Cy Young Award voting, following Mike McCormick of the San Francisco Giants. He was also selected for the All-Star Game for the first time that season. The following year his numbers improved; once again he won twenty games, his ERA dropped to 2.63 and his strikeout total increased to 260. Jenkins established a reputation for achieving his pitching feats and his statistics while spending most of his career pitching in a "hitter's ballpark"—Wrigley Field in Chicago. Further, in 1968 Jenkins lost five of his starts in 1–0 ballgames.
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Frank Arellanes
Frank Julián Arellanes [ah-ray-yah'-ness] (January 28, 1882 – December 13, 1918) was a professional baseball starting pitcher. He played three seasons in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox from 1908 through 1910. Listed at 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m), 180 lb, he batted and threw right-handed.
Born in Santa Cruz, California, Arellanes attended Santa Clara University before joining the Boston Red Sox during the 1908 midseason. He posted a 4–3 record and a 1.82 ERA in eight starts, including a one-hit victory against the Philadelphia Athletics. His most productive season came in 1909, when he recorded 16 wins with a 2.18 ERA as the replacement of Cy Young in the pitching rotation, leading the American League in games finished (15) and saves (eight). His 1910 season was interrupted by illness and he finished at 4–7, 2.88 in 18 games. He ended the year with the Sacramento Solons of the Pacific Coast League, where he pitched a nine-inning no-hitter, losing a 2–0 game.
In a three-season career, Arellanes posted a 24–22 record with 148 strikeouts and a 2.28 ERA in 409⅔ innings of work. A strong control pitcher, he allowed 85 walks for a 1.86 BB/9IP.
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Franklin Morales
Franklin Miguel Morales (born January 24, 1986, in San Juan de los Morros, Venezuela) is an Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. A power-throwing left-hander, Morales was seen as one of the leading prospects in the Rockies farm system. He has a very good fastball, but his control is still developing.[citation needed] He had come up as a starting pitcher, and in 2010 was moved into the bullpen to serve as the Rockies closer.
He made his Major League debut on August 18, 2007, against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He pitched 5 1/3 innings, gave up one run, but got a no-decision. In 2007, Morales was selected to the All-Star Futures Game at AT&T Park in San Francisco.
Morales is known for his very distinctive and effective pickoff-move.
On April 29, 2008, Morales was optioned to the Colorado Rockies Triple-A affiliate Colorado Springs Sky Sox in response to sub-par performance during the early 2008 Major League season.
In spring training in 2009, Morales led all pitchers in pickoffs, with 5, in 28 innings.[1]. He began the regular season in the starting rotation, but after struggling early he was optioned to the AAA Colorado Springs Sky Sox. He was called back up and has been pitching from the bullpen since July 7.
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Fred Hutchinson
Frederick Charles Hutchinson (August 12, 1919 – November 12, 1964) was an American professional baseball player, a major league pitcher for the Detroit Tigers. He also was a manager for three major league teams. Stricken with fatal lung cancer at the height of his managerial career as leader of the pennant-contending Cincinnati Reds, he was commemorated one year after his death when his brother, Dr. William Hutchinson, created the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center as a division of the Pacific Northwest Research Foundation, in the Hutchinson's native city of Seattle, Washington. The FHCRC, which became independent in 1972, is now one of the best-known facilities of its kind in the world.
Fred Hutchinson, known throughout baseball as “Hutch,” attended the University of Washington, where he was a 1939 initiate of Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity. A right-handed pitcher, he entered the organized baseball ranks in 1938 with the unaffiliated Seattle Rainiers of the AA Pacific Coast League and caused an immediate sensation at age 19, winning a league-best 25 games and that season’s Minor League Player of the Year award as bestowed by The Sporting News.
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Freddy Sanchez
Frederick Phillip "Freddy" Sanchez, Jr. (born December 21, 1977) is an American professional baseball player. A second baseman, Sanchez currently plays for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. Earlier in his career, Sanchez played for the Boston Red Sox (2002-2003) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (2004-2009) before coming to the Giants during the 2009 season. He bats and throws right-handed.
Sanchez graduated in 1996 from Burbank High School in Burbank, California, where he was a consistent three-year varsity player. In his senior year he was named MVP of the talent-filled Foothill League of the CIF. He also starred in the Daily News Bernie Milligan All-Star Game, where he earned MVP honors. While in high school, he played on the same summer league team as former teammate Jack Wilson. He was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 30th round out of Burbank High, but opted not to sign.
His success in high school was nothing short of miraculous. Sanchez was born with a severely pigeon-toed left foot and a club right foot, and his parents had received an initial medical prognosis that he might never walk. After seeking specialized medical attention through the Children's Orthopaedic Center at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, he underwent surgery to correct his foot problems at 13 months, and then had to undergo years of physical therapy before he could walk properly.
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Félix Doubront
Félix Antonio Doubront [doo-Bront] (born October 23, 1987 in Carabobo, Venezuela) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. Listed at 6'2", 200 lb., Doubront bats and throws left-handed.
Doubront's main pitches are a four-seam and two-seam fastball that range between 90-95 mph. He also throws a cut fastball (87-89), a big curveball (76-80), and a changeup (85-88) that is used mostly against right-handed hitters. His deceptive delivery results in hitters not being able to pick up the ball until late. The late pick-up also makes his fastball look faster to opposing hitters.[citation needed]
Doubront was 17 years old when he entered the minors in 2005 with the VSL Red Sox (rookie), playing for them one year before joining the GCL Red Sox (rookie, 2006), Lowell Spinners (A–, 2006–2007), Greenville Drive (A, 2007–2008) and Lancaster JetHawks (A+, 2008). His most productive season came in 2008, when he posted a combined 13–9 record with a 3.76 ERA in 119 ⅓ innings of work.
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Gary Tuck
Gary Robert Tuck (born September 6, 1954 in Amsterdam, New York) is currently the bullpen coach for the Boston Red Sox.
A graduate of Indiana University, Tuck has 23 years of professional coaching experience. He started his baseball career as a catcher for the Montreal Expos organization and played for them during three minor league seasons. Following his playing retirement, he served as an assistant coach at the University of Notre Dame in 1980, and Arizona State University in 1981.
After winning an NCAA championship with Arizona State, Tuck was hired to coach for the nearby Tucson Toros, a Minor League affiliate of the Houston Astros. Tuck spent eight years in the Astros organization. In 1986 he managed the Double-A Columbus Astros to a league championship, winning Southern League Manager of the Year honors.
By 1989, Tuck was a coach on the New York Yankees Triple-A team, the Columbus Clippers. In 1990, Tuck served as bullpen coach to the Yankees. The next year he was the manager of the Cleveland Indians Single-A team, a job he held before switching to a Scout for the Indians.
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George Brett
George Howard Brett (born May 15, 1953), is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman, designated hitter, and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Kansas City Royals. Brett's 3,154 career hits are the most by any third baseman in major league history, and 16th all-time. Brett is one of four players in MLB history to accumulate 3,000 hits, 300 home runs, and a career .300 batting average with the others being Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Stan Musial. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999 on the first ballot.
Brett was born in Glen Dale, West Virginia. He was the youngest of four sons of a sports-minded family which included Ken, the second oldest, a major league pitcher who had pitched in the 1967 World Series at age 19. Brothers John (eldest) and Bobby had brief careers in the minor leagues. Although his three older brothers were born in Brooklyn, George was born in the northern panhandle of West Virginia. Jack & Ethel Brett then moved the family to the Midwest and three years later to El Segundo, a suburb of Los Angeles, just south of Los Angeles International Airport. George grew up hoping to follow in the footsteps of his three older brothers. He graduated from El Segundo High School in 1971 and was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the second round (29th overall) of the 1971 baseball draft. His high school teammate was pitcher Scott McGregor.
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Gordon Rhodes
John Gordon Rhodes [Dusty] (August 11, 1907 – March 22, 1960) was a starting pitcher in Major League who played from 1929 through 1936 for the New York Yankees (1929–1932), Boston Red Sox (1932–1935) and Philadelphia Athletics (1936). Listed at 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m), 187 lb., Rhodes batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Winnemucca, Nevada.
Purchased by the Yankees from the Hollywood Stars (PCL), hard-throwing Rhodes was 21 years old when he made his first major league appearance. He went 9–19 in 63 games with New York before being traded to Boston in the same transaction that brought Wilcy Moore to the Yankees. Between 1933 and 1934 he won 12 games each season, but dropped to 2–10 in 1935. Traded to the Athletics in a deal that included Jimmie Foxx and Johnny Marcum, he collected nine wins in 1936, but led American League pitchers with 20 losses and 26 home runs allowed.
In an eight-year career, Rhodes posted a 43–74 record with 356 strikeouts and a 4.85 ERA in 200 appearances, including 135 starts, 47 complete games, one shutout, five saves, and 1048⅔ innings of work. He was a competent hitter for a pitcher, collecting a .194 batting average (69-for-356) with two home runs and 34 runs batted in.
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Graeme Lloyd
Graeme John Lloyd (born 9 April 1967 in Geelong, Victoria, Australia) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who had a ten year career from 1993 to 2003.
He played with the Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals all of the American League and the Montreal Expos, Florida Marlins and New York Mets all of the National League. He is believed to be the fourth native Australian to pitch in Major League Baseball. He also Trained young Baseball players from the age of 9 to 18, including all prospect players such as Kimani Simmons of Cuban descent and David Sdrougias of Greek Descent.
Lloyd was used exclusively as a relief pitcher during his ten years in the major leagues. He ended his career with 30 wins against 36 losses, 17 saves, and 97 holds. At his peak, Lloyd threw a sinking fastball that reached 90 miles (140 km) per hour and a slider. Later in his career, he added a palmball to his repertoire.
For much of his career, he was used as a matchup lefty, or LOOGY (lefty one out only guy). This type of pitcher is used against an opposing team's star left-handed hitter(s) late in a game. Lloyd excelled in this role for the New York Yankees in 1998 when he posted a career-best 1.67 ERA. This effectiveness led to the Toronto Blue Jays demanding that Lloyd be included in a package anchored by starting pitcher David Wells when the Yankees traded for Toronto starting pitcher Roger Clemens.
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Hideki Okajima
Hideki Okajima (岡島 秀樹, Okajima Hideki?, born December 25, 1975 in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto) is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher who plays for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league. He played with the Boston Red Sox from 2007-2011, and was elected to the 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game as a first time All-Star via the Monster All-Star Final Vote.
Okajima attended Higashiyama High School and pitched in the 1994 Koshien National High School Tournament. He was drafted in the third round in 1993 by the Yomiuri Giants of the Nippon Professional Baseball League. Okajima pitched mostly as a setup man, but sometimes played the role of a starter until 1999. When he played with the Giants in Japan, Okajima chose to go by the nickname "Okaji" instead of "Hideki" because there was Hideki Matsui, who preceded him on the Giants. Okajima's entrance song with the Giants was the Dixie Chicks' version of The Supremes' hit, "You Can't Hurry Love."
Okajima became the team's closer in 2000–2001, before returning to his setup role in 2002. He was traded to the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters right before the start of the 2006 season for two position players, and was a valuable lefty setup man for the team, pitching in 55 games, with a 2.14 ERA. The Fighters won the championship that year. In Japan, Okajima had a career record of 34–32 with a 3.36 ERA.
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Howard Ehmke
Howard Jonathan Ehmke (April 24, 1894 – March 17, 1959) was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He is best known for being the surprise starter who won Game 1 of the 1929 World Series for the Philadelphia Athletics at the age of 35. After retirement from baseball, he started his own company that began making the first tarpaulins to cover baseball diamonds during rain.
Born in Silver Creek, New York, Ehmke was a pitcher for fifteen seasons in the Major Leagues with the Buffalo Blues (1915), Detroit Tigers (1916–1917, 1919–1922); Boston Red Sox (1923–1926), and Philadelphia Athletics (1926–1930). Ehmke won at least 10 games in 9 seasons and had a career record of 166-166 with an ERA of 3.75. His greatest success was with the Boston Red Sox, including a no-hitter and his only 20-win season in 1923. Ehmke still holds the American League record for fewest hits (one) in two consecutive starts. Ehmke also ranks No. 16 on the all time Major League list for hitting batsmen with a pitch. Ehmke hit 137 batters in his career and led the American League in the category seven times, including a career-high 23 in 1922.
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Ivy Andrews
Ivy Paul Andrews (May 6, 1907 – November 24, 1970) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1931 through 1938, he played for the New York Yankees (1931-1932[start], 1937[end]-1938), Boston Red Sox (1932[end]-1933), St. Louis Browns (1934–1936) and Cleveland Indians (1937[start]). Andrew batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Dora, Alabama.
Nicknamed "Poison Ivy", Andrews was bothered by arm ailment much of his career. He spent eight seasons in the American League with the Yankees, Red Sox, Browns and Indians, being used as both a starter and long reliever. His most productive season came in 1935 for the seventh-place Browns, when he had a 13–7 record and a 3.54 ERA (eight in the league). In a second stint for the Yankees, he pitched 5.2 innings of relief in Game Four of the 1937 World Series.
In 249 appearances (108 as a starter), Andrew posted a 50–59 record with 257 strikeouts and a 4.14 ERA in 1041 innings.
Andrews returned to Alabama in 1945 to become the Birmingham Barons first pitching coach. He managed the team briefly during the 1947 season, and retired from baseball a year later. Andrews died in Birmingham, Alabama, at the age of 63. He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1985.
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Jacoby Ellsbury
Jacoby McCabe Ellsbury ( /dʒəˈkoʊbi/ jə-KOH-bee; born September 11, 1983) is an American professional baseball center fielder with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.
Ellsbury attended Madras High School, where he was a 4-year letterman in football and baseball, and played varsity basketball his sophomore through senior years. Ellsbury's career batting average of .567 and being caught stealing only once are Oregon High School State Records. He also holds the Oregon record for stolen bases in a game, with 7. Ellsbury was first drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 23rd round of the 2002 MLB Draft, but did not sign. He was then drafted 23rd overall by Boston in 2005, after three years at Oregon State University. Ellsbury is the only Red Sox player in history to join the 30-30 club, a feat he accomplished on September 25, 2011, against the Yankees.
Ellsbury is officially enrolled as a member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes and is the first Native American of Navajo descent to reach the Major Leagues. As of 2008, he was one of only three active non-Hispanic Native American players in Major League Baseball, along with Kyle Lohse of the St. Louis Cardinals and Joba Chamberlain of the New York Yankees. Ellsbury is English and German on his paternal side.
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Jamie Moyer
Jamie Moyer (born November 18, 1962) is an American professional baseball pitcher currently in the Colorado Rockies organization, although he was designated for assignment by the Rockies on May 30, 2012.
At the time of his last game to date (in May 2012), he was the oldest player in the major leagues and had the most wins, losses, and strikeouts of any active Major League pitcher. He has been likened to Phil Niekro. On April 17, 2012, Moyer became the oldest pitcher in MLB history to win a game. On May 16, 2012, he broke his own winning-pitcher record and also set the record for the oldest major-league player to get a Run Batted In.
Moyer has also pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies. He made the All-Star team in 2003, while with the Mariners. Moyer has won numerous awards for philanthropy and community service, including the 2003 Roberto Clemente Award, the 2003 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, the 2003 Hutch Award, and the 2004 Branch Rickey Award. Moyer is one of only 29 players in baseball history to date to have appeared in Major League games in four decades.
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Jason Giambi
Jason Gilbert Giambi ( /dʒiˈɑːmbi/; born January 8, 1971) is an American professional baseball first baseman with the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball.
He was the American League MVP in 2000 while with the Oakland Athletics, and is a five-time All-Star who has led the American League in walks four times, in on base percentage three times, and in doubles and in slugging percentage once each, and won the Silver Slugger award twice.
Giambi took performance-enhancing drugs during his career, for which use he has publicly apologized. Giambi was named one of the Top 10 Most Superstitious Athletes by Men's Fitness.
Giambi attended Sierra Vista Middle School in Covina, California. He then attended South Hills High School in his native West Covina, where he was a three-sport standout. Giambi was on the baseball team, whose roster also included his brother Jeremy and three other future Major Leaguers and teammates: infielder Shawn Wooten, pitchers Aaron Small and Cory Lidle. He batted .386 during his three years of varsity baseball, leading his team to the state finals as a senior. He was voted MVP in both baseball and basketball. In American football, he was an All-League quarterback.
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Jason Johnson
Jason Michael Johnson (born October 27, 1973 in Santa Barbara, California) is a starting pitcher for the Camden Riversharks in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He throws and bats right-handed.
Johnson graduated from Conner High School in Hebron, Kentucky. He did not enter college, but was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an undrafted free agent in 1992. After debuting with the Pirates in 1997, he has gone on to play for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Seibu Lions, and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Johnson's five year tenure in Baltimore was moderately successful and he became known as an inning-eating starting pitcher as he matured. After enduring two losing seasons with Detroit, Johnson signed with Cleveland prior to the 2006 season. He fared no better there, going 3-8 with a 5.96 ERA. He was designated for assignment on June 22, 2006. Before he decided whether or not to accept the assignment, he was traded to the Boston Red Sox for cash. In Boston, his time as a member of the Red Sox was disastrous, going 0-4 with a 7.36 ERA. On August 18, 2006, Johnson was designated for assignment by the Red Sox and quickly signed to a minor league contract by the Cincinnati Reds.
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Jason Repko
Jason Edward Repko (born December 27, 1980) is an American professional baseball outfielder with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.
Repko attended Hanford High School in Richland, Washington, and was a letterman in baseball. As a senior, he posted a .581 batting average with 18 home runs and 14 stolen bases. He also clocked a 94 MPH fastball from the mound. A High School All-American infielder, he was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1st round of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft, Repko skipped his high school graduation ceremony and passed on a scholarship with San Diego State University to sign with the Dodgers.
He started his professional career as a shortstop with the rookie league Great Falls Dodgers, hitting .304 with 8 homers and 12 steals and being selected to the Pioneer League All-Star Team.
His career was slowed when he suffered a torn ACL during extended spring training in 2000 and missed most of the season. He then suffered a broken vertebra on the right side of his back, and only managed to play in 88 games for Single-A Wilmington in 2001.
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Jason Varitek
Jason Andrew Varitek ( /ˈværɨtɛk/; born April 11, 1972) is a former American professional baseball catcher. After being traded as a minor league prospect by the Seattle Mariners, Varitek played his entire major league career for the Boston Red Sox. A three-time All-Star and Gold Glove Award winner at catcher, and a Silver Slugger Award winner, Varitek was part of both the 2004 World Series and 2007 World Series Championship teams. In December 2004 he was named the captain of the Red Sox, only their fourth captain since 1923. He is a switch-hitter.
Varitek is one of only two players in the history of the sport to have played in the World Championship game of the Little League World Series, in the National Championship game of the College World Series, and in the Major League World Series (Ed Vosberg is the other). Varitek stands alone as the only baseball player in history to have played in the three aforementioned World Series along with playing in either the Olympic Baseball team or in the World Baseball Classic (he actually played in both the Olympics and the World Baseball Classic). His Lake Brantley High School baseball team won the Florida State Championship his senior year in 1990 and was named the number one high school baseball team in the nation by a USA Today poll. Varitek has caught an MLB-record four no-hitters. He has allowed 992 stolen bases, more than any active major league catcher.
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Jerry Royster
Jeron Kennis Royster (born October 18, 1952 in Sacramento, California) is the third base coach for the Boston Red Sox. He was a third baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, and the New York Yankees, as well as a former manager of the Milwaukee Brewers and of the Lotte Giants in the Korea Baseball Organization.
He was signed by the Dodgers as an amateur free agent in 1970 at age 17, and three years later, he made the big leagues with Los Angeles. He never had more than 13 games with the Dodgers, and they quickly shipped him off to the Atlanta Braves as part of a six-player trade that included Jimmy Wynn, Tom Paciorek, and Dusty Baker. He became a regular third baseman with the Braves, and in 1976, he was named to the 1976 Topps All-Star Rookie Roster. Royster, a graduate of Sacramento High School, was joined in the Braves line-up by Rowland Office, a C. K. McClatchy High School alumn. The two, who played against each other in high school, batted one and two in the Braves batting order. After nine years with the Braves, he joined the Padres as a free agent, but he was no longer an everyday infielder. In 1987, he split the season with the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees. He returned to the Braves in 1988 at age 35, and retired at the end of the season.
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Jim Abbott
James Anthony Abbott (born September 19, 1967) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher, who played despite having been born without a right hand. He played for the California Angels, the New York Yankees, the Chicago White Sox, and the Milwaukee Brewers, from 1989 to 1999.
He graduated from Flint Central High School and grew up in the East Village area of Flint, Michigan. While with the University of Michigan, Abbott won the James E. Sullivan Award as the nation's best amateur athlete in 1987 and won a gold medal in the demonstration event at the 1988 Summer Olympics. He was drafted in the first round of the 1988 Major League Baseball Draft and reached the Majors the next year. He threw a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians in 1993. Abbott retired with a career record of 87 wins and 108 losses, with a 4.25 earned run average.
He currently[when?] works as a motivational speaker. Abbott also appeared in the Boy Meets World episode "Class Preunion."
Abbott was born in Flint, Michigan. He was picked up by the Ypsilanti, Michigan American Legion team and went on to win the championship. He graduated from Flint Central High School in Michigan where he was a stand-out pitcher and quarterback. He played for the Grossi Baseball Club during the summer in the Connie Mack leagues of Michigan. He was drafted in the 36th round by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1985 Major League Baseball Draft but didn't sign, instead moving on to the University of Michigan.
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Jim Eisenreich
James Michael Eisenreich ( /ˈaɪzɨnraɪk/; born April 18, 1959 in St. Cloud, Minnesota) is an American former Major League Baseball player with a 15-year career from 1982–1984 and 1987–1998. He played for the Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals of the American League, and the Philadelphia Phillies, Florida Marlins and Los Angeles Dodgers of the National League. He played first base, outfield and designated hitter.
In 1993, his first year with the Phillies, Eisenreich put together one of his best years, batting .318 and helping the Phillies to win the National League pennant. As the Phillies began their slide the next year (1994), Eisenreich was one of the team's few bright spots, batting .361 for the last place Phillies in 1996.
Eisenreich was part of a "blockbuster" baseball trade on May 14, 1998. He was traded from the Florida Marlins, with Bobby Bonilla, Gary Sheffield, Charles Johnson, and Manuel Barrios, to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Todd Zeile and catcher Mike Piazza.
Eisenreich was noted in Los Angeles for his long time success against Dodger pitching staffs, despite those staffs being among the best. His .405 batting average and .620 slugging percentage greatly exceed his other career numbers and rank among the most successful of any one player against any team.
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Jim Lonborg
James Reynold Lonborg (born April 16, 1942) is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who played with the Boston Red Sox (1965–71), Milwaukee Brewers (1972) and Philadelphia Phillies (1973–79). He was known as "Gentleman Jim" during his 15 year career for his fearlessness for pitching on the inside of the plate.
Born in Santa Maria, California, Lonborg graduated from Stanford University.
He enjoyed his best year in the Carl Yastrzemski-led 1967 Red Sox' "Impossible Dream" season, when he led American League pitchers in wins (22), games started (39), and strikeouts (246). That year, the Red Sox were involved in a four-way race for the American League pennant with the Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox; the race was reduced to three teams after the White Sox lost a doubleheader to the Kansas City Athletics on September 27. The Red Sox and Twins faced each other in the season's final series and entered the final day (October 1) tied for first place; the Tigers were 1/2 game out of first and needed to sweep a doubleheader from the California Angels to force a playoff between the winner of the Red Sox-Twins game. Lonborg outdueled Twins ace Dean Chance in that finale, while the Tigers defeated the Angels in the first game but lost the second, putting the Red Sox in the World Series for the first time since 1946. In that World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Lonborg pitched Game Two in what was only the fourth one-hitter in Series history and followed that up with another victory in Game Five by limiting St. Louis to three hits. Called upon to pitch the seventh and deciding game with only 2 days rest, Lonborg lasted 6 innings, but allowed 6 earned runs in a 7-2 loss. In addition, he received the Cy Young Award (becoming the first pitcher in Red Sox history to win the Cy Young Award), played in the All-Star game, and finished prominently in voting for the MVP award (6th in the voting, Yastrzemski winning the award).
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Jim Mecir
James Jason Mecir (born on May 16, 1970 in Queens, New York) is an American former baseball player. He played for five teams in an 11-year career, and retired from the Florida Marlins in 2005. He was a right-handed pitcher.
Mecir is notable for having overcome a birth defect (namely club feet) to become an effective Major League pitcher as well as for regularly throwing a screwball. He spent 4½ years as a member of the Oakland Athletics and is prominently mentioned in Michael Lewis's bestselling book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game.
Mecir was drafted by the Seattle Mariners from Eckerd College in the third round of the 1991 amateur draft. He played for the Seattle Mariners in 1995, the New York Yankees in 1996 and 1997, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays from 1998 to 2000, the Oakland Athletics from 2001 to 2004, before spending the last year of his career with the Marlins. He announced his retirement on October 2, 2005, following the Marlins' last game of the season.
In 2003, Mecir received the Tony Conigliaro Award, given annually to the player who most effectively overcomes adversity to succeed in baseball. Mecir was born with two club feet; despite several childhood surgeries that enabled him to walk, he was left with a right leg that was one inch shorter than his left leg and a right calf that was only half the size of his left calf.
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Joaquín Benoit
Joaquín Antonio Benoit Peña (born July 26, 1977, in Santiago, Dominican Republic) is a Dominican professional baseball relief pitcher with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball in the United States. He is 6'3" and weighs 220 pounds.
Signing with the Rangers at the age of 16, Benoit had been with the organization for his entire professional career. Except rehab assignments after stints on the disabled list, he had been with the Major League club full-time since midway through the 2003 season. Benoit's seven years with the Texas Rangers made him the second-longest tenured member of the team after Michael Young.
Originally a starter, Benoit was moved to the bullpen part-time in the 2003 season. Since then, he had served in various relief roles, making spot starts as necessary.
Benoit holds the Major League record for having recorded the longest save in history. He relieved Todd Van Poppel at the start of the third inning of a game against the Baltimore Orioles on September 3, 2002.
In 2006, Benoit ranked in the top-10 American League relievers in strikeouts, innings pitched, and percentage of inherited runners who scored.
