Bill Pulsipher

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Bill Pulsipher
Pitcher
Born: October 9, 1973 (1973-10-09) (age 34)
Fort Benning, Georgia
Batted: Left Threw: Left
MLB debut
June 17, 1995
for the New York Mets
Final game
May 7, 2005
for the St. Louis Cardinals
Career statistics
Win-Loss record     13-19
Earned run average     5.15
Strikeouts     202
Teams
Career highlights and awards
  • No notable achievements

William Thomas Pulsipher (born October 9, 1973) is a pitcher who has pitched in Major League Baseball. Pulsipher, a left-handed pitcher, has pitched for the New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, and St. Louis Cardinals over six seasons from 1995 to 2005. Once considered a top prospect, his career was derailed by injuries, clinical depression and anxiety.[1][2]

Contents

[edit] Early life and career

Bill Pulsipher was a military brat who was born in Fort Benning, Georgia. His family frequently relocated, including to Germany, before settling in Clifton, Virginia.[3] His parents divorced and he lived with his father and stepmother.[2] While a senior at Fairfax High School, Pulsipher was named the All-Metropolitan D.C. Player of the Year as a pitcher and center fielder.[3] He also excelled at basketball, but baseball was his main focus and, at age 17, he was offered a full scholarship to Old Dominion University.[3] The day before he was to leave, he decided to forego college and sign with the New York Mets which had chosen him in the second round of the 1991 Major League Baseball Draft.[3]

Pulsipher was immediately impressive in the Mets' A-level minor league system, posting a 2.84 earned run average in 1992 and ERAs of 2.08 with the Capital City Bombers and 2.24 with the St. Lucie Mets, both in 1993. In 1994, with Major League Baseball mired in a season-ending strike, Pulsipher was selected to be a AA-level Eastern League all-star. He led the Binghamton Mets to the playoffs where he threw a no-hitter on September 12 and was named the New York Mets Minor League Player of the Year.[4] At age 20, Pulsipher was considered one of the top propsects in baseball.

[edit] Major leagues and early injuries

In 1995, Pulsipher began the season with the AAA Norfolk Tides and continued pitching well against minor league hitting with an ERA of 3.14. He was called up to the majors and made his major league debut on June 17, 1995. His first game was atrocious, but he finished the season with a 5-7 record and 3.98 ERA before a sore elbow ended his season three weeks early.[1]

Towards the end of spring training in 1996, Pulsipher was still experiencing elbow pain when an MRI showed torn ligaments and subsequent Tommy John surgery wiped out his entire season.[2] In 1997, Pulsipher started the season with Norfolk, but pitched terribly with 38 walks in only 27⅔ innings. He was sent down to the A-level St. Lucie Mets, but continued walking nearly a batter per inning. Pulsipher later recounted that he was diagnosed with depression around that time.[2] He was prescribed Prozac and his pitching improved including a 1.42 ERA out of the bullpen at AA Binghamton.

After beginning 1998 in Norfolk and pitching reasonably well, Pulsipher was called back up to the majors for the first time in 2½ seasons. Although his control problems did not resurface, he pitched poorly for New York, mostly in relief. At the July 31 trading deadline, Pulsipher was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for Mike Kinkade.

Pulsipher started for the Brewers for the rest of 1998, but needed back surgery after the season.[5] He started 1999 in the majors, but was soon on the disabled list when back problems recurred. After spending the second half in the majors and finishing with a 5.98 ERA, the Brewers traded him back to the Mets for infielder Luis López.

[edit] Frequent moves and a medical scare

On February 23, 2000, Pulsipher's pregnant wife found him unconscious and barely breathing on their bathroom floor. Pulsipher was rushed to the hospital with paramedics assisting his breathing and doctors restoring his weak heartbeat.[6] Pulsipher attributes the attack to a dietary supplement which contained ephedra.[2][7] Three years later, Pulsipher was nearby when his Baltimore Orioles teammate Steve Bechler collapsed and died, also from ephedra.[2] Ephedra was banned by the Food and Drug Administration in 2004.

Pulsipher pitched poorly for Norfolk and New York in 2000 before being traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Lenny Harris. He spent the rest of the season in the minors, mostly with the AAA Tucson Sidewinders. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays signed him for 2001, but sent him to the minors during spring training and released him soon after.[8] He was signed by the Boston Red Sox, pitched well for the AAA Pawtucket Red Sox, and was brought up to the majors in late June. After pitching very well in relief for a month, Pulsipher was awful through August with an ERA near 10 and was placed on waivers. The Chicago White Sox selected him off waivers but he rejected an assignment to the minors after posting a 7.88 ERA and became a free agent.

