Gil Meche
Gilbert Allen Meche (; born September 8, 1978) is a former right-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher. Shoulder and back problems caused the former first round pick to retire in 2011 at just 32 years old.
Early years
Meche was a star pitcher at Acadiana High School in his hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana, and was a member of the U.S. Junior Olympic team that brought home gold in the 1995 World Junior Baseball Championship. After his junior year of high school, Meche earned Most Valuable Pitcher honors at the 1995 National Amateur All-Star Tournament at just sixteen years old. However, shortly afterwards, he suffered a viral infection that caused him to miss a considerable amount of playing time his senior year. He intended to attend Louisiana State University, but reconsidered when the Seattle Mariners surprised him by selecting in the first round of the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft.
Seattle Mariners
Meche debuted with the Mariners on July 6, 1999, two months shy of his twenty-first birthday, making him the second-youngest debut for the Mariners at that time (only Ken Griffey, Jr. was younger). Pitching with a 2-1 lead over the Anaheim Angels and two outs in the sixth, Meche walked two consecutive batters to force in a run and surrender the lead. He ended up with a no-decision. His first win came on July 19 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. For the season, Meche went 8-4 with a 4.73 earned run average.