| Brandon Webb | |
|---|---|
 Webb in the 2008 All Star Game Red Carpet Parade | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1979-05-09)May 9, 1979 (age 46) Ashland, Kentucky, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 22, 2003, for the Arizona Diamondbacks | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| April 6, 2009, for the Arizona Diamondbacks | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 87–62 |
| Earned run average | 3.27 |
| Strikeouts | 1,065 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Brandon Tyler Webb (born May 9, 1979) is an American former professionalbaseballpitcher. Webb pitched inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theArizona Diamondbacks from 2003 through 2009, and, after multiple shoulder surgeries, signed with but did not play for theTexas Rangers in 2011. Webb attended theUniversity of Kentucky, where he playedcollege baseball for theWildcats baseball team.
During his MLB career, Webb won the 2006 National LeagueCy Young Award and was a three-timeMLB All-Star. He was sidelined with injuries for much of 2009–2012 and, after several aborted comeback attempts, retired in 2013. He has the 18th highestAdjusted ERA+ of all major league players with 142.[1]
Webb attendedPaul G. Blazer High School inAshland, Kentucky, and graduated in 1997. Afterwards, he attended theUniversity of Kentucky, where he played for theKentucky Wildcats baseball team. During his tenure with Kentucky, Webb set the all-time single season record for strikeouts by a Wildcat (123). He was inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009.[2]
Webb was drafted by theArizona Diamondbacks in the 8th round of the2000 Major League Baseball draft. He made his first major league appearance on April 22, 2003, against theMontreal Expos.[3] Webb finished the2003 season with 28 starts and a 10–9 record. He was awardedBaseball America Rookie of the Year and placed third in theMajor League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award voting in the National League.
Webb was made the #2 starter toRandy Johnson in2004 following the team's offseason trade ofCurt Schilling. He finished the season with a 7–16 record in a league high 35 starts, leading the league in losses, walks and wild pitches, and posting an ERA of 3.59.
In2005, he posted a 14–12 record and an ERA of 3.54. He led the team in ERA, innings pitched (229) and wild pitches (14). After the season he signed a four-year contract extension worth a guaranteed $19.5 million (that included a team option for 2010).[4]
Through his first 13 starts of the2006 season, Webb had a perfect 8–0 record, which included a 30 inning scoreless streak.[5][6] He suffered his first losing effort of the season on June 10, in a 5–0 loss to theNew York Mets.[7] An early contender to win theNational LeagueCy Young Award, Webb pitched in the2006 MLB All-Star Game, recording one hitless inning.
Webb struggled in the second half of the season in part due to elbow soreness. He scored a win in an emotional outing versus theSan Diego Padres on August 28, pitching seven effective innings. The win came a day after close friend and former UK teammate Jon Hooker and his new bride were among the victims of the doomedComair Flight 5191 leavingLexington.[8]
Webb went on to finish the 2006 season with a record of 16–8 and anearned run average of 3.10, and was recognized with the NLCy Young Award. His 16 wins tied five other pitchers for the most victories in theNational League. Webb's win total marked the lowest for a starting pitcher who won the Cy Young in a full season.[9] His 3.10 ERA was the fourth best in the majors.
In2007 Webb logged a then-franchise record 42scoreless innings streak as of the conclusion of his start on August 17, 2007, including three straight shutouts.[10] This is the fifteenth longest such streak in major league history.[10] His three consecutive shutouts during the streak was the longest streak sinceRoger Clemens accomplished the same with Toronto in 1998. This streak came to an end when theMilwaukee Brewers scored in the first inning of his start on August 22, 2007. The franchise record was broken byZac Gallen in 2022.
Webb carried the D'backs rotation in 2007, leading the team as it won the National League West crown. Webb finished with a record of 18–10 with a 3.01 ERA. Webb pitched the first game of the 2007 playoffs against theChicago Cubs. Webb pitched 7 innings of 1 run ball, striking out 9 en route to a win.[11]
The Diamondbacks went on to sweep the Cubs but fell to the Rockies in the NLCS, Webb falling in the first game. Webb allowed 4 runs in 6 innings, taking the loss.[12] The Diamondbacks were ultimately swept 4–0.
Webb began the2008 season with nine straight wins, becoming the first Major League pitcher to do so sinceAndy Hawkins won his first ten in 1985.[13] Going into the All-Star break Webb was atop the Majors in wins, standing at 13–4 with an ERA of 3.21 and a WHIP of 1.13.[14] He made the All-Star team and threw a scoreless 14th inning with two strikeouts at Yankee Stadium.
Webb finished the 2008 season with a career high and NL leading 22 wins, against 7 losses. He finished second in the National League Cy Young voting to division rivalTim Lincecum. His 3.15 ground ball/fly ball ratio was the highest in the major leagues.[15]
In2009, Webb was named #31 on the Sporting News' list of the 50 top current players in baseball.[16]
Webb pitched on opening day against theColorado Rockies, but was limited to just four innings. On April 7, 2009, he was placed on the disabled list with right shoulderbursitis. On August 3, 2009, Dr. Keith Meister of the Rangers performed surgery on his right shoulder, ending his season. Despite the injury, after the 2009 season ended the Diamondbacks picked up Webb's $8.5 million option for 2010. The team would have had to pay a $2 million buyout had it declined.[17] Webb spent the year rehabbing his injury and did not appear at all in 2010.
Webb became a free agent at the conclusion of the season and on December 26, 2010, agreed to a one-year contract with theTexas Rangers.[18] Webb made his first appearance in a game in more than two years on May 30, 2011, pitching forDouble-A Frisco. Over3+1⁄3 innings, he allowed five runs on eight hits, struck out two, walked two and hit a batter.
On July 24, the Rangers announced Webb would undergo a second rightrotator cuff surgery on August 1, 2011, that would sideline him until the start of the 2012 season.[19]
Webb officially retired from Major League Baseball on February 4, 2013.[20][21] In May 2013, he filed a workers' compensation claim against the Texas Rangers for shoulder, neck, back, arm, and musculo-skeletal system injuries.[22]
Webb was mainly known for hissinker, regarded on a par withRoy Halladay andChien-Ming Wang's as among the game's best sinkerballers.[23] He threw it in the 87–91 mph range, acurveball (72–75),changeup (77–80), and occasionally acutter against left-handed hitters.[24]
Webb's sinker made him an effective atgroundball pitcher, with one of the bestground ball/fly ball ratios in the game, at more than 3.5:1.[25] His changeup could be useful for getting swinging strikes, yielding a 55%whiff rate in the 2008 season.[24]
Webb and his wife, Alicia, make their home inAshland, Kentucky. He decided to stick close to home for college, attending theUniversity of Kentucky inLexington.[citation needed]
In December 2007, theKentucky Transportation Cabinet renamed a section ofU.S. Route 60 the "Brandon Webb Highway" in honor of Webb.[26]
In 2005 Webb established Brandon Webb's K Foundation, a charity that aims to "improve the lives of critically and chronically ill children throughout Arizona by providing daily support and life changing experiences."[27]
· Baseball Almanac| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Baseball America Rookie of the Year 2003 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | National LeaguePitcher of the month April 2008 | Succeeded by |
