name	Casey Blake
team	Los Angeles Dodgers
number	23
position	Third baseman
birth date	August 23, 1973
birth place	Des Moines, Iowa
bats	Right
throws	Right
debutdate	August 14
debutyear	1999
debutteam	Toronto Blue Jays
statyear	August 20, 2011
stat1label	Batting average
stat1value	.263
stat2label	Home runs
stat2value	167
stat3label	Runs batted in
stat3value	613
teams	Toronto Blue Jays () Minnesota Twins (–) Baltimore Orioles () Minnesota Twins () Cleveland Indians (–) Los Angeles Dodgers (–present)

William Casey Blake (born August 23, 1973, in Des Moines, Iowa) is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Blake previously played with the Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, and Cleveland Indians. He has alternated between playing at third base and first base before becoming a full-time third baseman with the Indians. In , Blake moved to right field to accommodate the Indians' signing of third baseman Aaron Boone, but stayed there for only two seasons before moving back to third base.

Blake was drafted twice prior to signing with the Blue Jays: in , he was taken during the 11th round by the Philadelphia Phillies and in , he was taken by the New York Yankees during the 45th round.

High school and college

Blake was a four-sport stand-out at Indianola High School in Indianola, Iowa where he played baseball, football, basketball, and participated in track. He was named a top-ten high school athlete in the history of Iowa. His high school team, just like his previous major league team, was named the Indians.

Blake attended Wichita State University, where he was a three-time All-American, two-time Academic All-American and participated in the College World Series. He batted .320 with 22 home runs and 101 RBIs during his senior year.

Professional career

Early years

From –, Blake spent most of his time in the minor leagues. In the Blue Jays minor league system he played for the Hagerstown Suns (1996), Dunedin Blue Jays (1997–98), Knoxville Smokies (1998), St. Catharines Stompers (1999) and Syracuse SkyChiefs (1999–2000). He made his MLB debut on August 14, 1999, against the Oakland Athletics at third base and went 0 for 3 at the plate. He recorded his first hit on August 29 against the Texas Rangers, and his first home run on October 2 against the Cleveland Indians (off pitcher Jim Brower).

The Minnesota Twins claimed Blake off waivers from the Blue Jays in 2000 and played him primarily at AAA with the Salt Lake Buzz (2000) and Edmonton Trappers (2001–02). He appeared in 7 games with the Twins in 2000 and 13 with them in 2001 before he was claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles on September 21, 2001. Blake appeared in only six games with the Orioles at the end of the 2001 season before they released him.

He was picked up again by the Twins in 2002 and played in 9 games for them and 126 with Edmonton that year.

Cleveland Indians

In , Blake became the Cleveland Indians every-day third baseman in his first full season in the major leagues. He had a solid offensive season, leading the team in games with 152, hits (143), and doubles (35) while compiling career highs in every offensive category. Blake started in every spot in the batting order except the leadoff spot, the most common slot being the #2 hole in the lineup. He had a fielding percentage of .952. He was named AL Player of the Week from 6/30–7/6. He ended the season with 17 home runs, 67 RBIs, and a .257 batting average in 152 games played.

In , Blake had his finest offensive season to date in his second straight full season in the major leagues as the Indians third baseman. In June, he hit .330 (37-112) with seven home runs and 21 RBI in 28 games. From June 1 through the end the season, he hit .283, with 22 HR and 68 RBIs in 112 games. He had an AL-low fielding percentage of .939 at third base and led the majors at that position with 26 errors. Blake signed a two-year contract on January 21, 2004. He finished the season with a .271 batting average, 28 home runs, and 88 RBIs.

In 2005, Blake converted to right field and filled in at third base and first base. He had 56 extra base hits. Blake made 132 starts in right field, six at third base and four starts at first. In the outfield, he made eight errors in 298 total chances. In 2005, Blake ended the season with a .241 average, 23 home runs, and 58 RBIs, with 116 K's while batting .084 with runners in scoring position.

In , Blake once again was the Indians' starting right fielder. He ultimately ended up missing much of the season due to injury. He played in only 109 games. Blake ended the season with a career-high .282 batting average, 19 home runs, and 68 RBIs.

Andy Marté's demotion to Triple-A resulted in Blake taking over once again as the Indians' starting third baseman. Blake had a 26-game hit streak from May 20 through June 18 during which he hit .317 with seven home runs.

On July 3, , Blake hit a solo home run in the top of the 11th against the Detroit Tigers, which gave Cleveland a three-game lead over Detroit.

