David Phelps (baseball)

David Phelps
David Phelps throws from the mound at Yankee Stadium in a start against the Boston Red Sox.
New York Yankees – No. 41
Pitcher
Born: (1986-10-09) October 9, 1986 St. Louis, Missouri
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
MLB debut
April 8, 2012 for the New York Yankees
Career statistics (through 2013 season)
Win-loss record	10–9
Earned run average	4.11
Strikeouts	175
Teams
New York Yankees (2012–present)

David Edward Phelps (born October 9, 1986) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball.^[1] He bats and throws right-handed, is 6 feet and 2 inches tall, and weighs 200 pounds.^[1] Prior to beginning his professional career, Phelps played college baseball at the University of Notre Dame.

Baseball career

Phelps attended Hazelwood West High School in Hazelwood, Missouri, where he played basketball and baseball. For the baseball team, he was named to the All-Conference Team as both an outfielder and pitcher as a sophomore, and as team captain and to the All-Conference, All-Metro Performer, and team captain as a junior and senior. He was a member of the National Honor Society.^[2]

David Phelps' pitching motion.

Though he was ranked as the sixth best prospect from Missouri prior to the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft, he was not selected due to his strong commitment to enroll at the University of Notre Dame, where he pitched for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish baseball team.^[2] As a freshman, Phelps pitched sparsely as a reliever. As a sophomore, he pitched in the starting rotation, earning Big East All-Conference First Team, Academic All-District and Academic All-American honors.^[2] He struggled in his junior season.^[2] While in college, he also pitched for the Mat-Su Miners of the Alaska Baseball League and Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod League.^[2]

Phelps was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 14th round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft. Phelps was named to the 2010 Eastern League All-Star Game.^[3] In 2011, he played for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees.^[1] Phelps was named the Yankees minor league pitcher of the year for 2010.^[4] He was added to the Yankees 40-man roster after the 2011 season to protect him from the Rule 5 draft,^[5] and on April 4, 2012, it was announced that Phelps had made the Yankees' Major League roster of spring training.

On April 29, 2012, Phelps was moved into the starting rotation to replace the struggling Freddy García. Phelps started 0–0 with a 3.57 ERA in six games before the switch. After making two starts for the Yankees, the team shifted him back to the bullpen when they promoted Andy Pettitte.^[6] Phelps was sent down to Triple-A after David Robertson came off from the disabled list.

He returned to the team as a starter when Pettitte and CC Sabathia were placed on the DL with injuries.^[7]

During a game against the New York Mets on May 29, 2013, Phelps surrendered 5 runs (4 earned) in the first inning and only lasted ¹⁄₃ of an inning. It was the shortest outing for any Yankees starting pitcher at the new Yankee Stadium. On July 6, 2013, Phelps was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a right forearm strain. On August 15, 2013, Phelps was transferred to the 60-day disabled list. On September 14, 2013 Phelps was reinstated from the 60-day disabled list.^[8]

Pitching style

Phelps throws five pitches. He has a four-seam fastball (90–92), two-seam fastball (89–92), cutter (86–88), curveball (78–81), and changeup (82–85). The two-seamer is his primary pitch to left-handed hitters, and his four-seamer is his primary pitch to right-handers. He uses his changeup exclusively against lefties. He likes to use his cutter in 2-strike counts against righties.^[9]

Personal

Phelps is a devout Christian.^[10] Phelps attended the University of Notre Dame, where he met his wife, Maria, when they had to work together on an assignment. He asked her out numerous times over the course of a year, and she said no each time. Eventually Phelps, who was raised Roman Catholic, began refocusing on his faith, leading Maria to finally say yes to him. However, he began attending an Assemblies of God church. He describes his journey from that point as such:

"I thought all you needed was to accept Jesus as your Savior, and everything would be fine. Church attendance was seen as nice but not necessary [in the Assemblies of God church].

Maria would help me grow in my understanding of everything Jesus has to offer us and what we’re called to give back to him. After she finally said Yes to me in the spring of 2008, she would ask me what I believed, I would reply, and she would ask more questions. Instead of a one-dimensional, oversimplified, linear way of thinking, Maria had a three-dimensional, vibrant and comprehensive way of thinking.

Maria’s influence and that of her family had such an effect on me that, by the fall of 2009, I came to realize what I was missing out on. There are so many great things in the Catholic Church, but the most desirable one is the Eucharist. It had been so long since I had received Jesus sacramentally, and I knew it was time to start doing so again.

I wanted to meet up with a priest in order to discuss my concerns and to be reconciled with the Church. Even though I was drafted in 2008, I would return for the fall semester at Notre Dame three consecutive years in order to finish my degree. This is how I was able to get in touch with Father Paul Doyle, a Holy Cross priest at Notre Dame, in the fall of 2009.

We discussed my concerns, and he heard my confession. All the obstacles that had kept me back from being totally united to Jesus were removed, and I was able to receive him in the Eucharist again. It was a great relief to be back in the Church."^[10]

Phelps and his wife had their first child, daughter Adeline, on March 22, 2012.^[11]

References

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball-Reference, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Player Bio: David Phelps – University of Notre Dame Official Athletics Site
• Phelps Breaking Out – Scout.com
• Prospect Profile: David Phelps | River Ave. Blues