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Joe Dobson
Joseph Gordon (Joe) Dobson (January 20, 1917 – June 23, 1994), nicknamed "Burrhead," was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who played with the Cleveland Indians (1939–40), Boston Red Sox (1941–43, 1946–50, 1954) and Chicago White Sox (1951–53).
Dobson was born in Durant, Oklahoma. At the age of nine, he lost his thumb and left forefinger playing with a dynamite cap, but it didn't keep him from reaching the majors, and playing with the Indians. After two seasons in Cleveland he was sent to Boston.
An All-Star in 1948, Dobson enjoyed his best years with the Red Sox. Between 1941-50 (except in 1944-45 for military duties), he won 106 games for the Red Sox.
In a 14-season career, Dobson compiled a 137–103 record with 992 strikeouts, a 3.62 ERA, 112 complete games, 22 shutouts, 18 saves, and 2170 innings in 414 games (273 as a starter).
Joe Dobson died in Jacksonville, Florida at the age of 77.
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Joe Torre
Joseph Paul Torre ( /ˈtɔri/; born July 18, 1940) is an American former professional baseball player and manager. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, and the St. Louis Cardinals. After his retirement as a player, he later managed all three teams.
Torre managed the New York Yankees from 1996 to 2007. The Yankees reached the post season each year and won ten American League East Division titles, six American League pennants, four World Series titles, and compiled a .605 winning percentage overall. With 2,326 wins, he is currently ranked 5th on the list of Major League Baseball all-time managerial wins.
Torre followed in his brother Frank's footsteps when he was signed by the Milwaukee Braves as an amateur free agent in 1960. In his first season in the minor leagues with the Class A Eau Claire Braves, he won the 1960 Northern League batting championship with a .344 batting average. Torre made his major league debut late in the season on September 21, 1960. He was assigned to the Triple A Louisville Colonels for the 1961 season where, the Braves had planned to groom him as the eventual successor to their All-Star catcher, Del Crandall. However, those plans were changed when Crandall injured his throwing arm in May 1961, forcing the Braves to promote Torre to the major leagues with just over a year of minor league experience. Torre rose to the occasion, hitting for a .278 batting average with 21 doubles and 10 home runs. He finished the season ranked second to Billy Williams in the 1961 National League Rookie of the Year voting.
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Johan Santana
Johan Alexander Santana Araque (English pronunciation: /ˈjoʊhɑːn sænˈtænə/; born March 13, 1979) is a Venezuelan pitcher for New York Mets. He is a native of Tovar, a town in Merida state, Venezuela.
A two-time Cy Young Award winner with the Minnesota Twins, he was considered one of the best pitchers in baseball, with a pitch repertoire that included an 88–94 mph fastball, along with a circle changeup, generally considered his best pitch, and a slider. His warm-up music is the song "Smooth" by Rob Thomas and Carlos Santana. Santana was rated by Forbes as the 5th highest paid baseball player in MLB, the highest out of all pitchers. On June 1st, 2012, Santana threw the first no-hitter in New York Mets' history.
Santana was discovered in 1994 by Chance Partin, brother-in-law of Cheech Marin, who was a scout working for the Houston Astros at the time. He signed Santana and sent him to his academy in Guacara in January 1995. Santana did not like it and almost left, but Reiner convinced him to stay. While originally a center fielder, Santana was converted to a pitcher at the academy due to his arm speed. In 1999 he was named the Tovar Mérida Athlete of the Year.
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John Hiller
John Frederick Hiller (born April 8, 1943 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) is a former left-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Detroit Tigers. After suffering a heart attack in 1971, he returned to the team and recorded 38 saves in 1973 – a major league record until 1983, and a team record until 2000. He also set an American League record by winning 17 games in relief in 1974. His 125 career saves ranked fourth in AL history and were the seventh most among all left-handers when he retired, and stood as a team record until 1993. His 545 career games pitched ranked ninth among AL left-handers at the end of his career, and remain the franchise record.
Hiller grew up in Scarborough, Ontario, and after signing with the Tigers in 1962, he broke in with the team in 1965, but didn't see substantial play until 1967 when he appeared in 23 games. He pitched in 39 games for the 1968 pennant winners, posting a 9–6 record with 2 saves and a 2.39 earned run average. He had two unsuccessful relief appearances in the 1968 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, pitching the last two innings in the 7–3 Game 3 loss and facing five batters without recording an out in Game 4, a 10–1 loss. He allowed six hits and three walks, posting a 13.50 ERA, but the Tigers recovered to win the Series in seven games.
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John Lackey
John Derran Lackey (born October 23, 1978) is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. Lackey was drafted by the Anaheim Angels in 1999 and helped the franchise win its first World Series title in 2002, which was his first season in the major leagues. In 2007, he led the American League in earned run average and was also named to the All-Star team for the first time. When he became a free agent in 2009, Lackey signed with the Boston Red Sox. In 2011, he had one of the worst seasons by a starting pitcher in Red Sox history and the team missed the playoffs by one game after leading in the Wild Card race by 9.5 games in September.
Lackey was born in Abilene, Texas. Before Lackey was in high school, he played at Dixie Little League in Abilene. Lackey attended Abilene High School (Abilene, Texas) (the Eagles), and was a letterman in football, basketball, and baseball. In baseball, he was a two-time first team All-District honoree and as a senior, he was also an All-State selection.
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John Lester
John Ashby Lester (August 1, 1871 – September 3, 1969) was an American cricketer, active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Lester was one of the Philadelphian cricketers who played from the end of the 19th century until the outbreak of World War I. His obituary in Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, described him as "one of the great figures in American cricket." During his career, he played in 53 matches for the Philadelphians, 47 of which are considered first class. From 1897 until his retirement in 1908, Lester led the batting averages in Philadelphia and captained all the international home matches.
Lester was born in Penrith, Cumberland, England in 1871. He began playing cricket at a very young age. He was playing a game in Yorkshire in 1892 when he met Dr. Isaac Sharpless. Sharpless was the president of Haverford College, and invited him to the United States to attend the school. In his early days as a student in Cumberland's Ackworth School, he had been described as a "very indifferent batsman". It was only after entering Haverford that he developed his batting style. As a student at Haverford, Lester excelled as an athlete and a scholar and played football, track, tennis, and soccer. During his freshman year, he averaged 100.5 runs per innings. Lester also won the Cope Bat every year during his time at Haverford. In his final season with the school in 1896, he scored 1,185 total runs and took 40 wickets for averages of 79 and 23.2, respectively. He also captained Haverford on their first overseas tour, scoring 105 against the MCC on his first appearance at Lord's. On this tour, he created a great impression with an average of over 84 and prepared himself for the Philadelphian's tour of England the following year.
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John Olerud
John Garrett Olerud ( /ˈoʊləruːd/; nicknamed Big Rude, and Johnny O; born August 5, 1968), is a former American first baseman in Major League Baseball. Olerud played with the Toronto Blue Jays (1989–96), New York Mets (1997–99), Seattle Mariners (2000–2004), New York Yankees (2004) and Boston Red Sox (2005).
A patient, productive hitter throughout his career, Olerud won the American League batting title in 1993 and was runner-up for the National League batting title in 1998. Also a three-time Gold Glove winner, he was an excellent defensive first baseman and part of Sports Illustrated's "Greatest Infield Ever" with Edgardo Alfonzo, Rey Ordóñez, and Robin Ventura, when he played for the Mets.
In 1987, Olerud hit .414 with 5 HR and 20 RBIs. As a pitcher, he went 8-2 with a 3.00 ERA and was a freshman All-American.
In 1988, Olerud hit .464 with 23 HR, 81 RBIs, 108 hits, 204 total bases, and a .876 Slugging percentage. As a pitcher, he had an undefeated 15–0 season, and threw 113 Ks with a 2.49 ERA. He was a consensus All-American as both 1B and Pitcher and Baseball America College Player of the Year.
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Johnny Bench
Johnny Lee Bench (born December 7, 1947 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) is a former professional baseball catcher who played in the Major Leagues for the Cincinnati Reds from 1967 to 1983 and is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Bench, a 14-time All-Star selection and a two-time National League Most Valuable Player, was a key member of The Big Red Machine, which won six division titles, four National League pennants, and two World Series championships. ESPN has called him the greatest catcher in baseball history.
Bench played baseball and basketball and was class valedictorian at Binger High School in Binger, Oklahoma. He is one-eighth Native American (Choctaw). His father told him that the fastest route to becoming a major leaguer was as a catcher. Bench was drafted 36th overall by the Cincinnati Reds in the second round of the 1965 amateur draft, playing for the minor-league Buffalo Bisons in the 1966 and 1967 seasons before being called up to the Reds in August 1967. He hit only .163, but impressed many with his defense and strong throwing arm. Among them: Hall of Famer Ted Williams. Williams signed a baseball for him which predicted that the young catcher would be "A Hall of Famer for sure!" Williams' prediction eventually became fact with Johnny Bench's election to the Hall of Fame in 1989.
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Jon Lester
Jonathan Tyler Lester (born January 7, 1984, in Tacoma, Washington) is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox. Lester was 7-2 with a 4.76 ERA before and after being diagnosed with lymphoma. Less than two years after being diagnosed with lymphoma, Lester started and won the final game of the 2007 World Series, and in May 2008, pitched a no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals.
Lester attended Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma, Washington, where he was a three-time MVP and three-time All-Area selection. In addition, he was named Gatorade State Player of the Year for Washington in 2000.
The Red Sox drafted Lester in the second round (No. 57 overall) of the 2002 draft and gave him the highest signing bonus of any second-rounder that year, $1 million.
Lester quickly moved through the Red Sox organization, posting an 11–6 record, a league-leading 2.61 ERA and a league-best 163 strikeouts for the AA Portland Sea Dogs in 2005. He was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Year and Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Year and was selected as the left-handed pitcher on the Eastern League's year-end All-Star team and on the year-end Topps AA All-Star squad.
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Jonathan Papelbon
Jonathan Robert Papelbon (pronounced /ˈpæpəlbɒn/; born November 23, 1980) is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. Before joining the Phillies, Papelbon played with the Boston Red Sox from 2005–2011.
On August 21, 2007, Papelbon recorded his 30th save of the season, becoming the first Boston pitcher to ever have two 30-save seasons. As of July 1, 2009, Papelbon holds the record of most saves by a Red Sox pitcher, beating Bob Stanley's previous record of 132 saves.
Papelbon was a three-time All-City honoree while playing in high school for Bishop Kenny High School in Jacksonville, FL. Early in his senior year, he committed to play college baseball for Mississippi State.
Papelbon was a closer for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. He had a 9–6 record, 13 saves, and 2.90 ERA in his three years on the team in relief. During his time at MSU, the Bulldogs appeared in the 2001 and 2003 NCAA Tournaments and won the 2001 SEC Tournament. In the summer after his freshman year, Papelbon played with the Silver Spring-Takoma Park Thunderbolts in suburban D.C. The team is a part of a wooden bat league for college players. During the subsequent summers of his college career Papelbon played for the Danville Dans, a summer baseball team located in Danville, Illinois. Soon after arriving in Danville he easily became a crowd favorite and led the team to a CICL championship. Papelbon graduated from Mississippi State in 2003.
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Josh Beckett
Joshua Patrick Beckett (born May 15, 1980) is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. During his career in the playoffs, he won the 2003 World Series MVP Award with the Florida Marlins, and received the 2007 ALCS MVP award with the Red Sox.
A resident of Spring, Texas, Beckett was discovered by Florida Marlins scout Bob Laurie. Beckett had signed a letter of intent to play with the Texas A&M Aggies but went pro. Beckett spent most of his early years with the Marlins as a member of the team's young staff, but injuries (most frequently blister problems) limited him to only 99 starts (102 appearances) from 2002 to 2005.
Beckett's major league debut was on September 4, 2001, against the Chicago Cubs, in which he gave up one hit over six shutout innings. He finished 2001 with four games started, a 2-2 record, and an ERA of 1.50.
Beckett won the 2003 World Series MVP Award with two strong performances on three days' rest. Teamed up with catcher Iván Rodríguez, he helped the Marlins win the World Series, defeating the New York Yankees. During Game 6 at Yankee Stadium, he shut out the Yankees in a complete game, striking out 9 batters and clinching the series by making the tag for the final out.
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José Rijo
José Antonio Rijo Abreu (born May 13, 1965) is a Dominican former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who spent the majority of his career with the Cincinnati Reds (1988–1995 and 2001–2002).
Plagued by injuries during his career, he left the major leagues at age 30 before returning six years later for one and a half seasons. Rijo is perhaps best known for his performance in the 1990 World Series, when he recorded two victories in a four-game sweep over the defending champion Oakland A's, including a two-hitter in the final Game Four. Rijo's performance earned him the World Series MVP Award as the Reds won their first championship in fourteen years.
When Rijo broke into the majors with the New York Yankees in 1984, he was 18 years old and the youngest player in either league. The previous year, he'd had a 15-5 record in the Florida League with a 1.68 ERA. But he did not have a good rookie season, and some observers (notably ESPN) commented that Yankee owner George Steinbrenner had orchestrated the call-up, hoping to create a phenom along the lines of the crosstown Mets' 1984 rookie sensation Dwight Gooden. When this did not happen, Rijo was sent to the Oakland A's as part of a trade package for Rickey Henderson.
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Julio Lugo
Julio Cesar Lugo (born on November 16, 1975, in Barahona, Dominican Republic) is a Dominican professional baseball infielder who is currently a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed. Lugo is the older brother of baseball pitcher Ruddy Lugo.
Lugo attended Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn, New York, where he batted .350. He also played sandlot baseball for the Youth Service League in Brooklyn, New York whose alumni include Manny Ramírez and Shawon Dunston. Lugo starred at Connors State College in Warner, Oklahoma
He was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 43rd round of the 1994 amateur draft. He signed with them on May 17, 1995.
After being released by the Astros in 2003, Lugo was signed by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
After spending three seasons with the Devil Rays, he was traded at the 2006 trade deadline, to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Joel Guzman and Sergio Pedroza.
On December 5, 2006, Lugo signed a four-year, $36 million contract with the Boston Red Sox.
Lugo was brought on to bat leadoff, but was moved by manager Terry Francona to the bottom part of the order primarily due to his inability to consistently get on base. From June 15 to July 3 Lugo went 0–31 from the plate. Since 1996, only one other Major League player with more than 250 at bats 80 games into the season has had a lower batting average: Greg Vaughn, .163 for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2002.
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Julián Tavárez
Julián Tavárez Carmen (born May 22, 1973 in Santiago, Dominican Republic) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.
Tavárez began his professional career on March 16, 1990, signing a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians organization. For two years, he was a starter for the Dominican Summer League Indians. In 1991, he joined the Class A Burlington Indians where he led the league in shutouts and hit batsmen. Tavárez progressed rapidly the following year, playing in Kinston, Canton-Akron, and finally with the Cleveland Indians. He was named the Indians' 1994 Minor League Player of the Year (receiving the "Lou Boudreau Award").
He made his major league debut on August 6, 1993, and received his first win on August 14 against the Texas Rangers. For his time in Canton-Akron, Tavárez won Carolina League Player of the Year honors and was named the league's top prospect by Baseball America. Tavárez was demoted to Triple-A Charlotte in 1994, where he led the International League in wins. He did make one spot start for Cleveland that year. Tavárez was sent to the bullpen in 1995, which was a breakout year for him. He was first in wins, third in innings pitched, and fifth in ERA among American League relief pitchers and threw 4.1 scoreless innings against the Atlanta Braves in the World Series. Tavárez was the Sporting News American League Rookie of the Year, but finished sixth in the ballot by the Baseball Writers Association of America. 1996 was Tavárez's final year with Cleveland. He was suspended for three days after a brawl in Milwaukee and spent two weeks in Triple-A Buffalo before appearing in the ALDS.
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Junichi Tazawa
Junichi Tazawa (田沢純一, Tazawa Jun'ichi?, born June 6, 1986 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture) is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.
After he finished his high school career in Yokohama, Tazawa was not drafted by any of Nippon Professional Baseball's 12 teams, and joined the company team of Nippon Oil in the corporate league, unaffiliated with the NPB.
In 2008, Tazawa posted a 10–1 record for Nippon Oil, with a 1.02 earned run average and 95 strikeouts in 88 1/3 innings. In the national corporate league championships, he posted two straight shutouts, the second one a complete game on four hits, 10 strikeouts and zero walks in a 4-0 quarterfinal win over Hitachi, Ltd. Tazawa appeared less than 24 hours later in a relief appearance in the semifinal against Central Japan Railway. He pitched 2 and 2/3 innings, and allowed three hits, struck out one, and gave up the go-ahead run in a 3-2 loss. Tazawa was the MVP of the championships, with a 4–0 record and 36 strikeouts.
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Kelly Shoppach
Kelly Brian Shoppach (pronounced SHOP-ick; born April 29, 1980) is an American professional baseball catcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He is nicknamed Shop.
Shoppach attended Brewer High School in White Settlement, Texas, and was a student and a letterman in baseball and football. In football, he played running back and linebacker, was a three-time All-District selection and as a senior, he was named the District Most Valuable Player.
Shoppach played three seasons at Baylor University, hitting .333 (168-for-505) with 26 home runs and 121 RBIs. He recorded a .993 career fielding percentage, with 7 errors in 953 total chances.
As a junior in 2001, Shoppach received the Johnny Bench Award as the nation's top collegiate catcher after hitting .397 with 12 home runs and 61 RBIs in 69 games in his final college season. He also posted a .998 fielding percentage with only one error in 406 chances.
In addition to being selected "Big 12 Player of the Year", Shoppach was named First Team All-America in 2001 by Baseball America, Baseball Weekly, Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
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Kent Mercker
Kent Franklin Mercker (born February 1, 1968 in Dublin, Ohio) is a retired Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played for nine teams over his seventeen-year career.
Mercker was taken in the first round (5th pick overall) of the 1986 Major League Baseball Draft by the Atlanta Braves. He made his major league debut with the Braves on September 22, 1989, and appeared in two games that season.
During his years with the Braves, Mercker split time between the bullpen and the starting rotation. After serving as a reliever for the vast part of his first five seasons, he joined the Braves' rotation full time for the 1994 and 1995 seasons.
After the 1995 season, the Braves traded Mercker to the Baltimore Orioles. Mercker then became a journeyman, spending time with Baltimore (1996), Cleveland (1996), Cincinnati (1997, 2003, 2005-2006, 2008), St. Louis (1998-1999), Boston (1999), Anaheim (2000), Colorado (2002), Atlanta (2003), and the Chicago Cubs (2004). During the 2004 season, Mercker reportedly called the broadcast booth to complain about commentary by Steve Stone and, along with Moisés Alou, confronted Stone on a team flight. He signed with Cincinnati for the third time in his career on December 20, 2004.
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Kevin Cash
Kevin Forrest Cash (born December 6, 1977 in Tampa, Florida) is a former American professional baseball catcher who is currently an advance scout for the Toronto Blue Jays. He has played for the Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Houston Astros and Texas Rangers.
Cash played for Northside Little League in Florida when they made it to the Little League World Series in 1989. Cash played college baseball for the Florida State University Seminoles under head coach Mike Martin. He bats and throws right-handed. In the summer of 1999, he played for the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod Baseball League.
Cash played a total of 101 games from 2002 to 2004 with the Toronto Blue Jays, serving mainly as a backup and defensive replacement.
Cash joined the Devil Rays in 2005. On April 5, 2006, the Devil Rays designated Cash for assignment, and after clearing waivers, reported to Triple-A Durham where he spent the entire 2006 season.
Cash signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox on January 24, 2007.
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Kevin Youkilis
Kevin Edmund Youkilis ( /ˈjuːkəlɪs/; born March 15, 1979), also known as "Youk" ( /ˈjuːk/), is an American professional baseball player with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, he was drafted by the Red Sox in 2001 after playing college baseball at the University of Cincinnati.
Known for his ability to get on base, Youkilis (while still a minor leaguer) was nicknamed "Euclis: The Greek God of Walks" in the best-selling book, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. A Gold Glove Award-winning first baseman, he once held baseball's record for most consecutive errorless games at first base (later broken by Casey Kotchman). He is also a three-time MLB All-Star, two-time World Series Champion, and winner of the 2008 Hank Aaron Award.
An intense performer on the playing field, Youkilis is known for his scrappiness, grittiness, dirt-stained jerseys, and home-plate collisions. He has excelled despite a physique that led many observers to underestimate his athletic ability: he was called "roly-poly" by his high school coach, "pudgy" by his college coach, a "fat kid" by general manager Billy Beane, and a "thicker-bodied guy" by the Red Sox scout who recruited him. Or, as Jackie MacMullan wrote for the Boston Globe: "He does not look like an MVP candidate; more a refrigerator repairman, a butcher, the man selling hammers behind the counter at the True Value hardware store." Youkilis was named to the Sporting News' list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball, ranking No. 36 on the list in 2009, No. 38 in 2010, and No. 35 in 2011.
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Kyle Snyder
Kyle Ehren Snyder (born September 9, 1977) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. Snyder played with the Kansas City Royals (2003, 2005-2006) and the Boston Red Sox (2006-2008). He is listed at 6-8 and 220 pounds, is a switch hitter, and throws right-handed. Snyder is currently the pitching coach of the Short-Season A level Hudson Valley Renegades in the Rays organization.
Kyle Snyder was born in Houston, Texas. He graduated from Riverview High School in Sarasota, Florida in 1996. While in high school he lettered in baseball, basketball, swimming and golf. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 1996 amateur draft but chose to attend UNC-Chapel Hill instead.
Snyder played three years for UNC-Chapel Hill, and also played for the Chatham Athletics of the Cape Cod Summer league where he was named the top prospect. In the summer of 1997, Snyder played in the Valley League (wooden-bat league in Virginia for pro prospects) for the Winchester Royals. http://www.eteamz.com/winchesterroyals/news/index.cfm?cat=266572
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Lefty Grove
Robert Moses "Lefty" Grove (March 6, 1900 – May 22, 1975) was a professional baseball pitcher. After having success in the minor leagues during the early 1920s, Grove became a star in Major League Baseball with the American League's Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox, winning 300 games in his 17-year MLB career. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1947.
One of the greatest left-handed pitchers in major league history, Grove led the American League in wins in four separate seasons, in strikeouts seven years in a row, and had the league's lowest earned run average a record nine times. Over the course of the three years from 1929 to 1931 he twice won the pitcher's Triple Crown, leading the league in wins, strikeouts, and ERA, while amassing a 79-15 record as the ace for the Athletics' dynasty teams.
Born in Lonaconing, Maryland, Grove was a sandlot star in the Baltimore area during the 1910s. In 1920, he made his professional debut with the Martinsburg Mountaineers of the class-D Blue Ridge League, where he appeared in six games. In 59 innings pitched, Grove gave up just 30 hits, and he had an earned run average (ERA) of 1.68. His performance attracted the attention of Jack Dunn, the owner of the minor league Baltimore Orioles, who also discovered Babe Ruth.
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Lou Brock
Louis Clark "Lou" Brock (born June 18, 1939) is an American former professional baseball player. He began his Major League Baseball career with the Chicago Cubs but, spent the majority of his career as the left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. Brock was best known for breaking Ty Cobb's all-time major league stolen base record. He is currently a special instructor coach for the St. Louis Cardinals. Brock was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985.
Brock was born in El Dorado, Arkansas to a family of sharecroppers. His family moved to Collinston, Louisiana when he was two years old. While his family didn't have much money, he said that he never felt poor because,"If you don't have something, you don't miss it." Brock grew up as a fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers, the team that included Jackie Robinson, Don Newcombe and Roy Campanella. Although he didn't play in organized baseball until he reached the 11th grade, he learned much about the sport from listening to Cardinals radio broadcaster Harry Caray describe the way major league hitters stood at the plate. After attending high school in Mer Rouge, Louisiana, he received academic assistance to attend Southern University in Baton Rouge but, when a low grade in his first semester meant the possibility of losing his scholarship, he decided to try out for the school's baseball team in order to secure an athletic scholarship.
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Luis Alicea
Luis René Alicea de Jesús (born July 29, 1965 in Santurce, Puerto Rico) is a former Major League Baseball second baseman.
Alicea played for the Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers, Anaheim Angels, St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox. He played college baseball for the Florida State University Seminoles with his brother Edwin under head coach Mike Martin.
Alicea played 13 seasons, during which he played in 1,341 games. He was a career .260 hitter, with 47 home runs and 422 runs batted in. He had a lifetime .346 on base percentage, and a .369 slugging percentage. He ranked in the top 5 in triples three times in his career (1992, 1997, 2000).
In 12 career postseason games, Alicea batted .267, with a .371 on-base percentage.
He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the first round (23rd pick) of the 1986 amateur draft, and signed June 17 of that year. He made his major league debut in a 12–9 Cardinals loss to the New York Mets on April 23, 1988. Starting at second base and batting eighth, Alicea went 1-for-4 with a triple, a walk and a run scored in his debut. He hit .212 with one home run and 24 RBI in 93 games with the Cardinals that season.
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Luis Tiant
Luis Clemente Tiant Vega (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈlwis ˈtjant]), born November 23, 1940 in Marianao, Cuba, (then part of Havana Province), is a former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cleveland Indians (1964–1969), Minnesota Twins (1970), Boston Red Sox (1971–1978), New York Yankees (1979–80), Pittsburgh Pirates (1981) and California Angels (1982). Tiant is one of five pitchers to have pitched four or more consecutive shutouts in the 50-year expansion era, with Don Drysdale (six, 1968), Bob Gibson (five, 1968), Orel Hershiser (five, 1988) and Gaylord Perry (four, 1970) being the others.
Tiant is the only child of Luis Tiant, Sr. and Isabel Vega. From 1926 through 1948, the senior Tiant was a great left-handed pitcher for the Negro League's New York Cubans during the summer and the Cuban professional league's Cienfuegos in the winter, his heroics being followed by hundreds of thousands of Cubans. Luis Jr. followed in his father's footsteps at an early age, joining both the local Little and Juvenile baseball leagues until he starred for the Havana team and was picked up for the Cuban Juvenile League All-Star team in 1957.
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Manny Delcarmen
Manuel "Manny" Delcarmen (born February 16, 1982, in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees organization. He has been called "The Pride of Hyde Park".
Delcarmen is a native of the Hyde Park section of Boston, and a graduate of West Roxbury High School.
