Generation K
Encyclopedia
Generation K was the collective nickname given to a trio of young starting pitchers in the New York Mets
organization in 1995, consisting of Bill Pulsipher
, Jason Isringhausen
, and Paul Wilson
. Generation X
was a hot topic in American media during the mid 1990s and the nickname came from the use of K to denote a strikeout
in baseball scorekeeping
. The trio were highly regarded and were expected to lead the club back to the top of the National League East
standings for the first time since the end of the Dwight Gooden
/Darryl Strawberry
era. All three players succumbed to pitching-related injuries within a year.
, he was signed by the Seattle Mariners
’ AAA affiliate Tacoma Rainiers
. He pitched extremely well there, and it appeared that a major league return was imminent, but after a back injury led to his release he returned to the Ducks, leading them to an Atlantic League Championship victory.
In 2005, he started over, going into Spring Training without a job. He received a non-roster invitation from the St. Louis Cardinals
on Jason Isringhausen’s recommendation, and joined a race for Steve Kline’s lefty specialist job that already included several competitors, like the established Mike Myers and touted prospect Carmen Cali
.
At first he was considered a long shot, but his showing in Spring Training
was so strong that Myers was traded and Pulsipher became the second left-handed pitcher out of the bullpen. Two members of Generation K were on the same team for the first time since 1996. Unfortunately, injuries and the emergence of Randy Flores
led to a brief major league showing for Pulsipher; he spent most of the year in AAA.
for reliever Billy Taylor.
Oakland made Isringhausen their closer
. He posted a 2.13 ERA in his half-season with Oakland. His 96 mph fastball and jaw-dropping knuckle-curve, which moves so much and breaks so sharply that he sometimes has trouble keeping it out of the dirt, have made him one of the most untouchable closers in the league when healthy. With the St. Louis Cardinals, from 2002 to 2008, he pitched a minimum of 42 innings per season with a maximum era of 3.55, though he topped out in 2008 with a 5.70 ERA in 42.2 innings ; he posted ERAs below 2.50 in each of his first two seasons with the club and led the National League
with 47 saves in 2004.
Injuries eventually led to his release by the Cardinals. He signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays
for the 2009 season. In earning his first decision of the 2009 season, Isringhausen topped off what was a catastrophic performance by the Tampa Bay Rays' bullpen. The Rays blew a 10-0 lead in Cleveland on May 25, 2009. Isringhausen faced 4 batters, gave up three straight walks and then the game-winning hit. Officially in the game, Izzy did not record an out. Gave up 1 hit, 3 walks, 0 strikeouts, 2 runs, both earned. He threw 23 pitches and only 9 were strikes - including the game-winning hit.
In February 2011, Isringhausen returned to the Mets, signing a minor league deal with the team. After spending time in the minors, Isringhausen performed well in his return to the Majors with the Mets and eventually landed the job of setup man man for Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez
. After Rodriguez was traded to the ilwaukee Brewers in the middle of the season, Isringhausen was slotted into the closer role and eventually earned his 300th save against the San Diego Padres
.
, and although he was probably the best of the Reds’ beleaguered starters he is now remembered most for being body-tackled to the turf by Chicago Cubs
pitcher Kyle Farnsworth
. After spending all of the 2006 season in the minor leagues, Paul Wilson retired with a career Major League record of 40–58 and a 4.86 career ERA.
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...
organization in 1995, consisting of Bill Pulsipher
Bill Pulsipher
William Thomas Pulsipher is a professional baseball pitcher. Pulsipher, a left-handed pitcher, has played in Major League Baseball for the New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, and St. Louis Cardinals over six seasons from to . He currently plays for the Somerset...
, Jason Isringhausen
Jason Isringhausen
Jason Derik Isringhausen is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher.-New York Mets:Isringhausen was chosen as a draft-and-follow prospect by the New York Mets in the 44th round of the 1991 Major League Baseball Draft...
, and Paul Wilson
Paul Wilson (baseball player)
Paul Anthony Wilson is a retired right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball.-Baseball career:Wilson played college baseball for the Florida State University Seminoles under head coach Mike Martin....
. Generation X
Generation X
Generation X, commonly abbreviated to Gen X, is the generation born after the Western post–World War II baby boom ended. While there is no universally agreed upon time frame, the term generally includes people born from the early 1960's through the early 1980's, usually no later than 1981 or...
was a hot topic in American media during the mid 1990s and the nickname came from the use of K to denote a 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....
in baseball scorekeeping
Baseball scorekeeping
Baseball scorekeeping is the practice of recording the details of a baseball game as it unfolds. Professional baseball leagues hire official scorers to keep an official record of each game , but many fans keep score as well for their own enjoyment...
. The trio were highly regarded and were expected to lead the club back to the top of the National League East
National League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
standings for the first time since the end of the Dwight Gooden
Dwight Gooden
Dwight Eugene Gooden , nicknamed "Doc Gooden" or "Dr. K", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was one of the most dominant and feared pitchers in the National League in the middle and late 1980s.-Career:...
/Darryl Strawberry
Darryl Strawberry
Darryl Eugene Strawberry is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder who is well-known both for his play on the field and for his controversial behavior off it...
era. All three players succumbed to pitching-related injuries within a year.