As the Indians drove for a playoff spot, Blake hit a game-ending walk-off home run against the Kansas City Royals on September 14, 2007. Three days later (September 17, again against the Tigers), Blake hit another walk-off home run, reducing the Tribe's magic number to 7 and all but ending the Tigers' Central Division title hopes.

Blake was named two time clutch player of the year in his time with the Indians.

Los Angeles Dodgers

On July 26, , Blake was traded from the Indians to the Los Angeles Dodgers for minor league players Carlos Santana and John Meloan. He went 2 for 3 with a double and a run scored in his debut with the Dodgers on July 26, 2008. He hit his first home run with the Dodgers on August 2, 2008. Blake hit .251 with 10 home runs in 58 games with the Dodgers in 2008 and then on December 9, he signed a three-year extension with the club for $17 million.

In 2009, he hit .280 with 18 home runs for the Dodgers and his fielding percentage is the best all-time for a Dodger third baseman.

In 2010, he hit .248, his lowest total since 2005, with 17 home runs and 64 RBI.

Personal life

Blake splits time between Indianola, Iowa and Los Angeles, California with his wife, three daughters and a son. When asked about his beard, he answers that he grows it simply because he does not like to shave. The beard also helps camouflage him while participating in one of his favorite hobbies, duck hunting.

References

External links

Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:Baseball players from Iowa Category:Wichita State Shockers baseball players Category:Major League Baseball right fielders Category:Major League Baseball third basemen Category:Major League Baseball first basemen Category:Toronto Blue Jays players Category:Minnesota Twins players Category:Baltimore Orioles players Category:Cleveland Indians players Category:Los Angeles Dodgers players Category:Hagerstown Suns players Category:Dunedin Blue Jays players Category:St. Catharines Stompers players Category:Knoxville Smokies players Category:Syracuse SkyChiefs players Category:Lake County Captains players Category:Salt Lake Buzz players Category:Edmonton Trappers players Category:Akron Aeros players Category:Albuquerque Isotopes players Category:Rancho Cucamonga Quakes players es:Casey Blake fr:Casey Blake ja:ケイシー・ブレイク

name	Franklin Gutiérrez
team	Seattle Mariners
number	21
position	Center fielder
birth date	February 21, 1983
birth place	Caracas, Venezuela
bats	Right
throws	Right
debutdate	August 31
debutyear	2005
debutteam	Cleveland Indians
statyear	July 8, 2011
stat1label	Batting average
stat1value	.256
stat2label	Home runs
stat2value	53
stat3label	Runs batted in
stat3value	227
stat4label	Stolen bases
stat4value	62
teams	Cleveland Indians (–) Seattle Mariners (–present)
Awards	1× Gold Glove Award winner (2010) 2× Fielding Bible Award winner (2008-9) }}

Franklin Rafael Gutiérrez (born February 21, 1983, in Caracas, Venezuela), nicknamed "Guti" & "Death To Flying Things", is a Major League Baseball center fielder for the Seattle Mariners. He bats and throws right-handed and is regarded as one of the game's best defensive outfielders.

Professional career

Cleveland Indians

On November 18, 2000, Gutiérrez was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent. On April 3, 2004, Gutiérrez was traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers with a player to be named later (Andrew Brown) to the Cleveland Indians for Milton Bradley and was assigned to Double-A Akron. He entered the season ranked by ''Baseball America'' as the No. 3 prospect in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization and the top position prospect, possessing five-tool ability. Previously, Los Angeles refused to include Gutierrez in a deal over the winter that would have landed the Dodgers first baseman Richie Sexson.

In , Gutiérrez posted a .261 batting average and 42 RBI for Akron, and hit .254 with seven RBI in 19 games with Triple-A Buffalo(Which are now the Columbus Clippers). Between his two minor league stops, he stole 16 bases in 22 attempts. He was among the players that the Indians called up when major league rosters expanded August 31.

In after batting .278 in 90 games for Triple-A Buffalo, Gutiérrez played 43 games in the majors after being called up on June 16 and he stayed in the majors the rest of the season. In , he once again began the season in Triple-A Buffalo, but after batting .341, he was called up for good on May 6.

On May 27, , Gutiérrez hit his first grand slam.

Seattle Mariners

On December 10, , he was traded to the Seattle Mariners as part of a three-team trade. Mariners' General Manager Jack Zduriencik noted that the trade would not have gone through had Gutierrez not been included in the trade.

In he ranked 3rd among qualifying big league outfielders in UZR, an all-inclusive fielding statistic. Gutiérrez won a Fielding Bible Award as the top fielding right fielder in MLB. Dave Niehaus called Gutierrez "Death to Flying Things" after a diving catch, a nickname that previously belonged to Bob Ferguson.