Delcarmen was a second-round draft pick by Boston in 2000; he was the first draftee from a Boston public high school in 34 years, and made his debut with the Red Sox on July 27, 2005.
Beginning the season at Double-A Portland, he posted a 4-4 record with three saves and a 3.23 ERA in 31 games. After a promotion to Triple-A Pawtucket, he struck out 12 with a 3.00 ERA over nine innings.
In 2005, Delcarmen was called up to the major leagues for 10 games. He pitched 9 innings with a 3.00 ERA and 9 strikeouts.
After starting the 2006 season in Pawtucket, Delcarmen was recalled to the major leagues on April 22, 2006. On June 11, Delcarmen got his first major league win, pitching two innings against the Texas Rangers.
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Manny Ramirez
Manuel Arístides "Manny" Ramírez Onelcida (born May 30, 1972) is a Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter who is currently with the Oakland Athletics organization. He was recognized for great batting skill and power, a nine-time Silver Slugger and one of 25 players to hit 500 career home runs. Ramirez's 21 grand slams are third all-time, and his 28 post-season home runs are the most by any player in MLB history. He was a fixture in the All-Star Game with 12 appearances including eleven consecutive beginning 1998. He appeared in the All-Star game in every season that he played with the Boston Red Sox.
Ramirez was allegedly among a group of 104 major league players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs during 2003. In 2009 he was suspended 50 games for violating baseball's drug policy by taking human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a women's fertility drug. According to steroid dealer Victor Conte, hCG is often used to restart natural testosterone production after a steroid cycle.
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Mark Leiter
Mark Edward Leiter (born April 13, 1963 in Joliet, Illinois) is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who had an 11-year career from 1990-1999, 2001. Leiter grew up in Toms River, New Jersey.
Mark played for the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, California Angels and Seattle Mariners, all of the American League. He also played for the San Francisco Giants, Montreal Expos, Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers, all of the National League.
As a member of the Giants, he won the 1994 Willie Mac Award honoring his spirit and leadership.
1990 Named "Best Control Pitcher" in the International League.
Named to 1991 Topps All Star Rookie Team
1994 Lead the American League in Inherited Runs Stranded.
Mark's brother, Al Leiter, was a successful major league pitcher.
Mark can also be seen on the internet, guest-appearing in several episodes of TheBackstopDOTnet's YouTube page, a business aimed towards sports cards and memorabilia.
Mark currently runs a pitching academy in Toms River, NJ that offers pitching lessons, coaching and instruction www.leiteradvantage.com
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Mark Loretta
Mark David Loretta (born August 14, 1971 in Santa Monica, California) is a retired Major League Baseball infielder. Loretta played for the Milwaukee Brewers (1995-2002), Houston Astros (2002, 2007-2008), San Diego Padres (2003-2005), Boston Red Sox (2006) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2009). He batted and threw right-handed.
Drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the seventh round of the 1993 Major League Baseball Draft out of Northwestern University, Loretta made his professional debut with the Helena Brewers in 1993. He subsequently played with the Stockton Ports, El Paso Diablos and New Orleans Zephyrs. He was selected to the American Association All-star team during the 1995 season.
Loretta made his Major League debut on September 4, 1995 for the Brewers against the Minnesota Twins and recorded his first hit on September 10 against the Texas Rangers. He remained on the Brewers every day roster as a utility player through 2002.
On June 20, 2001, during an 11–3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, Loretta took the mound to pitch a scoreless eighth inning. Brewers manager Davey Lopes asked the team for a volunteer to pitch an inning in hopes of saving the depleted bullpen, and Loretta volunteered. He had not pitched since college. Loretta faced five batters, gave up one hit and one walk and got two strikeouts on 19 pitches. He was the first everyday player to pitch for the Brewers since 1991.
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Mark Melancon
Mark David Melancon [pronounced /məˈlɑːnsɒn/ mə-LAHN-son] (born March 28, 1985) is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.
Melancon was born in Wheat Ridge, Colorado and attended Golden High School, where he lettered all four years in baseball and basketball and three times in football. He helped the team capture the Colorado 4A State Championship in baseball. Melancon was named to the All-State Team twice in his career (as well as twice in football and once in basketball), and graduated as a member of the National Honors Society.
Melancon was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 30th round of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft. Melancon didn’t sign, instead following through on his commitment to the University of Arizona.
As a member of the Arizona Wildcats baseball team, Melancon set a single-season freshman record by making 29 appearances, and followed that by going 2-0 with two saves in five postseason appearances. While pitching for the USA National Team over the summer, Melancon made 10 appearances and led the club with five saves.
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Mark Teahen
Mark Thomas Teahen (born September 6, 1981, in Redlands, California) is an American-Canadian professional baseball infielder for the Washington Nationals organization.
He graduated from Yucaipa High School in 1999 and attended St. Mary's College in California. Teahen was drafted 39th overall in the 2002 draft by the Oakland Athletics with a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds. Teahen was one of the featured players in the book Moneyball, which claimed that Teahen had the potential to become the next Jason Giambi.
Prior to the 2009 World Baseball Classic, Teahen, whose father was born in St. Marys, Ontario, became a naturalized Canadian citizen and played for Team Canada in that event. In 2011, Teahen and Brett Lawrie both started in the infield for the Blue Jays, marking the first time the squad had two Canadians in its starting lineup.
Oakland traded him to Kansas City in 2004, along with Mike Wood, as part of a three-way trade that sent Carlos Beltran to the Houston Astros, Octavio Dotel from the Astros to the Athletics, and John Buck from the Astros to the Royals. Although he had been one of the most highly regarded prospects in the Oakland organization, he became available when the Athletics were able to sign Eric Chavez to a long-term contract.
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Marlon Byrd
Marlon Jerrard Byrd (born August 30, 1977) is an American professional baseball outfielder with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He also has played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals, Texas Rangers and the Chicago Cubs.
Byrd is a 1995 graduate of Sprayberry High School (Marietta, Georgia), and won All-State honors in baseball and football.
He played on the 1993 State Runner up team as a sophomore, and was part of the 1995 State Championship team.
Marlon played baseball at Georgia Tech. After a major injury, he transferred to Georgia Perimeter Junior College where he earned an AS Degree in Business in May 1999, while rededicating himself to baseball. The injury was to his right leg in which he sustained muscular damage and an infection which cut off the circulation to his nerves. He had to undergo three operations to correct the problem. Many doctors had wanted to amputate his right leg, but Byrd refused and underwent a two-year rehab process. During the rehab process, Byrd reached up to 300 pounds.
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Marty Pattin
Martin William "Marty" Pattin (born April 6, 1943) is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He pitched for the California Angels (1968), Seattle Pilots (1969), Milwaukee Brewers (1970–1971), Boston Red Sox (1972–1973), and the Kansas City Royals (1974–1980). During a 13-year baseball career, Pattin compiled 114 wins, 1,179 strikeouts, and a 3.62 earned run average. He had a pitching motion that resembled Denny McLain with a high leg kick.
Pattin was born in Charleston, Illinois and earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Eastern Illinois University. A member of the EIU Panthers baseball team, he struck out 22 batters in a game. He joined the California Angels in 1968 and then was part of the Seattle Pilots in 1969, which later became the Milwaukee Brewers in 1970.
In Milwaukee, Pattin finished with a 14-12 record and a 3.39 ERA in 1970, and was named an All-Star in 1971, when he finished with a 14-14 record and a 3.12 ERA. At the end of the season, he was sent to the Boston Red Sox in a 10-player mega-trade that included Ken Brett, Billy Conigliaro, Tommy Harper, Jim Lonborg and George Scott. He won 32 games in two seasons with the Red Sox, including a no-hit bid foiled in 1972, when A's Reggie Jackson hit a single off him with one out in the ninth inning.
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Matt Albers
Matthew James Albers (born January 20, 1983, in Houston, Texas) is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.
In 2001, Albers graduated William P. Clements High School in Sugar Land, Texas. That year, in the 2001 MLB Draft, the Astros took him in the 23rd round.
Albers worked his way up through the minor leagues and started 2006 at Double-A Corpus Christi, where he went 10–2 with an 2.17 ERA.
Albers is mainly a sinkerball pitcher, throwing it in the 93-96 mph range. He complements the sinker with a hard slider and occasional curveball.
In late July of that year, the Astros called him up to the Major Leagues. Albers pitched a few games in relief, then made his first Major League start against the San Diego Padres on August 3, 2006.
When Albers was sent back down shortly after the San Diego start, it was to AAA Round Rock. Albers returned to the Majors when rosters expanded on September 1.
In 2006, Albers was named Texas League Pitcher of the Year.
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Mauro Gómez
Mauro Alexis Gómez (born September 7, 1984) is an American professional baseball infielder with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball
He was called up to the major leagues by the Red Sox on May 13, 2012.
On May 13, 2012, Gómez was called up to the Red Sox. He filled the roster spot of Darnell McDonald, who went on the disabled list and added after Jacoby Ellsbury was moved to the 60-day disabled list.. Gómez made his Major League debut that afternoon as a defensive substitution at 1st base for Adrian Gonzalez and struck out in his only plate appearance. Gomez was optioned to Pawtucket on May 20 after making two pinch-hit appearances.
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Mel Parnell
Melvin Lloyd Parnell (June 13, 1922 – March 20, 2012) was a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher.
Parnell spent his entire ten-year career with the Boston Red Sox (1947–1956), compiling a 123-75 record with 732 strikeouts, a 3.50 earned run average, 113 complete games, 20 shutouts, and 1752.2 innings pitched in 289 games (232 as a starter). He has the third-highest career winning percentage for a left-hander in Fenway Park (minimum of more than 25 decisions), at 71-30 (.703).
Parnell enjoyed his best season in 1949 when he went 25-7, leading the league in wins, ERA (2.77), complete games (27) and innings (295.1). He was the starting pitcher for the American League in that year's All-Star Game and was selected again in 1951.
After two 18-win seasons in 1950 and 1951, and a 12-12 record in 1952, Parnell went 21-8 in 1953 with a 3.06 ERA and a career-high 136 strikeouts. He pitched a no-hitter on July 14, 1956 against the Chicago White Sox at Fenway, winning 4-0. The no-hitter was the first for a Red Sox pitcher since Howard Ehmke in 1923, though this would prove the final highlight of his career, which would come to a premature end after the 1956 season, due to a torn muscle in his pitching arm. It would take 52 years until another Red Sox lefty would throw a no-hitter, a feat accomplished by Jon Lester in 2008.
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Michael Saunders
Michael Edward Saunders (born November 19, 1986 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) is a Canadian Major League Baseball left fielder for the Seattle Mariners. He is a left-handed hitting, right-handed throwing outfielder. He was nicknamed "The Condor" by Dave Sims who attributed the origin of it to Lee Tinsley.
Mike Saunders started his baseball playing Little League at Gordon Head Baseball Association. While attending Lambrick Park Secondary School in Victoria, British Columbia, Saunders played high school baseball for the Victoria Mariners of the B.C. Premier Baseball League. He was selected by the Mariners in the 11th round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft.
Before officially signing with the Mariners, Saunders spent the 2004 season playing for the Tallahassee Community College Eagles. He then spent the 2005 season with the Everett AquaSox of the Northwest League, hitting .270 with seven home runs and 39 RBIs. In 2006, he was promoted to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers of the Midwest League, hitting .239 with four home runs and 39 RBIs. Despite struggling in 2006, for 2007 he was promoted to the high A High Desert Mavericks of the California League, where he excelled, hitting .299 with 14 home runs and 77 RBIs, before he was called up to the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx of the AA Southern League, where he finished off the season hitting .288 with one home run and 7 RBIs in 15 games. Saunders started the 2008 season once again in West Tennessee, where he hit .290 with eight home runs and 30 RBIs in 67 games before being promoted to the AAA Tacoma Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League on June 17.
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Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995) was an American baseball center fielder who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees from 1951 to 1968. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974 and was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999.
Mantle was noted for his hitting ability, both for average and for power.[citation needed] He won the Triple Crown in 1956, leading MLB in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in (RBI). He received three American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards and played in twenty All-Star games. Mantle appeared in 12 World Series, winning 7 of them. He holds the records for most World Series home runs (18), RBIs (40), runs (42), walks (43), extra-base hits (26), and total bases (123). He is also the career leader in walk-off home runs, with a combined thirteen, twelve in the regular season and one in the postseason.
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Mike Avilés
Michael Anthony Avilés [ah-ve-les' ] (born March 13, 1981) is an Puerto Rican-American professional baseball infielder with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.
Avilés was born in New York City, to a Puerto Rican family. He graduated from Middletown High School in Middletown, New York in 1999 and was a Division II All-American shortstop at Concordia College, in Bronxville, New York. He was named Division II player of the year in 2003, after hitting .500 with 83 runs, 22 homers and 65 RBI in 45 games.
His professional baseball career began when he was chosen in the 7th round of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft by the Kansas City Royals and offered an "insulting" $1,000 signing bonus. He spent 2004 with the Wilmington Blue Rocks in the Carolina League and 2005 with the Wichita Wranglers in the Texas League. He then spent 2006 and 2007 with the Omaha Royals of the Pacific Coast League, becoming the Royals' Minor League Player of The Year in 2007. He started 2008 in the minors, batting .338 with 10 home runs and 42 RBI in just 50 games with Omaha.
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Mike Lowell
Michael Averett Lowell (born February 24, 1974) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball third baseman. During a 13-year career, Lowell played for the New York Yankees (1998), Florida Marlins (1999–2005), and the Boston Red Sox (2006–2010). With the Red Sox, he was named World Series MVP of the 2007 World Series for batting .400 with 1 HR, 4 RBI, 6 runs scored and a stolen base in the four-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies.
Mike was born in Puerto Rico to Carl and Beatriz Lowell on February 24, 1974. His parents were born in Cuba, and are of Irish and Spanish ancestry. His family relocated to Miami, Florida when Lowell was four years old. He has always identified himself as a Puerto Rican. As a high school sophomore, he was chosen to play for the varsity baseball team at Christopher Columbus High School, but did not get playing time, so he transferred to Coral Gables for his junior year.
In 1992, Lowell graduated from Coral Gables Senior High School in Coral Gables, Florida, where he had a 4.0 GPA and was a star player on the baseball team. There, he met future wife Bertica, a member of the school's nationally recognized Gablettes dance team, of which she became coach years later. They have one daughter, Alexis Ileana Lowell, and one son named Anthony.
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Mike Sweeney
Michael John "Mike" Sweeney (born July 22, 1973 in Orange, California) is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. Sweeney played his first 13 seasons in the majors with the Kansas City Royals, originally as a catcher and then moving to first base. Sweeney also played for the Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, and Philadelphia Phillies. On March 25, 2011, Sweeney retired from baseball. He now works as a studio analyst on the MLB Network.
Sweeney made his major league debut on September 14, 1995 as a catcher. He got his first major league base hit against Cleveland Indians' pitcher Paul Assenmacher at Jacobs Field in the final game of the season. While his ability with the bat impressed the Royals, they were less than enamored with his skills behind the plate.
He hit his first home run off Seattle Mariners' pitcher Jamie Moyer on August 12, 1996. It was a three-run shot.
Sweeney split catching duties with Mike Macfarlane in 1997. He belted a two-run ninth inning game-winning home run off then Detroit Tigers's pitcher Doug Brocail on May 15, 1997.
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Mike Timlin
Michael August Timlin ( /ˈtɪmlɪn/; born March 10, 1966, in Midland, Texas) is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball.
Timlin was born in Midland, Texas to Jerome Francis Timlin Sr. and Nancy Sharon Beyer. Timlin graduated from Midland High School in Midland, Texas. He then attended and pitched at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta.
Timlin was known for his 93 MPH fastball.[citation needed] His sliders and sinkers had a downward break, inducing a significant number of ground balls. Timlin assisted on the final out of 1992 World Series in Game 6 by fielding a bunt by Atlanta Braves outfielder Otis Nixon and throwing to Joe Carter at first base. Timlin also recorded a save for the game. Joe Carter gave Timlin the game ball shortly after the play was made.
Timlin did not allow a run during the 2003 postseason.
In 2004, Timlin made 76 pitching appearances, the third-most in Red Sox history and tied for fourth in American League history. On September 3, he made his 800th major league appearance, becoming only the 29th pitcher in major league history to reach that mark. Timlin made his 1,000th career appearance on August 31, 2007, against the Baltimore Orioles.
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Mike Torrez
Michael Augustine Torrez (born August 28, 1946 in Topeka, Kansas) is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball.
Torrez had an 18-year career from 1967 to 1984. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Montreal Expos and New York Mets, all of the National League, and Baltimore Orioles, Oakland A's, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox, all of the American League.
He made his debut at the age of 20 with the Cardinals. He seldom pitched in his first two seasons. He had a breakthrough season in 1969, going 10-4. He was traded to the Expos mid-season in 1970. In 1972 Torrez went 16-12 with a 3.33 ERA in 240 innings. However he had control problems as he walked 103 batters. He struggled in 1973 going 9-12. Torrez rebounded in '74 with a 15-8 win-loss record in 186 innings.
In 1975 he had perhaps his best season of his career with the Orioles, going 20-9 with a 3.06 ERA in 270.2 innings pitched. However he also led the league in walks with 133.
Pitching with the Oakland Athletics, Torrez had another fine season in 1976 as he went 16-12 with a career low 2.50 ERA. He was traded to Yankees early the next season.
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Nick Punto
Nicholas Paul Punto (born November 8, 1977) is an American professional baseball utility player with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He has played second base, third base, shortstop, and center field with several teams. Punto is a switch hitter and throws right-handed.
Punto is a 1996 graduate of Trabuco Hills High School in Mission Viejo, California. After high school, he attended Saddleback College, also in Mission Viejo. His father, Lou, was drafted by the Boston Red Sox. Nick and his wife, Natalie have two children, Nicole Jayne born on May 30, 2008 and a son, Nash.
Punto was drafted in the 21st round of the 1998 MLB Draft and made his major league debut with the Philadelphia Phillies on September 9, 2001.
After playing in a career-high 64 major-league games in 2003, he was acquired by the Minnesota Twins in the 2004 offseason (along with Carlos Silva) for Eric Milton. He started the season with the team, but he was injured twice and spent the majority of his time in 2004 on the disabled list. In 2005, he competed for the starting job at second base, which he eventually won, and in 2006 became the starting third baseman.
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Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. (born on January 31, 1947), nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers.
During a major league record 27-year baseball career, he pitched in 1966 and from 1968 to 1993 for four different teams: the New York Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros, and Texas Rangers. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999.
Ryan, a hard-throwing right-handed pitcher, threw pitches that were regularly recorded above 100 miles per hour (160.93 km/h). The high velocity remained throughout his career, even into his 40s. Ryan was also known to throw a devastating 12–6 curveball at exceptional velocity for a breaking ball.
While his lifetime winning percentage was a relatively pedestrian .526, Ryan was an eight-time MLB All-Star, and his 5,714 career strikeouts rank first in baseball history by a significant margin. He leads the runner-up, Randy Johnson, by 839 strikeouts. Similarly, Ryan's 2,795 bases on balls lead second-place Steve Carlton by 962—walking over 50% more hitters than any other pitcher in Major League history. Other than Jackie Robinson (whose number was retired by the entire MLB), Ryan is currently the only major league baseball player to have his number retired by at least 3 different teams: the Angels, Astros, and Rangers.
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Oil Can Boyd
Dennis Ray "Oil Can" Boyd (born October 6, 1959 in Meridian, Mississippi) is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Boyd played for the Boston Red Sox (1982–89), Montreal Expos (1990–91), and Texas Rangers (1991). He batted and threw right-handed. Boyd currently lives in East Providence, Rhode Island, with his wife, daughter Tala, and son Dennis. His nickname comes from his beer-drinking days in his hometown of Meridian, Mississippi, where beer is referred to as "oil."
Boyd had one of the more colorful personalities of his generation and a quotable outlook that made him memorable long after his career ended. He attended Jackson State University. He was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 16th round of the 1980 amateur draft, Boyd made his debut in the 1982 season. He pitched 10 years in the majors before blood clots in his right arm ended his career. According to the Inside Baseball portion of the April 27, 1987 Sports Illustrated, Boyd listed Haiti in the '87 Red Sox yearbook as his favorite vacation destination.
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Omar Vizquel
Omar Enrique Vizquel González (Spanish pronunciation: [oˈmar βisˈkel]; born April 24, 1967 in Caracas, Venezuela), nicknamed "Little O", is a Venezuelan Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays. Vizquel has played for the Seattle Mariners (1989–1993), Cleveland Indians (1994–2004), San Francisco Giants (2005–2008), Texas Rangers (2009) Chicago White Sox (2010–2011), and Toronto Blue Jays (2012). In Venezuela he played with the team Leones del Caracas.
Vizquel is considered one of baseball's all-time best fielding shortstops, winning nine consecutive Gold Gloves (1993–2001) and two more in 2005 and 2006. He tied Cal Ripken, Jr.'s AL record, since surpassed, for most consecutive games at shortstop without an error (95, between September 26, 1999 and July 21, 2000). Currently, his .985 career fielding percentage is the highest of all-time for a shortstop in Major League history. On May 25, 2008, Vizquel became the all-time leader in games played at shortstop, passing Luis Aparicio. Vizquel is the all-time leader in double plays made while playing shortstop. He has the most hits recorded by any player from Venezuela (2,842; 45th all-time, as of April 18, 2012), surpassing Aparicio's record of 2,677 on June 25, 2009. On May 24, 2010, Vizquel became the shortstop with the second most hits all time, behind Derek Jeter. Vizquel is the sacrifice hit leader of the live-ball era.
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Paul Molitor
Paul Leo Molitor (born August 22, 1956), nicknamed "Molly" and "The Ignitor", is an American former Major League Baseball designated hitter and infielder. During his 21-year baseball career, he played for the Milwaukee Brewers (1978–1992), Toronto Blue Jays (1993–1995), and Minnesota Twins (1996–1998). In 2004, he was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, becoming one of the first players who spent a significant portion of his career as a designated hitter to be enshrined. He was known for his exceptional hitting and speed.
Molitor was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota. After graduating from Cretin-Derham Hall High School, he was selected in the 28th round of the 1974 free agent draft as a pitcher by the St. Louis Cardinals, but opted instead to attend college at the University of Minnesota. He was a three year starter for the Golden Gophers, earning All American honors as a shortstop for his sophomore and junior years. After his junior year in college, he was selected third overall in the 1978 free agent draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. He signed with the Brewers and began his professional career in Iowa, playing for the Class A Burlington Bees of the Midwest League.
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Pedro Martínez
Pedro Jaime Martínez (born October 25, 1971 in Manoguayabo, Dominican Republic) is a retiredMajor League Baseball pitcher. He is an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2004 World Series champion. At the time of his 200th win in April 2006, Martínez had the highest winning percentage of any 200-game winner in modern baseball history (he eventually slipped .003 behind Whitey Ford). His ERA+ is the highest of any starting pitcher in MLB history.
Officially listed at 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) and 195 pounds (88 kg), Martínez was unusually small for a modern-day power pitcher, and he is believed to be somewhat smaller than his officially listed height and weight.
Martínez's pitching style was atypical as he commanded an arsenal of "out" pitches. His fastball, cutter, curveball and circle changeup were all well above average; combined with his historically excellent control, they proved to be an overpowering package. Martínez threw from a low three-quarter position that hid the ball very well from batters, who have remarked on the difficulty of picking up Martínez's delivery.
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Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose (born April 14, 1941), nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989.
Rose, a switch hitter, is the all-time Major League leader in hits (4,256), games played (3,562), at-bats (14,053) and outs (10,328). He won three World Series rings, three batting titles, one Most Valuable Player Award, two Gold Gloves, the Rookie of the Year Award, and made 17 All-Star appearances at an unequaled five different positions (2B, LF, RF, 3B & 1B).
In August 1989, three years after he retired as an active player, Rose agreed to permanent ineligibility from baseball amidst accusations that he gambled on baseball games while playing for and managing the Reds, including claims that he bet on his own team. In 1991, the Baseball Hall of Fame formally voted to ban those on the "permanently ineligible" list from induction, after previously excluding such players by informal agreement among voters. In 2004, after years of public denial, Rose admitted to betting on baseball and on, but not against, the Reds. The issue of Rose's possible re-instatement, and election, to the Hall of Fame remains a contentious one throughout baseball.
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Ray Culp
Raymond Leonard Culp (born August 6, 1941 in Elgin, Texas) was a pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies (1963–66), Chicago Cubs (1967), and Boston Red Sox (1968–73).
In 11 seasons he had a 122-101 Win-Loss record, 322 Games, 268 Games Started, 80 Complete Games, 22 Shutouts, 21 Games Finished, 1 Save, 1,898 ⅓ Innings Pitched, 1,677 Hits Allowed, 863 Runs Allowed, 755 Earned Runs Allowed, 188 Home Runs Allowed, 752 Walks Allowed, 1,411 Strikeouts, 70 Hit Batsmen, 73 Wild Pitches, 8,066 Batters Faced, 58 Intentional Walks, 3 Balks and a 3.58 ERA.
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Ray Knight
Charles Ray Knight (born December 28, 1952) is an American former right-handed Major League Baseball third baseman best remembered for his time with the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets. Originally drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the tenth round of the 1970 Major League Baseball Draft, he is likely best remembered to Reds fans as the man who replaced Pete Rose at third base, whereas Mets fans remember Knight as the man who scored the winning run of game six of the 1986 World Series and the MVP of that series. He is now a studio analyst and occasional game analyst for MASN's coverage of the Washington Nationals.
Knight made his major league debut with Cincinnati as a September call-up in 1974. He spent all of 1975 and 1976 with the triple A Indianapolis Indians before returning to the majors in 1977. During that time, the Reds won both World Series titles.
Knight was a .232 hitter with two home runs and 19 runs batted in when he assumed the role of starting third baseman for the "Big Red Machine" following Rose's defection to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1979. Knight responded with a .318 Batting average, ten home runs 79 RBIs and 64 runs scored to finish fifth in National League Most Valuable Player balloting.
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Red Ruffing
Charles Herbert "Red" Ruffing (May 3, 1905 – February 17, 1986) was a Major League Baseball pitcher most remembered for his time with the highly successful New York Yankees teams of the 1930s and 1940s. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967.
