Mike Myers (baseball)
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| Image:Mikemyersbaseball.jpg |
|
|---|---|
| New York Yankees — No. 36 | |
| Relief pitcher | |
| Bats: Left | Throws: Left |
| Major League Baseball debut | |
| April 25, 1995 for the Florida Marlins | |
| Selected MLB statistics (through 2006) |
|
| Record | 21-24 |
| ERA | 4.23 |
| Strikeouts | 402 |
| Former teams | |
Michael Stanley Myers (born June 26, 1969 in Arlington Heights, Illinois) is a left-handed relief pitcher who plays for the New York Yankees.
Through the 2006 season, Myers has compiled a 20-22 record with 14 saves and a 4.19 ERA in 778 appearances (leading all major league pitchers since 1996).
Originally drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the fourth round in 1990 out of Iowa State University, Myers has pitched for the Florida Marlins (1995), Detroit Tigers (1995-97), Milwaukee Brewers (1998-99), Colorado Rockies (2000-01), Arizona Diamondbacks (2002-03), Seattle Mariners (2004) and Boston Red Sox (2004-2005).
Myers, a left-handed specialist with a submarine delivery, throws two different breaking balls with a deceptive movement that disconcerts opposite hitters (especially left-handed ones). He has appeared in more games (684) than any pitcher in the majors since 1996 (his first full major league season) to 2004. In the same period he has pitched in at least 64 games a season, topping 70 appearances in six of eight seasons. With Detroit, he led the majors twice with 83 appearances in 1996, and with 88 in 1997, which was two appearances shy of the American League record.
Acquired from Seattle by the Red Sox for the stretch run in the 2004 season, Myers would be a short-timer in Boston, which did not re-sign him. A free agent, Myers signed with St. Louis, but was shipped back to Boston for two minor leaguers on March 29, 2005. He had a successful 2005 season with a 3.12 ERA. In December 2005, Myers signed a 2-year deal worth $2.4 million with the New York Yankees.
[edit] Trivia
- Myers enters the game to the John Carpenter-composed theme song from the movie "Halloween". The lead character of the films is an Illinois resident named Michael Myers (Halloween).
- Ten years ago, during a plane ride with his Detroit teammates, rookie reliever Mike Myers got some advice from Baseball Hall of Famer Al Kaline, the Tigers broadcaster. Kaline suggested Myers, who was traded from Florida to Detroit in a late season deal, experiment with a sidearm motion, and in his next two appearances, both against Baltimore, Myers went 1-2-3 both times. “Kaline suggested my throwing sidearm to give me a little bit of funk and mystery against left handed hitters. After what I did against Baltimore, I just kept going from there“, Myers said. [1]
- Myers is known as being a specialist against some of the best lefthanded hitters in the game today. He was often used by the Diamondbacks and the Rockies against Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants and is currently known for facing David Ortiz of the Red Sox in their rivalry with the Yankees. When he was playing for the Red Sox, he was known for facing Hideki Matsui. In Game 5 of the 2004 ALCS, he struck out Matsui in the top of the eleventh inning
[edit] External links
- ESPN - Profile and daily updates
- Baseball Reference - Statistics and analysis
- Myers reigns as king of the lefty specialists
Categories: Arizona Diamondbacks players | Boston Red Sox players | Colorado Rockies players | Detroit Tigers players | Florida Marlins players | Milwaukee Brewers players | New York Yankees players | Seattle Mariners players | Major league pitchers | 1969 births | People from Illinois | Major league players from Illinois | Living people
