| Josh Beckett | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Beckett with the Red Sox in 2011 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1980-05-15)May 15, 1980 (age 44) Spring, Texas, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 4, 2001, for the Florida Marlins | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 3, 2014, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 138–106 |
| Earned run average | 3.88 |
| Strikeouts | 1,901 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Joshua Patrick Beckett (born May 15, 1980) is an American former professionalbaseballpitcher inMajor League Baseball (MLB). A three-timeMLB All-Star, he played for theFlorida Marlins, theBoston Red Sox, and theLos Angeles Dodgers.
After a stellar high school career in which he was regarded as one of the top baseball prospects in the U.S., Beckett was drafted by the Marlins with the second overall pick in the1999 MLB draft. He won the2003 World Series with the Marlins and the2007 World Series with the Red Sox, receiving the2003 World Series MVP award and the2007 American League Championship Series MVP award. Beckett was traded from the Marlins to the Red Sox in 2006 and from the Red Sox to the Dodgers in 2012, both as part of multi-player transactions.
Beckett recovered from a serious injury that caused him to miss most of the 2013 season. He pitched ano-hitter for the Dodgers against thePhiladelphia Phillies on May 25, 2014, becoming the19th man in Dodgers history to pitch a no-hitter. However, his season was again cut short due to an injury, and he announced his retirement on October 7, 2014.
Beckett grew up idolizing fellow TexansNolan Ryan andRoger Clemens.[1] As a youth, he starred onLittle League All-Star teams.[2] He later attendedSpring High School inSpring, Texas. He had trouble with grades and with paying attention to his coach during his freshman year, so his coach in frustration threw Beckett off the team.[3] He experienced a growth spurt before his sophomore year and added speed to hisfastball.[1] He also raised hisGPA and was able to get back on the team, where he had a 9–3record with a 1.18earned run average (ERA) as a sophomore, tossing threeno-hitters.[3]
As a high school junior, Beckett was ranked byBaseball America as the top high school prospect in the nation, and his team as the top high school baseball team. He compiled a 13–2 record andstruck out 2.1batters per inning whilewalking only 20 batters all season.[3] His high school coach said, "I’ve never seen a pitcher with his ability—ever."[3]
In his senior season, Beckett, by this point nicknamed "Kid Heat,"[1] was named the High School player of the year byUSA Today.[4] Beckett signed a letter of intent to pitch forTexas A&M University,[5] but he andJosh Hamilton were seen as the top two players available in the1999 Major League Baseball draft.[6] Concerned about Beckett's perceived arrogance, theTampa Bay Devil Rays chose Hamilton with the first pick.[7] Beckett, meanwhile, was chosen with the second pick by theFlorida Marlins. Marlinsscouting directorAl Avila said at the time, "Beckett has good size and has an overpowering fastball. He's a bulldog on the mound."[8] Showing his confidence, Beckett predicted that he would make it to the major leagues within two years and play in an All-Star game by 2001.[8]
Beckett engaged in protracted negotiations with the Marlins, during which he briefly enrolled atBlinn Junior College,[2] but he eventually signed on August 28, 1999, to a four-year $7 million contract that included a $3.625 million signing bonus. His signing bonus was larger than what the Marlins were paying everyone on the Major League roster, except pitcherAlex Fernandez.[9]
