Huston Street

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Huston Street

Oakland Athletics — No. 20
Closer
Born: August 2, 1983 (1983-08-02) (age 24) Austin, Texas
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
Major League Baseball debut
April 6, 2005 for the Oakland Athletics
Selected MLB statistics (through June 4, 2008)
Win-Loss	15-8
Saves	88
Earned run average	2.70
Strikeouts	234
Teams
Oakland Athletics (2005-present)
Highlights and awards
Rookie of the Year Award winner (2005)

Huston Lowell Street (pronounced /ˈçʲustən/, born August 2, 1983, in Austin, Texas) is a relief pitcher for the Oakland Athletics, currently best known for winning the 2005 American League Rookie of the Year. His father is former University of Texas quarterback James Street.

[edit] Baseball career

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 third player in a row who had spent some time in the Athletics organization (after 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 with 11 blown saves.

Huston Street appears in Richard Linklater's documentary Inning by Inning: A Portrait of a Coach, about his college coach at the University of Texas, Augie Garrido.

[edit] External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or The Baseball Cube