Jake Peavy
Encyclopedia
Jacob Edward Peavy is a starting pitcher
in Major League Baseball
who plays for the Chicago White Sox
. He bats and throws right-handed. Peavy stands 6'1" tall (1.85 m) and weighs 182 pounds (83 kg).
in the 15th round (472nd overall) of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft
out of high school (St. Paul's Episcopal School
). He was named the high school player of the year in the state of Alabama. Peavy declined an offer to pitch for Auburn University
in order to accept the Padres' contract offer.
Peavy pitched for the Arizona League Padres and the Idaho Falls Braves in and the Fort Wayne Wizards in . In , Peavy played with the Lake Elsinore Storm
and the Mobile BayBears
. He spent all of playing for the BayBears.
Peavy was called up from Double A to make his Major League Debut on June 22, 2002 against the New York Yankees
at Qualcomm Stadium
. He lost the game, allowing one run on 3 hits in 6 innings while striking out 4.
During his third year of major league experience in , Peavy emerged as the Padres' ace starting pitcher and one of the best pitchers in baseball. He compiled a 15-6 record, struck out
173 in 166 innings
and led the Major Leagues with a 2.27 ERA
. He became the youngest pitcher to win an ERA title since Dwight Gooden
in 1985. On September 17, 2004, Barry Bonds
hit his 700th home run
off of Peavy.
On March 5, 2005 he signed a four-year 14.5 million contract and held a club option for 2009 extension with the Padres.
During the 2005 season
, Peavy was selected for the National League All-Star
team and ended the regular season leading the National League in strikeouts with 216 (in 203 innings). He was second in the majors to Minnesota's Johan Santana
who had 238 strikeouts. In addition he finished the season with a 13–7 record, 2.88 ERA, a strikeout-to-walk ratio of over 4:1 and WHIP
of 1.044.
After the Padres
won the National League West
in 2005, Peavy was widely considered the key to upsetting the St. Louis Cardinals
, whom they faced in the National League Division Series
. Peavy gave up eight runs in the first game, and afterwards it was announced that he would miss the rest of the season with a broken rib, which he apparently suffered while celebrating the Padres clinching the NL West Championship.
Peavy was the captain of Team USA
in the World Baseball Classic
. He started the opening game for the U.S., a 2–0 win over Mexico
, giving up just one hit and no runs over three innings. He did not factor in the decision in the second round game against Japan, as he gave up three runs in five innings in a game that the U.S. won, 4–3.
In 2006
, Peavy got off to a rocky start, in part due to mechanical adjustments brought on by various off-season injuries. Although Peavy would go only 11–14 with a 4.09 ERA, he still managed to finish second in the National League in strikeouts with 215, one shy of both his 2005 league-leading total and of the 2006 NL strikeout leader, Aaron Harang
who logged 32 more innings than Peavy. In the playoffs, the Padres
again faced the St. Louis Cardinals
in the first round. As the game one starter, Peavy had a much stronger outing than his 2005 playoff game, but the Padres again lost to the Cardinals.
On July 1, 2007, for the second time in his career, Peavy was named to the 2007 NL All-Star Team
. On July 9, he was named as the starting pitcher for the NL.
On August 2, 2007 Peavy struck out Arizona Diamondbacks
outfielder
Jeff DaVanon
, for his 1000th career strikeout.
Peavy won the pitching Triple Crown
in 2007, leading the National League with 19 wins, 240 strikeouts, and a 2.54 ERA. Since the divisional play era started in 1969, Peavy is only the eighth player to accomplish this feat. On October 23, Peavy won the Players Choice Award for Outstanding NL Pitcher
. He added the NL Cy Young—as a unanimous choice—on November 15, becoming just the 10th National League player in history to win the Cy Young Award in a unanimous vote (Sandy Koufax
was unanimously selected three times).
The completion of the 2007 campaign represented Peavy's sixth year in the league. Over that six-year period Peavy collected two strikeout champion awards, two major league ERA titles, and a unanimous, triple-crown Cy Young Award.
On December 12, 2007, he signed a 4 year extension, worth $52 million with the Padres. At the time the contract was the largest in Padres history. The contract includes a $22 million option for 2013.