Born in Granville, Illinois, Ruffing suffered the loss of four toes on his left foot in a freak mine accident in Coalton, Illinois, as a youth. Subsequently converted from an outfielder to a pitcher.
Ruffing made his major league debut in 1924 with the Boston Red Sox, pitching without a decision over 23 innings of work. He saw regular playing time with the Sox over the next few years but had limited success, garnering a 39–96 record in five-and-a-half years with Boston. However, the Red Sox were in the midst of the darkest period in their history, and Ruffing usually got abysmal run support. His best year, in terms of earned run performance, came in 1928, when he posted a respectable 3.89 ERA. However, even in that year, he only had a 10–25 record.
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Rex Cecil
Rex Rolston Cecil (October 8, 1916 – October 30, 1966) was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox (1944–1945). Cecil batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was born in Lindsay, Oklahoma.
In a two-season career, Cecil posted a 6–10 record with 63 strikeouts and a 5.18 ERA in 106 innings pitched.
Cecil died in Long Beach, California, at the age of 50.
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Rick Reuschel
Rickey Eugene Reuschel (pronounced RUSH-el) (born May 16, 1949 in Quincy, Illinois) is a former professional baseball pitcher from the early 1970s into the early 1990s. His nickname was "Big Daddy" because of his portly physique. He was known for his deceptive style of pitching, which kept hitters off balance by constantly varying the speeds of his pitches.
Reuschel was listed as 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, which made him a few pounds heavier than his franchise-mate from two generations earlier, Hippo Vaughn. Reuschel could run surprisingly well for his size (logging 4 triples in his batting career) and he was frequently used as a pinch runner on days he was not pitching. He was also a fair - though awkward-looking - hitter, batting well over .200 several times. His older brother Paul Reuschel also pitched for the Cubs for a few years while Reuschel was pitching, but was not nearly as effective as his younger brother and his career was much shorter. Both of them were Illinois farm boys, with strong physiques and plain-spoken ways. The two are the only siblings to combine on a shutout. On August 21, 1975, Rick started and went 61⁄3 innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers, followed by Paul, who pitched the final 22⁄3 innings for the Cubs' 7-0 win.
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Rocco Baldelli
Rocco Dan Baldelli (/ˈrɒkoʊ bɔːlˈdɛli/; born September 25, 1981 in Woonsocket, Rhode Island) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and designated hitter. Because of his excellent size and speed, and in reference to his hometown, he was nicknamed, "The Woonsocket Rocket," early in his professional career. After a promising beginning to his baseball career, a mysterious metabolic/muscular disorder would lead to numerous injuries and force Baldelli to retire as a player at age 29.
Rocco Baldelli attended the PEGASUS Gifted and Talented middle-school program at La Salle Academy in Providence. He played baseball for the Rhode Island Tides, an AAU ball club. Then he switched to Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick, Rhode Island, for high school There he posted a 4.25 grade point average. He was also a four sport star, earning all-state honors in baseball, indoor track, basketball, and volleyball and was selected in the first round of the 2000 amateur draft. Had he not signed with Tampa Bay, he would have attended Wake Forest University on a baseball scholarship. He also seriously considered attending Princeton University.
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Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens (born August 4, 1962), nicknamed "The Rocket", is an American former baseball pitcher who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for four teams. Clemens was one of the most dominant pitchers in major league history, tallying 354 wins, a 3.12 earned run average (ERA), and 4,672 strikeouts, the third-most all time. An 11-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, he won seven Cy Young Awards during his career, the most of any pitcher. Clemens was known for his fierce competitive nature and for his hard-throwing pitching style that he used to intimidate batters.
Clemens debuted in the major leagues in 1984 with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he anchored for 12 years. In 1986, he won the American League (AL) Cy Young Award, the AL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award, and the All-Star Game MVP Award, and he struck out an MLB-record 20 batters in a single game. After the 1996 season, Clemens left Boston via free agency and joined the Toronto Blue Jays. In each of his two seasons with Toronto, Clemens won a Cy Young Award, as well as the pitching triple crown by leading the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts. Prior to the 1999 season, Clemens was traded to the New York Yankees where he won his only two World Series titles. In 2003, he reached his 300th win and 4,000th strikeout in the same game. Clemens left for the Houston Astros in 2004, where he spent three seasons and won his seventh Cy Young Award. He rejoined the Yankees in 2007 for one last season.
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Ron Oester
Ronald John Oester (born May 5, 1956, in Cincinnati, Ohio) is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. Bill James described him as "a quiet, efficient player who was always overlooked".
Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 9th round of the 1974 MLB amateur draft, Oester made his debut with the Reds on September 10, 1978, and appeared in his final game on October 3, 1990.
Oester was one of the few major leaguers who did not wear batting gloves. He perpetually developed blisters on his hands, and according to teammates, they would develop into deep wounds on his palms.
In 1984 Oester had a career best 21 game hitting streak. In 1985 he had a .295 batting average, a career high.
On July 5, 1987, during a Mets-Reds game at Riverfront Stadium, the New York Mets' Mookie Wilson slid hard into second base during a double-play attempt. During the slide, Oester, who was playing second, collided with Wilson. His cleats got caught in the turf, and he tore his left ACL. Oester did not return to action until July 16, 1988.
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Ryan Kalish
Ryan Michael Kalish (born March 28, 1988, in Northridge, California) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Boston Red Sox organization.
A standout high school baseball and football player, he was drafted by the Red Sox in 2006. In the minor leagues, he was twice voted the Red Sox Minor League Base-Stealer of the Month (June 2007 & April 2009), and was also named a New York-Penn League All Star (2007), a Red Sox Minor League Player of the Month (July 2008), and the Red Sox Minor League Offensive Player of the Year (2009).
Kalish debuted in the major leagues in 2010, and at the end of the season was voted the Red Sox Rookie of the Year. He is known for his game-changing speed, sensational catches, excellent arm, intensity, aggressiveness on the bases and in the field, and patience at the plate.
Kalish is the son of Steven and Eileen Kalish, who were both born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, and grew up in the Boston area. He was born in Los Angeles, and grew up in Shrewsbury, New Jersey. His father is Jewish and his mother Catholic, and Kalish attended Catholic school.
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Ryan Lavarnway
Ryan Cole Lavarnway (born August 7, 1987) is an American professional baseball catcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.
He attended Yale University, where in 2007 he won the NCAA batting title by hitting .467, and led the NCAA with an .873 slugging percentage. That year, Lavarnway also set the Ivy League record with a 25-game hitting streak. In addition, he is the Ivy League all-time career home run leader, with 33.
Lavarnway was drafted by the Red Sox in 2008. In 2009, he set all-time team records in doubles (36) and home runs (21) for the Greenville Drive, while leading all Red Sox minor leaguers with a .540 slugging percentage. In 2010, he was named the Red Sox co-Minor League Offensive Player of the Year, after leading the Carolina League in home runs and leading all Red Sox minor leaguers in RBIs (102) and slugging percentage (.489), while coming in second among Red Sox minor leaguers in home runs (22). By the 2011 All Star break, he was leading all players in the Red Sox organization (including major leaguers) in home runs, with 30.
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Ryan Sweeney
Ryan Joseph Sweeney (born February 20, 1985) is an American professional baseball outfielder with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.
Sweeney was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and originally attended Jefferson High School, however, conflict between winter showcase games and high school basketball obligations led him to transfer to cross-town Xavier High School. Sweeney graduated from Xavier High School in Cedar Rapids in 2003.
At the beginning of the 2007 season, Ryan was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 1 Prospect in the Chicago White Sox organization. He had originally signed to play collegiately for Tony Gwynn at San Diego State. However, he signed with the White Sox as he was taken in the 2nd round of the 2003 MLB Draft.
On January 3, 2008, the White Sox traded Sweeney along with fellow prospects Fautino De Los Santos and Gio Gonzalez to Oakland for outfielder Nick Swisher.
On December 28, 2011, Sweeney and Andrew Bailey were traded to the Boston Red Sox for Josh Reddick and two minor league prospects.
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Sad Sam Jones
Samuel Pond "Sad Sam" Jones (July 26, 1892 – July 6, 1966) was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played in the American League with the Cleveland Indians (1914–15), Boston Red Sox (1916–21), New York Yankees (1922–26), St. Louis Browns (1927), Washington Senators (1928–31) and Chicago White Sox (1932–35). A native of Woodsfield, Ohio, Jones batted and threw right-handed. His sharp-breaking curveball also earned him the nickname "Horsewhips Sam".
In a 22-year career, Jones compiled a 229–217 record with 1223 strikeouts and a 3.84 ERA in 3,883 innings pitched. Jones signed his first professional contract in 1913, with a minor league team in Zanesville, Ohio. He made his major league debut with the Indians in 1914. Before the 1916 season, he was sent to Boston in the same trade that brought Tris Speaker to Cleveland.
In 1918, Jones joined the Red Sox starting rotation, ending with a 16–5 mark, a career-best 2.25 ERA, and a league-best .762 winning percentage. His most productive season came in 1921, when he posted career-highs in wins (23), strikeouts (98) and innings (298.2), and led the league in shutouts (5). But his most remembered season may have been 1923 as the ace of the Yankees' staff. In that season, Jones pitched a no-hitter game against the Philadelphia Athletics (September 4), and finished 21–8 with a 3.63 ERA, leading his team to their first World Series title. He was 2–1 against the New York Giants, and his crucial relief work in the final game of the Series clinched the championship for the Yankees. Like most pitchers of his time, Jones relieved as well as started, and his eight saves in 1922 led the league's relief pitchers.
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Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax ( /ˈkoʊfæks/; born Sanford Braun, December 30, 1935) is an American former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers (1955–1966). Retiring at the peak of his career, in 1972 he became, at age 36 and 20 days, the youngest player ever elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame .
Koufax's career peaked with a run of six outstanding seasons from 1961 to 1966, before arthritis in his left elbow ended his career prematurely at age 30. He was named the National League's Most Valuable Player in 1963. He also won the 1963, 1965, and 1966 Cy Young Awards by unanimous votes, making him the first 3-time Cy Young winner in baseball history and the only one to win 3 times when the award was for all of baseball, not just one league. In each of his Cy Young seasons, Koufax won the pitcher's triple crown by leading the NL in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average. Koufax's totals would also have led the American League in those seasons.
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Scott Atchison
Scott Barham Atchison (born March 29, 1976 in Denton, Texas) is an American professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball. He graduated from McCullough High School in The Woodlands, TX and received his degree in general studies from Texas Christian University.
While playing for Texas Christian University, Atchison earned four letters and was named All-Southwest Conference twice and All-Western Athletic Conference once.
Atchison was originally drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 36th round of the 1994 amateur draft, but chose to attend college. He was drafted again by the Mariners in the 49th round of the 1998 amateur draft, and signed with the team in May 1999. He spent five years playing for minor league affiliates of the Mariners and made his debut in the Majors on July 31, 2004. He spent the 2004 and 2005 seasons splitting his time between the Mariners and the Mariners' minor league affiliates, appearing in 31 games over two years. In 2006, he played the entire season in the minors.
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Scott Podsednik
Scott Eric Podsednik (pronounced /pədˈsɛdnɨk/; born March 18, 1976) is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Boston Red Sox. Podsednik led the major leagues in stolen bases in 2004 with 70.
Podsednik was drafted out of West High School in the 3rd round, 85th overall, in the 1994 Major League Baseball Draft by the Texas Rangers. He began his professional career with the Gulf Coast Rangers in 1994. The Rangers traded him (along with Wilson Heredia) to the Florida Marlins for pitcher Bobby Witt on October 8, 1995. He spent the next two seasons playing for the Marlins class-A affiliates.
On December 15, 1997 he returned to the Rangers in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 Draft. He was promoted to the Double-A Tulsa Drillers in 1998. He remained with Tulsa through the 2000 season when he was granted free agency.
He signed with the Seattle Mariners as a minor league free agent and was placed at the Triple-A level with the Tacoma Rainiers.
He made his Major League debut on July 6, 2001 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, pinch-running for Ichiro Suzuki. In his first career major league at-bat, against the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 15, he hit a bases loaded triple.
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Scott Radinsky
Scott David Radinsky (born March 3, 1968, in Glendale, California) is the pitching coach of the Cleveland Indians.
He is also a left-handed former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball, who had an 11-year career from 1990–1993 and 1995–2001. Radinsky is also the lead singer of the punk rock band Pulley and former lead singer of the bands Scared Straight and Ten Foot Pole.
Radinsky finished his career with a 42–25 record, a 3.44 ERA, and 358 strikeouts in 481-2/3 innings pitched. Radinsky also only gave up 33 home runs throughout his career, an average of 1 every 14.5 innings.
He was one of the best Jewish pitchers in major league history through 2010: second in career games pitched (555; behind Scott Schoeneweis), 4th in ERA (3.44; behind Barney Pelty, Sandy Koufax, and Erskine Mayer), and 11th in wins (directly behind Saul Rogovin).
Radinsky was originally drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the third round in 1986 out of Simi Valley High School in Simi Valley, California.
Radinsky pitched in the minor leagues from 1986–1989, and parts of later years. In 1989, he had 31 saves, a 1.75 ERA, and averaged 5.7 hits allowed and 12.1 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched.
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Sid Bream
Sidney Eugene "Sid" Bream (born August 3, 1960 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania) is an American former Major League Baseball player. He played his entire 11-year career (1983-1994) in the National League. He is currently the hitting coach for the State College Spikes of the New York-Penn League.
After attending Liberty University, Bream was drafted in the second round by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1981 amateur draft. During his minor league career he hit .329 with 83 home runs and 407 RBI, including a .419 on-base percentage and a .537 slugging percentage in the Dodgers farm system; he made his debut with the team in 1983. Despite his good numbers in the minors, he was just a mediocre hitter in the Major Leagues with good gap power (resulting in lots of doubles) and above-average defense at first base. The Dodgers expected him to replace Greg Brock at first base, who himself performed below expectations when Steve Garvey left to sign with the San Diego Padres. But Bream fared no better than Brock at the plate, and ultimately Franklin Stubbs was given a chance to be the one to finally fill in the void left by Garvey's departure. However, it was not until Eddie Murray arrived in Los Angeles that the Dodgers finally had an above average hitting first baseman.
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Slim Harriss
William Jennings Bryan Harriss (December 11, 1897 – September 19, 1963) was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball between the 1920 and 1928 seasons. Listed at 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), 180 lb., Harriss batted and threw right-handed. A native of Brownwood, Texas, he studied at Howard Payne University.
A tall, lanky hurler, Harriss entered the majors in 1920 with the Philadelphia Athletics, playing for them six and a half years before joining the Boston Red Sox (1926–28). Twice he led the American League in losses, with 20 in 1922 and 21 in 1927. His most productive season came with the 1925 Athletics, when he recorded career-highs with 19 wins, a 3.49 ERA, and 252⅔ innings pitched. During the 1926 midseason, he was sent by the Athletics along Fred Heimach and Baby Doll Jacobson to the Red Sox in the same transaction that brought Tom Jenkins and Howard Ehmke to Philadelphia. In 1928, he led the hapless pitching staff of Boston with 14 wins and 77 strikeouts.
In a nine-season career, Harriss posted a 95–135 record with 644 strukeouts and a 4.26 ERA in 349 appearances, including 228 starts, 89 complete games, seven shutouts, 78 games finished, 16 saves, and 1750⅓ innings of work.
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Smoky Joe Wood
Howard Ellsworth "Smoky Joe" Wood (October 25, 1889 – July 27, 1985) was a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and an outfielder for the Cleveland Indians during the early part of the 20th century. He is one of only 13 pitchers who won 30 or more games in one season (going 34–5 in 1912) since 1900.
"Smoky Joe" played his first amateur baseball for the local miners teams in Ouray, Colorado though a native of Ness County, Kansas,[citation needed] Wood made his playing debut with the mostly-female "Bloomer Girls." There were many such teams across the country, which barnstormed in exhibition games against teams of men. Bloomer Girl rosters featured at least one male player.
After joining the Red Sox in 1908 at the age of 18, Wood had his breakthrough season in 1911 in which he won 23 games, compiled an earned run average of 2.02, threw a no-hitter against the St. Louis Browns and struck out 15 batters in a single game. Wood once struck out 23 batters in an exhibition game. He earned the nickname "Smoky Joe" because of his blazing fastball. Wood once said, "I threw so hard I thought my arm would fly right off my body."
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Stolmy Pimentel
Stolmy Ramon Pimentel (born February 1, 1990) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher in the Boston Red Sox organization. He was born in San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic.
He was signed by the Red Sox as an international free agent on July 2, 2006 as a 16 year old. He made his debut the next season with the DSL Red Sox, going 3-1 with a 2.90 ERA in 13 starts. He made the trip to America for the 2008 season, playing it with Low-A Lowell, going 5-2 with a 3.14 ERA in 11 starts. He played 2009 with Single-A Greenville, going 10-7 with a 3.82 ERA in 23 starts. He played 2010 with High-A Salem going 9-11 with a 4.06 ERA in 26 starts. Despite the worst season of his short career, he was nominated to the All-Star Futures Game facing 2 batters, Logan Morrison and Danny Espinosa, retiring them both. In the offseason, Pimentel signed a one-year $.414 million deal, protecting him from the Rule V Draft. He started 2011 with Double-A Portland, but he went 0-9 with a 9.12 ERA in 15 starts, leading to a demotion back to Salem. He finished the season 6-13 with a 6.79 ERA in 25 starts.
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Terry Francona
Terry Jon Francona (born April 22, 1959), nicknamed "Tito," is a former Major League Baseball manager and a former player. He was a first baseman and outfielder in the majors from 1981 to 1990. After retiring as a player, he managed several minor league teams in the 1990s before managing the Philadelphia Phillies for four seasons. In 2004, Francona was hired to manage the Boston Red Sox, and that year he led the team to its first World Series championship since 1918. He won another World Series with Boston in 2007 and continued to manage the team until the end of the 2011 season. He is currently employed by ESPN as a Sunday Night Baseball analyst.
Francona grew up in suburban Pittsburgh, and got his start in baseball at New Brighton, Pennsylvania High School. His father is John (Tito) Francona, who played in the majors from 1956 to 1970.
Terry was the winner of the 1980 Golden Spikes Award. He was drafted out of the University of Arizona in the first round of the 1980 amateur draft by the Montreal Expos, using the 22nd overall selection. That season, his team won the College World Series and Francona was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. The left-hander wasted no time rising through the minor leagues, first appearing in a Montreal uniform August 19, 1981, a week after the end of that summer's player strike. He appeared mainly as an outfielder that first year, and he went 4-for-12 in the National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, an extra playoff round utilized that year because the season was conducted in two halves as the result of the strike. The Expos won that series, three games to two.
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Tex Hughson
Cecil Carlton Hughson, (February 9, 1916 – August 6, 1993), was a Major League Baseball starting pitcher who played his entire career in the American League with the Boston Red Sox (1941–44, 1946–49). He batted and threw right-handed.
A native of Buda, Texas, Hughson assisted University of Texas at Austin. He was a successful and competitive pitcher in major league who was not averse to throwing close to batters, changing speeds by mixing in a hard fastball and an overhand curveball. At the height of his career, injuries in his arm and shoulder threatened permanent disability and hastened his retirement.
Hughson enjoyed his best season in 1942, posting a 22–6 record with a 2.59 ERA, and also leading the league in victories, strikeouts (113), complete games (22), innings pitched (281.0) and batters faced (1150). In 1943 he won 12 games with 114 strikeouts, a 2.64 ERA, and again led the league in complete games (20). He also had his best year batting, posting career highs in hits, runs, doubles, walks, batting average, and RBI's. He had an 18–5 mark in 1944, topping the league in winning percentage (.783) and WHIP (9.43), and also reached a career-best ERA of 2.26.
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Tim Bogar
Timothy Paul Bogar (born October 28, 1966 in Indianapolis, Indiana) is a former Major League Baseball infielder. Currently, Bogar is the bench coach for the Boston Red Sox under manager Bobby Valentine.
Bogar played for three different teams during his nine year career: the New York Mets (1993–1996), Houston Astros (1997–2000), and Los Angeles Dodgers (2001). He made his Major League Baseball debut on April 21, 1993, and played his final game on July 1, 2001. For his career, Tim hit .228 (345-for-1516) with 69 doubles, 9 triples, 24 homers, 180 runs scored, 161 RBI and 13 stolen bases.
Bogar's only postseason appearance came as a member of the Houston Astros in the 1999 National League Division Series. Although Houston lost 3 games to 1 to the Atlanta Braves and were eliminated, Bogar went 3 for 4 in 2 games for the series.
Bogar is a former manager of the Akron Aeros (the double-A affiliate the Cleveland Indians). In 2006, his first year with the team, Bogar led the team to a league best 87-55 record and came within one game of winning the Eastern League title. Bogar was named Eastern League manager of the year and was selected to coach as part of Major League Baseball's 2006 All Star Futures Game. He was also selected by Baseball America as the "Best Manager Prospect" in the Eastern League in 2006.
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Tim Hudson
Timothy Adam Hudson (born July 14, 1975) is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who plays for the Atlanta Braves. Hudson began his major league career with the Oakland Athletics (1999–2004) and played his last two years of college eligibility at Auburn University. In a 13-season career, Hudson has compiled a 181–97 win-loss record with 1,699 strikeouts and a 3.40 ERA in 2,503.1 innings with the Oakland Athletics and the Atlanta Braves. Also, he has never had a season where he has suffered more losses than wins.
Hudson attended Glenwood School in Phenix City, Alabama where in his senior season, he led the team to the 1993 AISA state championship. He finished his high school career with a 12–1 record and a 1.78 ERA. Despite his record, Hudson was considered undersized by scouts at 6'0 tall and 160 pounds and was not drafted nor was he offered a scholarship to a major college. Hudson decided to attend a local two year college, Chattahoochee Valley Community College (CVCC).
In 1994, his freshman year at CVCC, he earned First-team All American honors while leading his team to the AJCCC Division II championship. He also led the CVCC team in batting average (.385), home runs (9), RBI (42), wins (10–2), strikeouts (76), and was second on the team with a 2.76 ERA. As a sophomore, he was named Second-team All American and set a school and conference record with 117 strikeouts which also led the nation. As a hitter, Hudson batted .345 with 5 home runs, and 29 RBI. His sophomore season ERA of 1.95 was the team and conference best.
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Tim Salmon
Timothy James "Tim" Salmon (born August 24, 1968 in Long Beach, California) is a former Major League Baseball right fielder and designated hitter who played his entire career with the California/Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels (appearing with the team under all three of its recent names). Known affectionately among Angels fans as the King Fish, he is considered one of the greatest players in the Angels' franchise history.
Salmon who had been selected in the third round of the Major League Baseball Draft in 1989 out of Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, made his major league debut in 1992, the same year that he won the Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Award.
In his first full season the next year, when he hit 31 home runs with a .918 OPS, Salmon was named the American League's Rookie of the Year for 1993 and quickly became a favorite of the Angels' organization and a household name among the team's fans. He maintained his status as one of the league's elite power-hitting outfielders throughout the decade. He finished seventh in MVP voting totals for the first time in 1995, when he won a Silver Slugger Award, finished third in the league with a .330 batting average, and posted an OPS above 1.000. That year, he was the first major league player to get a hit off future closer for the New York Yankees, Mariano Rivera. He finished seventh again in 1997 when he had a career high 129 RBIs. After playing in fewer than 100 games in 1999, he tied a career high 34 home runs in 2000. From 1993 to 2000 he only had two OPS lines below .900 and he never finished below .860.
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Tim Wakefield
Timothy Stephen Wakefield (born August 2, 1966) is a retired American professional baseball pitcher. Wakefield began his pitching career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but is most remembered for his 17-year tenure with the Boston Red Sox, starting in 1995 and ending with his retirement in 2012 as the longest-serving player on the team. Wakefield, at the time of his retirement, was the oldest current active player in the majors, and one of the last knuckleballers; the other being R. A. Dickey.
Wakefield won his 200th career game on September 13, 2011 against the Toronto Blue Jays, and is third on the Boston Red Sox with 186 team victories, behind both Cy Young and Roger Clemens, who have 192 each. He is second in all-time wins at Fenway Park with 97, behind Roger Clemens' 100, and is first all-time in innings pitched by a Red Sox pitcher, with 2,944 (through July 24, 2011), having surpassed Roger Clemens' total of 2,777 on June 8, 2010.
Wakefield was nominated eight times for the Roberto Clemente Award, winning the award in 2010.
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Tom Brewer
Thomas Austin Brewer (born September 3, 1931 in Wadesboro, North Carolina, is a former baseball player. A right-handed pitcher, he played for the Boston Red Sox from 1954 to 1961.
Brewer was selected to play in the 1956 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
Tom Brewer is also a pitching coach for the Cheraw Braves High School Baseball team in Cheraw, SC. March 21 has been declared Tom Brewer Day in Cheraw after the high school baseball field was recently renamed Tom Brewer Field.[citation needed]
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Tom Gordon
Thomas Gordon (born November 18, 1967, in Sebring, Florida), nicknamed "Flash", is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played with the Kansas City Royals (1988–95), Boston Red Sox (1996–99), Chicago Cubs (2001–02), Houston Astros (2002), Chicago White Sox (2003), New York Yankees (2004–05), Philadelphia Phillies (2006–08) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (2009).
Gordon attended Avon Park High School in Avon Park, Florida, and was a letterman in baseball.
Gordon began his career as a starting pitcher with the Kansas City Royals, first appearing in five games at the age of 20 late in the 1988 season. He became an immediate sensation in Kansas City the following year, posting a 17-9 record and a 3.64 ERA in his first full season, and he finished second in the 1989 Rookie of the Year balloting. Gordon also recorded 153 strikeouts in 1989, the tenth highest total in the American League, all of which earned him the nickname "Flash."
Gordon continued to post top-10 strikeout totals during the 1990 and 1991 seasons, but his number of wins dropped each year while his ERA crept upwards. Finally, in 1992 Gordon had one of the worst season of his career, posting a 6-10 record and a 4.59 ERA. He bounced back with seasons of 11 or 12 wins from 1993 to 1995, but he never quite regained his rookie form. Prior to the 1996 season, Gordon left Kansas City and signed as a free agent with the Boston Red Sox.
