| Brett Cecil | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Cecil with the Blue Jays in 2015 | |||||||||||||||
| Pitcher | |||||||||||||||
| Born: (1986-07-02)July 2, 1986 (age 39) Dunkirk, Maryland, U.S. | |||||||||||||||
Batted: Right Threw: Left | |||||||||||||||
| MLB debut | |||||||||||||||
| May 5, 2009, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |||||||||||||||
| Last MLB appearance | |||||||||||||||
| September 25, 2018, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | |||||||||||||||
| Win–loss record | 44–47 | ||||||||||||||
| Earned run average | 4.29 | ||||||||||||||
| Strikeouts | 670 | ||||||||||||||
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Brett Aarion Cecil (born July 2, 1986) is an American former professionalbaseballpitcher. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theToronto Blue Jays andSt. Louis Cardinals. Cecil was drafted as the 38th overall pick in the2007 MLB draft by the Blue Jays. He pitched forDeMatha Catholic High School and theMaryland Terrapins of theUniversity of Maryland, College Park.[1] In the summer of 2005, he pitched for theSilver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts in theCal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League and threw the first and only no-hitter by a single pitcher in league history.
He first pitched in a professional league for the Class AAuburn Doubledays in 2007. In 2008, he was promoted to theDunedin Blue Jays, and later to the Double-ANew Hampshire Fisher Cats, and finally to the Triple-ASyracuse Chiefs. He received an invitation to attend spring training with the Blue Jays in 2009, but began the season in Triple-A.
Although he pitches left-handed, he is usually right-handed; pitching is "the only thing he does left-handed".[2]
Cecil was born inDunkirk, which is inCalvert County, Maryland. He first started playing baseball when he was eight years old near his southern Maryland home. As he got older, his father would drive him more than 20 miles each way to White Marsh Park inBowie,Prince George's County where there was more competition. As a teenager, he attendedDeMatha Catholic High School, also in Prince George's County. Upon graduation from Dematha, he stayed in Prince George's County and attended theUniversity of Maryland.[3] In 2006, he playedcollegiate summer baseball for theOrleans Cardinals of theCape Cod Baseball League and was named a league all-star.[4][5]
Cecil was called up to the Toronto Blue Jays on May 1, 2009, and made his major league debut on May 5 as the starting pitcher against theCleveland Indians at home. In that game, Cecil pitched six innings, giving up two runs, one earned, and six hits but was credited with ano-decision in a game Toronto eventually won. His next start was May 10 against theOakland Athletics, pitching 8 scoreless innings to earn his first Major League win.[6] Cecil defeated theChicago White Sox, keeping Toronto in first place, but then gave up five home runs to theBoston Red Sox on May 21, losing his first game, as Toronto went on a nine-game losing streak and dropped out of first place. Cecil was returned toAAA after losing to Boston, and then pitched solidly for theLas Vegas 51s. Continued injury problems for Blue Jays' pitchers led to Cecil being recalled to the major leagues on June 18,[7] and he started against theWashington Nationals on June 20, filling in for the injuredCasey Janssen andRoy Halladay, pitching 7 innings while allowing 3 earned runs in a no-decision, in a game Toronto lost in 12 innings.
Originally not making the rotation for the Blue Jays, Cecil was called up early in the season and became a regular in the Jays rotation along withRicky Romero,Shaun Marcum andBrandon Morrow. On May 3, 2010, he took aperfect game into the seventh inning against theCleveland Indians, but walkedGrady Sizemore with one out. Then, two batters later, he allowed a single toJhonny Peralta which scored Sizemore from second to end hisno-hitter and hisshutout. He ended up going 8innings, allowing onehit, twowalks, onerun, and 10strikeouts. Despite not making the original team out ofspring training he led the team in wins with 15, along with a much improved 4.22ERA.
To start the 2011 season, Cecil went 1–2 with a 6.86 ERA, which led to the Blue Jays optioning him to Triple-A, in order to make room forChris Woodward on the 25-man roster.[8] He was later recalled in late June and lost in his first start, against thePittsburgh Pirates. On July 24, he pitched his first complete game shutout againstTexas Rangers.[9] Cecil finished the 2011 season with a 4–11 record and an ERA of 4.73.