In 2009, he had the most errors by a major league center fielder (7), mostly due to the immense number of batted balls that he gets to. He led all of Major League Baseball in UZR and UZR/150 and was 6th in the AL in wins above replacement. Gutiérrez won a Fielding Bible Award as the top fielding center fielder in MLB.

On January 6, , it was reported that Gutiérrez and the Mariners were working on a 4 year contract extension for $20.5 million with a team option for a fifth year.

In 2010 was awarded his first Golden Glove for outfielder. He finished the season with a 100.0% fielding average. Also came in second place for Defensive Player of the Year on MLB.com awards.

References

http://www.onionsportsnetwork.com/articles/baserunner-caught-in-rundown-bites-cyanide-capsule,20710/

External links

Category:1983 births Category:Living people Category:Cleveland Indians players Category:Seattle Mariners players Category:All-Star Futures Game players Category:Major League Baseball center fielders Category:People from Caracas Category:Gulf Coast Dodgers players Category:Las Vegas 51s players Category:South Georgia Waves players Category:Vero Beach Dodgers players Category:Jacksonville Suns players Category:Akron Aeros players Category:Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Category:Tacoma Rainiers players

es:Franklin Gutiérrez (beisbolista) fr:Franklin Gutiérrez ja:フランクリン・グティエレス

name	Grady Sizemore
team	Cleveland Indians
number	24
position	Center fielder
birth date	August 02, 1982
birth place	Seattle, Washington
bats	Left
throws	Left
debutdate	July 21
debutyear	2004
debutteam	Cleveland Indians
statyear	July 6, 2011
stat1label	Batting average
stat1value	.270
stat2label	Home runs
stat2value	137
stat3label	Runs batted in
stat3value	451
stat4label	Stolen bases
stat4value	134
teams	Cleveland Indians (–present)
awards	3× All-Star selection (, , ) 2× Gold Glove Award winner (, ) Silver Slugger Award winner () Heart & Hustle Award winner () Led AL in runs in Led AL in doubles in }}

Gradius "Grady" Sizemore III (born August 2, 1982) is a Major League Baseball center fielder for the Cleveland Indians. A fan favorite in Cleveland, Sizemore was acquired from the Montreal Expos in along with Brandon Phillips, Cliff Lee, and Lee Stevens in exchange for Bartolo Colón and Tim Drew.

Early life

Sizemore graduated from Cascade High School in Everett, Washington, in 2000. A high school star in football, basketball, and baseball, Sizemore signed a letter of intent to play football and baseball at the University of Washington. At the time of his high school graduation, Sizemore was Cascade's all-time leader in rushing yards with 3,081.

Professional career

The Expos selected Sizemore in the third round of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft. The team offered him a $2 million signing bonus to lure him away from college, to which Sizemore agreed.

On June 27, 2002, Sizemore was part of a six-player trade between the Indians and the Expos. Montreal dealt Sizemore, along with Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips, and Lee Stevens to Cleveland in exchange for Bartolo Colón and Tim Drew.

2005

In , Sizemore played his first full season in the majors. He quickly established himself as one of baseball's up and coming stars in center field. He was named the leadoff hitter of the Indians' lineup, and has stayed there since. He was supposed to play in Triple-A, but Juan González' injury in the first game of the season secured his spot in the major leagues. He also joined Roberto Alomar as the only players in franchise history to record 20 doubles, 10 triples, 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in the same season. Sizemore's best month came in June when he hit .377 (40-106) with 4 HR and 16 RBI in 25 games. He finished the season batting .289 with 22 home runs, 81 RBI, and 22 SB. Before the start of the season, Sizemore signed a six-year contract with the Indians worth $23.45 million with a club option for 2012.

2006

In 2006, Sizemore was selected to his first All-Star Game as a reserve outfielder. In the All-Star game, he had two at bats and went 0-2. In addition to his offense, he also was a fine center fielder, making some spectacular plays. Overall in 2006, Sizemore batted .290 with 28 home runs and 76 RBI, playing in all 162 games. He scored 134 runs to lead the league, had 190 hits, 53 doubles, 11 triples and 22 steals. His OBP was .375, and his SLG was .533.

In addition, he became one of only two players in MLB history to have at least 50 doubles, 10 triples, 25 home runs, and 20 stolen bases in a single season (2006).

2007 season

Sizemore opened by hitting four home runs in his first six games. He hit a three-run inside-the-park home run on April 27.

The May 14 issue of ''Sports Illustrated'' magazine featured Sizemore on the cover. In the cover article, Indians' general manager Mark Shapiro calls Sizemore "without a doubt one of the greatest players of our generation".