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Tom Sturdivant
Thomas Virgil Sturdivant II (April 28, 1930 – February 28, 2009) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics, Boston Red Sox, Washington Senators, Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers, and New York Mets. He was nicknamed "Snake" for his excellent curveball.
Born in Gordon, Kansas, he was signed by the Yankees as an amateur free agent out of Capitol Hill High School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in May, 1948. He finally made his major league debut seven years later, working exclusively out of the bullpen during the regular season and the third and fourth games of the 1955 World Series. He was a sixteen-game winner in each of the next two campaigns, starting a World Series game in each year, and pitching a complete game to defeat the Brooklyn Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 of the 1956 World Series (the game before Don Larsen's perfect game). In 1957, his 16-6 record led the American League in won-lost percentage (.727), and his 2.54 ERA was second in the league.
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Tommy John
Thomas Edward John Jr. (born May 22, 1943) is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball whose 288 career victories rank as the seventh highest total among left-handers in major league history. He is also known for the revolutionary surgery, now named after him, which was performed on a damaged ligament in his pitching arm.
John was an outstanding basketball player at Gerstmeyer High School in Terre Haute, Indiana, where he held the city single game scoring record. Choosing baseball when he realized he would not go on to play professional basketball, John signed with the Cleveland Indians and made his major league debut at twenty years-old in 1963. Following two partial seasons with the Indians, John showed occasional excellence during seven respectable years as a starting pitcher with the Chicago White Sox. However, it was a trade before the 1972 season to the Los Angeles Dodgers for mercurial slugger Dick Allen that began a skein of John's most famous years, first with the Dodgers and subsequently with the New York Yankees, where he posted a pair of 20-win seasons and was twice an All-Star. John was also named an All-Star in 1968 with the White Sox and 1978 with LA. He played in all three Yankees vs. Dodgers World Series of his era (1977, 1978 and 1981), having switched over to the Yankees by the time the Dodgers won the Series in 1981.
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Tony Campana
Anthony "Tony" Campana (born May 30, 1986 in Kettering, Ohio) is a baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs. Campana grew up in Springboro, Ohio.
Campana attended the University of Cincinnati, where he played college baseball for the Cincinnati Bearcats. He was drafted by the Cubs in the 13th round of the 2008 MLB Draft.[citation needed]
Campana was added to the Cubs roster and promoted on May 17, 2011 and made his MLB debut the same day. He made his debut in Cincinnati, Ohio versus the Cincinnati Reds. Many of his friends and family from his hometown were able to attend the game since Springboro is less than sixty miles from Cincinnati
On May 30, 2011, Campana stole second and third base, becoming the first Cub since Alfonso Soriano in 2008 to accomplish the feat. He ended up stealing four total.
On August 5, 2011, Campana hit an inside-the-park home run, his first professional home run (including time in the minor leagues), off the Reds' Mike Leake in the first inning.
Campana was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma as a child. He underwent 10 years of treatment, and today is in remission.
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Tony Conigliaro
Anthony Richard Conigliaro (January 7, 1945 – February 24, 1990), nicknamed "Tony C" and "Conig", was a Major League Baseball outfielder and right-handed batter who played for the Boston Red Sox (1964–67, 1969–1970, 1975) and California Angels (1971). He was born in Revere, Massachusetts, and was a 1962 graduate of St. Mary's High School (Lynn, Massachusetts). During the Red Sox "Impossible Dream" season of 1967, he was hit in the face by a pitch, causing a severe eye injury and derailing his career. Though he would make a dramatic comeback from the injury, his career was not the same afterwards.
Conigliaro was signed by the Red Sox in 1962, at the age of 17. In 1963, he batted .363 with 24 home runs in the New York - Penn League and was subsequently called up to the majors.
During his 1964 rookie season, Conigliaro batted .290 with 24 home runs and 52 RBI in 111 games, but broke his arm and his toes in August.
In his sophomore season in 1965, Conigliaro led the league in home runs (32), becoming the youngest home run champion in American League history. He was selected for the All-Star Game in 1967. In that season, at age 22, he reached a career total of 100 home runs.
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Tony Saunders
Anthony Scott "Tony" Saunders (born April 29, 1974 in Baltimore, Maryland) is a retired American Major League baseball pitcher for three seasons between 1997 and 1999. He was the first player selected by the-then Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the expansion draft.
Saunders initially signed with the Florida Marlins' minor league system in 1992, a year before their expansion season. He was part of the Marlins' opening day roster in 1997, and finished with a 4-6 record in 22 starts, with his first three wins coming against the Atlanta Braves. The Marlins earned a wild card berth in the 1997 playoffs, and after being left off the Division Series roster, Saunders was placed on the LCS roster against the Braves. He started game 3 of the series, which Liván Hernández won in relief of Saunders.
In the World Series, Saunders started game 4 against the Cleveland Indians, but took the loss after giving up six earned runs in two innings pitched; nonetheless, he earned a ring as the Marlins defeated Cleveland in seven games.
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Trevor Hoffman
Trevor William Hoffman (born October 13, 1967) is an American former baseball relief pitcher who played 18 years in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1993 to 2010. A long-time closer, Hoffman pitched for the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, and the Milwaukee Brewers, including more than 15 years for the Padres. He was the major leagues' first player to reach the 500- and 600-save milestones, and was the all-time saves leader from 2006 until 2011.
Hoffman played shortstop collegiately at the University of Arizona and was drafted in the 11th round by the Cincinnati Reds. After not having much success batting, Hoffman was converted to a pitcher, throwing up to 95 miles per hour (mph). The Marlins acquired him in the 1992 expansion draft, and he pitched in Florida until he was traded to the Padres mid-season in 1993 in a deal that sent star Gary Sheffield to the Marlins. Hoffman recorded 20 saves in 1994 in his first season as Padres closer, and in the following years, he became the face of the franchise after Tony Gwynn retired. He collected at least 30 saves each year for the next 14 years, except for 2003 when he missed most of the year recovering from shoulder surgery. After San Diego did not re-sign him, Hoffman pitched two years with the Brewers before retiring in 2010.
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Vicente Padilla
Vicente de la Cruz Padilla (born September 27, 1977) is a Nicaraguan professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. Padilla has previously pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Padilla pitched for Nicaragua in the 1998 Baseball World Cup, helping his team win the Bronze medal as the closer. He also appeared in the Central American Games the same year, as his team finished in second place.
After working with former MLB pitcher Dennis Martínez to improve his change-up, Padilla was signed as an international free agent by the Arizona Diamondbacks on August 31, 1998. He debuted in the minor leagues in 1999, playing for the Class-A Advanced High Desert Mavericks and earning a promotion to the Class-AAA Tucson Sidewinders.
Padilla made his Major League debut on June 29 against the Cincinnati Reds, pitching in the ninth inning and giving up four hits and three runs without recording an out, getting the loss and a blown save for the effort. Padilla appeared in four more games in 1999. He also appeared in 27 games in relief for the Diamondbacks in 2000, finishing 2–1 with a 2.31 ERA, with his first win coming on May 9 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
wn.com/Vicente_Padilla -
Wes Ferrell
Wesley Cheek Ferrell (February 2, 1908 – December 9, 1976) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball from 1927 through 1941. Primarily a starting pitcher, Ferrell played for the Cleveland Indians (1927–33), Boston Red Sox (1934–37), Washington Senators (1937–38), New York Yankees (1938–39), Brooklyn Dodgers (1940) and Boston Braves (1941). He batted and threw right-handed.
A native of Greensboro, North Carolina, Ferrell was part of a baseball family. In addition to his older brother Rick, a Hall of Fame catcher, his youngest brother George was a 20-year minor league veteran. His brother Rick was his batterymate for five seasons.
Ferrell started his career in 1927 with the Cleveland Indians at the age of 19. He saw little action in his first two seasons; in 1928 he made only two appearances and was relegated to throwing batting practice. One day, he refused to go out to the mound for his pre-game duties, and was sent to Terre Haute of the Three-I League for the rest of the year, posting a 20-8 record. But in 1929 he returned to Cleveland and posted a 21-10 record with 100 strikeouts and a 3.60 earned run average. In 1930 his record rose to 25-13, with 143 strikeouts and a 3.31 ERA (second in the AL). As a pitcher, Ferrell had a decent fastball and a good curveball, and was also a changeup specialist. He led AL pitchers four times in complete games, and three times in innings.
wn.com/Wes_Ferrell -
Wikipedia Persondata
wn.com/Wikipedia_Persondata -
Wilcy Moore
William Wilcy "Cy" Moore (May 20, 1897 – March 29, 1963) was a professional baseball right-handed pitcher over parts of six seasons (1927–1933) with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. He led the American League in ERA as a rookie in 1927 while playing for New York.
For his career, he compiled a 51–44 record, with a 3.70 ERA and 204 strikeouts. Moore pitched in the 1927 and 1932 World Series, going 2–0 in three appearances with a 0.56 ERA, as the Yankees won both years.
While being scouted in 1926, Moore claimed he was 27, but records have proven that his actual age was then 29.
He was born in Bonita, Texas and later died in Hollis, Oklahoma at the age of 65.
wn.com/Wilcy_Moore -
Will Middlebrooks
William S. Middlebrooks (born September 9, 1988) is an American professional baseball third baseman for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). A fifth round draft pick in 2007, Middlebrooks made his MLB debut with the Red Sox in 2012.
Middlebrooks attended Liberty-Eylau High School in Texarkana, Texas. In high school, Middlebrooks played shortstop and pitched for the high school baseball team. As a pitcher, he could reach 90 miles per hour (140 km/h) with his fastball. Liberty-Eylau won the Class 3A state championship in 2006, Middlebrooks' junior season. In his senior season, Middlebrooks was named to the Class 3A All-State First Team and Class 3A Player of the Year by the Texas Sports Writers Association.
In addition to baseball, Middlebrooks played American football and basketball in high school. A quarterback, placekicker and punter, he played high school football with LaMichael James. He was named an All-State punter. Middlebrooks admits that he preferred football, until he realized during his junior year that he had the opportunity to be selected in the Major League Baseball Draft. While in high school, he committed to attend Texas A&M University to play baseball and football for the Texas A&M Aggies.
wn.com/Will_Middlebrooks -
Willie McCovey
Willie Lee McCovey (born January 10, 1938 in Mobile, Alabama), nicknamed "Mac", "Big Mac", and "Stretch", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He played nineteen seasons for the San Francisco Giants, and three more for the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics, between 1959 and 1980. He batted and threw left-handed and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986.
One of the most intimidating power hitters of his era, McCovey was called "the scariest hitter in baseball" by pitcher Bob Gibson, an assessment with which Reggie Jackson concurred. McCovey's powerful swing generated 521 home runs, 231 of which he hit in Candlestick Park, the most hit there by any player, and included a home run of Sept. 16, 1966 described as the longest ever hit in that stadium.
Prior to playing for the San Francisco Giants, McCovey played for a Giants' farm club in Dallas, Texas that was part of the Class AA Southern League. In that league, he did not participate when his team played in Shreveport, Louisiana due to segregation in that city. He later played for the Pacific Coast League Phoenix Giants just prior to joining the San Francisco Giants.
wn.com/Willie_McCovey -
Willie Stargell
Wilver Dornell "Willie" Stargell (March 6, 1940 – April 9, 2001), nicknamed "Pops" in the later years of his career, was an American professional baseball player. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder and first baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1962-1982). Over his 21-year career with the Pirates, he batted .282, with 2,232 hits, 423 doubles, 475 home runs and 1540 runs batted in, helping his team capture six National League East division titles, two National League pennants and two World Series (1971, 1979). Stargell was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988.
Stargell was born in Earlsboro, Oklahoma, but later moved to Alameda, California where he attended Encinal High School. He was signed by the Pirates at age 22, and made his Major League debut at the end of the 1962 season. He soon became a standout player, making his first of 7 trips to the All-Star Game in 1964.
Beloved in Pittsburgh for his style of play and affable manner, Stargell was known for hitting monstrous home runs, including 7 of the 16 balls ever hit completely out of Forbes Field and several of the upper-tier home runs at its successor, Three Rivers Stadium. At one time, Stargell held the record for the longest homer in nearly half of the National League parks. Standing 6 feet 2 inches, Stargell seemed larger, with his long arms and unique bat-handling practice of holding only the knob of the bat with his lower hand combining to provide extra bat extension, Stargell's swings seemed designed to hit home runs of the Ruthian variety. When most batters would use a simple lead-weighted bat in the on-deck circle, Stargell took to warming up with a sledgehammer, adding another layer of intimidation. While standing in the batter's box, he would windmill his bat until the pitcher started his windup.
wn.com/Willie_Stargell -
Win Kellum
Winford Ansley Kellum (April 11, 1876 – August 10, 1951) was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played between 1901 and 1905 for the Boston Americans (1901), Cincinnati Reds (1904) and St. Louis Cardinals (1905). Listed at 5'10", 190 lb., Kellum was a switch-hitter and threw left-handed. He was born in Waterford, Ontario, Canada.
Optimistically nicknamed "Win", Kellum became the first Opening Day starting pitcher in Boston American League franchise's history, as they lost to the host Baltimore Orioles, 10–6, at Oriole Park (April 26, 1901). He went 2–3 with a 6.38 ERA for the rest of season.
Kellum rebounded in 1902, going 25–10 for one of the strongest minor league teams ever, the Indianapolis Indians, champions of the newly formed American Association. After the regular season, he pitched with barnstormers largely made up of Cincinnati National League team. After that, he enjoyed his best season in the majors with the 1904 Reds, going 15–10 while recording career-highs in ERA (2.60), complete games (22) and innings (224). He also pitched for the Cardinals in 1905, his last major league season, and went 3–3 with a 2.92 ERA.
wn.com/Win_Kellum -
Yank Terry
Lancelot Yank Terry (born February 11, 1911 in Bedford, Indiana) is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Boston Red Sox (1940, 1942–1945). He batted and threw right-handed.
He made his big league debut on August 3, 1940 during a double-header against the Detroit Tigers at Tiger Stadium. Terry picked up his first career win on August 17, 1940 at Fenway Park against the Washington Senators in a 12–9 win in front of 7,800 fans.
Terry's final appearance in the big leagues came July 20, 1945 during a 6–3 Red Sox loss to the visiting Chicago White Sox in front of 4,284 fans.
In a five-year career, Terry posted a 20–28 record with 167 strikeouts and a 4.09 ERA in 457.1 innings.
Yank Terry died in Bloomington, Indiana, at the age of 68. He is buried in Cresthaven Cemetery in Bedford, Indiana.
2. Retrosheet [1].
wn.com/Yank_Terry -
Zack Greinke
Donald Zackary "Zack" Greinke (pronounced /ˈɡrɪŋki/ GRING-kee; born October 21, 1983) is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers. Greinke won the American League Cy Young Award in 2009 with the Kansas City Royals.
Greinke was born in Orlando, Florida, the son of Marsha Ann (née Wilkin) and Donald Ray Greinke. After being named the Gatorade National Player of the Year in 2002, he was selected out of Apopka High School in the first round of the 2002 draft. Greinke turned down a scholarship to Clemson to sign with the Royals.
In 2003, he played for the Wilmington Blue Rocks and Wichita Wranglers, where he was named the Royals Minor League Pitcher of the Year, Carolina League Pitcher of the Year, and The Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year, with a 15–4 record and 1.93 ERA.
Greinke made his major league debut on May 22, 2004 against the Oakland Athletics. Greinke's first major league hit was a home run off Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Russ Ortiz in a 12–11 loss on June 10, 2005.
wn.com/Zack_Greinke -
Éric Gagné
Éric Serge Gagné (French pronunciation: [ɡɑɲe]) (born January 7, 1976 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.
Signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent in 1995, Gagné began his career as a starting pitcher. After he struggled in that role, the Dodgers converted Gagné from a starter to a reliever, where for three years (2002–2004) he was statistically the most outstanding closer in the game, winning the Cy Young Award in 2003. During that period, he set a major league record by converting 84 consecutive save opportunities. The phrase "Game Over" was heavily used by the Dodgers and the media in connection with his appearances to finish close games.
Gagné played sparingly in 2005 and 2006 due to injury, undergoing elbow surgery in 2005 and back surgery in 2006. The Dodgers did not re-sign him after 2006, and Gagné started the 2007 season with the Texas Rangers, where he briefly enjoyed success again as a closer. However, he was less successful in stints with the Boston Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers, and was finally released after the 2008 season.
wn.com/Éric_Gagné -
Óscar Tejeda
Oscar Tejeda (born December 26, 1989) is a Dominican professional baseball infielder in the Boston Red Sox organization. He was born in Sabana Grande de Palenque, Dominican Republic.
Tejeda was signed as an International Free Agent by the Boston Red Sox in 2006. He rose to play Double AA baseball. He was signed to the Red Sox 40-man roster.
wn.com/Óscar_Tejeda
Famous quotes by Jon Lester:
"I have no say over it."
"It's getting better. I'm starting to feel a little more consistent with everything. It's coming around, slowly but surely."
"It was nice to get the first one out of the way. I've thrown off that mound and I felt pretty comfortable."
"You can learn a lot from him. He's a vocal guy anyway. Whenever we're talking about drills and certain things, he's going to tell you what he thinks. Just watching him go about his business, he does it the right way. He does it professionally and gets his work in."
"These guys are hitting right now like they did at the beginning of the season (during a 10-0 start). They're feeding off each other. One guy hits the ball hard and the next guy wants to hit the ball hard."
"Once I got settled in, I started throwing the ball a lot better."
"A great uplift. We answered."
"That's all right, too. What was important was me learning how to pitch. What each of us accomplishes helps the team."
"That game. The bad one. But you know, all around us, people were talking baseball. What to throw (Hideki) Matsui. Things like that."
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Jon Lester 2011 Highlights (one of my best!)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:40
- Updated: 17 Dec 2012
GREAT GUY, GREAT CANCER COMEBACK!!!!!!!!!! USHER AND WILLIAM OMG
http://wn.com/Jon_Lester_2011_Highlights_one_of_my_best!
GREAT GUY, GREAT CANCER COMEBACK!!!!!!!!!! USHER AND WILLIAM OMG
Jon Lester Comeback
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:18
- Updated: 08 Mar 2012
http://wn.com/Jon_Lester_Comeback
Jon Lester ready to be a better Red Sox teammate.flv
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:08
- Updated: 16 Nov 2012
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- It wasn't so much an apology as it was an admission. Jon Lester climbed up on the green park bench in front of the new Red Sox spring training clubhouse and acted like a pitcher who has learned from his mistakes and is ready to lead by example. "I think the biggest thing is I'm ready to move on from it," Lester said. "I've learned from it. It's something I'm not proud of. The biggest thing is you learn from your mistakes," Lester said of the allegations of staying in the clubhouse and eating fried chicken and drinking beers during games. "I'm looking forward to starting new this year and being [a] leader. Just being a better teammate, being on the bench." Being a better teammate. Lester's words spoke volumes Sunday. He doing all the things on the outside to show he's ready to lead the staff, like leading workouts when they're not even required. "I think you can kind of tell," Lester said. "You have a lot of guys out here and we're not really supposed to be here today. It's "report" day. You're just supposed to be in town and kind of hanging out. You have have guys throwing bullpens and guys working hard. I've been down here for two weeks. It seems like we've been running a camp without supervision for the past two weeks. I think that's a big sign that people want to work and want to get better and show we are a very good team." Lester was fully aware Sunday that the images and bad feelings remain in the hearts and minds of Red Sox fans. But he also ...
http://wn.com/Jon_Lester_ready_to_be_a_better_Red_Sox_teammateflv
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- It wasn't so much an apology as it was an admission. Jon Lester climbed up on the green park bench in front of the new Red Sox spring training clubhouse and acted like a pitcher who has learned from his mistakes and is ready to lead by example. "I think the biggest thing is I'm ready to move on from it," Lester said. "I've learned from it. It's something I'm not proud of. The biggest thing is you learn from your mistakes," Lester said of the allegations of staying in the clubhouse and eating fried chicken and drinking beers during games. "I'm looking forward to starting new this year and being [a] leader. Just being a better teammate, being on the bench." Being a better teammate. Lester's words spoke volumes Sunday. He doing all the things on the outside to show he's ready to lead the staff, like leading workouts when they're not even required. "I think you can kind of tell," Lester said. "You have a lot of guys out here and we're not really supposed to be here today. It's "report" day. You're just supposed to be in town and kind of hanging out. You have have guys throwing bullpens and guys working hard. I've been down here for two weeks. It seems like we've been running a camp without supervision for the past two weeks. I think that's a big sign that people want to work and want to get better and show we are a very good team." Lester was fully aware Sunday that the images and bad feelings remain in the hearts and minds of Red Sox fans. But he also ...
- published: 19 Feb 2012
- views: 309
- author: Mike Petraglia
Jon Lester warming up in bullpen.MOV
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:07
- Updated: 06 Nov 2012
Jon Lester is warming up for the Red Sox in the bullpen in pregame before facing the Orioles at Camden Yards
http://wn.com/Jon_Lester_warming_up_in_bullpenMOV
Jon Lester is warming up for the Red Sox in the bullpen in pregame before facing the Orioles at Camden Yards
- published: 23 May 2012
- views: 410
- author: adamrmattock1
Next Level: Jon Lester
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 0:22
- Updated: 11 Jul 2012
Next Level looks at Jon Lester's batting average on balls in play.
http://wn.com/Next_Level_Jon_Lester
Next Level looks at Jon Lester's batting average on balls in play.
- published: 09 Jul 2012
- views: 346
- author: ESPN
MLB on FOX: Lester Lives Strong
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:10
- Updated: 11 Aug 2012
Ken Rosenthal sits down with Boston's Jon Lester to discuss his involvement with the Live Strong organization.
http://wn.com/MLB_on_FOX_Lester_Lives_Strong
Ken Rosenthal sits down with Boston's Jon Lester to discuss his involvement with the Live Strong organization.
- published: 06 Aug 2011
- views: 1271
- author: FoxSports
Jon Lester Says He 'Stunk' on Night Red Sox Want to Forget (Video)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:43
- Updated: 18 Apr 2012
Jon Lester was hardly the only one to blame, but he did open the floodgates in Tuesday night's 18-3 loss to the Rangers.
http://wn.com/Jon_Lester_Says_He_'Stunk'_on_Night_Red_Sox_Want_to_Forget_Video
Jon Lester was hardly the only one to blame, but he did open the floodgates in Tuesday night's 18-3 loss to the Rangers.
- published: 18 Apr 2012
- views: 81
- author: amicacoveragecam
Jon Lester Feels Win Over Minnesota Could Propel Red Sox on Much-Needed Winning Streak
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:34
- Updated: 20 May 2012
Jon Lester was unhappy with his performance in Minnesota, but was motivated by his team's overall will to take home the 6-5 win.
http://wn.com/Jon_Lester_Feels_Win_Over_Minnesota_Could_Propel_Red_Sox_on_Much-Needed_Winning_Streak
Jon Lester was unhappy with his performance in Minnesota, but was motivated by his team's overall will to take home the 6-5 win.
- published: 24 Apr 2012
- views: 84
- author: NESN
Should the Red Sox Trade Jon Lester?!
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:18
- Updated: 28 Nov 2012
Red Sox Hot Stove
http://wn.com/Should_the_Red_Sox_Trade_Jon_Lester?!
Jon Lester Vs Josh Beckett! Are They Responsible for Red Sox Struggles? #ThisWeekinRed
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:16
- Updated: 13 Sep 2012
The Red Sox are a .500 ball club with no consistency because the two ace pitchers who were supposed to carry them have failed miserably this season. Jon Lester's and Josh Beckett's struggles are the biggest reason why the Sox can't sustain the needed consistency that would establish them as legit playoff contenders.Don't forget to Subscribe and tell all your friends about ThisWeekinRed! Twitter: twitter.com Email: ThisWeekinRed AT gmail.com ThisWeekinRed covers Major League Baseball and the Boston Red Sox from a passionate MLB fans point of view. Paulie, a lifelong sports fan and a member of Red Sox Nation, gives his thoughts on Baseball news, the road to the World Series, and even the rival New York Yankees. Paulie's never short on opinions about America's favorite past time but he also looks forward to hearing your thoughts as well. New episodes every week.
http://wn.com/Jon_Lester_Vs_Josh_Beckett!_Are_They_Responsible_for_Red_Sox_Struggles?_ThisWeekinRed
The Red Sox are a .500 ball club with no consistency because the two ace pitchers who were supposed to carry them have failed miserably this season. Jon Lester's and Josh Beckett's struggles are the biggest reason why the Sox can't sustain the needed consistency that would establish them as legit playoff contenders.Don't forget to Subscribe and tell all your friends about ThisWeekinRed! Twitter: twitter.com Email: ThisWeekinRed AT gmail.com ThisWeekinRed covers Major League Baseball and the Boston Red Sox from a passionate MLB fans point of view. Paulie, a lifelong sports fan and a member of Red Sox Nation, gives his thoughts on Baseball news, the road to the World Series, and even the rival New York Yankees. Paulie's never short on opinions about America's favorite past time but he also looks forward to hearing your thoughts as well. New episodes every week.
- published: 26 Jul 2012
- views: 149
- author: ThisWeekinRed
Dennis & Callahan discuss Jon Lester's abysmal season
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:41
- Updated: 23 Jul 2012
Dennis, Dale, and Pete Sheppard break down Jon Lester's most recent disappointing start in the Boston Red Sox 15-7 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.
http://wn.com/Dennis_Callahan_discuss_Jon_Lester's_abysmal_season
Dennis, Dale, and Pete Sheppard break down Jon Lester's most recent disappointing start in the Boston Red Sox 15-7 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.
- published: 23 Jul 2012
- views: 233
- author: WEEIVideo
Trade Jon Lester? Jason Varitek Red Sox Manager in 2013?!
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 7:55
- Updated: 15 Dec 2012
Go Stockings.
http://wn.com/Trade_Jon_Lester?_Jason_Varitek_Red_Sox_Manager_in_2013?!
Jon Lester's Command Problems
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:13
- Updated: 17 Nov 2012
Jon Lester's command failed him down the stretch, but he's working to correct that for 2012. -Marc Normandin, overthemonster.com
http://wn.com/Jon_Lester's_Command_Problems
Jon Lester's command failed him down the stretch, but he's working to correct that for 2012. -Marc Normandin, overthemonster.com
- published: 14 Mar 2012
- views: 397
- author: sbnoverthemonster
Globe 10.0: Should the Red Sox trade Jon Lester?