On April 5, 2008, Peavy pitched a two-hit complete game over the Los Angeles Dodgers
. The following day, still-images from FOX sports video feed from the game showed a dirty, brown substance on the index and middle fingers, along with his thumb. Manager Bud Black
defended Peavy saying that "it was a mixture of dirt and rosin
". In the two games immediately following the report, Peavy posted a 1–0 record with a 1.92 ERA
. In May he went on the DL with a sore throwing elbow. He returned on June 12 and pitched six shutout innings with four strikeouts. He ended 2008 with only a 10–11 record, but had one of the lowest run support per start of any pitcher in the league, and finished the season with a 2.85 ERA.
Peavy had been the subject of numerous trade rumors during the 2008 offseason, amidst reports that the Padres were looking to reduce salaries and build on young players for the future. In November 2008, Peavy added the New York Yankees to the list of teams he would accept a trade to. The list included several teams from the NL including the Atlanta Braves
, St. Louis Cardinals
, the Chicago Cubs
, the Los Angeles Dodgers
, and the Houston Astros
. Peavy preferred to be in the NL, so the Yankees would not be involved. The Astros and Cardinals decided they would not pursue Peavy after talking with GM Kevin Towers
on what they would have to give up.
In November 2008, the Padres were working with the Braves on a Peavy trade, in which Peavy would be traded to Atlanta for SS Yunel Escobar
, OF Gorkys Hernandez
, P Blaine Boyer
and one of P Charlie Morton or P Jo-Jo Reyes
. The Padres wanted the two top prospects in the organization as well, pitcher Tommy Hanson
and outfielder Jordan Schafer
, but after a few weeks, the Braves decided to move on to bring in a few free agents.
Peavy in spring training
pitched 14 total innings with no runs allowed, 10 strikeouts and no walks. Peavy rejected a trade to the Chicago White Sox, which included Aaron Poreda
and Clayton Richard
, saying that remaining in San Diego was best for him and his family. On May 22, Peavy hurt his ankle rounding third base against the Chicago Cubs
in a start where he earned the win with 6 scoreless innings and 10 strikeouts a day after rejecting a trade to the White Sox. On June 12, Peavy learned he had a strained tendon in the back of his ankle, suffered in the May 22nd start. He was placed on the DL the same day. At the time of his injury, Peavy was 6-6 with 3.96 ERA and 92 strikeouts.
On July 31, Peavy agreed to a trade to the Chicago White Sox in a last minute trade deadline day deal for Clayton Richard
, Aaron Poreda
, Adam Russell
and Dexter Carter.
In his first start for the White Sox, Peavy pitched 5 innings, giving up 3 runs (all earned), and striking out 5, getting the win against the Kansas City Royals
. Peavy went 3-0 in his time with the White Sox compiling his year's record to 9-6, in his 2009 stint with the White Sox he shut out the Detroit Tigers on two occasions.
In 2010, Peavy got off to a rough start going 2-5 with a 6.05 ERA. Peavy then won five consecutive starts with a 1.99 ERA.
On July 6, while pitching in the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
, Peavy injured his right arm and immediately walked off the field. He was diagnosed with a detached latissimus dorsi muscle in his back. He had surgery on July 14, 2010 at Rush Presbyterian Hospital in Chicago and missed the remainder of the season.
s (88-90 mph) and a four-seam fastball
(93-97 mph), a hard slider
(83-88 mph), a changeup
(80-84 mph), and sports an occasional curveball
(74-76 mph).
In his most successful games, Peavy most comfortably uses his two-seam fastballs, throwing an occasional slider. With the idea of the two-seam fastball, Peavy can control and run his fastball
to both sides of the plate, cut it in and away from hitters, and make the fastball
sink or fade, all in the high 80s-low 90s and can keep the hitters honest by spotting a four-seam fastball
at 95 mph.
Since 2004 Peavy has posted the lowest WHIP of any Major Leaguer. Peavy's two-seam fastball acts primarily as a sinker and induces many ground balls. This can allow Peavy to induce many double plays when runners are on base. Peavy likes to run his fastballs in on lefties and make the pitch break back into the zone, similar to a power version of Greg Maddux
's technique.
