Carl Pavano
Encyclopedia
Carl Anthony Pavano is an American
Major League Baseball
right-handed pitcher
currently with the Minnesota Twins
.
in the 13th round of the amateur draft. He came out of Southington High School
located in Southington, CT
. In November , he was sent to Montreal
, along with pitcher Tony Armas, Jr.
, in a trade that brought Pedro Martínez
to Boston. Pavano debuted with the Expos in and was traded to the Florida Marlins
in the middle of the season in a trade that included Cliff Floyd
. Pavano gave up Mark McGwire
's 70th home run in the 1998 season.
-Champion Marlins. He started Game 4 of the Series against the Yankees, holding New York to one run
over eight innings in a game the Marlins would go on to win, 4–3, in extra innings.
In a nine year career with Montreal, Florida, and the New York Yankees, Pavano compiled a 62–64 record with 677 strikeout
s and a 4.27 ERA
in 1049 innings
. At the plate, he was a .139 hitter with two home run
s and 14 RBI
in 166 games.
following the season and, despite receiving bigger offers from Boston and Cincinnati
, chose to accept a four-year contract worth $39.95 million with the New York Yankees on December 20, 2004.
In 2005, Pavano began the season with quality starts in seven of his first 10 appearances, compiling a 4–2 record and a 3.69 ERA. However, in June of that year, he injured his right shoulder and went on the disabled list. Pavano made 17 starts and finished 4–6 with a 4.77 ERA. The Yankees expected him to be healthy for the 2006 season, but Pavano began the season on the disabled list after bruising his buttocks in a spring training
game. He did not pitch at all in the Majors in 2006, making only minor league rehab starts. On August 15, 2006, Pavano broke two ribs in an automobile
accident after he hit another vehicle with his Porsche in West Palm Beach
, Florida
. Also involved in the wreck was Gia Allemand
, who Pavano was dating at the time. However, he did not tell the Yankees about the incident until August 28, the day they informed him that they planned for him to come off the disabled list to play that Thursday.
In spring training in 2007, Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina
said that Pavano needed to prove that he wanted to pitch for the team. Mussina said he did not believe he was the only Yankee who felt this way. "It didn't look good from a player's and teammate's standpoint," Mussina said of Pavano's injuries. "Was everything just coincidence? Over and over again? I don't know." Manager Joe Torre
explained that the amount of work Pavano needed to do in repairing his clubhouse image was "sizable."
Later that season, after ace Chien-Ming Wang
injured his right hamstring late in spring training, the Yankees chose Pavano to start on Opening Day against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
at Yankee Stadium
. On April 15, 2007, Pavano was placed on the 15-day DL with what was described as an "elbow strain". On May 23, 2007, it was reported that Pavano would opt for Tommy John surgery
in his elbow.
In December 2007, the Yankee organization asked Pavano to accept a minor league contract to clear space on their 40-man roster, Pavano's agent, Tom O'Connell, stated that he would consider the request, but he later turned it down. O'Connell also stated that Pavano's rehabilitation is going faster than expected and he might be available to pitch at the Major League level by mid-summer 2008.
On July 29, 2008, Pavano made his first rehab start since his Tommy John surgery for the Charleston RiverDogs
, allowing one hit
and one walk
in two scoreless innings.
Pavano made his first start of the season during the Yankees series against the Baltimore Orioles
on Saturday August 23, 2008, pitching 5 innings, giving up 3 earned runs on 7 hits, 1 walk and 5 strikeouts in the Yankees 5–3 win. He made his second start of the season against the Toronto Blue Jays
on August 29 and was victorious pitching 6 innings in the Yankees 2–1 win.
Since his first stint on the disabled list, Pavano did not endear himself to his Yankee teammates, and he stated that he would not visit the team when they played in Tampa Bay, near where he was rehabilitating. Meanwhile, Pavano's agent Tom O'Connell – the fourth agent the right-hander has gone through in his career – believed that Pavano would still be a desired commodity on the free-agent market that winter, even with his injury history. "Carl's a 1–2 starter. Those guys don't grow on trees. Those guys are very rare, 200-inning guys are very rare in this game, and they're the ones that make the money. And he did it two years in a row, before he got hurt, and I'm sure he's going to do it again," O'Connell said.
