Érik Bédard

Érik Bédard
Free agent
Starting pitcher
Born: (1979-03-06) March 6, 1979 Navan, Ontario
Bats: Left	Throws: Left
MLB debut
April 17, 2002 for the Baltimore Orioles
Career statistics (through 2013 season)
Win–loss record	67–76
Earned run average	3.94
Strikeouts	1,182
WHIP	1.36
Teams
Baltimore Orioles (2002, 2004–2007) Seattle Mariners (2008–2009, 2011) Boston Red Sox (2011) Pittsburgh Pirates (2012) Houston Astros (2013)

Érik Joseph Bédard (pronounced [eʁik beˈdɑʁ] baydar; born March 6, 1979) is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.

Bédard previously pitched for the Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros. With Baltimore, he was the staff ace, setting the franchise single-season strikeouts per nine innings record at 10.93 in 2007.^[1]

Early years

Bédard was born on March 6, 1979 in Navan, Ontario, a suburb of Ottawa. A Franco-Ontarian, Bédard began his baseball career in the Orleans Little League and the Ontario Baseball Association. He was a pitcher on the 1992 Orleans Junior Red Sox team which beat Glace Bay in the 1992 Canadian Championship.^[2] Bédard did not play high school baseball, which is the norm in Canada due to the short season.

Although 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) and 120 pounds (54 kg) as a senior, he grew seven inches and gained 30 pounds (14 kg) during the summer between graduating from high school and beginning college. He accompanied a friend to a tryout at Norwalk Community College in Norwalk, Connecticut, and made the baseball team as a walk-on.^{[citation needed]}

While in college, he added 10 miles per hour to his fastball, gained another 30 pounds (14 kg), took the "lowest level" non-credit English language course to enhance his knowledge of the language, and became a junior college All-American.^[3]

Professional career

Baltimore Orioles

As a left-handed starter, Bédard pitched four seasons with the Orioles. After posting dominating numbers when he was at the Double-A level, he quickly gained recognition as one of the best pitching prospects in baseball, gaining comparison to lefty Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana. However, an elbow ligament injury forced him to the operating table, and set his development back 18 months. After spending most of 2003 in rehab, he received an invitation to big-league spring training the next year. He made the most of his opportunity, beating out other pitchers for the fifth spot in the starting rotation. In 2004, he posted a 4.59 ERA in 137⅓ innings of work. His strikeout numbers were 7.93 K/9, and he had 71 walks allowed. Bédard was criticized for having a high pitch count (19.5 pitches/inning), forcing him to frequently make early exits from ballgames, and he was criticized for lacking a third type of pitch.

Bédard pitching for the Baltimore Orioles in 2006

Under the tutelage of pitching coach Ray Miller, who rejoined the Orioles in the middle of the 2004 season, Bédard refined his control of the changeup (his third pitch) to go along with his 91–93 mph fastball and slurve. In the beginning of 2005, he posted a 2.08 ERA, but after a sprained knee sidelined him for two months, he posted a 5.44 ERA.

Bédard had one of his best statistical years in 2006, going 15–11 in 33 starts and posting a 3.76 ERA and 1.35 WHIP. He also pitched a total of 196.1 innings, his highest in any season.

Bédard was named the Orioles' 2007 Opening Day starting pitcher. On May 20, Bédard recorded his first major league hit, a single up the middle in the 5th against the Washington Nationals. In his next at-bat, he looped an RBI single over shortstop, going 2–2 with a sacrifice in the game.

On July 7, Bédard struck out 15 Texas Rangers, matching the Orioles franchise record set by Mike Mussina. In the same game, he faced the minimum number of batters (27), as the only two batters who reached base were later out on double plays. His 15 strikeouts also set the record for the most in a game by a Canadian. His performance throughout the month earned him the American League Pitcher of the month award for July 2007.

Although he played for a losing team, Bédard's individual performance put him among those shortlisted to contend for the American League Cy Young Award.^[4] Then-teammate Kevin Millar stated that Bédard "probably has the best curveball in baseball."^[5] Bédard broke the franchise single-season strikeout record on August 26. The previous record was held by Mike Mussina, who had 218 in 1997.

The results of an MRI on September 4 confirmed that Bédard suffered a strained oblique in his previous start on August 26.^[6] Because the Orioles were eliminated from playoff contention later that week, manager Dave Trembley decided to shut down Bédard for the remainder of the season on September 9, prematurely ending Bédard's season by placing him on the 60-day disabled list.^[7]

Bédard finished the season with a 13–5 record, posting a 3.16 ERA with 221 strikeouts. He was eligible for arbitration from the Orioles during the 2007–2008 offseason.^[8]

Seattle Mariners

On February 8, 2008, Bédard was traded to the Seattle Mariners in a 5-for-1 deal sending outfielder Adam Jones and pitchers George Sherrill, Tony Butler, Chris Tillman and Kam Mickolio to the Orioles.^[9] On February 13, Mariners manager John McLaren announced that Bédard would be their Opening Day starter.^[10] Bédard signed a one-year, 7-million dollar deal with the Seattle Mariners on February 15, avoiding any salary arbitration.^[11] In spring training in 2008, he led the major leagues in home runs given up, with nine in 24 innings. On July 10, 2008, he was placed on the 15-day disabled list.^[12]

Bédard only played the first four months of the 2009 season before landing on the disabled list due to a torn labrum in his pitching shoulder.He finished with a 5–3 record and a 2.82 ERA. He became a free agent following the season.^[13]

On February 6, 2010, Bédard re-signed with the Seattle Mariners to a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2011.^[14] At the start of the 2010 season, there was hope Bédard would return to the majors as soon as May or June 2010. Since then, he suffered multiple setbacks while rehabbing his shoulder and did not pitch in 2010.

After the 2010 season, the Mariners declined their 2011 option on Bédard's contract. The Mariners re-signed Bédard to an incentive laden non-guaranteed contract.^[15]

Boston Red Sox

Bédard during his tenure with the Boston Red Sox in 2011

On July 31, 2011, Bédard and minor league pitcher Josh Fields were traded to the Boston Red Sox for minor league outfielders Trayvon Robinson and Chih-Hsien Chiang as part of a three team deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Seattle Mariners.^[16]

Bedard made eight starts for the Red Sox in August and September. He never went more than six innings, and had one win, two losses and a 4.03 ERA.^[17][18]

Pittsburgh Pirates

On December 7, 2011, the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Bédard to a one-year, $4.5 million contract.^[19] He was their 2012 Opening Day Starter.^[20]

Bedard had 7 wins, 14 losses and an ERA of 5.02 in 24 starts, and was released in August.^[21]

Houston Astros

After their move to the American League, the Houston Astros signed Bédard to a minor-league deal on January 21, 2013.^[22] He recorded his first career save on opening day, March 31, 2013 with 3 1/3 innings of relief against rival Texas Rangers. On July 21, 2013, he pitched 6 and 1/3 innings of a no hitter when he asked to leave his no hitter after 109 pitches ^[23]

See also

• List of Major League Baseball players from Canada

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Érik Bédard.

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Erik Bedard on Twitter