Michael Zagurski
Encyclopedia
Michael Justin Zagurski (born January 27, 1983 in Omaha, Nebraska
) is an American
baseball
pitcher
for the Arizona Diamondbacks
organization.
, finished at University of Kansas
, where he set the single season record for strike outs, and started the season in the minor leagues
with the Single-A Clearwater Threshers
before being promoted to the Double-A Reading Phillies
. On May 25, when Brett Myers
was placed on the disabled list
, Zagurski was placed on the Phillies major league roster. He made his first appearance that evening.
"The only thing I could say was, 'wow,'" he later told The Philadelphia Inquirer
.
Almost 60 of the pitcher's friends, former teammates, and family were in attendance at Zagurski's first major league appearance at the Atlanta Braves
' Turner Field
. Legendary broadcaster Harry Kalas
remarked on the cheers that greeted Zagurski's entry to the game and added that the 'Phillies might have themselves a left-hander' after Zagurski retired the first three batters he faced.
pinch hitter Julio Franco
, who made his major league debut for the Phillies the year before Zagurski was born, and retired San Francisco Giants
outfielder Barry Bonds
less than two weeks after being called up. On the possibility of pitching to the potential future Hall of Famer, Zagurski had said, "Having an opportunity to face [Bonds] would be awesome. I'm sure I would notice him, but he's still trying to hit the ball and I'm still trying to get him out, so I think the star-strucking will stop"
On June 7, Zagurski won his first major league game as the Phillies completed a three-game sweep of the first-place New York Mets
at Shea Stadium
. Phillies color commentator Gary Matthews
said Zagurski believed he had a place in the major leagues and that the young pitcher was "not at all in awe of being here." Phillies manager Charlie Manuel
said after the game that Zagurski "has a future in the big leagues, and he definitely has a future with us.”
On July 15, Zagurski pitched the entire ninth inning of the Phillies' 10,000th franchise loss. The game, which was carried nationally on ESPN
's Sunday Night Baseball
, saw the St. Louis Cardinals
beat the Phillies 10–2.
On July 27, Myers was activated from the 15-day disabled list and the Phillies optioned Zagurski to the Triple-A Ottawa Lynx
. On August 15, Zagurski was recalled to the majors when starter Adam Eaton
was placed on the 15-day disabled list.
. On April 25, 2009, Zagurski was recalled to AA Reading from Clearwater.
Zagurski started the 2010 season with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs
, the Triple-A Affiliate of the Phillies
, and was recalled to the major league club on June 22, 2010. He pitched innings in his return, allowing one walk
and one strikeout
.
Zagurski was designated for assignment
by the Phillies on September 16, 2011.
Zagurski was traded by the Phillies to Arizona on September 23, 2011.
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
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 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...
organization.
From unrecruited to the majors
Zagurski was neither drafted after high school nor recruited by any four-year colleges. He started his college career at Hutchinson Community CollegeHutchinson Community College
Hutchinson Community College is a two-year college located in Hutchinson, Kansas. Its mascot is the Blue Dragon. Philadelphia Phillies reliever Mike Zagurski attended the school.-External links:*...
, finished at University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
, where he set the single season record for strike outs, and started the season in the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
with the Single-A Clearwater Threshers
Clearwater Threshers
The Clearwater Threshers are a minor league baseball team that currently plays in the Florida State League. Since 2004, the team competes in the West Division....
before being promoted to the Double-A Reading Phillies
Reading Phillies
The Reading Phillies are a minor league baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League. Since the 1967 season, they have been the AA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies....
. On May 25, when Brett Myers
Brett Myers
Brett Allen Myers is a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who is currently playing for the Houston Astros.-High school career:...
was placed on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
, Zagurski was placed on the Phillies major league roster. He made his first appearance that evening.
"The only thing I could say was, 'wow,'" he later told The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
.
Almost 60 of the pitcher's friends, former teammates, and family were in attendance at Zagurski's first major league appearance at 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....