On July 1, he was named to his second All Star team. In 2007, he had 25 home runs, and was 33-10 in stolen base attempts. He was one of six batters in the AL to have at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases, along with Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, Ian Kinsler, B.J. Upton, and Curtis Granderson.

On November 6, it was announced that Sizemore had earned his first Gold Glove, after he posted a .995 fielding percentage with two errors and displaying his reputation for great range in center field and acrobatic catches.

2008 season

Sizemore's streak of 382 consecutive games played ended on April 27 in a 1-0 loss to the Yankees, due to a sprained ankle sustained the preceding day.

On July 2, Sizemore hit his twentieth home run and stole his twentieth base, marking his fourth straight 20/20 year. He was named to the American League All-Star Team for the third consecutive year, and participated in the 2008 Home Run Derby where he hit six home runs, but did not advance to the second round. Sizemore participated in the 2008 All-Star Game and he played 10 innings after the game went into extra innings.

On August 21, Sizemore hit his 29th home run of the season against the Kansas City Royals, setting a new career high.

On August 25, Sizemore hit his 30th and 31st home run against the Detroit Tigers, becoming the 32nd member of the 30-30 club.

He was the only AL hitter to hit at least 20 home runs and steal at least 20 bases each year during 2004-08.

For his efforts in 2008, Sizemore was awarded his second consecutive Gold Glove (his .995 fielding percentage was second among AL center fielders). He was also awarded his first Silver Slugger Award.

2009 season

Sizemore committed to play in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, but pulled out after injuring his left groin early in spring training.

On April 16, Sizemore hit the first grand slam home run at the new Yankee Stadium off New York reliever Dámaso Marté. It was his third career grand slam.

On September 9, after struggling through a subpar season, Grady elected to have surgery on his left elbow which had troubled him since spring training. Having the surgery performed one month before season's end allowed for more healing time and preparation for the following year. Cleveland was already eliminated from playoff contention by the time of his decision. One week after the elbow surgery, he also elected to have surgery on his lower abdomen to repair a hernia that was related to the groin injury which forced him from the World Baseball Classic, thus ending his 2009 season one month before the final game.

2010 season

After playing in 33 games, Sizemore's season ended after microfracture surgery was performed on his left knee.

2011 season

Sizemore returned to the Cleveland Indians from his microfracture surgery, after rehabilitating in AAA, on April 17, 2011. Sizemore went 2 for 4 in 4 at-bats with a double and homerun. The Indians won the game 4-2. Sizemore returned to the disabled list in May with a right knee contusion after sliding into a base. In mid-July, Sizemore was again placed on the disabled list following another injury to his right knee; shortly afterwards, he had a second sports hernia surgery, expected to sideline him into September.

See also

List of Major League Baseball doubles champions

List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions

References

External links

Grady Sizemore cover story: YOUNG MONEY Magazine

Category:1982 births Category:Living people Category:Cleveland Indians players Category:African American baseball players Category:All-Star Futures Game players Category:American League All-Stars Category:Baseball players from Washington (state) Category:Gold Glove Award winners Category:Major League Baseball center fielders Category:People from Seattle, Washington Category:Gulf Coast Expos players Category:Clinton LumberKings players Category:Brevard County Manatees players Category:Kinston Indians players Category:Akron Aeros players Category:Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players

fr:Grady Sizemore it:Grady Sizemore ja:グレイディ・サイズモア simple:Grady Sizemore th:เกรดี ไซซ์มอร์ zh:格雷迪·塞斯摩尔

name	CC Sabathia
width	300
team	New York Yankees
number	52
position	Starting pitcher
birth date	July 21, 1980
birth place	Vallejo, California
bats	Left
throws	Left
debutdate	April 8
debutyear	2001
debutteam	Cleveland Indians
statyear	September 1, 2011
stat1label	Win-loss record
stat1value	174–95
stat2label	Earned run average
stat2value	3.52
stat3label	Strikeouts
stat3value	1,963
stat4label	Complete games
stat4value	33
teams	Cleveland Indians (–) Milwaukee Brewers () New York Yankees (–present)
awards	5× All-Star (, , , , ) 3× Warren Spahn Award (2007, 2008, 2009) AL TSN Pitcher of the Year (2007) 5× Major League Baseball Pitcher of the Month AL Cy Young Award winner ALCS MVP 2009 World Series champion }}

Carsten Charles "CC" Sabathia (born July 21, 1980) is an American professional baseball pitcher with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Upon signing with the Yankees prior to the 2009 season, Sabathia became the highest paid pitcher in Major League Baseball history.