The natural movement of Peavy's pitches creates a heavier ball which helps to limit the number of home run
s Peavy gives up, having allowed only 13 in over 220 innings in 2007.
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
in 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...
who plays for 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...
. He bats and throws right-handed. Peavy stands 6'1" tall (1.85 m) and weighs 182 pounds (83 kg).
Minor leagues
Peavy was drafted by the San Diego PadresSan 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...
in the 15th round (472nd overall) of 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...
out of high school (St. Paul's Episcopal School
St. Paul's Episcopal School
St. Paul's Episcopal School is an independent, religious, co-educational preparatory school in Mobile, Alabama.- History :St. Paul's Episcopal School was founded in 1947 with one section of twenty kindergarten students. William S. Mann, former Rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, nurtured the...
). He was named the high school player of the year in the state of Alabama. Peavy declined an offer to pitch for Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
in order to accept the Padres' contract offer.
Peavy pitched for the Arizona League Padres and the Idaho Falls Braves in and the Fort Wayne Wizards in . In , Peavy played with the Lake Elsinore Storm
Lake Elsinore Storm
The Lake Elsinore Storm is a minor league baseball team in Lake Elsinore, California, USA. It is a Class A - Advanced team in the California League, and is a farm team of the San Diego Padres. The Storm plays its home games at Lake Elsinore Diamond...
and the Mobile BayBears
Mobile BayBears
The Mobile BayBears are a minor league baseball team based in Mobile, Alabama, United States. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks major league club. The BayBears play in Hank Aaron Stadium, named after baseball's former all-time home...
. He spent all of playing for the BayBears.
2002
Peavy was called up from Double A to make his Major League Debut on June 22, 2002 against the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
at Qualcomm Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area....
. He lost the game, allowing one run on 3 hits in 6 innings while striking out 4.
2004
During his third year of major league experience in , Peavy emerged as the Padres' ace starting pitcher and one of the best pitchers in baseball. He compiled a 15-6 record, struck 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....
173 in 166 innings
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
and led the Major Leagues with a 2.27 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...
. He became the youngest pitcher to win an ERA title since 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:...
in 1985. On September 17, 2004, Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
hit his 700th 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...
off of Peavy.
2005
On March 5, 2005 he signed a four-year 14.5 million contract and held a club option for 2009 extension with the Padres.
During the 2005 season
2005 Major League Baseball season
Click on any series score to link to that series' page.Higher seed had home field advantage during Division Series and League Championship Series.The American League champion had home field advantage during the World Series as a result of the AL victory in the 2005 All-Star...
, Peavy was selected for the National League All-Star
2005 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2005 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 76th playing of the midseason exhibition baseball game between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 12, 2005 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan,...
team and ended the regular season leading the National League in strikeouts with 216 (in 203 innings). He was second in the majors to Minnesota's Johan Santana
Johan Santana
Johan Alexander Santana Araque is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher who is currently playing for the New York Mets. He is a native of Venezuela....
who had 238 strikeouts. In addition he finished the season with a 13–7 record, 2.88 ERA, a strikeout-to-walk ratio of over 4:1 and WHIP
Walks plus hits per inning pitched
In baseball statistics, walks plus hits per inning pitched is a sabermetric measurement of the number of baserunners a pitcher has allowed per inning pitched. It is a measure of a pitcher's ability to prevent batters from reaching base...
of 1.044.
After the Padres
2005 San Diego Padres season
-Opening Day starters:Played at Coors Field on April 4, 2005. The Colorado Rockies defeated the Padres 12-10.-Notable transactions:*June 7, 2005: Josh Geer was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 3rd round of the 2005 amateur draft. Player signed July 1, 2005.-Roster:-Starters by position:Note:...
won the National League West
National League West
The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...
in 2005, Peavy was widely considered the key to upsetting the St. Louis Cardinals
2005 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals 2005 season was the team's 124th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 114th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 100-62 during the season and won the National League Central division by 11 games over the NL Wild-Card Champion and eventual NL Champion Houston...
