Philip Humber
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|---|---|
| Minnesota Twins — No. 38 | |
| Starting Pitcher | |
| Born: December 21, 1982 | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Major League Baseball debut | |
| September 24, 2006 for the New York Mets | |
| Selected MLB statistics (through 2007) |
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| Win-Loss | 0-0 |
| Earned Run Average | 6.00 |
| Strikeouts | 4 |
| Teams | |
Philip Gregory Humber (born December 21, 1982 in Nacogdoches, Texas) is a Major League baseball pitcher for the Minnesota Twins. He was the New York Mets' first-round draft pick out of Rice University in 2004. The third overall pick in that draft, he received a $3.7 million signing bonus in January 2005 after a long holdout. He was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 29th round of the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft, but he did not sign.
Humber was a dominant pitcher during his three college seasons, stepping into the nationally-ranked Owls' starting rotation as a freshman. Humber finished his freshman season in 2002 with an 11-1 record and a 2.78 ERA, earning National Freshman Player of the Year honors from Collegiate Baseball and All-America honors from several publications. He led the Western Athletic Conference with 130 strikeouts. His sophomore season in 2003 saw the development of Rice's "Big Three" rotation, featuring Humber and classmates Wade Townsend and Jeff Niemann. Humber put together another strong showing in 2003, posting an 11-3 record with a 3.30 ERA as Rice won its first national championship. He pitched a complete game in the decisive third game of the 2003 College World Series, a 14-2 win over Stanford. He was honored with 'Philip Humber Day' in his hometown of Carthage, Texas. In his junior season of 2004, Humber recorded a 13-4 record and a 2.27 ERA. He also set the Rice single-game record for strikeouts when he fanned 17 Hawaii hitters March 20, 2004. After being upset in the Houston Regional by Texas A&M, Humber looked forward to the Major League Baseball Draft. Humber, Niemann, and Townsend were all selected in the first eight picks of the 2004 draft - the first time three teammates had ever gone so early in the same draft.
He entered spring training 2005 with the Mets, and after a brief stint there, he was sent to Class A St. Lucie, where, in fourteen starts, he posted a 2-6 record and a 4.99 ERA. Humber was then promoted to AA Binghamton, where Humber, in one start gave up three earned runs in four innings. This start, however, was fateful for the young righty, as elbow pain led him to exit early. Later, the worst was confirmed, as the top prospect would need to undergo Tommy John Surgery. He resumed pitching with the St. Lucie Mets, posting a 2.37 ERA in 7 starts.
On July 31, 2006, 377 days after his surgery, Humber was once again promoted to AA Binghamton, where he was 2-2 with a 2.88 ERA. He made his major league debut on September 24, 2006. He made his first Major League start on 26 September 2007 against the Washington Nationals. He allowed five runs in four plus innings, receiving a no decision.
On February 2, 2008, Humber was included in a trade to the Minnesota Twins along with Kevin Mulvey, Deolis Guerra, and Carlos Gomez for Johan Santana