Sabathia played the first seven and a half seasons of his career with the Cleveland Indians, where he won the AL Cy Young Award. He played the second half of the 2008 MLB season with the Milwaukee Brewers, leading them to the NL Wild Card, their first playoff appearance in 26 years. Sabathia is one of the most durable pitchers in MLB, easily averaging over 200 innings pitched per season during his career.

High school career

Sabathia was born in Vallejo, California, and attended Vallejo High School, where he lettered in baseball, basketball, and football. As a teenager, Sabathia played summer baseball in the Major League Baseball youth program Rebuilding Baseball in Inner cities (RBI). In baseball, he compiled a mark of 6–0 with an 0.77 ERA ( IP, 14 H, 82 K) during his senior season. Coming out of the draft he was the top high school prospect in Northern California according to Baseball America.

In football, he was an all-conference tight end. He received scholarship offers to play college football, including one from UCLA, and actually signed a letter of intent to attend the University of Hawaii.

Professional baseball career

Cleveland Indians (2001–2008)

Sabathia was drafted in the first round (20th overall) by the Indians in the 1998 MLB Draft. He signed for a $1.3 million bonus.

In , he was selected for the 28-man United States Olympic Team roster. He appeared in one pre-Olympic tournament game in Sydney, Australia, but was not on the official 24-man, Gold Medal-winning roster because he was called up by the Cleveland Indians. He was named the Indians' 2000 Minor League Player of the Year (receiving the "Lou Boudreau Award").

In , he was the youngest player in the Major Leagues. Sabathia led the league in hits per 9 innings pitched (7.44), was third in the league in win–loss percentage (17–5, .773), fourth in strikeouts per 9 innings pitched (8.53), sixth in wins, and seventh in strikeouts (171). He finished second in the AL voting for Rookie of the Year, behind only Ichiro Suzuki. For his performance, Sabathia was rewarded with a four-year $9.5 million contract, with a club option for , on February 23, . In the season, he was tenth in the AL in strikeouts, with 149.

In , he had the tenth-best ERA in the AL (3.60). He threw the fastest fastball in the AL in 2003, averaging 93.9 miles per hour. He was also named to the American League All-Star team for the first time, with a repeat appearance in .

The Indians picked up their $7 million club option for on April 27, and Sabathia signed a two-year, $17.75 million deal. In , he was fourth in the AL in strikeouts/9 IP (7.37), seventh in strikeouts (161) and eighth in wins (15). This marked his fifth straight season of double digit wins to open a career. He threw the fastest fastball in the AL in 2005, averaging 94.7 miles per hour. He also hit his first career home run as a batter in interleague play off of Elizardo Ramirez in May. The Indians went 20–11 in his starts. In 2006, he led the major leagues with 6 complete games. He also led the AL in shutouts (2), was third in ERA (3.22), sixth in strikeouts per 9 IP (8.03) and eighth in strikeouts (172). He became the first left-handed pitcher to start his career with six consecutive seasons of double digit wins.

Sabathia collected his 1,000th career strikeout on May 21, fanning the player who beat him out for Rookie of the Year honors: Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners. He was also named to the American League All-Star team for the third time. On September 28, he became the youngest pitcher (27 years, 69 days) to record 100 career wins since Greg Maddux in . On October 23, Sabathia won the Players Choice Award for Outstanding AL Pitcher. His pitching performance led the Cleveland Indians to their first American League Central Division Championship since 2001, his rookie season. For his performance, he was awarded the 2007 American League Cy Young Award joining Gaylord Perry as the only two Cleveland Indians pitchers to ever win the award. (Cliff Lee became the third the following season.) Sabathia also won the coveted Warren Spahn Award given to the best left-handed pitcher in the Majors. Despite his strong regular season, Sabathia did not perform well against the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series. In two starts, he went 0–2 with a 10.45 ERA.

Sabathia began the 2008 season with a 6–8 record and a 3.83 ERA in 18 starts. He was leading the American League in strikeouts (123) and strikeouts per 9.0 innings (9.0) while ranking second in innings pitched (122.1) and tied for second in complete games (3). However, with the Indians out of playoff contention, and with Sabathia an impending free agent, the Indians sought to trade Sabathia.

Milwaukee Brewers (2008)

On July 7, 2008, Sabathia was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for Matt LaPorta, Michael Brantley, Zach Jackson and Rob Bryson. During his press conference, Sabathia made it known to the assembled members of the media that he would prefer his name to be spelled "CC" rather than "C.C." He recorded his first win with the Brewers on July 8, 2008 against the Colorado Rockies. Sabathia was 17–10 overall (11–2 with Milwaukee) with a 2.70 ERA and was second in the majors (behind Tim Lincecum) with 251 strikeouts. Sabathia pitched three complete games in his first four starts with the Brewers, winning all four.