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:56
- Updated: 12 Jul 2012
(Boston Globe) In this episode of Globe 10.0, Bob Ryan and Dan Shaughnessy debate whether the Red Sox should trade Jon lester. (By Alan Miller, Globe Staff)
http://wn.com/Globe_100_Should_the_Red_Sox_trade_Jon_Lester?
(Boston Globe) In this episode of Globe 10.0, Bob Ryan and Dan Shaughnessy debate whether the Red Sox should trade Jon lester. (By Alan Miller, Globe Staff)
- published: 12 Jul 2012
- views: 98
- author: thebostonglobe
Red Sox Spring Training: Jon Lester, Andrew Bailey Among Red Sox Pitchers Getting Early Start
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:19
- Updated: 28 Dec 2012
Jon Lester, Andrew Bailey, Daniel Bard, Clay Buchholz, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Rich Hill all got some throwing in for the Red Sox on Thursday.
http://wn.com/Red_Sox_Spring_Training_Jon_Lester,_Andrew_Bailey_Among_Red_Sox_Pitchers_Getting_Early_Start
Jon Lester, Andrew Bailey, Daniel Bard, Clay Buchholz, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Rich Hill all got some throwing in for the Red Sox on Thursday.
- published: 16 Feb 2012
- views: 1956
- author: NESN
Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester Red Sox side.flv
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:02
- Updated: 16 Nov 2012
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester had a formal side session Thursday morning at the Boston Red Sox new player development complex. Buchholz is coming back from a back injury that shortened his 2011 season while Lester is looking for another impressive season as a starter in the Red Sox rotation. After 19 wins in 2010, the lefty was 15-9 in 2011, with a 3.42 ERA.
http://wn.com/Clay_Buchholz_and_Jon_Lester_Red_Sox_sideflv
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester had a formal side session Thursday morning at the Boston Red Sox new player development complex. Buchholz is coming back from a back injury that shortened his 2011 season while Lester is looking for another impressive season as a starter in the Red Sox rotation. After 19 wins in 2010, the lefty was 15-9 in 2011, with a 3.42 ERA.
- published: 16 Feb 2012
- views: 285
- author: Mike Petraglia
LHP Jon Lester pitching mechanics
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 0:44
- Updated: 20 Jun 2012
vs NY Yankees @ New Yankee Stadium May 15h 2011
http://wn.com/LHP_Jon_Lester_pitching_mechanics
Jon Lester Admits Drinking Beer In Red Sox Clubhouse! Is Confession Good Thing? #ThisWeekinRed
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:30
- Updated: 02 Oct 2012
Red Sox lefty Jon Lester admitted his part in "Beergate," where Sox pitchers were accused of drinking beer during games instead of sitting in the dugout where they belong. But his admission can be looked at two ways: good, in that he had the guts to come forward and admit guilt and bad in that his admitted actions played a part in the departure of Terry Francona, who always had his back as a player. Twitter: twitter.comEmail: ThisWeekinRed AT gmail.com ThisWeekinRed covers Major League Baseball and the Boston Red Sox from a passionate MLB fans point of view. Paulie, a lifelong sports fan and a member of Red Sox Nation, gives his thoughts on Baseball news, the road to the World Series, and even the rival New York Yankees. Paulie's never short on opinions about America's favorite past time but he also looks forward to hearing your thoughts as well. New episodes every week.
http://wn.com/Jon_Lester_Admits_Drinking_Beer_In_Red_Sox_Clubhouse!_Is_Confession_Good_Thing?_ThisWeekinRed
Red Sox lefty Jon Lester admitted his part in "Beergate," where Sox pitchers were accused of drinking beer during games instead of sitting in the dugout where they belong. But his admission can be looked at two ways: good, in that he had the guts to come forward and admit guilt and bad in that his admitted actions played a part in the departure of Terry Francona, who always had his back as a player. Twitter: twitter.comEmail: ThisWeekinRed AT gmail.com ThisWeekinRed covers Major League Baseball and the Boston Red Sox from a passionate MLB fans point of view. Paulie, a lifelong sports fan and a member of Red Sox Nation, gives his thoughts on Baseball news, the road to the World Series, and even the rival New York Yankees. Paulie's never short on opinions about America's favorite past time but he also looks forward to hearing your thoughts as well. New episodes every week.
- published: 18 Oct 2011
- views: 1542
- author: ThisWeekinRed
Jonathan Lester Project - ABP
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:28
- Updated: 11 Aug 2012
Footage from a video shot months ago..
http://wn.com/Jonathan_Lester_Project_ABP
mlb 12 the show Boston Red Sox (Jon Lester) vs New York Yankee (CC Sabathia)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 14:23
- Updated: 18 Nov 2012
MLB 12 the show Red Sox(Lester) vs Yankee(Sabathia) super game everything you would ask for in a baseball game Balks,Homeruns,steals,robhomeruns,Extra innings,Blown saves,Drama,great all around game rival teams enjoy thanks for watching.
http://wn.com/mlb_12_the_show_Boston_Red_Sox_Jon_Lester_vs_New_York_Yankee_CC_Sabathia
MLB 12 the show Red Sox(Lester) vs Yankee(Sabathia) super game everything you would ask for in a baseball game Balks,Homeruns,steals,robhomeruns,Extra innings,Blown saves,Drama,great all around game rival teams enjoy thanks for watching.
- published: 08 Mar 2012
- views: 9345
- author: gordos23jl
How To Get Your Ex Boyfriend Back Fast - what others will not tell you
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:13
- Updated: 15 Feb 2012
getexbacksecret.com. How to get your ex boyfriend back fast if you have suffered a nasty breakup.
http://wn.com/How_To_Get_Your_Ex_Boyfriend_Back_Fast_what_others_will_not_tell_you
getexbacksecret.com. How to get your ex boyfriend back fast if you have suffered a nasty breakup.
- published: 11 Nov 2011
- views: 2344
- author: getexbacksecret1
LIVESTRONG Films: Jon
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:03
- Updated: 23 Jan 2012
Watch baseball pitcher Jon Lester as he candidly talks about cancer.
http://wn.com/LIVESTRONG_Films_Jon
Watch baseball pitcher Jon Lester as he candidly talks about cancer.
- published: 14 Jul 2009
- views: 7816
- author: livestrongarmy
Signings & Sightings Presents Boston Pitchers Jon Lester & Felix Doubront
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 0:34
- Updated: 02 Jul 2012
Mohegan Sun was thrilled to welcome Jon Lester & Felix Doubront to The Shops at Mohegan Sun for a Signings & Sightings event, fresh from the 100th Anniversary Game at Fenway Park.
http://wn.com/Signings_Sightings_Presents_Boston_Pitchers_Jon_Lester_Felix_Doubront
Mohegan Sun was thrilled to welcome Jon Lester & Felix Doubront to The Shops at Mohegan Sun for a Signings & Sightings event, fresh from the 100th Anniversary Game at Fenway Park.
- published: 21 Apr 2012
- views: 576
- author: Mohegan Sun
photo: AP / Juan Karita
04 Jan 2013
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has released a public letter urging the United Kingdom to relinquish its control over the disputed Falkland Islands. ... The veterans delivered a letter addressed to the British Ambassador in Argentina, John Freeman, criticising the British government for refusing to discuss the sovereignty of the islands with the Argentine government ... 508 Source.. Al Jazeera and agencies. Share....(size: 19.6Kb)
photo: WN / Imran Nissar
03 Jan 2013
A gang of men accused of repeatedly raping a 23-year-old student on a moving bus in New Delhi in a deadly crime that repulsed the nation are to appear in court today for the first time. A British tourist join others in a candlelight vigil to mourn the death of a gang rape victim, in Kolkata, India Photo. AP. 3.52AM GMT 03 Jan 2013 ... Police have ordered a bone test to determine his age and whether he can stand trial in an adult court....(size: 11.3Kb)
photo: WN / Bhaskar Mallick
05 Jan 2013
Tweet. New Delhi, Jan 5 (ANI). The male friend of the 23-year-old medical student, who was gang-raped and left unclothed and bleeding in the street and later died in hospital two weeks after she was attacked on December 16 on a private bus in New Delhi, has said that things would have gone differently if someone had stopped to help ... "It would have been a very different scenario today, had even one person come to our help that day ... (ANI)....(size: 3.8Kb)
photo: US Navy / HMC Josh Ives
03 Jan 2013
Washington. Aiming to get cooperation through dialogue, the US said that it is working hard to create an environment within Afghanistan and also in the region to have support for Afghan-Afghan reconciliation ... Responding to questions, Nuland said the US supports an Afghan-led process of reconciliation ... Saying that Pakistan needs to engage with Afghanistan directly, Nuland said the US supports dialogue between the two ... PTI ... First Published....(size: 2.3Kb)
photo: AP / SANA
05 Jan 2013
Syrian government forces have bombarded several rebel strongholds in the suburbs of Damascus to quell the fighters battling the regime of President Bashar al-Assad from reaching the capital. Activists on Saturday said troops leveled their bombardment campaign on the districts of Hajar al-Aswad and Qaboun in southern Damascus while they continued to shell the suburbs of Daraya, Beit Hahm, Zibdeen, Maadamiya and Jisteen ... 445 Source. ... ....(size: 19.0Kb)
MLB
04 Jan 2013
BOSTON -- The recent memories are so hard to shake for Red Sox fans that perhaps they'd rather just think about the Patriots and their run at another Super Bowl these days ... The good news is this ... a sleeper ... "We're going to continue to try to do that ... The good news is that Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz have the ability to be elite starters ... For the Red Sox to get where they need to get, Lester and Buchholz need to pitch like All-Stars ... 12. ....(size: 7.6Kb)
noodls
04 Jan 2013
(Source. Boston Red Sox) Boston hoping to return to the postseason after three disappointing years. By Ian Browne / MLB.com . 01/04/13 1.14 PM ET ... The good news is this ... a sleeper ... The proof will be in the pudding ... The good news is that Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz have the ability to be elite starters ... For the Red Sox to get where they need to get, Lester and Buchholz need to pitch like All-Stars ... 12 ... distributed by....(size: 9.9Kb)
noodls
04 Jan 2013
(Source. Boston Red Sox) Boston hoping to return to the postseason after three disappointing years. By Ian Browne / MLB.com . 01/04/13 1.14 PM ET ... The good news is this ... a sleeper ... The proof will be in the pudding ... The good news is that Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz have the ability to be elite starters ... For the Red Sox to get where they need to get, Lester and Buchholz need to pitch like All-Stars ... 12 ... distributed by....(size: 9.9Kb)
noodls
04 Jan 2013
(Source. MLB - Major League Baseball) Boston hoping to return to the postseason after three disappointing years. By Ian Browne / MLB.com . 01/04/13 1.14 PM ET ... The good news is this ... a sleeper ... The proof will be in the pudding ... The good news is that Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz have the ability to be elite starters ... For the Red Sox to get where they need to get, Lester and Buchholz need to pitch like All-Stars ... 12....(size: 9.9Kb)
Major League Blogging
03 Jan 2013
After weeks of boring, unimportant games the playoffs are finally here. I’m a little mad at Anaheim right now after the Ducks spanked the Bruins 6-1, but I’m very excited about the Sox and their familiar foe, the Angels ... History would give the Sox the edge, but the Angels are a different team this year. Jon Lester is pitching tonight against John Lackey ... ....(size: 1.7Kb)
The Providence Journal
02 Jan 2013
The move from 2012 to 2013 isn't just turning the page on our calendars; it's bringing in a whole new one ... Boston posted its worst record in 46 years and finished last in the American League East for the first time since 1993. That doesn't mean 2012 should be dismissed out of hand ... 6. May 6 ... Following an excellent outing by Jon Lester and a Houdini escape by Vicente Padilla in the eighth, Aceves yielded three singles to cough up the lead....(size: 6.4Kb)
Boston Herald
01 Jan 2013
What will 2013 bring? Here are some fearless predictions. 1 ... They laid down their arms in August, losing 31 of their final 41 ... 2 ... 3 ... 4. Jon Lester will be an All-Star ... Lester turns 29 next week, works hard, cares about his craft and is reunited with John Farrell, the former pitching coach who guided him to his greatest heights and will now be his manager. Add it all together, and we’re betting Lester bounces back in a big way. 5 ... 6 ... 7 ... 8 ... ....(size: 6.0Kb)
noodls
31 Dec 2012
So here are the new-look Red Sox, who will surround a familiar core of David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Jon Lester, Jacoby Ellsbury and Clay Buchholz ... Will Lester bounce back?. Who was that left-hander who went 9-14 with a 4.82 ERA in 2012? Believe it or not, it was Lester, who had pitched like an ace the previous four years ... Lester's return to prominence will start with fastball command....(size: 9.1Kb)
Boston Herald
31 Dec 2012
It didn’t have to be this way. That’s my takeaway from the 2012 Red Sox season ... 1 ... 2 ... Which brings us to . . . 3 ... Whatever pieces the Red Sox had that were worth believing in — Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, presumably Jon Lester — the clubhouse as a whole fell well short of the sum of its parts, and that needed to be addressed before the season, not after it was hopelessly over. 4 ... Coming tomorrow ... ....(size: 4.5Kb)
Boston Herald
30 Dec 2012
LOWLIGHTS. 1. The Bobby V Error ... And it took only 308 days ... Unsurprisingly, he was fired one day after the season ended. 2. A Quarter-Billion Dollar Bailout ... 3. Farewell, Youk (Welcome, Will) ... 1 ... 2. Lester comes up aces. Back under the familiar gaze of new manager/pitch doctor John Farrell and motivated to mute his critics, lefty Jon Lester wins 17 games, finishes third in the Cy Young Award voting and agrees to a four-year contract extension ... 3....(size: 3.8Kb)
The Providence Journal
27 Dec 2012
Jon Lester will earn more than $11 million this season, but as he's pitching under a five-year, $30 million contract, he still just counts for $6 million for luxury-tax purposes ... Jon Lester, $6 million ... How do things look going forward? Drew, Ellsbury, Hanrahan, Saltalamacchia and Uehara all come off the books, while Lester's number would take a jump to $13 million if the Red Sox picked up their team option on him....(size: 4.8Kb)
noodls
27 Dec 2012
(Source. Boston Red Sox). The Red Sox were the best team in baseball back on Sept ... But the Red Sox? ... Second, it's all about pitching, and where the Red Sox land in 2013 starts with Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz in their primes returning to their '10 promise with Farrell. Where their starters were near the bottom in innings, ERA and quality starts in '12, they need Lester and Buchholz to be the All-Stars they have been ... (noodl....(size: 9.6Kb)
MLB
26 Dec 2012
The Red Sox were the best team in baseball back on Sept ... All the players acquired thus far will be 30 by Opening Day ... Second, it's all about pitching, and where the Red Sox land in 2013 starts with Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz in their primes returning to their '10 promise with Farrell. Where their starters were near the bottom in innings, ERA and quality starts in '12, they need Lester and Buchholz to be the All-Stars they have been ... ....(size: 8.7Kb)
This article is about the Boston Red Sox pitcher. For the American cricketer, see John Lester. For other uses, see John Lester (disambiguation).
| Jon Lester | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Boston Red Sox – No. 31 | |
| Starting Pitcher | |
| Born: (1984-01-07) January 7, 1984 (age 28) Tacoma, Washington |
|
| Bats: Left | Throws: Left |
| MLB debut | |
| June 10, 2006 for the Boston Red Sox | |
| Career statistics (through May 25, 2012) |
|
| Win-loss record | 79–38 |
| Earned run average | 3.60 |
| Strikeouts | 935 |
| Teams | |
|
|
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
Jonathan Tyler Lester (born January 7, 1984, in Tacoma, Washington) is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox. Lester was 7-2 with a 4.76 ERA before and after being diagnosed with lymphoma. Less than two years after being diagnosed with lymphoma, Lester started and won the final game of the 2007 World Series, and in May 2008, pitched a no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals.
Contents |
Career[link]
High school[link]
Lester attended Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma, Washington, where he was a three-time MVP and three-time All-Area selection. In addition, he was named Gatorade State Player of the Year for Washington in 2000.
Professional[link]
The Red Sox drafted Lester in the second round (No. 57 overall) of the 2002 draft and gave him the highest signing bonus of any second-rounder that year, $1 million.
Lester quickly moved through the Red Sox organization, posting an 11–6 record, a league-leading 2.61 ERA and a league-best 163 strikeouts for the AA Portland Sea Dogs in 2005. He was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Year and Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Year and was selected as the left-handed pitcher on the Eastern League's year-end All-Star team and on the year-end Topps AA All-Star squad.
Lester was one of the Red Sox' top-rated prospects while in the minors, and other major league teams made efforts to acquire him. The Texas Rangers had demanded Lester be part of the proposed but ultimately rejected deal before the 2004 season for Alex Rodriguez.[1] The Florida Marlins insisted he be included in the trade for Josh Beckett before the 2006 season, but again, the Sox were able to keep Lester.[2]
2006[link]
With a rash of injuries and general ineffectiveness of several Red Sox starters, the team recalled Lester on June 10 to make his major league debut against the Texas Rangers. He put up a 4.76 ERA in 81.1 innings pitched in his rookie year. Lester was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a treatable cancer, in the middle of the season (see Battle with lymphoma for more details). He finished the season with a 7–2 record.
2007[link]
Following the successful treatment of his lymphoma, Lester was able to return to the Red Sox midway through the season. In the 2007 World Series, Lester won the series-clinching Game Four for the Red Sox, pitching 5⅔ shutout innings, giving up three hits and three walks while collecting three strikeouts. Lester became the third pitcher in World Series history to win a series clinching game in his first post-season start.
Rumors swirled again in the 2007 offseason when the Minnesota Twins were looking to trade ace Johan Santana. The Red Sox proposed multiple offers to the Twins for Santana — including one package that would have traded Lester and other prospects — but the Twins ultimately dealt Santana to the New York Mets, keeping Lester in Boston.
2008[link]
In 2008, Lester went 16–6 with a 3.21 ERA. Along with his no-hitter, he pitched a five-hit shutout in his first start at Yankee Stadium. He was named the AL Pitcher of the Month in July and September. Lester was also a key figure in the Red Sox' victory over the Angels in the American League Divisional Series, pitching 14 innings without allowing an earned run. Lester had the second highest winning percentage of all starting pitchers over the last three years (27–8, .771), and led the Red Sox in innings pitched in 2008 with 210.3.[3][4]
Lester's losses in Games 3 and 7 of the 2008 ALCS were the first losses he had ever had in consecutive starts.[5]
2009[link]
On March 8, Lester agreed to a five-year, $30 million contract extension with a $14 million team option in 2014.[6]
On June 6, Lester made his bid for a second no-hitter against the AL West-leading Texas Rangers at Fenway. He pitched 6 1/3 perfect innings, striking out 10 batters, on 61 pitches through the first six innings. Michael Young hit a one-out double to left center field in the seventh inning to break up the no-hitter, but Lester pitched a complete game, striking out a total of 11 batters, giving him 23 Ks in two starts (he had a career-best 12 Ks his previous start).
On August 14, Lester struck out ten batters for the sixth time in the 2009 season, the most times ever by a Red Sox lefty.
2010[link]
In 2010 Lester won his final start in April, then won five of the six games he started in May. Lester went 5–0 with a 1.84 ERA and 45 strikeouts and was named the American League Pitcher of the Month, winning the award for the third time.
On June 16 he got his 50th career win, against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Lester was selected to the American League All-Star team on July 1, this was his first selection. At the time of the break he was 11–3 with a 2.78 ERA and 124 strikeouts. He pitched the sixth inning for the AL allowing no baserunners.
On July 25 he took a perfect game into the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners but lost it in that inning due to an error made by Eric Patterson. A home run by Michael Saunders broke up the no hit bid. The Red Sox eventually lost the game. The loss was the second of four losses in a row Lester took after the All-Star break; this was the first time he lost consecutive decisions in his career. He would eventually turn it around throwing 6 shutout innings against the Yankees and then 8 shutout innings, despite feeling sick, against the Rangers. Lester finished the season strong but fell just short of 20 wins.
Lester finished the season T-4th in Wins (19) and in 4th place in strikeouts (225) in the Majors (AL and NL combined) in 2010. He finished 25th in the Major Leagues with a 3.25 E.R.A. in an excellent year for pitchers.
2011[link]
In 2011, Lester was the opening day starter for the Red Sox, on the road against Texas. He had a solid season, leading Boston's rotation in wins for the second year in a row and strikeouts for the third year in a row. He was named to the American League All-Star team, replacing Felix Hernandez, but did not pitch due to injury.
Lester struggled along with the rest of the team, losing his last three decisions, including giving up eight runs in a start against the New York Yankees. He pitched the season finale against the Baltimore Orioles, pitching six innings and giving up just two runs. The bullpen was unable to hold onto the lead, and the Red Sox were eliminated.
Lester finished the season 15–9 with a 3.41 ERA. He finished in the top 20 in strikeouts (11th), wins (10th) and ERA (17th).
In the end of the 2011 season, Lester and two more starting pitchers was in a center of a controversy that told that the three (and sometimes more) drank alcohol during games. Many people hypothesized that this was part of the reason why the Red Sox went 7–20 in September and were eliminated on the last day of the season. Lester was the first to tell what really happened, and stressed that they would only drink when they weren't pitching for that day. Lester was the first of the three starting pitchers to admit to his drinking.[7]
No-hitter[link]
On May 19, 2008, Lester threw his first career Major League no-hitter,[8] and the 18th in Red Sox history, in a 7–0 win against the Kansas City Royals. Lester threw 130 pitches in the game, allowing only two walks and striking out 9 batters, although he was charged with a throwing error on a pickoff attempt in the second inning. It was the first no-hitter thrown by a Red Sox left-handed pitcher since Mel Parnell in 1956, the first in MLB since Clay Buchholz's September 2007 no-hitter, and the MLB-record fourth no-hitter caught by Jason Varitek. It was also only the second no-hitter ever pitched against the Royals; Nolan Ryan pitched the other in 1973.
After the game, Red Sox manager Terry Francona, who earlier in the day had attended his son's commencement ceremony at the University of Pennsylvania, was quoted as saying, "This probably isn't fair to say, but I feel like my son graduated and my son threw a no-hitter. It's probably selfish on my part to even say something like that. But I think it's obvious how we feel about this kid."[9]
Just as Clay Buchholz's no-hitter was preserved by a diving play by rookie second baseman Dustin Pedroia, Lester's was preserved by a diving catch by rookie center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury to end the fourth inning.[10]
Personal life[link]
On January 9, 2009, he married his girlfriend Farrah Stone Johnson, whom he met in 2007 while making rehab starts in single-A Greenville.[11]
Lymphoma diagnosis and comeback[link]
On August 27, 2006, Lester was scratched from his scheduled start against the Oakland Athletics due to a sore back. The following day he was placed on the 15-day disabled list, and was sent back to Boston for testing. At the time, Lester's back problems were thought to be the result of a car crash he was involved in earlier in the month. On August 31 it was reported that Lester had been diagnosed with enlarged lymph nodes and was being tested for a variety of ailments, including forms of cancer.[12] A few days later, doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital confirmed that Lester had a treatable form of anaplastic large cell lymphoma.[13]
Lester underwent off-season chemotherapy treatments at Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, named after the former MLB pitcher and manager whose life was cut short by cancer at age 45 in 1964. In December 2006, ESPN.com reported that Lester's latest CT Scan showed no signs of the disease, which appeared to be in remission. Lester attended spring training in 2007, and started the season for the class A Greenville Drive. Lester then started for AAA Pawtucket Red Sox in late April 2007.[14] In June, Lester was removed from the disabled list, and sent to Pawtucket for further rehab outings.[15] Lester made his first 2007 start for the Boston Red Sox on July 23 against the Cleveland Indians at Jacobs Field in Cleveland, pitching 6 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and struck out 6, picking up the win. Lester started and won the clinching game of the 2007 World Series, Game 4 against the Colorado Rockies.
To honor Lester's comeback from lymphoma, the Boston Baseball Writers' Association of America voted him the 2007 Tony Conigliaro Award.[16] In an appropriate coincidence, Lester also received the 2008 Hutch Award, given to the Major League player who "best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire" of Hutchinson, after whom Lester's treatment center was named.[17][18]
In March 2011, Jon Lester partnered with Charity Wines to release his own wine label under the Longball Cellars brand. Proceeds from sales of his CabernAce cabernet support the Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, the place where Lester himself was treated, to aid the development of targeted immunotherapies. Funds raised from this initiative will help researchers maximize the body’s own ability to strike out and eliminate disease so lymphoma patients can extend their life. He is partnering with teammate Clay Buchholz who is also releasing a Charity Wine, called ChardonClay, to raise money for the Jimmy Fund.[19]
Magazines
Lester has been on the cover of multiple magazines, including: Parade magazine, Boston magazine, and Bostonian Red Sox Preview
- ^ Go 2 Guy: Lester went from MLB to cancer ward and back again[dead link]
- ^ Edes, Gordon (November 22, 2005). "This Marlin a pretty big fish for Sox to land". http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2005/11/22/this_marlin_a_pretty_big_fish_for_sox_to_land/. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
- ^ Chuck, Bill. 100 random things about the Red Sox, Rays, and Yankees, The Boston Globe. Published April 2, 2009. Retrieved May 2, 2009.
- ^ Chuck, Bill (April 2, 2009). "100 random things about the Red Sox, Rays, and Yankees". http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/100_random_things_2009/. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
- ^ "Jon Lester 2008 Pitching Gamelogs - Baseball-Reference.com". Sports Reference LLC. http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/gl.cgi?n1=lestejo01&t=p&year=2008. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
- ^ Lester lands five-year extension with Red Sox[dead link]
- ^ Brown, Ian (October 17, 2011). "Lester: We did drink in clubhouse during games". http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111017&content_id=25692288&vkey=news_bos&c_id=bos. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
- ^ Ian Browne (2008-05-19). "Lester hurls 18th Red Sox no-no". http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20080519&content_id=2731480&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos. Retrieved May 19, 2008.
- ^ Sean McAdam (May 20, 2008). "Lester traveled hard road to no-hitter". http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?id=3404366.
- ^ Maureen Mullen (May 20, 2008). "No-hitter not possible without Ellsbury". http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080519&content_id=2733490&vkey=news_bos&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos.
