Huston Street

Huston Street
San Diego Padres – No. 16
Closer
Born: (1983-08-02) August 2, 1983 Austin, Texas
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
MLB debut
April 6, 2005 for the Oakland Athletics
Career statistics (through 2013 season)
Win–loss record	34–27
Earned run average	2.98
Strikeouts	534
Saves	234
Teams
Oakland Athletics (2005–2008) Colorado Rockies (2009–2011) San Diego Padres (2012–present)
Career highlights and awards
All-Star (2012) Rookie of the Year Award (2005) NCAA College World Series Legends Team

Huston Street

Medal record
Baseball
Competitor for  United States
Pan American Games
Silver	Santo Domingo 2003	Team

Huston Lowell Street (/ˈhjuːstən/; born August 2, 1983) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball. He also played in MLB for the Oakland Athletics and Colorado Rockies.

After a standout college baseball career for the Texas Longhorns, the Athletics drafted Street in the first round of the 2004 MLB Draft. He won the MLB Rookie of the Year Award in 2005, and was named an All-Star in 2012.

Baseball career

High school and college

Street attended Westlake High School in Austin, Texas from 1997 to 2001 where he lettered in both football and baseball. He then attended the University of Texas at Austin from 2001–2004, where he pitched for the school's baseball team. He is widely regarded as one of the best collegiate closers of all time. Street earned a form of All-American honors at Texas every season he was there and helped his team win the College World Series of collegiate baseball in 2002. In that season, he set a CWS record for the most saves and won the Series Most Valuable Player honors for his outstanding work as a closer. A year later, Street led the Longhorns to the Series semifinals, and in 2004, he helped his team to the finals, only to lose in two games to Cal State Fullerton. In 2010, Street was named to the NCAA College World Series Legends Team.^[1]

Oakland Athletics

Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the first round, 40th overall, of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft, Street spent a few months in the minor leagues, spending no more than a month at each level. He then was invited to the Arizona Fall League where his team took the championship.

Street during his tenure with the Oakland Athletics.

Street was called up to the major leagues at the start of the 2005 season. He became Oakland's closer when incumbent Octavio Dotel went down in May with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. Street saved 23 games in 27 chances to go along with a 5–1 record, 72 strikeouts, and a 1.72 ERA. Only Mariano Rivera's 1.38 ERA for the Yankees was better among American League relievers. Street had 72 strikeouts in 78⅓ innings pitched, and opposing hitters batted only .194 against him. He was rewarded for his effort by being named Rookie of the Year, as the third player in a row who had spent some time in the Athletics organization (after Ángel Berroa in 2003, and Bobby Crosby in 2004).

Street continued to serve as the closer for the A's in 2006. He finished the season with a 4-4 record, 37 saves, 67 strikeouts, a 3.31 ERA in 70.2 innings pitched, and 11 blown saves. On October 14, Street gave up a walk-off three-run home run to Magglio Ordóñez of the Detroit Tigers in Game 4 of the 2006 ALCS that ended the A's postseason.

Street had a solid season in 2007, despite missing time with an injury. He went 5–2 with a 2.88 ERA, with 16 saves and 62 strikeouts in 50 innings.

Street struggled somewhat with a nagging injury in 2008. After a rough stretch in July and August, he lost his closer position to rookie Brad Ziegler. Street's health and pitching improved, although Ziegler continued to close.

Colorado Rockies

On November 12, 2008, Street was traded to the Colorado Rockies with outfielder Carlos González and pitcher Greg Smith for outfielder Matt Holliday.^[2]

He beat out Manny Corpas to earn the role of the Rockies' closing pitcher for the 2009 season.^[3] After poor performances by Street, Corpas was renamed the closer on April 17;^[4] however, Corpas also pitched poorly, and the closer job was given back to Street on May 1.^[5] Since that time, Street excelled in the closer role and was a key cog in the Rockies' mid-season run back into the race (16–1 from June 4 to June 22). He finished 2009 with 35 saves in 37 opportunities, a 3.06 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 61.2 innings.

After a 2009 season in which he blew only two saves, Street struggled during the playoffs for the Rockies. In Game 4 of the 2009 National League Division Series, Street entered the ninth inning with the Rockies leading 4–2. He was able to record the first two outs before allowing three runs that gave the Phillies a 5–4 win and a series victory.

Before the 2010 season, Street and the Rockies agreed on a three-year $22.5 million contract with an option for 2013.^[6]

Street missed the first two-and-a-half months of the season of the 2010 season with shoulder soreness,^[7] but on returning to the team he assumed the role of closer. Prior to a game on July 26, 2010, Street was struck in the midsection by a line drive during batting practice. He fainted several times from the pain and needed to be taken off the field in an ambulance, but he avoided the disabled list.^[8] Street finished 2010 with 20 saves in 25 opportunities and a 3.61 ERA.

Street opened 2011 as the Rockies closer, saving 29 games in 32 opportunities through early August. He suffered a right triceps strain and was sent to the 15-day disabled list on August 12.^[9] When he returned, he worked in the role of set-up man while Rafael Betancourt remained as closer.^[10] Street finished 2011 with a 3.86 ERA and 55 strike-outs versus 9 walks in 58.1 innings.

San Diego Padres

Street pitching for the Class A - Advanced Lake Elsinore Storm, an affiliate of the Padres, in 2012.

Street was traded by the Rockies to the San Diego Padres for left hander Nick Schmidt on December 7, 2011. The Padres picked up all but $500,000 of Street's remaining contract,^[11] and he moved immediately into the closer role vacated by Heath Bell. Street missed a month with a right shoulder strain,^[12] but otherwise had an excellent first half with the Padres. He compiled a 1.13 ERA, was 13 for 13 in converting save opportunities, and did not allow a home run in his 25 games, earning a selection to his first All-Star Game.^[13]

On July 29, 2012, the Padres and Street agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension with a club option for the 2015 season.^[14]

On August 10, 2012, Street suffered a strained left calf while fielding the final out of the game and missed the next six weeks.^[15] At the time of the injury, he had not allowed a run since June 17. He returned to pitch in three more games at the end of the season, earning his 200th career save in his first game back.^[16] His only blown save of the season occurred in his final appearance of the year. Street finished the 2012 season with 23 saves in 24 chances and a 1.85 ERA in 39 innings pitched, striking out 47 against 11 walks.

Street had difficulties in the first half of the 2013 season, giving up 10 home runs in 26⅓ innings through June 23.^[17] But he followed that with a streak of 20⅓ scoreless innings from June 26 through September 3, earning the National League Player of the Week honor for the week ending September 8.^[18] Street appeared in 58 games in 2013, missing only a couple weeks in early June with a calf strain.^[19] He converted 33 of 35 save opportunities and posted a 2.70 ERA, striking out 46 and walking 14 in 56⅔ innings.

Scouting

Unlike most closers, Street is a finesse pitcher instead of a power pitcher. Street's fastball usually hovers in the 90–93 mph range, topping out around 94 mph, but has exceptional tailing movement. He also features a sharp slider at 84–86 mph that he uses frequently against righties, as well as a good circle changeup at around the 82–84 mph range with splitter-like movement that he uses effectively against lefties.

Personal

His father was former University of Texas quarterback James Street, and his brother Juston Street was previously a pitcher for the minor league Vancouver Canadians. Street and his wife, Lacey, have two sons named Ripken Rae Street & Ryder James Street.^[20]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Huston Street.

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