Beckett impressed the Marlins in his firstspring training with the team in March 2000, with a fastball clocked at 94–96 miles per hour (151–154 km/h) and a goodcurveball.[10] He also showed his commitment to the team by donating $100,000 to the team's charitable foundation, more than any other player had donated.[11] He was assigned to theKane County Cougars of theClass AMidwest League to make his professional debut. As theOpening Day starter for the Cougars, he pitched four innings and allowed only one run, on a double byAlbert Pujols.[12] Beckett suffered from injuries that season, including shouldertendinitis and a frayedrotator cuff, injuries which took longer to heal because he did too much weight lifting while on thedisabled list. He would later say, "I tried to get too strong too quick and ended up making things worse."[13] He pitched in 13 games for the Cougars and finished with a record of 2–3 with a 2.12 ERA and 61 strikeouts.[14] He was selected byBaseball America as the Marlins best prospect and the 19th best in the entireminor leagues as well as having the best fastball in the Midwest League.[15] He was also selected to play in theAll-Star Futures Game, a showcase for the best prospects.[16]
The Marlins assigned Beckett to theBrevard County Manatees of theFlorida State League at the start of the 2001 season. He didn't allow anearned run in his first38+2⁄3 innings and went 6–0 with a 1.23 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 13 games.[13][17] MarlinsGeneral ManagerDave Dombrowski remarked on his progress, "He pitched as well in the Florida State League as any prospect I've ever been associated with", leading to a promotion to theDouble APortland Sea Dogs of theEastern League.[13] Beckett struck out eight of the first nine batters he faced in his Sea Dogs debut on June 16, 2001.[18] On August 13, 2001, he combined with two other Sea Dogs pitchers to throw a no-hitter against theBinghamton Mets.[18] In 13 starts for the team, he had an 8–1 record, a 1.82 ERA and struck out 102 batters.[19]
He was selected as Minor League Player of the Year byBaseball America,The Sporting News, andUSA Today.[18]Baseball America also ranked him as the Marlins' best prospect and the third best in all of baseball, while the Marlins named him as their organizational minor league player of the year.[15]
Beckett's MLB debut was on September 4, 2001, against theChicago Cubs, in which he gave up one hit over sixshutout innings to pick up his first MLB win. He alsodoubled and scored in the game. Beckett was quoted afterwards as saying, "It was fun. I'm ready for my next one."[20] He did not allow a run in his first 10 innings before giving up a two-run homer toVladimir Guerrero on September 19 against theMontreal Expos.[15] He finished 2001 with four gamesstarted, a 2–2 record, and an ERA of 1.50.[21]
Hampered by blister problems in 2002, Beckett's highlight was on July 21, when he struck out 12 Expos in one game, combining with a couple of relief pitchers on a Marlins record 17 strikeouts in a nine-inning game.[22] In 23 appearances for the Marlins in 2002, which included tworelief appearances, he was 6–7 with a 4.10 ERA and 113 strikeouts.[21]
Beckett was named the Marlinsopening day starting pitcher in 2003, and at 22 years old, he was the youngest opening day starter in the team's history. However, he lasted just2+2⁄3 innings in the game as thePhiladelphia Phillies scored fiveunearned runs in the third as a result of twoerrors and apassed ball.[23] He subsequently went on thedisabled list (DL) with a sprained right elbow in mid-May, part of a string of team injuries that contributed to the firing ofManagerJeff Torborg.[24] He returned from his injury on July 1 and finished the season with a 9–8 record, a 3.04 ERA and 152 strikeouts.[25]
Beckett made his postseason debut in the opening game of the2003 National League (NL) Division Series, where he allowed only one run in seven innings against theSan Francisco Giants but picked up the loss asJason Schmidt pitched acomplete-gameshutout.[26] However, the Marlins came back to win the series in four games.[27] His next start, in game one of the2003 NL Championship Series against theChicago Cubs, did not go well as he allowed four runs in the first inning, two of them on ahome run byMoisés Alou, and six runs in his6+1⁄3 innings. The Marlins battled back and won the game inextra innings.[28] The Cubs took the next three games and only needed one more win to take the series when Beckett returned to the mound in game five. He allowed only three Cubs to reach base in the game, on two singles and a walk, in the complete-game shutout to keep his team alive.[29] The Marlins took game six also, thanks partly to the infamousSteve Bartman incident.[30] In game seven, on two days rest, Beckett came in out of thebullpen to pitch four innings and the Marlins won 9–6 to clinch theNational League championship.[31]