, whom they faced in the National League Division Series
2005 National League Division Series
-Atlanta Braves vs. Houston Astros:-Game 1, October 4:Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriIt was a matchup between Jake Peavy and eventual 2005 Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter. In the bottom of the first, Jim Edmonds's one-out solo homer put the Cardinals up 1–0...
. Peavy gave up eight runs in the first game, and afterwards it was announced that he would miss the rest of the season with a broken rib, which he apparently suffered while celebrating the Padres clinching the NL West Championship.
Peavy was the captain of Team USA
USA Baseball
USA Baseball was founded in , and is the governing body for amateur baseball in the United States of America. It is a member of the United States Olympic Committee and organizes the United States national baseball team...
in the World Baseball Classic
2006 World Baseball Classic
---------Pool B:-------------Pool C:-------------Pool D:-------------Pool 1:-----------------Pool 2:-------------Finals:-Semifinals:-Final:-Final standings:...
. He started the opening game for the U.S., a 2–0 win over Mexico
Mexico national baseball team
The Mexico national baseball team is the baseball team which represents Mexico in international tournaments. They are currently the eighth ranked baseball team in the world.-Pan American Games:*1951 Bronze Medal *1963 Bronze Medal...
, giving up just one hit and no runs over three innings. He did not factor in the decision in the second round game against Japan, as he gave up three runs in five innings in a game that the U.S. won, 4–3.
2006
In 2006
2006 Major League Baseball season
In , the Major League Baseball season ended with the National League's St. Louis Cardinals winning the World Series with the lowest regular season victory total in history. The American League continued its domination at the All-Star Game by winning its fourth straight game; the A.L. has won nine...
, Peavy got off to a rocky start, in part due to mechanical adjustments brought on by various off-season injuries. Although Peavy would go only 11–14 with a 4.09 ERA, he still managed to finish second in the National League in strikeouts with 215, one shy of both his 2005 league-leading total and of the 2006 NL strikeout leader, Aaron Harang
Aaron Harang
Aaron Michael Harang is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher.-Amateur career:Harang graduated from Patrick Henry High School then went on to San Diego State University...
who logged 32 more innings than Peavy. In the playoffs, the Padres
2006 San Diego Padres season
The 2006 San Diego Padres season captured their second consecutive National League West crown, with a record of 88-74, and for the first time in franchise history back-to-back postseason appearances, and three consecutive winning seasons...
again faced the St. Louis Cardinals
2006 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals 2006 season was the team's 125th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 115th season in the National League. The season started out with a bang, as the team raced out to a 31-16 record by late May...
in the first round. As the game one starter, Peavy had a much stronger outing than his 2005 playoff game, but the Padres again lost to the Cardinals.
2007
On July 1, 2007, for the second time in his career, Peavy was named to the 2007 NL All-Star Team
2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 78th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 10, 2007, at AT&T Park, the home of the NL's San Francisco Giants...
. On July 9, he was named as the starting pitcher for the NL.
On August 2, 2007 Peavy struck out Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Jeff DaVanon
Jeff DaVanon
Jeffrey Graham DaVanon is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder.DaVanon came up through the Oakland Athletics system before being traded to the Anaheim Angels as a minor-leaguer in ....
, for his 1000th career strikeout.
Peavy won the pitching Triple Crown
Triple crown (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, a player earns the Triple Crown when he leads a league in three specific statistical categories. For batters, a player must lead the league in home runs, run batted in , and batting average; pitchers must lead the league in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average...
in 2007, leading the National League with 19 wins, 240 strikeouts, and a 2.54 ERA. Since the divisional play era started in 1969, Peavy is only the eighth player to accomplish this feat. On October 23, Peavy won the Players Choice Award for Outstanding NL Pitcher
Players Choice Award
The Players Choice Awards are annual Major League Baseball awards, given by the Major League Baseball Players Association .The Players Choice Awards are given following a secret ballot by players. Four awards go to a player in each league, while two awards each go to one player in all of Major...
. He added the NL Cy Young—as a unanimous choice—on November 15, becoming just the 10th National League player in history to win the Cy Young Award in a unanimous vote (Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
was unanimously selected three times).
