Jason Isringhausen

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Jason Isringhausen

Position	Closer
Team	St. Louis Cardinals
Years of Experience	10 years
Age	33
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight	230 lb (104 kg)
Bats	Right
Throws	Right
College	Lewis and Clark Community College
2005 Salary	$8,250,000
Place of Birth	Brighton, Illinois
Selection	44th round, amateur draft, 1991
Drafted by	New York Mets
Major League Debut	July 17, 1995

Jason Derik Isringhausen (born September 7, 1972 in Brighton, Illinois) is a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball, and is currently the closer for the St. Louis Cardinals.

[edit] Pro career

In the mid-1990s, he, along with pitchers Bill Pulsipher and Paul Wilson were all widely hyped as the next generation of New York Mets' superstars, despite all being in the minor leagues. Isringhausen played with the AAA Norfolk Tides. The group received considerable press attention and the nickname "Generation K". However, injuries took their toll and 1995 was the first year that all three started the season healthy.

Isringhausen began his career as a starter for the Mets near the end of the season, posting a 9-2 record in 14 starts. But a steady progression of serious injuries- tuberculosis, a broken wrist (sustained while punching a dugout trash can) and three major operations on his pitching arm derailed his progression into a major-league rotation.

Consequently, he was forced to miss most of the 1997 season, as well as the entire 1998 season. When he was finally healthy in 1999, he was moved to the bullpen after only five starts. After inconsistent play with the Mets, he was infamously traded to the Oakland Athletics at the trading deadline for reliever Billy Taylor. Mets manager Bobby Valentine was reluctant to use Isringhausen in relief, saying that it would be akin to "[using] an Indy car as a taxi."

Isringhausen soon became the Athletics' closer and has prospered since his move to the bullpen. After the A's made the playoffs in 2000 and 2001, Isringhausen left the team to sign with the Cardinals as a free agent before the 2002 season. Since then, the Cardinals have won the Central Division in 2002, 2004, and 2005, with a World Series appearance in 2004. He had a league-leading 47 saves in 2004 and had a career-best 2.14 ERA in 2005.

However, the 2006 season was a rough one for Isringhausen. He began the season with two losses and a blown save in his first five appearances. He endured control problems throughout the season which led to 38 walks (the most given up by Isringhausen in a season since he became a closer) and a 3.55 ERA, which was his highest ERA as a closer besides the 2000 season in which his ERA was 3.78. Isringhausen finished the season with a 4-8 record and 33 saves along with 10 blown saves. He missed the entire 2006 playoffs due to a hip injury, allowing rookie Adam Wainwright to become the Cardinals closer for the playoffs and lead the Cardinals to their 10th World Series Championship.

For his career, Isringhausen is 40-44 with a 3.59 ERA and 249 saves. In his brief career as a starter, he threw three complete games and one shutout.

[edit] Trivia

• On April 13, 2002, Isringhausen struck out three batters on nine pitches in the ninth inning of a 2-1 win over the Houston Astros. Isringhausen became the 22nd National League pitcher and the 31st pitcher in Major League history to accomplish the nine-strike/three-strikeout half-inning.
• When, on May 29, 1996, Isringhausen started against William Van Landingham of the San Francisco Giants, they tied a record for the longest combined names of two starting pitchers.
• On June 13, 2006, "Izzy" became the all time save leader for the St. Louis Cardinals.[1]
• In 1997, he accidentally stabbed himself in the thigh while trying to open a box with a kitchen knife.

[edit] External link

• Baseball-Reference.com - career statistics and analysis
• [2] - Cards Profile