During a game Pavano started on September 14, he allowed three earned runs and five hits before he left the mound in the sixth inning following a visit by the trainer and manager Joe Girardi. Pavano was pitching to Eric Hinske with one out and a runner on first when he got the mound visit. After a short discussion, Pavano walked off the field as the sellout crowd showered him with boos. It was reported as a "left hip injury."
worth $1.5 million with a possible $5.3 million in incentives. On August 7, 2009, Pavano was traded to the Minnesota Twins
, for whom he started the crucial third game against the Yankees in the 2009 American League Division Series
(ALDS).
Following the season, Pavano filed for free agency, but later accepted the Twins' offer of salary arbitration. He ended up having his best season since 2004. During the stretch from May 29 to August 13, Pavano complied a record of 11-2 with an ERA of 2.79, including twice throwing back-to-back complete games in which one was also a shutout. He went 17-11 with an ERA of 3.75 over the course of the season (in which he also threw 221 innings) and helped the Twins runaway with the Cenral Division title. However, in the playoffs Pavano lost Game 2 of the 2010 ALDS to the Yankees at Target Field 5–2, and the Twins were swept in three games to end the season.
For 2010, Pavano was named the Twins' Pitcher of the Year, receiving the Joseph W. Haynes Award.
On January 19, 2011, Pavano agreed to a 2-year contract with the Twins. He will be paid $8 million in 2011 and $8.5 million in 2012, along with up to $500,000 in incentives.
Pavano was the opening day starter for the Twins on April 1. He gave up 7 earned runs over 4+ innings to the Toronto Blue Jays
.
On May 1, 2011, after performing poorly against the Kansas City Royals, Pavano took a bat to a trashcan in the Minnesota Twins dugout after being removed in the sixth inning of a 10-3 loss. Pavano responded by saying "That's as frustrated as I can get. It actually felt pretty good. I just kept whaling away with it. The (bat) wouldn't break. I couldn't break a bat in the dugout and I couldn't break any out there (on the mound). It was embarrassing." Pavano's stats as of his May 8th start were 2-4 and an ERA of 6.64, the highest of any Twins pitcher at this point in the season. However, on May 13, 2011, Pavano threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings against the Blue Jays but got the no decision in the Twins 2-0 loss. His pitching continued to improve through late May and early June. Pavano recorded his 100th win in a complete game 2-run performance on June 3rd against Kansas City, and he pitched another complete game win 12 days later against the White Sox. Pavano continued the season with mixed success. He finished with a 9-13 record and a 4.30 ERA, closing out the Twins' season with a shutout of Kansas City Royals. Of the five starting pitchers for the Twins in 2011, Pavano was the only one who remained in the rotation for the entire season. Francisco Liriano
, Brian Duensing
, Nick Blackburn
, and Scott Baker all missed starts due to injuries.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
right-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
currently with the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
.
Early career
Pavano was selected by the Boston Red SoxBoston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
in the 13th round of the amateur draft. He came out of Southington High School
Southington High School
Southington High School is a public high school located at 720 Pleasant Street in Southington, Connecticut.It is the only high school located in the town of Southington.-Academics:...
located in Southington, CT
Southington, Connecticut
Southington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is part of Connecticut's 1st congressional district. It is situated about 20 miles southwest of Hartford, about 80 miles northeast of New York City, 105 miles southwest of Boston and 77 miles west of Providence...
. In November , he was sent to Montreal
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
, along with pitcher Tony Armas, Jr.
Tony Armas, Jr.
Antonio José Armas , better known as Tony Armas, Jr., is a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who is currently a free agent. He last appeared in a Major League game in 2008...
, in a trade that brought Pedro Martínez
Pedro Martínez
Pedro Jaime Martínez is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He is an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2004 World Series champion...
to Boston. Pavano debuted with the Expos in and was traded to the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
in the middle of the season in a trade that included Cliff Floyd
Cliff Floyd
Cornelius Clifford Floyd, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball outfielder.-Early years:Floyd was born to parents Cornelius Clifford Floyd, Sr. and Olivia Floyd. After spending 13 years as an only child, Floyd was joined by brother Julius...
