Adam Pettyjohn
Encyclopedia
Adam Christopher Pettyjohn (born June 11, 1977 in Phoenix, Arizona
) is a Major League Baseball
relief pitcher
who is currently a free agent. Pettyjohn attended Exeter High School in California
and then Fresno State University where he was a teammate of pitcher Jeff Weaver
. He bats right-handed and throws left-handed
.
In , Pettyjohn was drafted by the Detroit Tigers
in the 2nd round (73rd overall). Unlike many other players, he signed the first time he was drafted. He signed for a $392,500 bonus. Pettyjohn spent less than three years in the minor leagues, posting an ERA
as low as 1.97. On July 16, , the 6'3" 190 pound pitcher made his MLB debut at the age of 24, wearing jersey number 57.
In 2002, Pettyjohn did not play professional baseball
because he had to undergo a colectomy
due to ulcerative colitis
. In , he played in the Detroit Tigers
organization. He was released by the Tigers on March 28, 2003. He spent playing for the San Francisco Giants
and Oakland Athletics
organizations. He spent the season and the start of the seaon with the Long Beach Armada
of the Golden Baseball League
before spending time again with the Athletics as well as the Seattle Mariners
organizations.
Pettyjohn signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers
on December 12, 2006. He started the season with the Huntsville Stars
of the Southern League
, Milwaukee's Double-A affiliate. As the opening day starter for the Stars on April 5, 2007 Pettyjohn gave up four hits
, two earned run
s, and a walk
while striking out
seven and getting a no-decision in the team's 4-3 victory over the Mississippi Braves
. On June 1, he was promoted to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds
. He led Triple A that season with 15 wins and was named the best left-handed pitcher in Triple A as well as being on the PCL All Star team. Pettyjohn agreed to terms with the Cincinnati Reds
on a Minor League
contract on January 4, 2008. He played for their Triple-A affiliate, the Louisville Bats
, until their season finished and was a September call up for the Reds, marking the first time he had been in the majors since 2001. He began the 2009 season with Louisville, before being released in late July. He was then signed to a minor league contract by the New York Mets
. He pitched for the Buffalo Bisons
through the 2010 season. Pettyjohn filed for free agency after the 2010 season. He has yet to sign to play in the 2011 season.
Pettyjohn pitched for Team USA in and currently resides in Visalia, California
.
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
) is a Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
who is currently a free agent. Pettyjohn attended Exeter High School in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and then Fresno State University where he was a teammate of pitcher Jeff Weaver
Jeff Weaver
Jeffrey Charles Weaver is a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has pitched in the majors for the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, St. Louis Cardinals, and Seattle Mariners...
. He bats right-handed and throws left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
.
In , Pettyjohn was drafted by the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
in the 2nd round (73rd overall). Unlike many other players, he signed the first time he was drafted. He signed for a $392,500 bonus. Pettyjohn spent less than three years in the minor leagues, posting an ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
as low as 1.97. On July 16, , the 6'3" 190 pound pitcher made his MLB debut at the age of 24, wearing jersey number 57.
In 2002, Pettyjohn did not play professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
because he had to undergo a colectomy
Colectomy
Colectomy consists of the surgical resection of any extent of the large intestine .-History:Sir William Arbuthnot-Lane was one of the early proponents of the usefulness of total colectomies, although his overuse of the procedure called the wisdom of the surgery into question.-Indications:Some of...
due to ulcerative colitis
Ulcerative colitis
Ulcerative colitis is a form of inflammatory bowel disease . Ulcerative colitis is a form of colitis, a disease of the colon , that includes characteristic ulcers, or open sores. The main symptom of active disease is usually constant diarrhea mixed with blood, of gradual onset...
. In , he played in the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
organization. He was released by the Tigers on March 28, 2003. He spent playing for the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
and Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
organizations. He spent the season and the start of the seaon with the Long Beach Armada
Long Beach Armada
The Long Beach Armada was an independent professional baseball team based in Long Beach, California, in the United States. The Armada was a member of the North Division of the now-defunct Golden Baseball League, which was not affiliated with either Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball...
of the Golden Baseball League
Golden Baseball League
The Golden Baseball League, based in San Ramon, California, was an independent baseball league. It later merged with the Northern League and the United Baseball League to form the North American League in the western United States, western Canada and Mexico....
before spending time again with the Athletics as well as the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
organizations.
Pettyjohn signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
on December 12, 2006. He started the season with the Huntsville Stars
Huntsville Stars
The Huntsville Stars are a minor league baseball team of the Southern League and are the Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Huntsville, Alabama and are named for the space industry with which Huntsville is economically tied .The Stars play their home games at Joe W...
of the Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
, Milwaukee's Double-A affiliate. As the opening day starter for the Stars on April 5, 2007 Pettyjohn gave up four hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, two earned run
Earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run...
s, and a walk
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
while striking out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
seven and getting a no-decision in the team's 4-3 victory over the Mississippi Braves
Mississippi Braves
The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they are referred to locally, are a minor league baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson. The team is the Class AA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, and plays in the Southern League. The team is owned and operated by Liberty Media, which...
. On June 1, he was promoted to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds
Nashville Sounds
The Nashville Sounds are a minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League , and the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the city's association with the music industry...
. He led Triple A that season with 15 wins and was named the best left-handed pitcher in Triple A as well as being on the PCL All Star team. Pettyjohn agreed to terms with the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
on a Minor League
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
contract on January 4, 2008. He played for their Triple-A affiliate, the Louisville Bats
Louisville Bats
The Louisville Bats, which play in Louisville, Kentucky, are the AAA minor league baseball affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. The team, formerly known as the Louisville RiverBats, plays in the International League...
, until their season finished and was a September call up for the Reds, marking the first time he had been in the majors since 2001. He began the 2009 season with Louisville, before being released in late July. He was then signed to a minor league contract by the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. He pitched for the Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
through the 2010 season. Pettyjohn filed for free agency after the 2010 season. He has yet to sign to play in the 2011 season.
Pettyjohn pitched for Team USA in and currently resides in Visalia, California
Visalia, California
Visalia is a Central California city situated in the heart of California’s agricultural San Joaquin Valley, approximately southeast of San Francisco and north of Los Angeles...
.