Huston Street

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**Huston Street**

Oakland Athletics — No. 20
Pitcher
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
Major League Baseball debut
April 6, 2005 for the Oakland Athletics
Selected MLB statistics (through the end of the 2006 season)
Record	9-5
ERA	2.48
Strikeouts	139
Saves	60
Save Opportunities	75

Huston Lowell Street (born August 2, 1983, in Austin, Texas) is a relief pitcher for the Oakland Athletics, currently best known for being named the 2005 American League Rookie of the Year.

Street attended the University of Texas from 2002-04, where he pitched for the school's baseball team. He is widely regarded as one of the best collegiate closers of all time. Street earned a form of All-American honors at Texas every season he was there and helped his team win the College World Series of collegiate baseball in 2002. In that season, he set a CWS record for the most saves and won the Series Most Valuable Player honors for his amazing work as a closer. A year later, Street led the Longhorns to the Series semifinals, and in 2004, he helped his team to the finals, only to lose in two games to Cal State Fullerton.

Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in 2004, Street spent a few months in the minor leagues, spending no more than a month at each level. He then was invited to the Arizona Fall League where his team took the championship. Street was called up to the major leagues at the start of the 2005 season. He became Oakland's closer when incumbent Octavio Dotel went down in May with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. Street saved 23 games in 27 chances to go along with a 5-1 record, 72 strikeouts, and a 1.72 ERA. Only Mariano Rivera's 1.38 ERA for the Yankees was better among American League relievers. Street had 72 strikeouts in 78 1/3 innings pitched, and opposing hitters batted only .194 against him. He was rewarded for his effort by being named Rookie of the Year, as the fourth player in a row who had spent some time in the Athletics organization (after Eric Hinske in 2002, Angel Berroa in 2003, and Bobby Crosby in 2004).

Street has continued to serve as the closer for the A's. He finished the 2006 season with a record of 4-4 and 37 saves, with 67 strikeouts and a 3.31 ERA in 70.2 IP.

[edit] Pitching style

Street uses a deceptive delivery to fool hitters. First, he kicks his left leg far outside the left side of the rubber. After a high leg kick, he delivers the ball from nearly a sidearm slot. Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia has accused Street of balking due to his footwork, as his right foot appears to come off the rubber, which is not legal.

Pitching arsenal: 4-seam fastball (92-95 mph), slider, changeup

[edit] Trivia

Street is the son of former University of Texas quarterback James Street.
Street's intro music is the instrumental to Nas' "Hate Me Now." Last year, he came into the game with Overseer's "Horndog" as his music.
In giving up the pennant-winning home run to Magglio Ordóñez on October 14, 2006, Street joined the small pantheon of pitchers allowing championship-deciding home runs. This one came at the end of a sweep, rather than a winner-take-all game such as Ralph Branca in the 1951 pennant playoff, Ralph Terry in the 1960 World Series, Mark Littell in the 1976 American League Championship Series, and Tim Wakefield in the 2003 American League Championship Series. The homer off Mitch Williams in the 1993 World Series came at the end of Game 6.