Beckett won the2003World Series MVP Award with two strong performances, one of which was on three days' rest, as the Marlins defeated theNew York Yankees. In game three, he struck out 10 and allowed only two runs in7+1⁄3 innings.[32] Then in game six atYankee Stadium, he shut out the Yankees in a complete game, striking out nine batters and clinching the series by making thetag for the final out.[33]
Beckett made the opening day start for the Marlins again in 2004, allowing one run in seven innings against the Expos.[34] He made three trips to the DL during the season, but still pitched a career-high 26 starts and156+2⁄3 innings.[15] He was 9–9 with a 3.79 ERA and had 152 strikeouts for the second year in a row but the Marlins faltered down the stretch and did not make the postseason.[21] In 2005, he was 15–8 with a 3.38 ERA and 166 strikeouts in 29 games.[21]
In his five seasons with the Marlins, Beckett had a 41–34 record, a 3.46 ERA and struck out a total of 607 batters in 106 games.[21] In his final start as a Marlin, on September 23, 2005, against theAtlanta Braves, he struck out six in seven shutout innings but earned a no decision in a game the Marlins eventually lost.[35]
In a deal that was made official onThanksgiving Day 2005, Beckett was traded to theBoston Red Sox along withthird basemanMike Lowell andrelief pitcherGuillermo Mota for minor leagueshortstopHanley Ramírez (the top prospect in the Red Sox system at the time) and pitchersAníbal Sánchez,Jesús Delgado andHarvey García.[36] Beckett and Lowell were among a prominent list of veterans the Marlins traded in an effort to shed salary. This was organizationally termed amarket correction.[37] In his first start with the Red Sox, Beckett allowed only one run in seven innings to pick up the win against theTexas Rangers on April 5, 2006.[38]
Beckett was the first Red Sox pitcher to hit a home run in 35 years — since the advent of thedesignated hitter rule — when he tookPhillies' pitcherBrett Myers deep during aninterleague game on May 20, 2006.[39] On July 18, he signed a three-year, $30 million contract extension with a $10 million club option for 2010.[40] Beckett completed his first season with the Red Sox with a record of 16–11 and a 5.01 ERA. In204+2⁄3 innings, he gave up 191 hits and struck out 158 batters whilewalking 74. He also allowed 36 home runs, tied for second most in the majors.[21]
At the start of the 2007 season, Beckett adjusted to throwing morebreaking pitches and fewer fastballs. At the same time, he learned to locate his pitches rather than simply get strikes by power.[41] He reduced his walks and home runs allowed by nearly half, contributing to his success in 2007.[21] Beckett became one of six Red Sox pitchers in history to win their first seven starts.George Winter andMickey Harris both won their first seven starts in a season, andBabe Ruth,Dave Ferriss andRoger Moret all won their first eight starts in a season.[15] After a strong first half, posting a 12–2 record with a 3.44 ERA, he was selected to theAmerican League team in the2007 MLB All-Star Game.[15] Beckett earned the victory in the game after pitching two innings, giving up only one hit, and striking out two.[42] Beckett became the first pitcher to win 20 games in a season since 2005, finishing the season with a record of 20–7, a 3.27 ERA, 194 strikeouts, a 1.14 WHIP, and only 40 walks and 17 home runs allowed.[15] He finished second in ALCy Young Award voting, behindCC Sabathia.[43]
Beckett threw a shutout against theAnaheim Angels on 108 pitches, 83 of which were strikes, to start the2007 American League Division Series.[44] Nine days later, Beckett started the first game of the2007 American League Championship Series (ALCS) and pitched six innings for the win and in game five he struck out 11 in eight innings. Beckett's 2–0 record and 1.93 ERA against theCleveland Indians earned him the2007 ALCS MVP Award.[45] He then started and won the first game of the2007 World Series against theColorado Rockies, pitching seven innings, allowing one run on six hits, and striking out nine batters. Boston would go on to sweep the Rockies in the series.[46]