On July 30, 2008, Sabathia took out a large $12,870 ad in the sports section of Cleveland's daily newspaper, ''The Plain Dealer''. The ad, signed by Sabathia, his wife Amber, and his family read: }}

On August 31, 2008, Sabathia threw what was ruled as a one-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates in PNC Park. The one hit for the Pirates came off of a check swing by Andy LaRoche in the fifth inning that rolled fair and was bobbled by Sabathia on an attempted bare-handed pickup. The team sent in an appeal to Major League Baseball to try to get the hit ruled as an error, but were unsuccessful. Sabathia struck out eleven in the Brewers' 7–0 win over the Pirates, making Sabathia's ninth complete game in the 2008 season. On Sept. 28, 2008, Sabathia pitched a 4-hitter against the Cubs to win 3–1 in the final game of the season, clinching the wild card for the Brewers—their first-ever postseason berth as a National League club and their first since losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1982 World Series. It was Sabathia's 10th complete game of the year, the most complete games by any pitcher in a single season since Randy Johnson threw 12 in 1999. In 2008 Sabathia had the most effective slider among major league starting pitchers. When batters swung at his pitches, they failed to make any contact 28% of the time, the highest percentage among major league starting pitchers.

Sabathia started game 2 of the NLDS. The Brewers were heavily favored to win behind Sabathia, but Sabathia faltered, surrendering 5 runs in 3.2 innings, including a walk to the pitcher Brett Myers and a grand slam to Shane Victorino.

Sabathia was sixth in the voting for the 2008 NL MVP award, behind Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard, Ryan Braun, Manny Ramirez, and Lance Berkman.

New York Yankees (2009–present)

On December 18, 2008, Sabathia signed a seven-year, $161 million contract with the New York Yankees. It is the largest contract for a pitcher in MLB history. On March 26, 2009, manager Joe Girardi announced that Sabathia would be the Opening Day starter and the starter for the home opener at the new Yankee Stadium.

Sabathia won his first championship ring with the Yankees, finishing 19–8 with a 3.37 ERA. Sabathia also won the American League Championship Series (ALCS) Most Valuable Player Award for his performance in the 2009 ALCS. Sabathia finished fourth in the AL Cy Young Award voting behind Zack Greinke, Felix Hernandez, and Justin Verlander.

On April 10, 2010, Sabathia took a no-hitter into the 8th inning. With two out in the inning, former teammate Kelly Shoppach ripped a single to left field, ending the no-hit bid.

On July 4, he earned his fourth All-Star selection, and his first as a Yankee. On August 22, Sabathia recorded his 16th consecutive start of at least six innings allowing three earned runs or less, breaking a tie with Ron Guidry (from his Cy Young Award winning 1978 season) for the longest streak in franchise history.

On September 18, he defeated the Baltimore Orioles to become baseball's first 20 game winner in 2010. The win also marks the first time he had ever won 20 games in a single season in his career. Sabathia had won 19 games in a season twice previously: in 2007 with the Indians and 2009 in his first season with the Yankees.

After the season, Sabathia was diagnosed with a meniscus tear in his right knee, after allowing 10 earned runs and 22 hits in 16 postseason innings, requiring arthroscopic surgery. Sabathia began therapy immediately after the surgery and began his regular routine in preparation for spring training after three to six weeks. He lost 25 pounds during the offseason to prevent future problems with his knee.

On July 26, 2011, Sabathia took a perfect game through innings against the Seattle Mariners, retiring the first 19 batters he faced in a game interrupted twice due to rain. He ended up striking out 14 batters (setting a career high), as well as pitching another one-hitter (with the help of relief pitchers David Robertson and Mariano Rivera).

For his performance in July 2011, Sabathia was named AL Pitcher of the Month. He posted a 4-1 record with a 0.92 ERA during the month, striking out 50 batters and walking 13 in 39 innings. He also pitched two complete games and one shutout.

Though his contract contains an opt-out clause that could allow him to become a free agent after the 2011 season, Sabathia said he has no intention of exercising it as he loves playing for the New York Yankees and his family loves life in New York.

Player profile

Despite throwing with his left hand, Sabathia is right-handed. Sabathia has four plus pitches: a fastball, a more rarely used sinking fastball, a slider (which Sabathia and some announcers call a "cutter"), and changeup. Once ahead in the count, he primarily uses his changeup to strike out right-handed batters, and his slider to strike out left-handers. He also exhibits good command of his pitches, posting a 5.65 K/BB ratio in 2007.

