Ryan Dempster
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| Chicago Cubs — No. 46 | |
| Starting pitcher | |
| Born: May 3, 1977 Sechelt, British Columbia |
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| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Major League Baseball debut | |
| May 23, 1998 for the Florida Marlins | |
| Selected MLB statistics (through June 04, 2008) |
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| Win-Loss | 66-77 |
| Saves | 87 |
| Earned run average | 4.70 |
| Strikeouts | 1,070 |
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| Highlights and awards | |
Ryan Scott Dempster (born May 3, 1977 in Sechelt, British Columbia) is a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs in Major League Baseball.
Dempster bats and throws right-handed. He has a win-loss record of 56-59 and an earned run average of 4.83 in 247 games (162 starts) [all statistics are through the 2005 season]. He has played for the Florida Marlins (1998-2002), the Cincinnati Reds (2002-2003), and the Chicago Cubs (2004-present). In August 2003 he underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow and made a miraculous recovery from the surgery, taking a little under a year to recover from it, coming back in the last half of 2004 to pitch for the Chicago Cubs. In 2005, after starting 6 games, Dempster was named the closer for the Chicago Cubs, replacing LaTroy Hawkins.
He collected 33 saves in 35 opportunities, the best save percentage in the league; in both blown saves, he collected the win. He is the only Cub and one of just three players ever to start a game and collect 30 saves in a single season. On October 1, 2005, the Cubs signed him through 2008 in a US$15.5 million contract extension. He emerged as one of the team's most consistent closers in 2007. At one point, Lou Pinella, the Cubs' manager, was considering promoting Dempster to a starting pitcher.[1] However, the idea was short lived, as a struggling bullpen forced Dempster to remain as closer. He recorded sixteen saves in eighteen opportunities before missing two weeks of playtime on account of an injured oblique muscle.[2] During 2008 spring training, Dempster's performance earned him a promotion to the third spot on the starting rotation, with the closer job going to Kerry Wood. On April 3, 2008, he earned his first win as a home starter since a 2002 win with the Marlins against the Cubs.[3] On May 15th, 2008, Dempster recorded a career high 12 strikeouts in a game. He pitched 8 1/3rd innings, and gave up only 6 hits.
Dempster is widely known for his laid-back attitude, constantly joking with fans and teammates and is said to be a positive contribution to a team's clubhouse. Dempster's fun and easy-going personality was especially evident when in comments to an Arizona newspaper in March of 2007, Dempster stated that if his career as a closer began to tumble, he would pursue ninja training.[4] He is also known for his Harry Caray impression. Most notably, he announced the Cubs' starting lineup while speaking like Caray before a nationally televised baseball game on Fox Sports. As of June 4th 2008, he has posted an impressive record as a starter going 7 and 2 with an ERA of 2.75, with 63 strikeouts in 75.1 innings pitched.
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[edit] Awards and honors
- National League All-Star (2000)
- Named one of the 99 "Good Guys" in professional sports by The Sporting News.
- Tip O'Neill Award (2000)
- Played in the NHL All-Star Celebrity Challenge on January 30, 2002.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
- Yahoo! Sports: Ryan Dempster
- Interview in The Heckler