On May 8, 2008, Beckett recorded his 1,000th career strikeout, whenBrandon Inge of theDetroit Tigers struck out swinging in the seventh inning.[47] He was 12–10 with a 4.03 ERA in 27 starts.[21] In game three of the2008 American League Division Series against theAnaheim Angels he allowed four runs in five innings[48] He then made two starts in the2008 ALCS against theTampa Bay Rays and was 1–0 but had a high 9.64 ERA.[49]
In 2009, during his firstOpening Day start with the Red Sox, Beckett struck out 10 through seven innings allowing only one run and two hits in a 5–3 victory over the Rays.[50] On April 14, 2009, MLB fined and suspended him six games for intentionally throwing over the head of AngelsoutfielderBobby Abreu.[51] Beckett later appealed the suspension and got it reduced to five games.[52] On June 20, 2009, he recorded his first complete-game shutout in three years against theAtlanta Braves in a duel against former Red Sox pitcherDerek Lowe. The shutout was his first in a Red Sox uniform.[53] On July 5, 2009, he was selected to represent Boston in the2009 MLB All Star Game.[54]
Beckett recorded his 100th career win on July 12, 2009, pitching a complete-game shutout against theKansas City Royals atFenway Park.[55] On August 7, 2009, against theNew York Yankees, he engaged in a pitching duel with former Marlins teammateA. J. Burnett that turned into a fifteen-inning, five-hour-and-thirty-three-minute game. He threw seven shutout innings, Burnett threw7+2⁄3. The Red Sox eventually lost the game in the bottom of the 15th, whenAlex Rodriguez hit awalk-off two-run home run.[56] He was 17–6 on the season, with a 3.86 ERA and a career-high 199 strikeouts in 32 starts.[21] He lost his one start in the postseason, to the Angels in Game 2 of the2009 ALDS.[57]
On April 5, 2010, the Red Sox and Beckett agreed to a four-year, $68 million contract extension, through 2014.[58] On May 7, he allowed nine runs, struck out eight and also hit two batters. This was the first time a Major League pitcher had that combination of stats in a single game sinceJack Coombs of thePhiladelphia Athletics during the1911 season.[15] He was placed on the disabled list on May 19 with a lower back strain and returned from the injury on July 23.[59] In 21 starts in 2010, he was 6–6 with a 5.78 ERA.[21]
In 2011, he posted career bests in ERA (2.89), opponent batting average (.211) andWHIP (1.03).[15] He was 13–7 in 30 games[21] and was selected to his thirdAll-Star Game.[60] On September 16, he recorded his 1,000th strikeout as a member of the Red Sox against Tampa Bay'sBen Zobrist in the sixth inning.[61] At the end of the 2011 season, the Red Sox collapsed and failed to make the playoffs. Beckett and two more starting pitchers (John Lackey andJon Lester) were in the center of a controversy where the three drank alcohol, ate fried chicken, and played video games during games where they weren't pitching. Beckett was noted as the leader of this and some cited this behavior as part of the reason for the team's poor play down the stretch.[62]
Beckett struggled in the 2012 season, he went 5–11 with a 5.23 ERA as a Red Sox.[21] He was also the center of yet another controversy when it was reported that he played several rounds of golf despite having been scratched from his start due to alat muscle injury.[63] In what would turn out to be his final start with the Red Sox, he allowed four runs in six innings on August 19, 2012, against the Yankees.[64] Over seven seasons, he started 194 regular season games for the Red Sox with an 89–58 record, a 4.17 ERA and 1,108 strikeouts.[21]
On August 25, 2012, Beckett was traded to theLos Angeles Dodgers (along withAdrián González,Carl Crawford andNick Punto and $11 million in cash) forJames Loney,Iván DeJesús, Jr.,Allen Webster, and two players to be named later (Jerry Sands andRubby De La Rosa).[65] He started seven games for the Dodgers after the trade and was 2–3 with a 2.93 ERA.[21]
Beckett struggled in the early part of the 2013 season, posting an 0–5 record and 5.19 ERA in eight starts. He was placed on the disabled list with a groin strain on May 15, his 33rd birthday.[66] While on the disabled list, he began to experience numbness and tingling in his hand so he went to see a nerve specialist and expressed doubt as to whether he would be able to pitch again. The Dodgers shut him down from pitching for a month while he underwent a rigorous rehabilitation program in an effort to avoid season-ending surgery.[67] However, the tingling sensation returned when he attempted to resume his throwing program in late June. He was diagnosed withthoracic outlet syndrome, which required him to undergo surgery on July 10, 2013, that ended his 2013 season.[68]