Sabathia holds a lifetime postseason record of 5 wins and 4 losses in 10 games. He has pitched a total of postseason innings, giving up 61 hits, 25 walks and 30 earned runs resulting in a 4.40 ERA. He also struck out 56 batters. In the 2007 ALCS he beaned 3 batters.

As of the end of the 2010 season, Sabathia has acquired 25 hits in 101 plate appearances, making him one of the more successful pitchers from a hitting standpoint. On one occasion, Sabathia hit a 440-foot home run on June 21, 2008, off Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Chan Ho Park. He commented later, saying "I told everybody I was trying to hit homers today because I had two singles last year and everybody was all over me, saying I was a singles hitter. It was awesome." On July 13, 2008, in his second game with the Brewers, Sabathia hit his second home run of the season off Cincinnati Reds pitcher Homer Bailey, becoming the third pitcher in history to homer in both leagues in the same season and the first since Earl Wilson did it in 1970 with Detroit and San Diego.

Sabathia's reputation of pitching a high number of effective innings each season has led to sports broadcasters often referring to him as a workhorse.

Personal

Sabathia and his wife, Amber, have two sons, Carsten Charles III (born September 15, 2003) and Carter Charles (born August 5, 2010) and two daughters; Jaeden Arie (born September 20, 2005) and Cyia Cathleen (born October 11, 2008). The family used to reside in Fairfield, California outside his hometown of Vallejo, California near Sacramento. When Sabathia signed with the Yankees, the family moved to Alpine, New Jersey and Sabathia and family said they love life in New Jersey, as well as being so close to New York City.

Sabathia also appeared on a promotional video for ''Battlefield Bad Company 2'' against "Random Grenade Throws" which showed him doing a public service announcement about random grenade throws. It spoofs the ''Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2'' public service announcement with Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels. Sabathia remains very close friends with former teammates Cliff Lee and Prince Fielder.

See also

List of Major League Baseball wins champions

List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins

Black Aces

References

External links

CC Sabathia's official website

}} |after=Johan Santana}} |after=Cliff Lee}} |after=Andre Ethier}} – (2009 with Justin Verlander and Felix Hernandez)|after=incumbent}} |after=Josh Hamilton}}

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de:C.C. Sabathia es:CC Sabathia fr:C.C. Sabathia ko:CC 사바시아 ja:CC・サバシア pt:CC Sabathia sv:CC Sabathia zh:卡斯坦·查爾斯·沙巴西亞

name	Ted Lilly
team	Los Angeles Dodgers
number	29
position	Starting pitcher
birth date	January 04, 1976
birth place	Torrance, California
bats	Left
throws	Left
debutdate	May 14
debutyear	1999
debutteam	Montreal Expos
statyear	August 20, 2011
stat1label	Win-Loss
stat1value	120-109
stat2label	Earned run average
stat2value	4.21
stat3label	Strikeouts
stat3value	1,586
teams	Montreal Expos () New York Yankees (–) Oakland Athletics (–) Toronto Blue Jays (–) Chicago Cubs (–) Los Angeles Dodgers (–present)
awards	2x All-Star selection (, ) Member of 2010 WBC USA Team }}

Theodore Roosevelt "Ted" Lilly III (born January 4, 1976, in Torrance, California), is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He bats and throws left-handed. Lilly attended Yosemite High School in Oakhurst, California, and Fresno City College.

Professional career

Minor leagues

Lilly was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 23rd round of the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft. After two seasons in the Dodgers farm system, he was traded (along with Peter Bergeron, Wilton Guerrero and Jonathan Tucker) to the Montreal Expos for Hiram Bocachica, Mark Grudzielanek and Carlos Pérez.

Montreal Expos

Lilly made his Major League debut for the Expos on May 14, 1999 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, pitching one inning in relief. He made his first start on September 19 against the Atlanta Braves. He pitched in nine games for the Expos, with three starts.

New York Yankees

Lilly was traded to the New York Yankees on March 17, 2000 as part of a trade involving Hideki Irabu.

Oakland Athletics

Lilly played for more than two years for the Yankees before being dealt to the Oakland Athletics in a three team deal that included pitchers Jeff Weaver heading to New York and Jeremy Bonderman going to the Detroit Tigers. Lilly was in the starting rotation for Oakland, and pitched in the American League Division Series in both 2002 and 2003.

Toronto Blue Jays

Lilly was traded from the Athletics to the Toronto Blue Jays for Bobby Kielty. He made the American League All-Star team in 2004 as the Jays' lone representative that year.

The highlight of his career as a Blue Jay was a start on August 23, 2004 against the Boston Red Sox. He pitched a complete-game shutout and struck out 13 batters in a three-hit 3–0 victory.

