Jeff Weaver

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Jeff Weaver

Seattle Mariners — No. 36
Starting pitcher
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
Major League Baseball debut
April 14, 1999 for the Detroit Tigers
Selected MLB statistics (through October 2, 2006)
Record	86-101
ERA	4.58
Strikeouts	1,044
Former teams
Detroit Tigers (1999-2002) New York Yankees (2002-2003) Los Angeles Dodgers (2004-2005) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2006) St. Louis Cardinals (2006)

Jeffrey Charles Weaver (born August 22, 1976 in Northridge, Los Angeles, California) is a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher for the Seattle Mariners. He has pitched for the Detroit Tigers (1999-2002), New York Yankees (2002-2003), Los Angeles Dodgers (2004-2005), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2006), St. Louis Cardinals (2006), and Seattle Mariners (2007).

Weaver brings a large arsenal to the mound. The tall, lanky righthander can throw a fastball in the low 90's, a hard and tight slider, and a sweeping breaking ball. Occasionally, for a change of pace, he drops down to a sidearm delivery.

Weaver was a fixture in Detroit's rotation, serving as their Opening Day starter in 2001 and 2002. He was traded before the deadline, in a deal that also involved the Oakland A's, to the New York Yankees.

Jeff's time with the Yankees was very turbulent. He bounced in and out of the their starting rotation. Finally, in Game 4 of the 2003 World Series, he was brought in and allowed a 12th inning walk off home run to Alex Gonzalez. This performance, undoubtedly, sealed Weaver's fate in pinstripes; he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the offseason.

In 2005, the Dodgers built their rotation around the durable Weaver (who has never been placed on the disabled list). Jeff went 14-11, with a 4.22 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, 3 complete games and a career-high 157 strikeouts in 224 innings. These numbers were good enough to rank him 8th in the NL in IP's, 9th in complete games and 9th in WHIP. Following the 2005 season, Jeff filed for free agency. The Dodgers offered Jeff salary arbitration but the two sides were unable to reach an agreement.

On February 15, 2006, Weaver signed a 1-year deal with the Angels for $8.5 million. After posting a 3-10 record with a 6.29 ERA in Anaheim, he was designated for assignment on June 30. Jeff's younger brother, Jered Weaver, ironically, was recalled and replaced Jeff in the starting rotation.

On July 5, 2006, the St. Louis Cardinals acquired Weaver from the Angels in exchange for minor leaguer Terry Evans and cash considerations. He debuted with the team not as a pitcher, but as a pinch hitter in a 14-inning game between the Cardinals and Dodgers on July 13, 2006 at Busch Stadium.

On July 17, 2006, in Weaver's first start as a Cardinal, he gave up six runs in 4 innings and received the loss.

After that start, Weaver became one of the Cardinals' most reliable pitchers. He won important games for the Cardinals in the final weeks of the season, helping them win the National League Central Division, and he started and won Game 2 of the 2006 National League Division Series. Weaver started and was the losing pitcher for Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets on October 12, 2006. He pitched five scoreless innings before giving up a two-run home run to Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran; those two runs were the only scored by either team in the game.

In Game 5 of the National League Championship Series on October 17, 2006, Weaver again delivered for the Cardinals, pitching 6 effective innings and allowing only 2 runs on 6 hits, winning his second game of the 2006 postseason.

After losing Game 2 of the 2006 World Series to the Detroit Tigers, Weaver came back on October 27 , 2006 in Game 5 to pitch 8 innings, giving up 4 hits and 1 earned run. He was credited with the win as the St. Louis Cardinals clinched the series 4-1.

On January 26, 2007, the Seattle Mariners acquired Jeff Weaver off of free agency for a one year deal worth 8-9 million, after going on local radio stations in the St. Louis area saying that at this point his career years are more important than dollars. The contract that was offered by the Mariners gave Weaver the most money per years.

[edit] Trivia

• Member of the St. Louis Cardinals 2006 World Champions
• Allowed five homeruns in a game on two separate occasions, tying a club record each time: With the Tigers, July 24, 1999, tying the club record set by Don Mossi in 1961; and July 21, 2002, tying the Yankees record shared by five others (Joe Ostrowski, John Cumberland, Ron Guidry, David Wells, Randy Johnson). Coincidentally, in each game, Weaver was facing the Boston Red Sox.
• Attended Simi Valley High School in Simi Valley, California.
• In August, 2003, ebay member "freerangeveal" attempted to sell Weaver on eBay. The auction appeared the day after Weaver gave up 11 runs against the Kansas City Royals. The auction lasted for one day, and the bidding reached the ebay limit of $99,999,999.00 before it was removed as against eBay policy.^[1]
• On February 9, 2007 he and his brother had their jersies retired by Simi Valley High School in a basketball game between Royal High and Simi High.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] External link

• Baseball-Reference.com - career statistics and analysis