Beckett's surgery, which included having a rib removed, made him a question mark for the Dodgers heading into 2014.[69] He returned to the Dodgers on April 9 and made his first start since the previous May, allowing four runs in four innings.[70] On May 13, he picked up his first win since 2012.[71]
On May 25, 2014, Beckett pitched ano-hitter against thePhiladelphia Phillies atCitizens Bank Park, the 21st no-hitter in Dodgers history, and the first sinceHideo Nomo did so in the1996 season. He was also the first pitcher to no-hit the Phillies sinceBob Forsch in 1978. Beckett threw 128 pitches, struck out six, and walked three en route to the victory.[72][73] Beckett also became the oldest pitcher (34) to throw a no-hitter sinceRandy Johnson (40) threw aperfect game in 2004.[74] He was honored as theNational League Player of the Week as a result of that game.[75]
On July 8, 2014, Beckett landed on thedisabled list with a left hip impingement, an injury he said had gotten worse as the season went on.[76] He returned to the rotation on July 22,[77] but struggled when he returned.[78] In a start on August 3, he was only able to pitch four innings against theCubs.[79] Afterward, Beckett told the team that he had experienced renewed discomfort in his injured hip.[80] AnMRI revealed that his hip impingement had resulted in a torn labrum and two cysts, possibly requiring season ending surgery. He was placed back on the 15-day disabled list on August 8.[81] On September 3, 2014, Dodgers managerDon Mattingly told reporters that Beckett's season was likely over due to his injury.[82] A couple of days later, Beckett confirmed that he would not pitch again in 2014 and added that he was also considering retirement.[83] Beckett officially announced his retirement on October 7, 2014.[84]
Beckett threw five pitches regularly: afour-seam fastball (91–95 miles per hour (146–153 km/h)), atwo-seam fastball (91–94 miles per hour (146–151 km/h)), acutter (89–91 miles per hour (143–146 km/h)), acurveball (73–79 miles per hour (117–127 km/h)), and achangeup (86–88 miles per hour (138–142 km/h)). Beckett used all five of his pitches against left-handed hitters but dropped the changeup against righties. He preferred to use his curveball when ahead in the count, bolstered by its 34%whiff rate. Beckett also began to experiment with aslider andsplitter in 2012.[85]
Beckett has been linked to such celebrities as model/sportcasterLeeann Tweeden and country singerDanielle Peck.[86] On October 18, 2007, Peck was invited by the Cleveland Indians to sing the National Anthem prior to Game 5 of the American League Championship Series between the Red Sox and Indians. Beckett was the starting pitcher in that game, and some Red Sox fans theorized that her invitation was an attempt by the Indians organization to distract Beckett. The Indians denied this claim.[87] On January 22, 2011, he married Holly Fisher, anaeronautics engineer and former high school classmate.[88] The couple have three children together. Beckett owns homes inManhattan Beach, California, andBoerne, Texas.[89][90]
Beckett is an aviddeerhunter and has been since childhood. He was the 2002 winner of the Muy Grande Deer Contest for bringing down the largest buck during the Texas deer hunting season.[2] He owns Herradura Ranch, a 7,000 acres (28 km2) deer-hunting ranch outside ofCotulla,Texas.[91]
He was featured in aKevin Fowler music video alongside his teammatesJohn Lackey,Tim Wakefield,Jon Lester andClay Buchholz.[92]
On November 11, 2017, Beckett was arrested for public intoxication as a result of charging at a country band at a local bar in Texas. The singer received a torn rotator cuff and dislocated shoulder.[93]
| Preceded by | Florida Marlins Opening Day Starting Pitcher 2003–2005 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Boston Red Sox Opening Day Starting Pitcher 2009–2010 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | No-hitter pitcher May 25, 2014 | Succeeded by |