The completion of the 2007 campaign represented Peavy's sixth year in the league. Over that six-year period Peavy collected two strikeout champion awards, two major league ERA titles, and a unanimous, triple-crown Cy Young Award.
On December 12, 2007, he signed a 4 year extension, worth $52 million with the Padres. At the time the contract was the largest in Padres history. The contract includes a $22 million option for 2013.
2008
On April 5, 2008, Peavy pitched a two-hit complete game over the Los Angeles Dodgers
2008 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 2008 Los Angeles Dodgers season features the Dodgers celebrating their Golden Anniversary in Southern California under new manager Joe Torre as they won the National League West for the first time since 2004, and returned to the postseason after missing the playoffs in 2007. They swept the...
. The following day, still-images from FOX sports video feed from the game showed a dirty, brown substance on the index and middle fingers, along with his thumb. Manager Bud Black
Bud Black
Harry Ralston "Bud" Black is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher and current manager of the San Diego Padres.-College:Black played two years at Lower Columbia College in Longview...
defended Peavy saying that "it was a mixture of dirt and rosin
Rosin
.Rosin, also called colophony or Greek pitch , is a solid form of resin obtained from pines and some other plants, mostly conifers, produced by heating fresh liquid resin to vaporize the volatile liquid terpene components. It is semi-transparent and varies in color from yellow to black...
". In the two games immediately following the report, Peavy posted a 1–0 record with a 1.92 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 May he went on the DL with a sore throwing elbow. He returned on June 12 and pitched six shutout innings with four strikeouts. He ended 2008 with only a 10–11 record, but had one of the lowest run support per start of any pitcher in the league, and finished the season with a 2.85 ERA.
Peavy had been the subject of numerous trade rumors during the 2008 offseason, amidst reports that the Padres were looking to reduce salaries and build on young players for the future. In November 2008, Peavy added the New York Yankees to the list of teams he would accept a trade to. The list included several teams from the NL including 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....
, 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...
, the 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...
, the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, and the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
. Peavy preferred to be in the NL, so the Yankees would not be involved. The Astros and Cardinals decided they would not pursue Peavy after talking with GM Kevin Towers
Kevin Towers
Kevin S. Towers is currently the general manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He also served as the general manager of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres from 1995-2009.-Playing career:...
on what they would have to give up.
In November 2008, the Padres were working with the Braves on a Peavy trade, in which Peavy would be traded to Atlanta for SS Yunel Escobar
Yunel Escobar
Yunel Almenares Escobar is a professional baseball shortstop with the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball.-Early life:Escobar was born in Havana, Cuba...
, OF Gorkys Hernandez
Gorkys Hernández
Gorkys Gustavo Hernández is a Venezuelan professional baseball outfielder in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization currently assigned to their triple A Indianapolis Indians of the International League....
, P Blaine Boyer
Blaine Boyer
Blaine Thomas Boyer is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played for the Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, and New York Mets.-Baseball career:...
and one of P Charlie Morton or P Jo-Jo Reyes
Jo-Jo Reyes
Joseph Albert "Jo-Jo" Reyes is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball...
. The Padres wanted the two top prospects in the organization as well, pitcher Tommy Hanson
Tommy Hanson
Thomas J "Tommy" Hanson is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Atlanta Braves. Hanson was considered by Baseball America to be the top prospect in the Braves farm system going into the 2009 season...
and outfielder Jordan Schafer
Jordan Schafer
Jordan James Schafer is a Major League Baseball center fielder for the Houston Astros.-Baseball career:...
, but after a few weeks, the Braves decided to move on to bring in a few free agents.
2009, first half
Peavy 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...
pitched 14 total innings with no runs allowed, 10 strikeouts and no walks. Peavy rejected a trade to the Chicago White Sox, which included Aaron Poreda
Aaron Poreda
Aaron Andermon Poreda is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball....
and Clayton Richard
Clayton Richard
Clayton Colby Richard is a left-handed pitcher for the San Diego Padres. He is 6 feet and 5 inches tall, and weighs 240 pounds.-High school:Richard was awarded Indiana's Mr. Football and Mr...