Bill Pulsipher
Bill Pulsipher arrived first, in June 1995, after pitching over 200 minor league innings as a 21-year old. Between the majors and the minors in 1995 he threw for 218 more innings for a 3.98 ERA. Pulsipher missed all of 1996 and most of 1997 with a torn elbow ligament. After a brief comeback bid in 2001 it appeared his career had ended. During this period Pulsipher compiled a 13–19 record and a 5.13 ERA. Yet another comeback came in 2004; after a sterling year with the independent Atlantic League’s Long Island DucksLong Island Ducks
The Long Island Ducks is an American professional baseball team based in Central Islip, New York. They are a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
, he was signed by 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...
’ AAA affiliate Tacoma Rainiers
Tacoma Rainiers
The Tacoma Rainiers are a minor league baseball team that plays in the Pacific Coast League , and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners...
. He pitched extremely well there, and it appeared that a major league return was imminent, but after a back injury led to his release he returned to the Ducks, leading them to an Atlantic League Championship victory.
In 2005, he started over, going into Spring Training without a job. He received a non-roster invitation from the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
on Jason Isringhausen’s recommendation, and joined a race for Steve Kline’s lefty specialist job that already included several competitors, like the established Mike Myers and touted prospect Carmen Cali
Carmen Cali
Carmen Salvatore Cali is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher, who is currently a free agent.Cali graduated in 1997 from Naples High School after lettering and starring four years in both football and baseball. He went on to graduate, and letter in baseball, at Florida Atlantic University.He...
.
At first he was considered a long shot, but his showing in 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...
was so strong that Myers was traded and Pulsipher became the second left-handed pitcher out of the bullpen. Two members of Generation K were on the same team for the first time since 1996. Unfortunately, injuries and the emergence of Randy Flores
Randy Flores
Randy Alan Flores is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who is currently a free agent. Flores is a career left-handed relief specialist.-Early life and career:...
led to a brief major league showing for Pulsipher; he spent most of the year in AAA.
Jason Isringhausen
Isringhausen came next, in July 1995, and was the Mets’ best pitcher down the stretch with a 9–2 record and a 2.81 ERA. In 1996 he struggled with a pulled rib-cage muscle, bone spurs, and a torn labrum contributing to a 4.71 ERA. He had only six starts in 1997 and was ineffective before suffering a broken wrist. He missed all of 1998 recovering from reconstructive elbow surgery but was traded to the Oakland AthleticsOakland 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....
for reliever Billy Taylor.
Oakland made Isringhausen their closer
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
. He posted a 2.13 ERA in his half-season with Oakland. His 96 mph fastball and jaw-dropping knuckle-curve, which moves so much and breaks so sharply that he sometimes has trouble keeping it out of the dirt, have made him one of the most untouchable closers in the league when healthy. With the St. Louis Cardinals, from 2002 to 2008, he pitched a minimum of 42 innings per season with a maximum era of 3.55, though he topped out in 2008 with a 5.70 ERA in 42.2 innings ; he posted ERAs below 2.50 in each of his first two seasons with the club and led the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
with 47 saves in 2004.
Injuries eventually led to his release by the Cardinals. He signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay 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...
for the 2009 season. In earning his first decision of the 2009 season, Isringhausen topped off what was a catastrophic performance by the Tampa Bay Rays' bullpen. The Rays blew a 10-0 lead in Cleveland on May 25, 2009. Isringhausen faced 4 batters, gave up three straight walks and then the game-winning hit. Officially in the game, Izzy did not record an out. Gave up 1 hit, 3 walks, 0 strikeouts, 2 runs, both earned. He threw 23 pitches and only 9 were strikes - including the game-winning hit.
In February 2011, Isringhausen returned to the Mets, signing a minor league deal with the team. After spending time in the minors, Isringhausen performed well in his return to the Majors with the Mets and eventually landed the job of setup man man for Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez
Francisco Rodriguez
Francisco Rodriguez may refer to:*Francisco Rodríguez , Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers who is nicknamed "K-Rod"...
. After Rodriguez was traded to the ilwaukee Brewers in the middle of the season, Isringhausen was slotted into the closer role and eventually earned his 300th save against the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
.
Paul Wilson
With the first pick in the 1994 first-year player draft the Mets selected what many thought as the most promising member of the trio, college phenom Paul Wilson. Featuring a strong fastball/slider combo he made the majors in early 1996 after strong minor league numbers. He had often been accused of possessing poor mechanics, and the stress put on his pitching arm haunted him early. After pitching 187 innings in the minors the year before, he spent much of 1996 on the disabled list. Wilson returned to the major leagues in 2000 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Since then he has been a reliable reliever at the back of the rotation. He spent 2003–2005 with the Cincinnati RedsCincinnati 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....
, and although he was probably the best of the Reds’ beleaguered starters he is now remembered most for being body-tackled to the turf by Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
pitcher Kyle Farnsworth
Kyle Farnsworth
Kyle Lynn Farnsworth is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who is currently the closer for the Tampa Bay Rays.-High school and college:...
. After spending all of the 2006 season in the minor leagues, Paul Wilson retired with a career Major League record of 40–58 and a 4.86 career ERA.