. Pavano gave up Mark McGwire
Mark McGwire
Mark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...
's 70th home run in the 1998 season.
World Series performance
Despite having been plagued by injuries, Pavano became an important part of Florida's starting rotation and had a highly successful postseason in for the World SeriesWorld Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
-Champion Marlins. He started Game 4 of the Series against the Yankees, holding New York to one run
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
over eight innings in a game the Marlins would go on to win, 4–3, in extra innings.
In a nine year career with Montreal, Florida, and the New York Yankees, Pavano compiled a 62–64 record with 677 strikeout
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....
s and a 4.27 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...
in 1049 innings
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
. At the plate, he was a .139 hitter with two home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 14 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in 166 games.
New York Yankees
Pavano followed up his playoff exploits with his best season to date in , posting an 18–8 record and a 3.00 ERA. He became a free agentFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
following the season and, despite receiving bigger offers from Boston and Cincinnati
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....
, chose to accept a four-year contract worth $39.95 million with the New York Yankees on December 20, 2004.
In 2005, Pavano began the season with quality starts in seven of his first 10 appearances, compiling a 4–2 record and a 3.69 ERA. However, in June of that year, he injured his right shoulder and went on the disabled list. Pavano made 17 starts and finished 4–6 with a 4.77 ERA. The Yankees expected him to be healthy for the 2006 season, but Pavano began the season on the disabled list after bruising his buttocks in a spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
game. He did not pitch at all in the Majors in 2006, making only minor league rehab starts. On August 15, 2006, Pavano broke two ribs in an automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
accident after he hit another vehicle with his Porsche in West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Also involved in the wreck was Gia Allemand
Gia Allemand
Gia Allemand is an American swimsuit model, actress, consultant, and reality television contestant. She is best known for appearing in Maxim, and being a cast member on two ABC reality shows The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love and Bachelor Pad...
, who Pavano was dating at the time. However, he did not tell the Yankees about the incident until August 28, the day they informed him that they planned for him to come off the disabled list to play that Thursday.
In spring training in 2007, Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina
Mike Mussina
Michael Cole Mussina , nicknamed Moose, is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played for the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees ....
said that Pavano needed to prove that he wanted to pitch for the team. Mussina said he did not believe he was the only Yankee who felt this way. "It didn't look good from a player's and teammate's standpoint," Mussina said of Pavano's injuries. "Was everything just coincidence? Over and over again? I don't know." Manager Joe Torre
Joe Torre
Joseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...
explained that the amount of work Pavano needed to do in repairing his clubhouse image was "sizable."
Later that season, after ace Chien-Ming Wang
Chien-Ming Wang
Chien-Ming Wang is a Taiwanese Major League Baseball pitcher. He was initially signed as an amateur free agent by the New York Yankees for the 2000 season, and played for the Staten Island Yankees...
injured his right hamstring late in spring training, the Yankees chose Pavano to start on Opening Day against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
. On April 15, 2007, Pavano was placed on the 15-day DL with what was described as an "elbow strain". On May 23, 2007, it was reported that Pavano would opt for Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery, known in medical practice as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body...
in his elbow.
In December 2007, the Yankee organization asked Pavano to accept a minor league contract to clear space on their 40-man roster, Pavano's agent, Tom O'Connell, stated that he would consider the request, but he later turned it down. O'Connell also stated that Pavano's rehabilitation is going faster than expected and he might be available to pitch at the Major League level by mid-summer 2008.
On July 29, 2008, Pavano made his first rehab start since his Tommy John surgery for the Charleston RiverDogs
Charleston RiverDogs
The Charleston RiverDogs are a Minor League Baseball team based in Charleston, South Carolina. They play in the class A South Atlantic League and are an affiliate of the New York Yankees. Their home stadium is at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park...
, allowing one hit
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....
and one 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...
in two scoreless innings.
Pavano made his first start of the season during the Yankees series against the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
on Saturday August 23, 2008, pitching 5 innings, giving up 3 earned runs on 7 hits, 1 walk and 5 strikeouts in the Yankees 5–3 win. He made his second start of the season against the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
on August 29 and was victorious pitching 6 innings in the Yankees 2–1 win.