[edit] Brief career change and comeback attempts

The Texas Rangers signed Pulsipher before the 2002 season, but for the second consecutive season, he was released during spring training. He was signed by the New York Yankees soon after, but was released again after posting a 14.73 ERA and injuring his groin with the AAA Columbus Clippers. His third release in 14 months combined with being off his depression medication caused Pulsipher to quit baseball.[2] He returned to his home in Port St. Lucie, Florida and for a time, was being paid eight dollars per hour to be a groundskeeper for the St. Lucie Mets.[2]

While tending to the minor league complex's field in Florida, Pulsipher continued to stay in shape.[2] In December 2002, he was signed by the Baltimore Orioles. While with the AAA Ottawa Lynx in 2003, he again experienced bouts of depression and anxiety and was prescribed Paxil which he says improved his life.[2]

In 2004, Pulsipher did not pursue a major league contract and instead signed with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League.[2] For the first time since 2000, Pulsipher was starting games and he pitched well enough to be named an Atlantic League All-Star. He led Long Island to its first league championship, winning the clinching game.[9][10]

Pulsipher was signed by the Seattle Mariners in August 2004, but was injured after two decent minor league starts and released in September.[2] He recovered to pitch well for Indios de Mayagüez in the Caribbean Series.[11] He was signed to play for a Tijuana team in a Mexican League when his former teammate Jason Isringhausen convinced the St. Louis Cardinals to invite him to 2005 spring training.[2][9] Pulsipher did not allow a run for the entire spring training, but he injured his hamstring and had his toe broken by a line drive before the season started.[12] Regardless, he made the team out of spring training and pitched in the majors for the first time since 2001. The hamstring injury recurred in mid-April landing him on the disabled list.[13] He returned a few weeks later, but was sent to the minors after two games. He was mostly a starter in the minor leagues before being released in early September.

Pulsipher finished 2005 with the Long Island Ducks which made the playoffs for the second consecutive season. He spent the entire 2006 season with the Ducks which again made the postseason, but Pulsipher was the losing pitcher in the season-ending game.[14] As of August 2007, Pulsipher returned to Long Island to play for the Ducks.[15]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Romano, John. "Arm in good health, feet on the ground", St. Petersburg Times, 2001-02-24. Retrieved on 2007-03-26. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Bill Pulsipher as told to Alan Schwarz. "For Pulsipher, Down Doesn't Mean Out", Baseball America, 2005-04-07. Retrieved on 2007-03-26. 
  3. ^ a b c d Robinson, Tom. "Take a Good, Quick Look at These 2 Tides", The Virginian-Pilot, 1995-04-05. Retrieved on 2007-03-26. 
  4. ^ Bill Pulsipher at BaseballLibrary.com. Retrieved on March 26, 2007.
  5. ^ Olson, Drew. "Brewers Report", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 1999-04-28. Retrieved on 2007-03-26. 
  6. ^ "Baseball Notes - Pulsipher is hospitalized after collapsing", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Associated Press, 2000-02-24. Retrieved on 2007-03-26. 
  7. ^ "Baseball; Lessons Learned From Past Use of Ephedra", The New York Times, 2003-02-22. Retrieved on 2007-03-26. 
  8. ^ "Bullpen battle down by two", St. Petersburg Times, 2001-03-14. Retrieved on 2007-03-26. 
  9. ^ a b Kurspahic, Mirza. "#45, Billy Pulsipher, Fairfax, Baseball, 1991", The Connection Newspapers, 2006-08-10. Retrieved on 2007-03-26. 
  10. ^ Pulse Returns to Flock. Long Island Ducks (2006-07-06). Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
  11. ^ Sanchez, Jesse (2005-02-06). Pulsipher working at a comeback. MLB.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
  12. ^ Leach, Matthew (2005-04-03). Notes: Pulsipher's spot up in the air. MLB.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
  13. ^ Leach, Matthew (2005-04-12). Notes: Pulsipher lands on DL. MLB.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
  14. ^ 'Fish Take Series From Ducks. Long Island Ducks (2006-09-27). Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
  15. ^ Ducks Calm 'Stormers: Rose and Harris Power Pulsipher Win. Suffolk Journal (2007-10-30). Retrieved on 2008-04-07.

[edit] External links

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