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Mike Scott (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Michael Warren "Mike" Scott (born April 26, 1955 in Santa Monica, California
) is a former right-handed pitcher
in Major League Baseball
for the New York Mets
and the Houston Astros
. He won the National League
Cy Young Award
in . Scott is part of a select group of pitchers that have thrown a no-hitter
and struck out
300 batters in the same season.
. He made his Major League debut with the Mets
in . The Mets traded Scott to the Astros for Danny Heep
on December 11, . By the end of the 1982 season, Scott had compiled a 14-27 major league record and was happy to be traded away from the poorly managed Mets that featured a four-man starting pitching rotation. Scott continued to struggle in his first two seasons with the Astros, going 15-17.
The turning point in Scott's career came in , when he became a student of legendary pitching coach Roger Craig
. Craig taught Scott the split-finger fastball
, a pitch he had made famous while coaching the pitchers of the 1984 World Series
champion Detroit Tigers
. Scott became an 18-game winner in 1985 and was rewarded with a new three-year deal with the Astros, valued at around two million dollars.
against the San Francisco Giants
at the Astrodome to clinch the National League West
division title for the Astros
. (This game was voted one of the top-5 games played in the Astrodome after the Astros moved to Enron Field following the 1999 season.)
Scott's outstanding form continued into the postseason, when Houston faced the Eastern Division
champion New York Mets
in the 1986 National League Championship Series
. The Astros lost the series, 4 games to 2, but those two Astros' victories were courtesy of Scott's overwhelming starting pitching performances in Games 1 and 4. In fact, so dominating was Scott against the Mets' batting order in those two games that Game 6 was considered something of a "must win" for the Mets' pennant hopes; a Game 6 loss to the Astros would have meant that New York would again face an apparently unbeatable Mike Scott in a deciding Game 7 in the Astrodome. The Mets did win that Game 6 in sixteen innings—averting another Mike Scott appearance—to win the league pennant
In recognition of his regular season performance, Scott was awarded the 1986 National League Cy Young Award
as the league's best pitcher. Additionally, Scott was voted the NL 1986 NLCS MVP, the first time in NLCS history that a member of the losing team was so honored.
, and threw two scoreless innings. He was also the opening day starter for the Astros
.
In , Scott once more was named the Astros
' opening day starter. On June 12, he was denied a second no-hitter when the Atlanta Braves
' Ken Oberkfell
singled to right with two outs in the ninth inning.
In , Scott won 20 games and finished second in NL Cy Young Award voting, behind reliever Mark Davis of the San Diego Padres
. He was for the third consecutive time, the opening day starter for the Astros
.
Injuries began to plague him shortly thereafter. Scott retired after the season. As of the 2006 season, Mike is third all-time for the Astros in wins (110) and fourth in strikeouts (1318), and in his jersey #33 has been retired by the Astros.
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
) is a former right-handed 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...
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...
for the 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...
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...
. He won 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...
Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
in . Scott is part of a select group of pitchers that have thrown a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
and 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....
300 batters in the same season.
Early career
Scott was drafted by the Mets in the 2nd round of the 1976 Major League Baseball Draft1976 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1976 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The 1976 Arizona State University team, considered by many to be the best collegiate team ever, played a major role in the draft. Floyd Bannister was picked number one...
. He made his Major League debut with the Mets
1979 New York Mets season
The 1979 New York Mets season was the 18th regular season for the Mets, who played home games at Shea Stadium. Led by manager Joe Torre, the team had a 63-99 record yielding a 6th place finish in the National League's Eastern Division.- Offseason :...
in . The Mets traded Scott to the Astros for Danny Heep
Danny Heep
Daniel William Heep , is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder.Heep played for five different ballclubs during his 13 year career: the Houston Astros , New York Mets , Los Angeles Dodgers , Boston Red Sox , and Atlanta Braves .Heep played for two different World Series champions: the New...
on December 11, . By the end of the 1982 season, Scott had compiled a 14-27 major league record and was happy to be traded away from the poorly managed Mets that featured a four-man starting pitching rotation. Scott continued to struggle in his first two seasons with the Astros, going 15-17.
The turning point in Scott's career came in , when he became a student of legendary pitching coach Roger Craig
Roger Craig (baseball)
Roger Craig may refer to:*Roger Craig , former NFL running back*Roger Craig , former pitcher, coach and manager in Major League Baseball...
. Craig taught Scott the split-finger fastball
Split-finger fastball
A split-finger fastball or splitter is a pitch in baseball. It is named after the technique of putting the index and middle finger on different sides of the ball, or "splitting" them. When thrown hard, it appears to be a fastball to the batter, but suddenly "drops off the table" towards home...
, a pitch he had made famous while coaching the pitchers of the 1984 World Series
1984 World Series
The 1984 World Series began on October 9 and ended on October 14, 1984. The American League champion Detroit Tigers played against the National League champion San Diego Padres, with the Tigers winning the series four games to one....
champion Detroit Tigers
1984 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers won the 1984 World Series, defeating the San Diego Padres, 4 games to 1. The season was their 84th since they entered the American League in 1901 and their fourth World Series championship. Detroit relief pitcher Willie Hernandez won the Cy Young Award and was chosen as the...