- ^ "Jon Lester Off The Marriage Market". wbztv.com. 2008-07-11. http://wbztv.com/sports/jon.lester.engaged.2.768683.html. [dead link]
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ ESPN (December 5, 2006). "Report: Lester's latest CT scan clean". ESPN.com. http://redsox.bostonherald.com/redSox/view.bg?articleid=155533&srvc=sports. Retrieved December 5, 2006.
- ^ "Sox: Lester has treatable form of lymphoma.". Boston Herald. Associated Press. 2006-09-01. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2686799. Retrieved September 1, 2006.
- ^ "Red Sox option LHP Jon Lester to Pawtucket". MLB.com. June 11, 2007. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070611&content_id=2019871&vkey=pr_bos&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos.
- ^ Wilbur, Eric (November 28, 2007). "Lester gets the honor". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2007/11/lester_gets_the.html.
- ^ [2][dead link]
- ^ Real Insight. Real Fans. Real Conversations. Sporting News. Retrieved on 2011-11-15.
- ^ Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz to Release Charity Wines this Spring. Charityhop.com (2011-05-05). Retrieved on 2011-11-15.
External links[link]
.jpg){kind=small}
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
- Official Site
- SoxProspects.com Bio
- Interview With Lester
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Lester, Jon |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | American baseball player |
| Date of birth | January 7, 1984 |
| Place of birth | Tacoma, Washington |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
http://wn.com/Jon_Lester
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This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
 |
This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (July 2009) |
| Josh Beckett | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Boston Red Sox – No. 19 | |
| Starting pitcher | |
| Born: (1980-05-15) May 15, 1980 (age 32) Spring, Texas |
|
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| September 4, 2001 for the Florida Marlins | |
| Career statistics (through May 25, 2012) |
|
| Win–Loss record | 129-85 |
| Earned run average | 3.85 |
| Strikeouts | 1,661 |
| Teams | |
|
|
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
Joshua Patrick Beckett (born May 15, 1980)[1] is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. During his career in the playoffs, he won the 2003 World Series MVP Award with the Florida Marlins, and received the 2007 ALCS MVP award with the Red Sox.
Contents |
Baseball career[link]
Florida Marlins (2001–2005)[link]
A resident of Spring, Texas, Beckett was discovered by Florida Marlins scout Bob Laurie. Beckett had signed a letter of intent to play with the Texas A&M Aggies but went pro. Beckett spent most of his early years with the Marlins as a member of the team's young staff, but injuries (most frequently blister problems) limited him to only 99 starts (102 appearances) from 2002 to 2005.
Beckett's major league debut was on September 4, 2001, against the Chicago Cubs, in which he gave up one hit over six shutout innings. He finished 2001 with four games started, a 2-2 record, and an ERA of 1.50.
Beckett won the 2003 World Series MVP Award with two strong performances on three days' rest. Teamed up with catcher Iván Rodríguez, he helped the Marlins win the World Series, defeating the New York Yankees. During Game 6 at Yankee Stadium, he shut out the Yankees in a complete game, striking out 9 batters and clinching the series by making the tag for the final out.
Boston Red Sox (2006–present)[link]
In a deal that was made official on Thanksgiving Day, 2005, Beckett was traded to the Red Sox along with third baseman Mike Lowell and relief pitcher Guillermo Mota for minor league prospects shortstop Hanley Ramírez and pitchers Aníbal Sánchez, Jesús Delgado and Harvey García. Beckett and Lowell were among a prominent list of veterans the Marlins traded in what was organizationally termed a market correction.[2]
Josh Beckett was the first Red Sox pitcher to hit a home run in 35 years — since the advent of the designated hitter rule — when he took Phillies' pitcher Brett Myers deep during an interleague game on May 20, 2006. Beckett repeated the feat on June 14, 2009 when he homered against Phillies pitcher J.A. Happ. Having gone deep once while with the Marlins, Beckett has thus hit more home runs playing for an American League team than a National League team.[3] On July 18, 2006, Beckett signed a three-year, $30 million contract extension with a $10 million club option for 2010.[4] Beckett completed his first season with the Boston Red Sox with a record of 16–11 and a 5.01 ERA. In 204.2 IP, he gave up 191 hits and struck out 158 batters while walking 74. Beckett allowed 36 home runs, tied for second most in the majors.
At the start of the 2007 season, Beckett adjusted to throwing more breaking pitches and fewer fastballs. At the same time, he learned to locate his pitches rather than simply get strikes by power. He reduced his walks and home runs allowed by nearly half, contributing to his success in 2007. Beckett became one of six Boston Red Sox pitchers in history to win their first 7 starts. George Winter and Mickey Harris both won their first 7 starts in a particular season, and Babe Ruth, Dave Ferriss and Roger Moret all won their first 8 starts in a particular season. After a strong first half, posting a 12–2 record with a 3.44 ERA, he was selected to the American League team in the 2007 MLB All-Star Game. Beckett earned the victory in the game after pitching two innings, giving up only one hit, and striking out two. Beckett became the first pitcher to win 20 games in a season since 2005, finishing the season with a record of 20–7, a 3.27 ERA, 194 strikeouts, a 1.14 WHIP, and only 40 walks and 17 home runs allowed. Beckett's 2–0 record and 1.93 ERA against the Cleveland Indians in the ALCS earned him the 2007 ALCS MVP Award, and he started and won the first game of the 2007 World Series against the Colorado Rockies, pitching 7 innings, allowing 1 run on 6 hits, and striking out 9 batters. Boston would go on to sweep the Rockies in the series.
On May 8, 2008, Beckett recorded his 1,000th career strikeout, when Brandon Inge of the Detroit Tigers struck out swinging in the seventh inning. Through 2008, Beckett had a 48-28 record and a 4.11 ERA in his three seasons with the Red Sox.[5]
In 2009, during his first Opening Day start with the Red Sox, Beckett struck out 10 through 7 innings allowing only 1 run and two hits in a 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. On April 14, 2009, MLB fined and suspended Beckett 6 games for intentionally throwing over the head of Los Angeles Angels outfielder Bobby Abreu. Beckett later appealed the suspension and got it reduced to 5 games. The Red Sox exercised their club option on him for the 2010 season.
On June 20, 2009, Beckett recorded his first complete game shutout in three years against the Atlanta Braves in a duel against former Red Sox pitcher Derek Lowe. The shutout was his first in a Red Sox uniform. On July 5, 2009, he was selected to represent Boston in the 2009 All Star Game.
Beckett recorded his 100th career win on July 12, 2009, pitching a complete game shutout against the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park.
On August 7, 2009, Beckett was a part of a memorable game against the New York Yankees. He and former Marlins teammate A. J. Burnett endured a pitching duel that actually sparked the game to turn into a fifteen inning, five hour and thirty-three minute game. Josh threw seven shutout innings, Burnett threw seven and two thirds. The Red Sox eventually lost the game in the bottom of the 15th, when Alex Rodriguez hit a walk-off two run home run.
On April 5, 2010, the Red Sox and Beckett agreed to a four-year, $68 million contract extension, through 2014.[6] He was placed on the disabled list on May 19 with a lower back strain and returned from the injury on July 23.
On September 16th, Beckett recorded his 1000th strikeout as a member of the Red Sox. He struck out Tampa Bay's Ben Zobrist in the sixth inning.[7]
In the end of the 2011 season, Beckett and two more starting pitchers (John Lackey and Jon Lester, allegedly) were in the center of a controversy that told that the three (and sometimes more) drank alcohol during games. Many people hypothesized that this was part of the reason why the Red Sox went 7-20 on September and were eliminated on the last day of the season. Josh Beckett was noted as the leader of this.[8]
Personal life[link]
Beckett was born in Spring, Texas, and has been linked to such celebrities as model/sportcaster Leeann Tweeden and country singer Danielle Peck.[9] On October 18, 2007, Peck was invited by the Cleveland Indians to sing the National Anthem prior to Game 5 of the American League Championship Series between the Red Sox and Indians.[10] Beckett was the starting pitcher in that game, and some Red Sox fans theorized that her invitation was an attempt by the Indians organization to distract Beckett. The Indians denied this claim.[11] It did not seem to affect Beckett, as he beat the Indians with eight innings pitched, five hits, one walk, one earned run, and eleven strikeouts. In a postgame interview with Beckett, when asked if he was affected by Peck's presence, Beckett replied "I don't get paid to make those fuckin' decisions. She's a friend of mine. It doesn't bother me at all. Thanks for flyin' one of my friends to the game so she could watch it for free."[12] Beckett was also linked at one time to actress Alyssa Milano but she has stated in her baseball blog that she and Beckett never dated.[13] In April 2010 the Inside Track gossip column in the Boston Herald reported that he was engaged to Holly Fisher, an aeronautics engineer and former high school classmate. They got married on January 22, 2011.[14] Josh became a father for the first time when his wife Holly gave birth to their first child a girl in September 2011.
Beckett has a house in San Antonio and is a fan of the San Antonio Spurs.[15] He is also a fan of the Texas A&M Aggies as he committed to the University under then-Aggie head coach Mark Johnson before being drafted; he is still often seen at Texas A&M football games.
Beckett is an avid deer hunter and has been since childhood. He was the 2002 winner of the Muy Grande Deer Contest for bringing down the largest buck during the Texas deer hunting season.[16] After the Marlins' World Series win he appeared in advertisements for the National Rifle Association.[17] He owns Herradura Ranch, a 7,000 acres (28 km2) deer-hunting ranch outside of Cotulla, Texas .[18]
He was featured in a Kevin Fowler music video alongside his teammates John Lackey, Tim Wakefield and Clay Buchholz.[19]
See also[link]
- Florida Marlins all-time roster
- Boston Red Sox all-time roster
- List of Major League Baseball wins champions
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
References[link]
- ^ "Beckett, Josh". Current Biography Yearbook 2011. Ipswich, MA: H.W. Wilson. 2011. pp. 61-64. ISBN 9780824211219.
- ^ Frisaro, Joe (December 5, 2005). "Marlins deal Lo Duca to Mets". MLB.com. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20051204&content_id=1275756&vkey=hotstove2005&fext=.jsp. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
- ^ "Josh Beckett Career Statistics". redsox.com. 2010-07-06. http://mlb.mlb.com/stats/individual_stats_player.jsp?c_id=bos&playerID=277417. Retrieved 2010-07-08.
- ^ Associated Press (July 19, 2006). "Red Sox sign righty Beckett to three-year extension". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2524247. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
- ^ Chuck, Bill (April 2, 2009). "100 random things about the Red Sox, Rays, and Yankees". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/100_random_things_2009/. Retrieved May 2, 2009.
- ^ Browne, Ian (April 5, 2010). "Beckett, Red Sox complete extension". MLB.com. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100405&content_id=9079556&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb. Retrieved April 5, 2010.
- ^ "Josh Beckett returns, helps Red Sox finally solve Rays". http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=310916102.
- ^ Brown, Ian (October 17, 2011). "Lester: We did drink in clubhouse during games". http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111017&content_id=25692288&vkey=news_bos&c_id=bos. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
- ^ White, Paul (October 12, 2007). "Red Sox pitcher Beckett hunts for big game in fall". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/al/redsox/2007-10-11-cover-beckett_N.htm.
- ^ Head games? Tonight's anthem singer is Beckett's ex - cleveland.com
- ^ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21371547/
- ^ YouTube - World Series Champion Josh Beckett responds to reporter
- ^ *touch* 'em all: An Open Letter To All Sports Journalists
- ^ Red Sox ace Josh Beckett engaged to Brandon Twale
- ^ Red Sox Pitcher Josh Beckett Enjoys San Antonio
- ^ http://www.jockbio.com/Bios/Beckett/Beckett_facts.html Beckett facts
- ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?section=magazine&id=3661536 Worth the Weight
- ^ http://www.herraduraranch.com/ Herradura Ranch
- ^ Josh Beckett and other Sox pitchers show up in video for Kevin Fowler song Boston Globe, July 19, 2011
External links[link]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Josh Beckett |
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
- Red Sox finalize an extended deal
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Beckett, Josh |
| Alternative names | Beckett, Joshua Patrick; Beckett, Joshua P. |
| Short description | Major League Baseball pitcher |
| Date of birth | May 15, 1980 |
| Place of birth | Spring, Texas, United States |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
http://wn.com/Josh_Beckett
Related pages:
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http://pt.wn.com/Josh Beckett
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This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Beckett
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
Dennis Callahan (c. 1941 – February 8, 2012) was an American politician from Annapolis, Maryland. He had been a mayor of Annapolis and a director of the Recreation and Parks Department of Anne Arundel County, Maryland. He ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic primary for Anne Arundel County Executive in 2006. The general election winner, Republican John R. Leopold, appointed Callahan chief administrative officer of Anne Arundel County, a position he held at the time of his death.[1]
Contents |
Career in Parks and Recreation Department[link]
As director of the Recreation and Parks Department, he was at the center of two controversial park developments. One of the park developments involved the Smith Farm on the Broadneck Peninsula. The plan called for tearing down most of a horse farm and building ball fields over the land, leaving limited space for a community equestrian center.[2] Local citizens organized against this proposal, and groups such as WHOA (We Hold Officials Accountable), SACReD (South Arundel Citizens for Responsible Development), and the Anne Arundel Green Party literally stood in front of the bulldozers to stop the farm from being torn down. Eventually the farm was preserved and is now the Andy Smith Equestrian Center.
The other controversy entailed converting a substantial portion of wetlands on Franklin Point into ball fields and parking lots. The local community organized against the proposal, offering alternate sites for the ball fields. However, it was only after the Critical Area Commission ruled that plans for the park would have to be severely curtailed that Anne Arundel County backed out of the proposed development. Callahan stated that the new offer would "fundamentally change the character of the plan, substantially reduce the number of park activities available to the Shady Side community and the public, and make development of certain park features problematical or perhaps impossible."[3] This ended 5 years of negotiations between county and state officials.
During Callahan's tenure as the Recreation and Parks Director, football commissioners throughout the County petitioned the County Executive to have him removed from his position. On September 15, 2002 a fight broke out in the parking lot between the two competing football teams, the Cape St. Claire Cougars and Riviera Beach Buccaneers. During the incident, assistant coach Mike T. Pivec, 52, allegedly hit Rory Fracasse Jr., 15, in the face. The head coaches of both teams were put on two game suspensions. Cape St. Claire's Michael Harris, appealed the decision to county recreation officials under Callahans supervision. The officials lifted the two game suspension, however "members of the football association said that Callahan, who is a friend of Harris, intervened in the appeals process."[4] They later petitioned to have him removed from the position, but were unsuccessful.
Political Career[link]
![[icon]](http://web.archive.org./web/20130106053801/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} |
This section requires expansion. |
Callahan was a mayor of Annapolis, serving from 1985 to 1989. He was originally a Republican before serving as mayor. He was defeated in the 1989 mayoral primary. He ran again for mayor in 1993 as an Independent, placing second in the General Election. Callahan was again the Democratic nominee for mayor in 1997. He was also an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for Anne Arundel County Executive in 1990.[5] [6]
Tenure as CEO[link]
Callahan served as CEO of the P.O.I.N.T. Corp., which owned Chiro-Serve. After two years under his leadership, the P.O.I.N.T. Corp. and Chiro-Serve went under in 1996.[citation needed]
Death[link]
Callahan suffered of a heart attack at his home on February 8, 2012, and died later that morning at Anne Arundel Medical Center. He was 70 years old.[1]
References[link]
- ^ a b Fuller, Nicole (February 8, 2012). "Former Annapolis Mayor Dennis Callahan dies at 70; Anne Arundel chief administrative officer suffers heart attack". The Baltimore Sun (Tribune Company). http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-ar-dennis-callahan-20120208,0,5548760.story. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
- ^ Childs Walker (March 4, 2004). "Ball Field Building at Farm Site Begins Despite Opposition". The Baltimore Sun. http://www.sacred-online.org/articles/Sun_030404.pdf. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ Childs Walker (May 27, 2005). "County ends deal to build ball fields". The Baltimore Sun. http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2005-05-27/news/0505270211_1_county-officials-ball-fields-area-commission. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ Lynn Anderson (October 03, 2002). "Callahan plans to reorganize youth football". The Baltimore Sun. http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2002-10-03/news/0210030450_1_youth-football-association-arundel-county-anne-arundel. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ Nicole Fulle (February 9 2012). "Dennis M. Callahan, former Annapolis mayor, dies at 70". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/dennis-m-callahan-former-annapolis-mayor-dies-at-70/2012/02/09/gIQAuabH2Q_story.html. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ Associated Press (February 8, 2012). "Dennis Callahan, Former Mayor Of Annapolis Dies At Age 70". CBS. http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/02/08/dennis-callahan-former-mayor-of-annapolis-dies-at-age-70/. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Richard Lazer Hillman |
Mayor of Annapolis 1985–1989 |
Succeeded by Alfred Hopkins |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Callahan, Dennis |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | American politician |
| Date of birth | c. 1941 |
| Place of birth | |
| Date of death | February 8, 2012 |
| Place of death | Annapolis, Maryland, U.S. |
 |
This article about a mayor in Maryland is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
http://wn.com/Dennis_Callahan
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Callahan
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
| Jason Varitek | |
|---|---|
 Varitek with the Red Sox in June 2009. |
|
| Catcher | |
| Born: (1972-04-11) April 11, 1972 (age 40) Rochester, Michigan |
|
| Batted: Switch | Threw: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| September 24, 1997 for the Boston Red Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 25, 2011 for the Boston Red Sox | |
| Career statistics | |
| Batting average | .256 |
| Home runs | 193 |
| Runs batted in | 757 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
Jason Andrew Varitek ( /ˈværɨtɛk/; born April 11, 1972) is a former American professional baseball catcher. After being traded as a minor league prospect by the Seattle Mariners, Varitek played his entire major league career for the Boston Red Sox. A three-time All-Star and Gold Glove Award winner at catcher, and a Silver Slugger Award winner, Varitek was part of both the 2004 World Series and 2007 World Series Championship teams. In December 2004 he was named the captain of the Red Sox, only their fourth captain since 1923.[1] He is a switch-hitter.
Varitek is one of only two players in the history of the sport to have played in the World Championship game of the Little League World Series, in the National Championship game of the College World Series, and in the Major League World Series (Ed Vosberg is the other). Varitek stands alone as the only baseball player in history to have played in the three aforementioned World Series along with playing in either the Olympic Baseball team or in the World Baseball Classic (he actually played in both the Olympics and the World Baseball Classic). His Lake Brantley High School baseball team won the Florida State Championship his senior year in 1990 and was named the number one high school baseball team in the nation by a USA Today poll.[2] Varitek has caught an MLB-record four no-hitters.[3][4] He has allowed 992 stolen bases, more than any active major league catcher.[5]
Contents |
Little League career[link]
Varitek played in the 1984 Little League World Series, leading his Altamonte Springs team to victory in the United States Championship bracket in a 4–2 victory over Southport, Indiana. His team then fell in the world championship game to the international champion from Seoul, South Korea, by a score of 6–2.[6] Varitek played shortstop, third base, and catcher in his three LLWS games, performing well defensively, but was hitless going 0 for 7 with two walks and a run scored.[7]
High school and college[link]
While in high school, Varitek was involved in many school activities and a model student. In addition to outstanding academic performance, Jason was Lake Brantley High School's third baseman and relief catcher. LBHS Patriots baseball team is located in Altamonte Springs, FL. Brantley's first line catcher was Jerry Thurston, himself a pro prospect. In 1990, the Patriots won the state championship.[8] He was also a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team and won the Dick Howser Trophy for National Collegiate Player of the Year. He was also named Baseball America's 1993 College Player of the Year; he appeared in 3 games for the U.S. team in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.
Varitek attended Georgia Tech, where he helped lead the Yellow Jackets baseball team to the 1994 College World Series title game, along with teammates Nomar Garciaparra and Jay Payton (they would lose to the University of Oklahoma). He graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in management and is the only Tech baseball player to have his number (33) retired.
Early professional career[link]
Varitek played five summers in the Cape Cod Baseball League with the Hyannis Mets. In 1993, he hit .371 while winning both the league batting championship and MVP. He was drafted 21st overall in the first round by the Minnesota Twins in 1993,[9] but opted to return for his senior year of college. Following graduation, Varitek signed with agent Scott Boras and was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the first round of the 1994 amateur draft, with the 14th pick overall.[10] A pioneer of the loopholes in the draft process, Varitek signed with the St. Paul Saints in the independent Northern League[11] before agreeing to terms with the Mariners, and consequently did not enter the Mariners' minor league system until 1995. When he finally did join the franchise, Varitek was sent to the AA affiliate Port City Roosters where he first met pitcher and longtime teammate Derek Lowe. He was traded with Lowe to the Red Sox during the 1997 season in return for reliever Heathcliff Slocumb, often cited as one of the best trades in the Red Sox's favor in recent history.[12]
Major league career[link]
From budding rookie to the Captain: 1997-2004
Varitek was called up for a single game on September 24, 1997, collecting a single in his only at bat. During the 1998 season, Varitek split time with incumbent catcher Scott Hatteberg playing in 86 games.[13] Varitek showed signs of things to come in the season, and with a strong spring training following the season, Varitek earned the starting catcher position.
1999 was a breakout year for the catcher. Variteck played in 144 games, hitting for a .269 average, with 20 home runs and 76 RBIs.[13] Varitek went 5–21 with 3 RBI in the 1999 ALDS against the Cleveland Indians.[13] and 4–20 with 1 RBI in the ALCS against the New York Yankees.[13]
Looking forward on building more success from the year before, the 2000 season was a disappointment offensively, producing a .248 average with only 10 home runs and 65 RBI, as the Red Sox failed to qualify for post-season play.[13] Prior to the 2001 season, Varitek signed a 3-year, $14.9 million contract with Boston. Variteck went on a hitting hot streak, having a .310 average at one point and on May 20, 2001, he homered three times in a single game before a broken left elbow injury sidelined the catcher for nearly the rest of the season. As Variteck dove to catch a foul ball on June 7. The play went on to be a top Web Gem for the month of July in 2001. Varitek finished the season with a .293 average, 7 home runs, and 25 RBI in 51 games played.[13]
Varitek returned to the Red Sox lineup fulltime in the 2002 season. The return did not go smoothly, however, as Varitek struggled to find himself at the plate. Despite not reaching his full offensive potential,[13] pitchers and coaches alike began to notice how much Varitek's preparation and knowledge of the game was helping the pitchers. His study habits and extra hours of work with pitchers would soon become his defining attribute. Varitek and the Red Sox entered the 2003 season with a renewed fire to reach the playoffs after missing in the previous three years. Varitek instantly became a leader in the clubhouse which management tried to portray as working class, featuring new faces such as Kevin Millar, David Ortiz, Bill Mueller, and Todd Walker along with original players Trot Nixon and Lou Merloni. 2003 was Varitek's best year to date and earned his first All-Star selection after the fans voted him on with the All-Star Final Vote. He was hitting .296 with 15 HRs and 51 RBIs[14] going into the all-star break and finished the season off with a solid .273 average, 25 HRs and 85 RBIs,[13] all career highs. The Red Sox earned a Wild Card berth and their first playoff appearance since 1999, before losing the 2003 ALCS to the New York Yankees.
In 2004, Varitek compiled a career-high .296 batting average with 18 home runs and 73 RBI. During a nationally televised game on July 24, 2004, Varitek shoved his glove into the face of the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez after Rodriguez was hit by a pitch and gestured towards pitcher Bronson Arroyo, saying "Fuck you! Fuck you!", causing a bench-clearing brawl. Notably, he did not take his mask off during the brawl, thereby violating one of the "unwritten rules of baseball". Though he was ejected (along with Rodriguez) from the game following the incident, the Red Sox, spurred on by the fight, came from behind to win 11–10. It is also sometimes regarded as the turning point in the Red Sox season, as they posted MLB's best record after the melee. Boston culminated the season with its first World Series championship in 86 years, after being the first team to overcome a three games to none deficit in the ALCS vs. the New York Yankees.
At the end of the year, Varitek became a free agent and signed a 4-year, $40-million contract with the Red Sox.[15] Because of his performance both on and off the field, the franchise awarded Varitek with the captaincy.
Red Sox Captain
After Varitek's re-signing, the Red Sox appointed him to be the third team captain in franchise history, following hall of famers Carl Yastrzemski (1969–1983) and Jim Rice (1986–1989).[15] He became one of the three captains in Major League Baseball. Derek Jeter of the NY Yankees, and Paul Konerko of the Chicago White Sox were the others. He maintained his captaincy until his retirement before the 2012 season.
In 2005, Varitek won his first Gold Glove Award, his first Silver Slugger, and his second All-Star selection.
In 2006, Varitek represented the United States in the World Baseball Classic. He made the most of his playing time, hitting a grand slam against Team Canada allowing Team USA to narrow an 8–2 lead down to 8–6. Team Canada, however, kept the lead in the upset victory.
On July 18, 2006, Varitek played his 991st game at catcher for the Boston Red Sox, breaking Carlton Fisk's club record. That game was a home game vs. Kansas City, during which Varitek's achievement was recognized before the bottom of the 5th inning (after the game was official and couldn't be cancelled due to weather). Varitek received a standing ovation from the sellout crowd at Fenway Park for a few moments before play resumed. On July 31, 2006, Varitek was injured rounding the bases in a 9–8 victory over the Cleveland Indians (his 1000th career game as catcher), but said he believed the initial injury to the knee occurred while he was blocking home plate to make the tag against the Angels Mike Napoli on July 29, 2006. He had surgery on August 3, 2006, to repair torn cartilage in his left knee. Varitek returned to the Red Sox lineup on September 4, following a short rehabilitation assignment in Pawtucket.
On September 19, 2006, Varitek was honored during a pre-game ceremony as the first Red Sox catcher to catch 1,000 games. He was presented with a special award by Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk, who held the Boston club record with 990 career games caught before Varitek surpassed it. Varitek caught his 1000th game on July 31 and by the evening of the ceremony had appeared in 1,009 games behind the plate. That same night, Varitek also received the 2006 Red Sox Heart and Hustle Award from the local chapter of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association, which is presented to a player exemplifying the values, tradition, and spirit of the game of baseball.
In 2007, Varitek and the Red Sox returned to the World Series, winning for the second time in four years. During the season, Varitek recorded his 1000th career hit. On May 19, 2008, he caught Jon Lester's no-hitter, giving him a Major League record of having caught four separate no-hitters in his career.
