Colby Lewis
Encyclopedia
Colby Preston Lewis is a Major League Baseball
pitcher
for the Texas Rangers
.
Lewis was originally a first-round draft choice (sandwich pick
) of the Texas Rangers
in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft
, and made his major league debut in . He played for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp
of Japan's Central League
from 2008 to 2009, during which he won two awards for most strikeout
s.
, where, as a sophomore, he won first team Western State Conference
honors, going 4–5 striking out
108 and posting a 2.86 ERA
.
. He was a highly regarded prospect coming up in the Rangers' system and in three seasons with them had a career ERA of 6.83. Of particular note was his unusual season, where he managed to post a winning record of 10–9 in 26 starts despite a 7.30 ERA.
surgery
. He was claimed off waivers by the Detroit Tigers
after the 2004 season. On March 20, , the Washington Nationals
released him, and he was picked up by the Oakland Athletics
just 4 days later.
Lewis began 2007 on the A's Triple-A team, the Sacramento River Cats
, where he posted a 8–3 record with a 1.88 ERA. The A's, in need of another starting pitcher to replace the injured Rich Harden
, called up Lewis on May 22, 2007. He started the game that day against the Chicago White Sox
. His A's debut was a disaster as he pitched 3.1 innings and gave up 10 runs
on 12 hits
in the A's 10–4 loss. He was immediately sent to the bullpen
after that start. Lewis finished the 2007 season with an 0–2 record and a 6.45 ERA in 26 games. Following the 2007 season, on November 2, 2007, Lewis was claimed off waivers by Kansas City Royals
; he was then released on December 5, 2007.
of the Yomiuri Giants
led the CL with 17 wins), second in the league in ERA (2.68, Masanori Ishikawa
of the Yakult Swallows was first at 2.68), and 1st in the league in strikeouts (189), beating out Greisinger by almost 20 K's.
His 2009 season with the Carp was equally successful. Lewis finished with 186 strikeouts, again leading the league. Although his performance was outstanding, he resigned from the team in hopes of pitching once again in the Major Leagues.
He is also renowned for home runs, which is unusual for a pitcher. (The designated hitter
rule is not used in the Central League except in interleague games.) He has 5 NPB
career home runs (2 in 2008 and 3 in 2009).
. At the end of April, he led the American League in strikeouts and was tied for second in the majors with Dan Haren
behind Tim Lincecum
. He got his first-ever complete game in Major League Baseball against the Houston Astros on June 19.
On October 16, Lewis started Game 2 of the American League Championship Series at home against the New York Yankees. Lewis went 5.2 innings and gave up 2 earned runs on 6 hits. However, he earned the decision, and became the first Ranger pitcher to win a post-season home game in franchise history. On October 22, Lewis started game 6 of the American League Championship Series, also at home, against the New York Yankees. He pitched 8 innings, allowing 1 run on 3 hits, aiding the Rangers to a decisive 6–1 victory. The win allowed the Rangers to win the Series and earn their first-ever American League Pennant. On October 30, Lewis started game 3 of the 2010 World Series
, at home against the San Francisco Giants. Lewis went 7 2/3 innings, allowing 2 earned runs on 5 hits. The Rangers went on to win 4–2, with Lewis earning the win in the first Texas victory in a World Series game. After winning those two crucial home playoff games in the 2010 ALCS and Game 3 of the 2010 World Series, Lewis was, so far, the only Rangers pitcher accredited towards three of the Rangers home playoff wins. No other Rangers pitcher had even one.
.
In 2011, Lewis was 14–10 with a 4.40 ERA. He gave up a league-leading 35 home runs, the 7th-most in Rangers history. In the 2011 Postseason he pitched game 3 in the ALDS and ALCS and game 2 and game 6 in the WS.
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...
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...
for the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
.
Lewis was originally a first-round draft choice (sandwich pick
Sandwich Pick
Sandwich pick is a term for a type of draft pick awarded to Major League Baseball teams for the loss of free agents who meet the minimum requirements by the Elias Rankings...
) of the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft
1999 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1999 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 2 and 3, 1999...
, and made his major league debut in . He played for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp
Hiroshima Toyo Carp
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Central League. The team is primarily owned by the Matsuda family, led by , who is a descendant of Mazda founder Jujiro Matsuda. Mazda is the largest single shareholder , which is less than the portion owned by the Matsuda family . Because of that,...
of Japan's Central League
Central League
The or is one the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consists of six teams from around the country,The Central League...
from 2008 to 2009, during which he won two awards for most 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.
Junior college career
Lewis attended Bakersfield CollegeBakersfield College
Bakersfield College is a public community college located in Bakersfield, California, USA. Bakersfield College has an official Twitter account at @bcrenegades and an official...
, where, as a sophomore, he won first team Western State Conference
Western State Conference
The Western State Conference is a college athletic conference that is affiliated with the California Community College Athletic Association. The conference was established in 1950, making it the oldest community college conference in California...
honors, going 4–5 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....
108 and posting a 2.86 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...
.
Texas Rangers
Lewis was the 38th overall player selected in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft1999 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1999 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 2 and 3, 1999...
. He was a highly regarded prospect coming up in the Rangers' system and in three seasons with them had a career ERA of 6.83. Of particular note was his unusual season, where he managed to post a winning record of 10–9 in 26 starts despite a 7.30 ERA.