Cecil did not make the Blue Jays roster out of spring training, and was assigned to Triple-A Las Vegas. AfterKyle Drabek was placed on the disabled list, Cecil was called up on June 15.[10] After posting a 2–4 record with a 5.72 ERA through nine starts, Cecil was demoted to Triple-ALas Vegas 51s on August 4.[11]
Cecil started the 2013 season in the Blue Jays bullpen. On June 19, against theColorado Rockies, Cecil broke the club record for facing the most consecutive batters without allowing a hit, set byDavid Cone with 36.[12] Cecil's hitless streak ended after 43 consecutive batters on June 25, against former teammateYunel Escobar and theTampa Bay Rays.[13] On July 6, Cecil was named to the AL All-Star Team, which was special for Cecil considering the fact that it is rare for a mid relief pitcher to earn an All-Star appearance.[14] Cecil pitched1⁄3 of an inning in the All-Star Game, striking outDomonic Brown on 3 pitches. On July 31, Cecil recorded his first careersave in a 5–2 win over theOakland Athletics. He was placed on the disabled list on September 17, ending his 2013 campaign with a 5–1 record, 2.82 earned run average, and 70 strikeouts over 602⁄3 innings.[15]
In January 2014, Cecil filed for salary arbitration with Toronto, but came to terms on a 1-year, $1.3 million contract on January 17.[16] He pitched the entire season out of the bullpen, making a career-high 66 appearances. In 531⁄3 innings pitched, Cecil posted a 2–3 record with a 2.70 ERA and 76 strikeouts. He also recorded 5 saves, and gave up only 2 home runs for the entire season.[17]
On January 15, Cecil signed a one-year, $2.475 million contract with Toronto to avoid salary arbitration.[18] With the departure ofCasey Janssen in the offseason, the role ofcloser was left vacant into spring training. On March 24, managerJohn Gibbons named Cecil the Blue Jays' closer to open the 2015 season.[19] Cecil struggled to open the 2015 season, and lost the closer role early to rookieMiguel Castro. On April 28, Cecil was moved back into the closer role.[20] After yielding 8 earned runs in his previous 21⁄3 innings pitched, Cecil was again removed from the closer role on June 23.[21] From June 24 through the end of the season, Cecil did not allow an earned run, lowering his ERA from 5.96 to 2.48.[22] He was named to the postseason roster and appeared in both of the Blue Jays first two games, however he suffered a calf injury in the second game. Afterward it was determined that he would miss the remainder of the postseason with a tear in his left calf muscle.[23]
On January 15, 2016, Cecil and the Blue Jays avoidedsalary arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $3.8 million contract.[24] Cecil pitched his 38th consecutive scoreless appearance on April 4 against the Tampa Bay Rays, which tied the MLB record for consecutive scoreless appearances set byCraig Kimbrel in 2011.[25] In 2016 he was 1–7 with a 3.93 ERA.[26] He became a free agent following the season.
Cecil signed a four-year, $30.5 million contract with theSt. Louis Cardinals on November 21, 2016.[27] In 2017, he was 2–4 with a 3.88 ERA in 73 relief appearances.[26]
Cecil began the year on the10-day disabled list, and was activated on May 11. He was placed on the disabled list once again on July 27 due to right foot inflammation.[28] He was activated on August 15. Cecil finished his 2018 campaign with a 1–1 record and a 6.89 ERA in 32.2 relief innings pitched.[29]
For the second straight year, Cecil began the year on the 10-dayinjured list.[30] He was transferred to the 60-day IL on March 29,[31] and did not pitch at all during the season.During the off-season from the 2019–2020, and during the quarantine caused by theCOVID-19 pandemic, he developed asidearm delivery due to the fact that Cardinals pitching coach,Mike Maddux, said that all pitchers should experiment with anything they wanted during quarantine.[32]
Cecil was released by the Cardinals organization on July 22, 2020.[33]
Cecil announced his retirement from professional baseball on November 7, 2021, via Instagram.[34]
Cecil and his ex-wife, Jennifer, have three children; two sons,[35] and a daughter.[36]
· Baseball Almanac