Lilly was 15–13 with a 4.31 ERA and 160 strikeouts in 2006, exceeding his previous career-high for wins (12). He also equaled a career high for starts (32) and nearly matched his career highs in strikeouts and innings pitched. This season, he ranked first among the Jays' pitching staff in strikeouts and second only to Roy Halladay in wins (Halladay had a 16–5 record before a recurring elbow injury ended his season in late September).

On August 21, 2006, in a game against the Oakland Athletics, Lilly was surrendering an early 8-0 lead in the 3rd inning when manager John Gibbons took him out of the game. With the score 8-5 and runners on 1st and 3rd, Lilly refused to give him the ball. Eventually, he reluctantly left the mound and later feuded with Gibbons in the locker room, though Gibbons maintained no punches were thrown.

Lilly filed for free agency at the end of the 2006 season, and alongside Barry Zito, Jason Schmidt and Jeff Suppan, was one of the most sought-after free agent pitchers, partially due to the thin market for starting pitching. On the morning of December 6, 2006, he informed the Blue Jays that he would not be returning to the club, thus rejecting a four year, $40 million deal. He cited a "change in scenery" as his reasoning. Later on that day, Lilly agreed to an identical four year, $40 million deal with the Chicago Cubs, officially ending his tenure with the Blue Jays.

Chicago Cubs

In his first start for the Cubs, Lilly defeated the Cincinnati Reds in a strong outing, taking a no hitter into the fifth inning, and only yielding one earned run over seven innings. Lilly then was the starting pitcher for the Cubs home opening game at Wrigley Field on April 9, 2007. Lilly gave up three runs in six innings, but did not factor into the decision. Lilly pitched well in April, lasting at least six innings in each of his five starts while never giving up more than three runs in a game posting a 2.18 ERA.

Lilly was prominent in a contentious series in Atlanta between the Cubs and the Atlanta Braves. In game one of the series, Alfonso Soriano hit three home runs in his first three at-bats as part of a Cubs 9-1 victory. In the next game, Tim Hudson hit Soriano with a first-pitch fastball triggering home-plate umpire Tim Tschida to issue warnings to both teams. On the final game of the series, Lilly hit Edgar Rentería in the first inning, and was promptly thrown out of the ballgame by Jim Wolf. Lilly was not suspended for his actions in the game. In 2009 he was named to his second all-star game, as the Cubs lone representative.

On June 13, 2010, Lilly took a no-hitter into the 9th against the Chicago White Sox. In the ninth, he gave up a lead off single to Juan Pierre, then was lifted for relief pitcher Carlos Mármol, who got the save, getting out of a bases loaded jam, for a 1-0 Cub victory. This was the longest outing that Lilly held a team hitless. The no-hitter would have been the first pitched at Wrigley Field since Milt Pappas in .

2009 World Baseball Classic

Lilly was the starting pitcher in two games for Team USA in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

In the first game he faced Venezuela but was pulled after 36 pitches. Manager Davey Johnson wanted to get work for starter Jeremy Guthrie and as many relievers as possible. Lilly left with the United States trailing 1-0, thanks to the homer he served up to his former Cubs batterymate, Henry Blanco. His second start was against Puerto Rico, a game that Team USA would win with a David Wright two-run single in the bottom of the ninth. For his part Lilly gave up two home runs, the only two hits he gave up in his 3 innings.

Los Angeles Dodgers

On July 31, 2010, Lilly and Ryan Theriot were traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Blake DeWitt, Brett Wallach, and Kyle Smit. Lilly won his first five starts as a Dodger posting a 1.83 ERA. He finished his season with the Dodgers with a record of 7-4 and a 3.52 ERA in 12 starts, which included a complete game shutout on August 19 against the Colorado Rockies. On October 19, 2010, Lilly agreed to a 3-year, $33 million, contract with the Dodgers.

See also

List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins

References

External links

Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:Montreal Expos players Category:New York Yankees players Category:Oakland Athletics players Category:Toronto Blue Jays players Category:Chicago Cubs players Category:Los Angeles Dodgers players Category:2009 World Baseball Classic players Category:American League All-Stars Category:Baseball players from California Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:National League All-Stars Category:People from Torrance, California Category:Yakima Bears players Category:San Bernardino Stampede players Category:San Antonio Missions players Category:Albuquerque Dukes players Category:Ottawa Lynx players Category:Tampa Yankees players Category:Columbus Clippers players Category:Syracuse SkyChiefs players Category:Peoria Chiefs players Category:Iowa Cubs players

fr:Ted Lilly ko:테드 릴리 ja:テッド・リリー zh:泰德·李利