, saying that remaining in San Diego was best for him and his family. On May 22, Peavy hurt his ankle rounding third base against the 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...
in a start where he earned the win with 6 scoreless innings and 10 strikeouts a day after rejecting a trade to the White Sox. On June 12, Peavy learned he had a strained tendon in the back of his ankle, suffered in the May 22nd start. He was placed on the DL the same day. At the time of his injury, Peavy was 6-6 with 3.96 ERA and 92 strikeouts.
2009, second half
On July 31, Peavy agreed to a trade to the Chicago White Sox in a last minute trade deadline day deal for Clayton Richard
Clayton Richard
Clayton Colby Richard is a left-handed pitcher for the San Diego Padres. He is 6 feet and 5 inches tall, and weighs 240 pounds.-High school:Richard was awarded Indiana's Mr. Football and Mr...
, Aaron Poreda
Aaron Poreda
Aaron Andermon Poreda is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball....
, Adam Russell
Adam Russell
Adam W. Russell is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball.In , Russell was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the sixth round as the 179th overall pick....
and Dexter Carter.
In his first start for the White Sox, Peavy pitched 5 innings, giving up 3 runs (all earned), and striking out 5, getting the win against the 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...
. Peavy went 3-0 in his time with the White Sox compiling his year's record to 9-6, in his 2009 stint with the White Sox he shut out the Detroit Tigers on two occasions.
2010
In 2010, Peavy got off to a rough start going 2-5 with a 6.05 ERA. Peavy then won five consecutive starts with a 1.99 ERA.
On July 6, while pitching in the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Los 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...
, Peavy injured his right arm and immediately walked off the field. He was diagnosed with a detached latissimus dorsi muscle in his back. He had surgery on July 14, 2010 at Rush Presbyterian Hospital in Chicago and missed the remainder of the season.
Scouting report
Peavy's repertoire includes the command of a cut fastball (90-92 mph) two-seam fastballFastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
s (88-90 mph) and a four-seam fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
(93-97 mph), a hard slider
Slider
In baseball, a slider is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball....
(83-88 mph), a changeup
Changeup
A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball. Other names include change-of-pace, Bugs Bunny change-up, the dreaded equalizer, and simply change. The changeup is sometimes called an off-speed pitch, although that term can also be used simply to mean any pitch that is slower than a fastball...
(80-84 mph), and sports an occasional curveball
Curveball
The curveball is a type of pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball causing it to dive in a downward path as it approaches the plate. Its close relatives are the slider and the slurve. The "curve" of the ball varies from pitcher to...
(74-76 mph).
In his most successful games, Peavy most comfortably uses his two-seam fastballs, throwing an occasional slider. With the idea of the two-seam fastball, Peavy can control and run his fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
to both sides of the plate, cut it in and away from hitters, and make the fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
sink or fade, all in the high 80s-low 90s and can keep the hitters honest by spotting a four-seam fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
at 95 mph.
Since 2004 Peavy has posted the lowest WHIP of any Major Leaguer. Peavy's two-seam fastball acts primarily as a sinker and induces many ground balls. This can allow Peavy to induce many double plays when runners are on base. Peavy likes to run his fastballs in on lefties and make the pitch break back into the zone, similar to a power version of Greg Maddux
Greg Maddux
Gregory Alan Maddux , nicknamed "Mad Dog" and "The Professor", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the first pitcher in major league history to win the Cy Young Award for four consecutive years , a feat matched only by Randy Johnson...
's technique.
The natural movement of Peavy's pitches creates a heavier ball which helps to limit the number of 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 Peavy gives up, having allowed only 13 in over 220 innings in 2007.
Personal
Peavy and his wife Katie have three sons. Jacob Edward II, born on June 20, 2001, Wyatt, born on May 24, 2004, and Judson Lee born in 2008.See also
- List of Major League Baseball ERA champions
- List of Major League Baseball strikeout champions
- List of Major League Baseball wins champions
- List of Major League Baseball Cy Young Award winners
- Triple crownTriple crown (baseball)In Major League Baseball, a player earns the Triple Crown when he leads a league in three specific statistical categories. For batters, a player must lead the league in home runs, run batted in , and batting average; pitchers must lead the league in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average...