Detroit/Washington/Oakland/Kansas City
Lewis suffered an injury early in the season and missed most of the year after undergoing rotator cuffRotator cuff
In anatomy, the rotator cuff is the group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the shoulder. The four muscles of the rotator cuff, along with the teres major muscle, the coracobrachialis muscle and the deltoid, make up the seven scapulohumeral muscles of the human body.-Function:The...
surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
. He was claimed off waivers 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...
after the 2004 season. On March 20, , the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
released him, and he was picked up by the 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....
just 4 days later.
Lewis began 2007 on the A's Triple-A team, the Sacramento River Cats
Sacramento River Cats
The Sacramento River Cats is a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. The team plays in the Pacific Coast League and is the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics....
, where he posted a 8–3 record with a 1.88 ERA. The A's, in need of another starting pitcher to replace the injured Rich Harden
Rich Harden
James Richard Harden is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher.-Early years:Harden attended Claremont Secondary School in Victoria, British Columbia. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 38th round of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft...
, called up Lewis on May 22, 2007. He started the game that day against the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
. His A's debut was a disaster as he pitched 3.1 innings and gave up 10 runs
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...
on 12 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....
in the A's 10–4 loss. He was immediately sent to the bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
after that start. Lewis finished the 2007 season with an 0–2 record and a 6.45 ERA in 26 games. Following the 2007 season, on November 2, 2007, Lewis was claimed off waivers by Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
; he was then released on December 5, 2007.
Japan Central League
For the 2008 season, Lewis signed with the Hiroshima Carp of Japan's Central League. He had a spectacular season with Hiroshima, finishing second in the Central League in wins with 15 (Seth GreisingerSeth Greisinger
Seth Adam Greisinger is a baseball pitcher for the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball. He played in Major League Baseball from -.-Career:...
of the Yomiuri Giants
Yomiuri Giants
The are a professional baseball team based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. The team competes in the Central League in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top level of professional play in Japan. They play their home games in the Tokyo Dome, opened in 1988. The English-language press occasionally calls the...
led the CL with 17 wins), second in the league in ERA (2.68, Masanori Ishikawa
Masanori Ishikawa
is a Japanese professional baseball player. He is currently a pitcher for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows....
of the Yakult Swallows was first at 2.68), and 1st in the league in strikeouts (189), beating out Greisinger by almost 20 K's.
His 2009 season with the Carp was equally successful. Lewis finished with 186 strikeouts, again leading the league. Although his performance was outstanding, he resigned from the team in hopes of pitching once again in the Major Leagues.
He is also renowned for home runs, which is unusual for a pitcher. (The designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
rule is not used in the Central League except in interleague games.) He has 5 NPB
NPB
NPB can refer to:* NAS Parallel Benchmarks, a set of benchmarks developed by the NASA for measuring the performance of supercomputers* National Printing Bureau of Japan...
career home runs (2 in 2008 and 3 in 2009).
2010
On January 14, 2010, Lewis agreed to a two-year contract with the Texas RangersTexas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
. At the end of April, he led the American League in strikeouts and was tied for second in the majors with Dan Haren
Dan Haren
Daniel John Haren is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.- High-school and college career :...
behind Tim Lincecum
Tim Lincecum
Timothy Leroy Lincecum is an American professional baseball starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He was nicknamed "The Freak" and "Big Time Timmy Jim" and "The Franchise." He throws right-handed and bats left-handed....
. He got his first-ever complete game in Major League Baseball against the Houston Astros on June 19.
On October 16, Lewis started Game 2 of the American League Championship Series at home against the New York Yankees. Lewis went 5.2 innings and gave up 2 earned runs on 6 hits. However, he earned the decision, and became the first Ranger pitcher to win a post-season home game in franchise history. On October 22, Lewis started game 6 of the American League Championship Series, also at home, against the New York Yankees. He pitched 8 innings, allowing 1 run on 3 hits, aiding the Rangers to a decisive 6–1 victory. The win allowed the Rangers to win the Series and earn their first-ever American League Pennant. On October 30, Lewis started game 3 of the 2010 World Series
2010 World Series
The 2010 World Series was the 106th occurrence of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff, played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion San Francisco Giants, began on Wednesday, , and ended on Monday, , with the Giants...
, at home against the San Francisco Giants. Lewis went 7 2/3 innings, allowing 2 earned runs on 5 hits. The Rangers went on to win 4–2, with Lewis earning the win in the first Texas victory in a World Series game. After winning those two crucial home playoff games in the 2010 ALCS and Game 3 of the 2010 World Series, Lewis was, so far, the only Rangers pitcher accredited towards three of the Rangers home playoff wins. No other Rangers pitcher had even one.
2011
In April 2011 Lewis was the first MLB player to go on the league's newly created paternity leave list to attend the birth of his child. A player can be on the list for 24 to 72 hours. Lewis took one start off before returning to pitch against the Los Angeles Angels of AnaheimLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
.
In 2011, Lewis was 14–10 with a 4.40 ERA. He gave up a league-leading 35 home runs, the 7th-most in Rangers history. In the 2011 Postseason he pitched game 3 in the ALDS and ALCS and game 2 and game 6 in the WS.