Since his first stint on the disabled list, Pavano did not endear himself to his Yankee teammates, and he stated that he would not visit the team when they played in Tampa Bay, near where he was rehabilitating. Meanwhile, Pavano's agent Tom O'Connell – the fourth agent the right-hander has gone through in his career – believed that Pavano would still be a desired commodity on the free-agent market that winter, even with his injury history. "Carl's a 1–2 starter. Those guys don't grow on trees. Those guys are very rare, 200-inning guys are very rare in this game, and they're the ones that make the money. And he did it two years in a row, before he got hurt, and I'm sure he's going to do it again," O'Connell said.
During a game Pavano started on September 14, he allowed three earned runs and five hits before he left the mound in the sixth inning following a visit by the trainer and manager Joe Girardi. Pavano was pitching to Eric Hinske with one out and a runner on first when he got the mound visit. After a short discussion, Pavano walked off the field as the sellout crowd showered him with boos. It was reported as a "left hip injury."
Return to form: Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins
On January 6, 2009, Pavano signed a one-year deal with the Cleveland IndiansCleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
worth $1.5 million with a possible $5.3 million in incentives. On August 7, 2009, Pavano was traded to the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, for whom he started the crucial third game against the Yankees in the 2009 American League Division Series
American League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series...
(ALDS).
Following the season, Pavano filed for free agency, but later accepted the Twins' offer of salary arbitration. He ended up having his best season since 2004. During the stretch from May 29 to August 13, Pavano complied a record of 11-2 with an ERA of 2.79, including twice throwing back-to-back complete games in which one was also a shutout. He went 17-11 with an ERA of 3.75 over the course of the season (in which he also threw 221 innings) and helped the Twins runaway with the Cenral Division title. However, in the playoffs Pavano lost Game 2 of the 2010 ALDS to the Yankees at Target Field 5–2, and the Twins were swept in three games to end the season.
For 2010, Pavano was named the Twins' Pitcher of the Year, receiving the Joseph W. Haynes Award.
On January 19, 2011, Pavano agreed to a 2-year contract with the Twins. He will be paid $8 million in 2011 and $8.5 million in 2012, along with up to $500,000 in incentives.
Pavano was the opening day starter for the Twins on April 1. He gave up 7 earned runs over 4+ innings to the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
.
On May 1, 2011, after performing poorly against the Kansas City Royals, Pavano took a bat to a trashcan in the Minnesota Twins dugout after being removed in the sixth inning of a 10-3 loss. Pavano responded by saying "That's as frustrated as I can get. It actually felt pretty good. I just kept whaling away with it. The (bat) wouldn't break. I couldn't break a bat in the dugout and I couldn't break any out there (on the mound). It was embarrassing." Pavano's stats as of his May 8th start were 2-4 and an ERA of 6.64, the highest of any Twins pitcher at this point in the season. However, on May 13, 2011, Pavano threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings against the Blue Jays but got the no decision in the Twins 2-0 loss. His pitching continued to improve through late May and early June. Pavano recorded his 100th win in a complete game 2-run performance on June 3rd against Kansas City, and he pitched another complete game win 12 days later against the White Sox. Pavano continued the season with mixed success. He finished with a 9-13 record and a 4.30 ERA, closing out the Twins' season with a shutout of Kansas City Royals. Of the five starting pitchers for the Twins in 2011, Pavano was the only one who remained in the rotation for the entire season. Francisco Liriano
Francisco Liriano
Francisco Liriano y Casillas is a left-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Minnesota Twins.-Professional career:...
, Brian Duensing
Brian Duensing
Brian Matthew Duensing is a major league baseball starting pitcher for the Minnesota Twins.-High school:...
, Nick Blackburn
Nick Blackburn
Robert Nicholas Blackburn is a Major League Baseball pitcher in the Minnesota Twins system. He graduated from Del City High School in Del City, Oklahoma. He attended Seminole State College. The 6-4, 227 pound right-hander was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 34th round of the...
, and Scott Baker all missed starts due to injuries.