. Scott became an 18-game winner in 1985 and was rewarded with a new three-year deal with the Astros, valued at around two million dollars.
1986
Scott had his most successful and controversial season in 1986, when he posted an 18-10 record with a 2.22 ERA, striking out a league-leading 306 batters. He was accused of using the illegal tactic of scuffing the baseball but was never caught doing so. In addition, on September 25 of that season, he threw a 2-0 no-hitterNo-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
against the San Francisco Giants
1986 San Francisco Giants season
-Offseason:* October 24, 1985: George Riley and Alonzo Powell were traded by the Giants to the Montreal Expos for Bill Laskey.* December 11, 1985: Manny Trillo was traded by the Giants to the Chicago Cubs for Dave Owen....
at the Astrodome to clinch 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...
division title for the Astros
1986 Houston Astros season
-Regular season:* Kevin Bass had a twenty game hit streak during the season.* Dave Smith set a club record with 33 saves in one season.* September 24, 1986: Jim Deshaies set a record for the most strikeouts to start a game...
. (This game was voted one of the top-5 games played in the Astrodome after the Astros moved to Enron Field following the 1999 season.)
Scott's outstanding form continued into the postseason, when Houston faced the Eastern Division
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...
champion New York Mets
1986 New York Mets season
The 1986 New York Mets season was the Mets' 25th season in the National League. They began the season looking to equal or improve upon their 98–64 record from 1985 and to try to win the National League East Division. They finished the season with a 108–54 record, cruising to the division title...
in the 1986 National League Championship Series
1986 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 8, 1986 at Astrodome in Houston, TexasGame 1 featured a pitching duel between eventual NLCS Most Valuable Player Mike Scott and Dwight Gooden. Scott allowed just five hits and walked one while striking out 14 in a complete-game effort as the host Astros prevailed 1–0...
. The Astros lost the series, 4 games to 2, but those two Astros' victories were courtesy of Scott's overwhelming starting pitching performances in Games 1 and 4. In fact, so dominating was Scott against the Mets' batting order in those two games that Game 6 was considered something of a "must win" for the Mets' pennant hopes; a Game 6 loss to the Astros would have meant that New York would again face an apparently unbeatable Mike Scott in a deciding Game 7 in the Astrodome. The Mets did win that Game 6 in sixteen innings—averting another Mike Scott appearance—to win the league pennant
In recognition of his regular season performance, Scott was awarded the 1986 National League Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
as the league's best pitcher. Additionally, Scott was voted the NL 1986 NLCS MVP, the first time in NLCS history that a member of the losing team was so honored.
Later career
In , Scott was the National League starter in the All-Star Game1987 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1987 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 58th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 14, 1987 at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland,...
, and threw two scoreless innings. He was also the opening day starter for the Astros
1987 Houston Astros season
The Houston Astros' 1987 season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Houston Astros attempting to win the National League West.-Offseason:* October 24, 1986: Matt Keough was released by the Astros....
.
In , Scott once more was named the Astros
1988 Houston Astros season
The Houston Astros' 1988 season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Houston Astros attempting to win the National League West.-Offseason:*October 13, 1987: Ronn Reynolds was released by the Houston Astros...
' opening day starter. On June 12, he was denied a second no-hitter when the Atlanta Braves
1988 Atlanta Braves season
-Offseason:* November 13, 1987: Ken Griffey, Sr. was signed as a free agent by the Braves.* December 6, 1987: Graig Nettles was signed as a free agent by the Braves.* March 24, 1988: Graig Nettles was purchased from the Braves by the Montreal Expos....
' Ken Oberkfell
Ken Oberkfell
Kenneth Raymond Oberkfell is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman and ex-coach for the New York Mets. He played from 1977-1992 for six different teams. Oberkfell primarily played third base but was also known to play second base and both corner outfield positions...
singled to right with two outs in the ninth inning.
In , Scott won 20 games and finished second in NL Cy Young Award voting, behind reliever Mark Davis of the San Diego Padres
1989 San Diego Padres season
-Offseason:* October 24, 1988: Lance McCullers, Jimmy Jones, and Stan Jefferson were traded by the Padres to the New York Yankees for Jack Clark and Pat Clements.* December 8, 1988: Bruce Hurst was signed as a free agent by the Padres....
. He was for the third consecutive time, the opening day starter for the Astros
1989 Houston Astros season
The Houston Astros' 1989 season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Houston Astros attempting to win the National League West.-Offseason:* December 4, 1988: The Astros traded a player to be named later to the Minnesota Twins for Mark Portugal...
.
Injuries began to plague him shortly thereafter. Scott retired after the season. As of the 2006 season, Mike is third all-time for the Astros in wins (110) and fourth in strikeouts (1318), and in his jersey #33 has been retired by the Astros.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- 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 no-hitters