In honor of being captain, Varitek released Captain Cabernet, a charity wine with proceeds benefiting Pitching In For Kids and Children's Hospital Boston.[16][17]
At the end of the 2008 season, Varitek opted for free agency, rejecting arbitration that would give him a salary close to the $10 million he made in 2008.[18] Reports in the Boston Globe suggested that his agent, Scott Boras, was using New York Yankee catcher Jorge Posada's four-year, $52.4 million deal as a benchmark for negotiations.[19] On February 6, 2009, Varitek signed a new one-year deal with the Red Sox worth $5 million with a $5 million club option, or a $3 million player option, for 2010.[12][20] During the 2009 season, Varitek's numbers were similar to his dismal 2008 season, with slightly more home runs (14), doubles (24) and runs batted in (51), and a higher slugging percentage (.390) despite a lower batting average (.209) and fewer at bats (425). He eventually became the backup catcher when the Red Sox acquired All-Star Victor Martinez on the July 31 trade deadline.
On December 2, 2010, Sports Illustrated, on its website SI.com, reported that Jason Varitek signed a one-year, two-million dollar deal to stay with the Boston Red Sox for the 2011 season.[21] The deal was finalized on December 10.[22] With the addition of Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Varitek usually came off the bench during the 2011 season, playing in 68 games, hitting .221 with 11 home runs, 36 RBI, with a .300 on base percentage
After the 2011 season, Varitek became a free agent once again, and was offered a minor league contract, with an invitation to spring training, by the Red Sox. On March 1, 2012, at Jet Blue Park in Fort Myers, Florida, Varitek officially announced his retirement.
Records and awards[link]
[edit] Georgia Tech records[23]
- Most career games played (253)
- Most career runs scored (261)
- Most career base hits (351)
- Most career doubles (82)
College awards and achievements[link]
- His number 33 is only the second number ever retired by Georgia Tech; the first was #44, worn by Coach Jim Luck
- Baseball America's 1993 player of the year
- Named by Baseball America to "All-Time College All-Star Team"[24]
- 1994 Golden Spikes Award
- 1994 Rotary Smith Award
- 1994 Dick Howser Trophy
- Three time consensus All-American (1992, '93, '94)[10]
- Inducted into Georgia Tech Hall of Fame[25]
- 1994 College World Series runner-up
- 1993 Wampum Willy Award
MLB career[link]
- Three time All-Star (2003, 2005 and 2008), one time starter (2005)
- 2005 Silver Slugger Award winner
- 2005 Gold Glove winner
- 2006 Heart and Hustle Award
- Has caught four no hitters, more than any catcher in MLB history.[4]
[edit] Red Sox milestones and achievements[26]
- Became 26th player to hit 100 home runs for club on April 14, 2005
- Third Red Sox catcher to win a Gold Glove (Carlton Fisk and Tony Pena)
- First Red Sox at any position to win Gold Glove since Tony Pena in 1991
- Was on the 2004 World Series team, the first Red Sox team to win the championship in 86 years
- 1,488 games caught – most in 106-year Red Sox history – breaking Carlton Fisk's club record of 990 on July 18, 2006 vs. Kansas City
- Has caught a Major League record four official no-hitters
- Hideo Nomo: April 4, 2001 vs Baltimore
- Derek Lowe: April 27, 2002 vs Tampa Bay
- Clay Buchholz: September 1, 2007 vs Baltimore (Clay's No-Hitter was his second Major League start)
- Jon Lester: May 19, 2008 vs Kansas City
- Does not count the five-inning, rain-shortened no-hit game by Devern Hansack in 2006 (which is not considered an official no-hitter).[3]
- Most postseason home runs for a catcher (11).
- Only one of six catchers to have at least two triples in the playoffs. (2).
- Has played in more postseason games than any other Red Sox player in team history.
- Most opening-day starts for a Red Sox catcher.
Notable firsts[link]
- In the 2004 World Series, Varitek batted against the St. Louis Cardinals' Jason Marquis, the first time two former Little League World Series participants have faced each other in the Major League Baseball World Series. Varitek had played for Altamonte Springs, Florida in 1984.[27]
Personal life[link]
Varitek married Karen Mullinax in 1996.[28] They have three daughters. The couple filed for divorce on July 28, 2008. Varitek's brother Justin Varitek is a member of the Rollins College baseball team coaching staff.[29]
Most notably, Varitek is a returning guest speaker, along with teammate Dustin Pedroia, at Massachusetts based baseball company RBI Academy for teens and preteens who wish to pursue careers as baseball players.[30]
See also[link]
|
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jason Varitek |
References[link]
- ^ List of Boston Red Sox captains
- ^ "Jason Varitek biography". http://www.jason-varitek.com/biography.htm.
- ^ a b Kaplan, Thomas (May 21, 2008). "Red Sox’ No-Hitter Puts Varitek in Record Books". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/21/sports/baseball/21redsox.html. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
- ^ a b Petraglia, Mike (May 20, 2008). "No-hitter a record fourth for Varitek Red Sox catcher enters history books with Lester in Boston". MLB.com. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080519&content_id=2733852&vkey=news_bos&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
- ^ "Active Leaders & Records for Stolen Bases Allowed as C". Baseball-Reference.com. http://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/SB_c_active.shtml. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
- ^ "Sporting News History of LLWS". http://www.sportingnews.com/archives/littleleague/.
- ^ "Jason vs. Jason: LLB World Series Participants Square Off in MLB World Series". http://www.littleleague.org/media/jasonvsjason.asp.
- ^ "History of Florida State Champions" (PDF). http://www.fhsaa.org/records/rec_ba.pdf.
- ^ "Jason Varitek Biography". http://www.jason-varitek.com/biography.htm.
- ^ a b "Varitek, Garciaparra Inducted Into Cape Cod Baseball Hall of Fame". http://ramblinwreck.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/111402aaa.html.
- ^ "Varitek, Seattle finally agree; MLB averts lawsuit". http://www.jason-varitek.com/articles/varitekseatleagree.htm.
- ^ a b Browne, Ian (January 30, 2009). "Varitek, Red Sox have a deal Captain will return for 12th full season behind plate for Boston". MLB.com. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090130&content_id=3785356&vkey=hotstove2008&fext=.jsp. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Baseball Reference". http://www.baseball-reference.com/v/varitja01.shtml.
- ^ "2003 Varitek, Jenkins are All-Stars". http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/news/mlb_news.jspymd=20030709&content_id=417344&vkey=allstar2003&fext=.jsp.
- ^ a b "Varitek to make $40 million over four years". Associated Press. ESPN.com. December 24, 2004. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1953052. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ "Red Sox Charity Wines". Pitching in for Kids. http://www.pitchinginforkids.org/charity_wine.php. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
- ^ Lauber, Scott (January 28, 2009). "Jason Varitek deal still in limbo". Bostonherald.com. http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view/2009_01_28_Jason_Varitek_deal_still_in_limbo/. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
- ^ "Boras sees Posada's 4-year, $52m deal as benchmark". Boston Globe. November 5, 2008. http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/thebuzz/. Retrieved November 5, 2008.
- ^ By Ian Browne / MLB.com. "Sox finalize deal with Varitek". Boston.redsox.mlb.com. http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090205&content_id=3801028&vkey=news_bos&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
- ^ "Varitek returning to Red Sox". CNN. December 2, 2010. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/baseball/mlb/12/02/red.sox.varitek/index.html?eref=sihp.
- ^ Browne, Ian (December 10, 2010). "Varitek officially signs back with Red Sox". MLB.com. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20101202&content_id=16242100&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb. Retrieved December 11, 2010.
- ^ "Georgia Tech all-time records". Ramblinwreck.cstv.com. October 24, 2011. http://ramblinwreck.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/lettermen.html. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
- ^ "Jason Varitek player bio from RedSox.com". Boston.redsox.mlb.com. January 1, 2011. http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=123660. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
- ^ "Georgia Tech Archives". Ramblinwreck.cstv.com. http://ramblinwreck.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/geot-m-basebl-spec-rel.html. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
- ^ "RedSox.com player bio". Boston.redsox.mlb.com. January 1, 2011. http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=123660. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
- ^ Jason vs. Jason: LLB World Series Participants Square Off in MLB World Series
- ^ Shanahan, Mark; Rhone, Paysha (August 14, 2008). "Varitek files for divorce". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2008/08/14/varitek_files_for_divorce/?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed1.
- ^ "Justin Varitek". rollins.edu. http://rollinssports.athleticsite.com/profile.asp?playerID=632. Retrieved December 2, 2007. [dead link]
- ^ "RBI Baseball Academy, Massachusetts Baseball Academy, Baseball Camps, Baseball Clinics". Rbiacademy.com. http://www.rbiacademy.com/. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
External links[link]
- Jason Varitek at the Internet Movie Database
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
- Jason Varitek Video and Audio on Boston.com
- "Jason Varitek". SI.com. June 30, 2011. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/5921/. Retrieved 2011-06-30.
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Varitek, Jason |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | American baseball catcher |
| Date of birth | April 11, 1972 |
| Place of birth | Rochester, Michigan, USA |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
http://wn.com/Jason_Varitek
Related pages:
http://fr.wn.com/Jason Varitek
http://pt.wn.com/Jason Varitek
http://cs.wn.com/Jason Varitek
http://es.wn.com/Jason Varitek
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Varitek
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
| Clay Buchholz | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Boston Red Sox – No. 11 | |
| Starting pitcher | |
| Born: (1984-08-14) August 14, 1984 (age 27) Nederland, Texas |
|
| Bats: Left | Throws: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| August 17, 2007 for the Boston Red Sox | |
| Career statistics (through May 25, 2012) |
|
| Win-Loss record | 39-26 |
| Earned run average | 4.06 |
| Strikeouts | 369 |
| Teams | |
|
|
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
Clayton Daniel Buchholz (born August 14, 1984) is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. On September 1, 2007, in just his second major league start, he recorded a no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles, becoming the third MLB pitcher since 1900 to throw a no-hitter in his first or second start.[1] He is the first Red Sox rookie and 17th Red Sox pitcher to pitch a no-hitter.[1]
Contents |
Baseball career[link]
High school[link]
Raised in Lumberton, Texas, Buchholz played baseball for the local youth baseball leagues, and then for the Lumberton High School Raiders.
College[link]
Buchholz began his college career in 2004 at McNeese State University. Also that year, he and a hometown friend were arrested for stealing 29 laptop computers from Lumberton Intermediate School, selling many to other students at McNeese.[2] Buchholz later expressed regret, saying "That was a mistake. I was hanging out with the wrong person. But I think it helped me out in the long run."[3][4] He was subsequently dismissed from the McNeese baseball team.
Buchholz then transferred to Angelina College. In 2005, while competing for the Roadrunners, Buchholz appeared in 15 games, winning 12 and losing 1.[5] His 1.05 ERA, seven complete games, and 129 strikeouts all stand as team records (through the 2010 season). He was also named an All-American in 2005.[6]
| Winning % | CG | ERA | Innings Pitched | Hits | Runs | Earned Runs | BB | Strikeouts |
| 92.3% | 7 | 1.05 | 85.2 | 44 | 19 | 10 | 29 | 129 |
Minor leagues[link]
Buchholz was drafted by the Red Sox in the supplemental first round of the 2005 draft. The Red Sox obtained their supplemental pick, the 42nd overall, as compensation for losing free agent Pedro Martínez to the New York Mets.[5]
Buchholz pitched 41 1⁄3 innings for the Lowell Spinners of the New York-Penn League, compiling a record of 0–1 with 45 strikeouts in fifteen starts. He then pitched for the Wilmington Blue Rocks (Single A-Advanced) and the Greenville Drive (Single A). Between the two teams, Buchholz struck out 140 and walked 33 in 119 innings while going 11–4.
Buchholz started his first spring training game in 2007 against the Tampa Bay Rays. He pitched 4 2⁄3 innings, gave up seven hits and three runs, and recorded three strikeouts. While competing for the Portland Sea Dogs in 2007, Buchholz played in fifteen games, winning 7 and losing 2. His success led him to be chosen to play in the All-Star Futures Game at AT&T Park.
Buchholz was promoted to the Pawtucket Red Sox, the AAA affiliate of the Red Sox, on July 8, 2007. He finished the AAA season with a 1–3 W-L record, while recording 55 strikeouts, 13 walks, and a 3.96 era over eight starts in 38 2⁄3 AAA innings.
Major leagues[link]
2007 season[link]
Buchholz made his MLB debut with the Boston Red Sox against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on August 17, 2007 at Fenway Park. The Sox won the game 8–4 and he picked up the win, going six innings and giving up four runs (three earned). After the game, however, Buchholz was sent back down to the Sox' Triple-A team in Pawtucket. "I got my feet wet," he said to a reporter. "I hope I can come back in September and help out."[7] Before Buchholz' first major league start, Red Sox manager Terry Francona said: "This kid can come up and pitch a no-hitter, and he's going to go back down... If he throws a no-hitter I may send him back with a present. But he's going back."[8]
No-hitter[link]
In Buchholz's second major league start on September 1, 2007, he became the first Boston Red Sox rookie to throw a no-hitter when he blanked the Baltimore Orioles 10–0. He threw 115 pitches, struck out nine, walked three, and hit Nick Markakis.[9] After the game, Buchholz told the media, "It's amazing. That's all I can say ... I'm in a blur right now." According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Buchholz became the third pitcher since 1900 to pitch a no-hitter in his first or second major league start. Bobo Holloman did it in his first start on May 6, 1953, for the St. Louis Browns at home against the Philadelphia Athletics, and Wilson Alvarez did it in his second start on Aug. 11, 1991, for the Chicago White Sox at Baltimore.[9]
Buchholz became the eleventh Red Sox pitcher to throw a no-hitter in Fenway Park history, and the seventeenth[10] in Red Sox history.
Following the game, general manager Theo Epstein and manager Terry Francona each independently confirmed that they had spoken by phone to each other in the seventh and eighth innings concerning Buchholz' pitch count. He had not thrown more than 98 pitches in a game all year, and was threatening to significantly exceed that total if he finished the game. Epstein reported that in no way would Buchholz have been allowed to face a batter after reaching 120 pitches, expressing concern about excessive pitches potentially damaging such a young and inexperienced arm. Buchholz finished the game with 115 pitches, allowing Francona to escape what would have been an unpleasant decision to remove a pitcher from the game in which he was throwing a no-hitter.[11]
Buchholz' no-hitter was the third of a record-setting four caught by Jason Varitek. The first two were for Hideo Nomo and Derek Lowe (in which the final score was also 10–0); the fourth was Jon Lester's on May 19, 2008, against the Kansas City Royals, which was also the first no-hitter in major league play after Buchholz'.
Shut down[link]
Buchholz pitched in two more games after the no-hitter, earning a win while pitching three innings of relief at Baltimore on September 6,[12] and taking a loss after a start of 4 2⁄3 innings at Toronto on September 19.[13]
With a season total of 22 innings pitched, Red Sox management made a decision to end Buchholz' season and not include him on any of the team's post-season rosters,[14] as they went on to win the World Series.
2008 season[link]
Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell stated that Buchholz would most likely be in line for 180–190 innings in the 2008 season.[15] On May 15, Buchholz was placed on the 15-day disabled list as the result of a torn fingernail.[16] He was sent to Pawtucket following the injury, and remained there for several weeks to work on his fastball. On July 11, he was recalled to Boston and was part of their regular pitching rotation, though he did not record a single win after his return. On August 20, 2008, as the Red Sox were trying to sweep the Orioles, the team that Buchholz had no-hit last year, he gave up a 4–0 lead by allowing three runs in the second inning, and two more in the third. He was removed after only pitching 2 1⁄3 innings. In his previous start, he had only lasted three innings. In 2008, the Red Sox were 3–12 in Buchholz' fifteen starts. After the game, Buchholz was sent down to Double-A Portland. Buchholz stated "I've never had a streak like this," and "I've never been one to say the pressure was too much for me, but I've felt like I've had a lot of weight on my shoulders just trying to be perfect and trying to do everything as well as I could to help this team win".[17] Following the 2008 season, Buchholz pitched in the Arizona Fall League.
2009 Season[link]
Following spring training, Buchholz was optioned to Pawtucket.[18]
In his eighth start at Pawtucket in 2009, Buchholz took a perfect game into the ninth inning against the Louisville Bats, but it was broken up after a leadoff single; ultimately, he pitched a one-hit shutout.[19]
After a July 12 win before the All-Star break, Red Sox manager Terry Francona announced that Buchholz would be activated to pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays on July 17, in order to give more time off to the starters who were in the All-Star game.[20] Buchholz went on to win the game, pitching five and two thirds innings, allowing four hits with one run, while walking three and striking out three. It was his first major league win since May 2, 2008.
The Red Sox pitching staff floundered in the second half of the year. Wakefield, Beckett and Lester were the only dependable starters in the first half (John Smoltz, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Brad Penny all had losing records). While Jon Lester remained effective in the second half, Josh Beckett began to struggle, and when All-Star Tim Wakefield was placed on the Disabled List, Buchholz replaced him in the rotation. Buchholz's pitching down the stretch was a large part of keeping the Red Sox afloat and helped them make it into the playoffs (along with a strong return from Matsuzaka). He finished the season 7–4 with a 4.21 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 16 starts.
2010 Season[link]
Buchholz delivered a strong first half of the 2010 season. On the strength of his 10–4 record, and a 2.45 ERA, he was selected to the American League All-Star Team. In the month of June, Buchholz went 3–1 with just a 1.84 ERA, including a 5-hit shutout at Baltimore on June 4.[21] On the road in the season's first half, he went 5–1 with a 1.70 ERA. Though earning a spot on the roster, Buchholz was not called upon to pitch in the All-Star Game; he pulled a hamstring June 26 during an interleague game against the San Francisco Giants and was on the disabled list.
He made his first start after his stint on the DL on July 21, 2010 against Gio Gonzalez of the Oakland Athletics. He pitched 4 innings, giving up five earned runs, with two strikeouts and three walks in a 6–4 loss. Buchholz returned to his pre-injury form after the start in Oakland by going 4–0 in August with a 1.03 ERA and winning the AL pitcher of the month award. Buchholz finished the season with a 17–7 record and 2.33 ERA.
2011 Season[link]
Buchholz began the season as the number three starter in the Red Sox rotation. On April 10, Buchholz signed a 4-year contract extension, worth nearly $30 million.[22] On June 16th, he went on the disabled list unexpectedly and in August it was reported that he had a stress fracture in his back. He then missed the rest of the season. [23]
Scouting report[link]
Buchholz throws a four-seam fastball (90–94 mph), a two-seam fastball (89–93), a cutter (87–91), a curveball (75–79), and a straight changeup (78–81). In 2012, he also debuted a slider (78–81) and has thrown a small handful of splitters to left-handed hitters. His most commonly thrown pitch is his 11-5 curveball. His repertoire does not vary greatly between left-handers and right-handers.[24]
Major league statistics[link]
| Year | Team | G | GS | W | L | SV | ERA | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | CG | SHO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | BOS | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1.59 | 22.2 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 22 | 1 | 1 |
| 2008 | BOS | 16 | 15 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 6.75 | 76.0 | 93 | 63 | 57 | 11 | 41 | 72 | 1 | 0 |
| 2009 | BOS | 16 | 16 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 4.21 | 92.0 | 91 | 44 | 43 | 13 | 36 | 68 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | BOS | 28 | 28 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 2.33 | 173.2 | 142 | 55 | 45 | 9 | 67 | 120 | 1 | 1 |
| 2011 | BOS | 14 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3.48 | 82.2 | 76 | 34 | 32 | 10 | 31 | 60 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 5 years | 78 | 76 | 35 | 24 | 0 | 3.64 | 447.0 | 416 | 202 | 181 | 43 | 185 | 342 | 3 | 2 |
Awards and honors[link]
- Carolina League Pitcher of the Week (August 21–27, 2006)
- Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Month (August 2006)
- 2006 Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Year
- Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Month (May 2007)
- 2007 Futures Game All Star
- 2007 Eastern League All Star
- Eastern League Pitcher of the Week (June 25 – July 1, 2007)
- 2007 American League Player of the Week
- MLB.com TYIB Single Game Performance of the Year (December 13, 2007)
- Selected to the 2010 AL All Star Team
- American League Pitcher of the Month (August, 2010)
- 2010 Guest Speaker of Lowell Spinners Alumni Dinner
Charity Work[link]
Buchholz has regularly supported the Jimmy Fund charity while a Red Sox. In November 2006, when he was Red Sox minor-league pitcher of the year, Buchholz was announced as a member of the New Stars for Young Stars team. In 2010, he was named Jimmy Fund Co-captain with Tim Wakefield. He signed on for the same role in 2011. He and Wakefield are the 2011 Spokesplayers for the Rally Against Cancer. [25]
In March 2011, he partnered with Charity Wines to release his own wine label under the Longball Cellars brand. Proceeds from sales of his ChardonClay chardonnay support the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber. He partners with teammate Jon Lester, who is also releasing a Charity Wine, called CabernAce, to raise money for the Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.[26]
Personal life[link]
On November 14, 2009 he married Lindsay Clubine, a model on the TV show Deal or No Deal who was featured in People magazine's "100 Most Beautiful People."[27] Their first child, a daughter named Colbi Dawn, was born on August 4, 2010.[28]
He is related to New York Mets pitcher Taylor Buchholz.[29]
See also[link]
References[link]
- ^ a b McPhillips, Alex (2007-09-02). "Rookie Buchholz no-hits Orioles". MLB.com. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20070901&content_id=2183852&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos. Retrieved 2007-09-02.
- ^ http://www.kfdm.com/news/lumberton-5203-police-school.html
- ^ Siegel, Alan (2007-08-17). "Buchholz a man among boys". GloucesterTimes.com. http://www.gloucestertimes.com/pusports/local_story_229115731. Retrieved 2008-08-21.
- ^ Edes, Gordon (2006-03-31). "System stocked with talent many project will pitch in". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2006/03/31/up_in_arms/?page=3. Retrieved 2008-02-13.
- ^ a b ESPN.com News Service. "In 2nd career start, Boston's Buchholz throws no-hitter on O's." September 1, 2007. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=270901102. Accessed September 2, 2007.
- ^ http://angelina.edu/Baseball/records.html
- ^ Buchholz earns his stripes – MLB.com
- ^ Busy day as Sox make moves – MLB.com
- ^ a b . http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/baseball/mlb/09/01/orioles.redsox.ap/index.html. [dead link]
- ^ The Official Site of The Boston Red Sox: News: Red Sox boast long list of no-hitters
- ^ No-no an affirmation to Sox front office
- ^ http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BAL/BAL200709060.shtml
- ^ http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/TOR/TOR200709190.shtml
- ^ http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070928&content_id=2236915&vkey=news_bos&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos
- ^ Benjamin, Amalie (2008-02-13). "Twist regarding this turn?". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2008/02/13/twist_regarding_this_turn/?rss_id=Boston.com+--+Red+Sox+News. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
- ^ Red Sox updates and insights
- ^ "Buchholz's short night leads to Sox loss". redsox.com. 2008-08-21. http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20080820&content_id=3339669&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos. Retrieved 2008-08-21.
- ^ Sox Option Buchholz to Minors Yahoo Sports, April 4, 2009
- ^ Buchholz stays zeroed in for Pawtucket Boston Globe, May 26, 2009
- ^ Buchholz will Start Friday – Extra Bases
- ^ http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2010_06_04_bosmlb_balmlb_1&mode=wrap
- ^ http://www.nesn.com/2011/04/clay-buchholz-signs-extension-becoming-latest-product-of-red-sox-organizational-map.html
- ^ Sean McAdam (August 1, 2011). "Buchholz has stress fracture, likely out for year". CSNNE. http://www.csnne.com/08/01/11/Buchholz-has-stress-fracture-likely-out-/landing_redsox.html?blockID=545086&feedID=6840. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
- ^ "Brooks Baseball · Home of the PitchFX Tool - Player Card: Clay Buchholz". Brooks Baseball. http://brooksbaseball.net/player_cards/player_card.php?player=453329. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
- ^ http://www.jimmyfund.org/abo/red/players/clay-buchholz.html
- ^ http://charityhop.com/news_boston2011_wines.html
- ^ Shanahan, Mark; Goldstein, Meredith (November 14, 2009). "Wedding bells for Buchholz". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2009/11/14/wedding_bells_for_clay_buchholz/.
- ^ http://www.bostonherald.com/track/inside_track/view/20100808we_hear_clay_buchholz_aerosmith_wes_hayden_and_more/
- ^ Abraham, Peter (November 15, 2010). "Clay's cousin could be a good find". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2010/11/clays_cousin_co.html.
External links[link]
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
|
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Clay Buchholz |
- Video of Buchholz's windup,
- KFDM article,
- Photos from his No-Hitter on 9/1/2007,
- Boston Globe article,
- Scout.com article (subscription site)
- Box score of no-hitter
- Buchholz's SoSH Wiki Page
- Scouting Report on Moundtalk
| Preceded by Justin Verlander |
No-hitter pitcher September 1, 2007 |
Succeeded by Jon Lester |
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Buchholz, Clay |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | American baseball pitcher |
| Date of birth | August 14, 1984 |
| Place of birth | Nederland, Texas, USA |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
http://wn.com/Clay_Buchholz
Related pages:
http://fr.wn.com/Clay Buchholz
http://pt.wn.com/Clay Buchholz
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay_Buchholz
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
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Wiki Summary
Jonathan Tyler Lester (born January 7, 1984, in Tacoma, Washington) is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox. Lester was 7-2 with a 4.76 ERA before and after being diagnosed with lymphoma. Less than two years after being diagnosed with lymphoma, Lester started and won the final game of the 2007 World Series, and in May 2008, pitched a no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals.
Lester attended Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma, Washington, where he was a three-time MVP and three-time All-Area selection. In addition, he was named Gatorade State Player of the Year for Washington in 2000.
The Red Sox drafted Lester in the second round (No. 57 overall) of the 2002 draft and gave him the highest signing bonus of any second-rounder that year, $1 million.
Lester quickly moved through the Red Sox organization, posting an 11–6 record, a league-leading 2.61 ERA and a league-best 163 strikeouts for the AA Portland Sea Dogs in 2005. He was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Year and Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Year and was selected as the left-handed pitcher on the Eastern League's year-end All-Star team and on the year-end Topps AA All-Star squad.
