Garrett Charles Stephenson (born January 2, 1972 in Takoma Park, Maryland

Takoma Park, Maryland

Takoma Park is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, D.C., and part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. Founded in 1883 and incorporated in 1890, Takoma Park, informally called "Azalea City," is a Tree City USA and a nuclear-free zone...

), is a retired 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...

 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...

. He played eight seasons in the majors, from 1996-2003. He is known for his role in the book "3 Nights In August", as the pitcher, and loser for the Cardinals in game one.

Stephenson suffered a sprained medical collateral ligament in Game 3 of the 2000 National League Division Series

2000 National League Division Series

-St. Louis Cardinals vs. Atlanta Braves:-Game 1, October 4:Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco, CaliforniaGiants Pitcher Liván Hernández allowed one run and five hits over a inning effort, backed by a three-run home run by Ellis Burks as the Giants cruised to an easy 5–1 victory.-Game 2, October...

 against the Atlanta Braves

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....

. The injury led to him having 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...

and missing the entire 2001 season.