Duane Below
Duane Below | |
---|---|
Detroit Tigers | |
Starting pitcher | |
Born: Britton, Michigan | November 15, 1985|
Bats: Left | Throws: Left |
MLB debut | |
July 20, 2011 for the Detroit Tigers | |
Career statistics (through May 27, 2013) | |
Winβloss record | 2β4 |
Earned run average | 4.27 |
Strikeouts | 45 |
Teams | |
|
Duane Arthur Below (/ΛbiΛloΚ/ BEE-loh; born November 15, 1985) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Detroit Tigers organization. He is six feet, three inches tall and he weighs 220 pounds. He has also played for the Miami Marlins and the Kia Tigers
Career
Prior to playing professionally, Below attended Britton-Macon Area School District, in Britton, Michigan and Lake Michigan College. He was drafted by the Tigers in the 19th round of the 2006 amateur draft and began his professional career that year. He is the first player from Britton to be on a major league roster.
Below pitched for two teams in 2006, the GCL Tigers (15 games) and the Oneonta Tigers (two games). Overall, he went 2β0 with a 2.09 ERA in 17 games (six starts). In 2007, he pitched for the West Michigan Whitecaps, going 13β5 with a 2.97 ERA in 26 starts, striking out 160 batters in 145β innings. With the Lakeland Flying Tigers in 2008, he went 8β7 with a 4.46 ERA in 27 games (26 starts). He split 2009 between Lakeland (six games) and the Erie SeaWolves (two games), going 2β4 with a 2.70 ERA in eight starts overall. With Erie again in 2010, he went 7β12 with a 4.93 ERA in 28 starts.[1]
Following the reassignment of Charlie Furbush from the Tigers to the Toledo Mud Hens, Below was called up to assume a starting vacancy. Below took the place on the active roster spot for Adam Wilk, while Casper Wells was reassigned to allow Furbush to return to the bullpen. Below made his major league debut against the Oakland Athletics on July 20, 2011, allowing one earned run in five innings. Below earned a no-decision in the game.[2] Below went 0β2 in 14 games in 2011.
In 2012, Below was on the opening roster for the Tigers for the first time in his career, made available after an injury to Luis Marte.[3] In his first two appearances of the season, Below earned wins in relief against the Boston Red Sox. On April 7, he won in relief of Doug Fister, who left the game early after a left-side strain. The next day, he earned a win after retiring one batter in the 11th inning.
The Tigers designated Below for assignment on April 24, 2013.[4] He was claimed off waivers the next day by the Miami Marlins, who assigned him to Triple-A.[5] He signed with the Kia Tigers in August 2013.
Below signed a minor league deal with the Detroit Tigers on December 11, 2013.
Pitching style
Below's primary pitch is a four-seam fastball at 89β92 mph. He also throws a slider (83β86), a 12β6 curveball (77β80), a changeup (83β85), and an occasional two-seam fastball. His repertoire against left-handed hitters is mostly fastball-slider-curveball, while against right-handers he substitutes the changeup for the curveball. His pitches have below-average whiff rates, and his K/9 rate is 5.1.[6][7]
References
- β BR Minors
- β Tigers call up Below to face A's MLB.com July 19, 2011
- β "Opening Day lineup: Prince Fielder makes Detroit Tigers debut, Justin Verlander takes mound". Mlive. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
- β http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2013/04/detroit_tigers_designate_duane.html
- β "Marlins claim ex-Tiger Duane Below off waivers". The Detroit News. April 25, 2013. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
- β "Brooks Baseball Β· Home of the PitchFX Tool - Player Card: Duane Below". Brooks Baseball. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
- β "Duane Below Statistics and History - Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)