' Turner Field
Turner Field
Turner Field is a stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, home to Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves since 1997. Turner Field was originally built as Centennial Olympic Stadium, it was completed in 1996 to serve as the centerpiece of the 1996 Summer Olympics...
. Legendary broadcaster Harry Kalas
Harry Kalas
Harry Norbert Kalas was an American sportscaster, best known for his Ford C. Frick Award-winning role as lead play-by-play announcer for Major League Baseball's Philadelphia Phillies...
remarked on the cheers that greeted Zagurski's entry to the game and added that the 'Phillies might have themselves a left-hander' after Zagurski retired the first three batters he faced.
2007 season
Zagurski walked New York MetsNew 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...
pinch hitter Julio Franco
Julio Franco
Julio César Robles Franco is a former Major League Baseball infielder and designated hitter. In , Franco was the oldest active player in the major leagues at the age of 49....
, who made his major league debut for the Phillies the year before Zagurski was born, and retired San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
outfielder 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...
less than two weeks after being called up. On the possibility of pitching to the potential future Hall of Famer, Zagurski had said, "Having an opportunity to face [Bonds] would be awesome. I'm sure I would notice him, but he's still trying to hit the ball and I'm still trying to get him out, so I think the star-strucking will stop"
On June 7, Zagurski won his first major league game as the Phillies completed a three-game sweep of the first-place New York Mets
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...
at Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
. Phillies color commentator Gary Matthews
Gary Matthews
Gary Nathaniel Matthews Sr. , nicknamed Sarge, is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball. He now serves as a color commentator for the Philadelphia Phillies. From through , Matthews played for the San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Seattle...
said Zagurski believed he had a place in the major leagues and that the young pitcher was "not at all in awe of being here." Phillies manager Charlie Manuel
Charlie Manuel
Charles Fuqua Manuel, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball outfielder and current Major League Baseball manager of the Philadelphia Phillies...
said after the game that Zagurski "has a future in the big leagues, and he definitely has a future with us.”
On July 15, Zagurski pitched the entire ninth inning of the Phillies' 10,000th franchise loss. The game, which was carried nationally on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's Sunday Night Baseball
Sunday Night Baseball
Sunday Night Baseball is the Major League Baseball exclusive game of the week that is televised Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN during the regular season...
, saw 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...
beat the Phillies 10–2.
On July 27, Myers was activated from the 15-day disabled list and the Phillies optioned Zagurski to the Triple-A Ottawa Lynx
Ottawa Lynx
The Ottawa Lynx were a minor league baseball team that formerly competed in the Triple-A International League from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field was Lynx Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. Over the team's 15 seasons, it was the Triple-A Minor League affiliate of the Montreal Expos , Baltimore...
. On August 15, Zagurski was recalled to the majors when starter Adam Eaton
Adam Eaton
Adam Thomas Eaton is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.-High school:Eaton graduated from Snohomish High School in 1996 where he went 8–0 with a 0.67 earned run average as a senior, and earned second team High School All-America honors from Baseball America. Ranked the No...
was placed on the 15-day disabled list.
2008–2011
On April 3, 2008, Zagurski underwent season-ending Tommy John surgeryTommy 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...
. On April 25, 2009, Zagurski was recalled to AA Reading from Clearwater.
Zagurski started the 2010 season with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs
Lehigh Valley IronPigs
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a minor league baseball team that plays in the International League. The IronPigs are the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. The team plays their home games at Coca-Cola Park, which is located in Allentown, Pennsylvania...
, the Triple-A Affiliate of the Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, and was recalled to the major league club on June 22, 2010. He pitched innings in his return, allowing 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...
and one 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....
.
Zagurski was designated for assignment
Designated for assignment
Designated for assignment is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball. When a player is designated for assignment, he is immediately removed from the club's 40-man roster. This gives the club 10 days to decide what to do with the player while freeing up a roster spot for another...
by the Phillies on September 16, 2011.
Zagurski was traded by the Phillies to Arizona on September 23, 2011.