Phillippe Aumont
Encyclopedia
Phillippe Aumont is a minor league professional baseball
pitcher
with the Philadelphia Phillies
organization. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners
11th overall in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft. He is the third earliest Canadian pick (after Adam Loewen
and Jeff Francis
, both picked in 2002) and the first Quebec player to be picked in the first round in MLB draft history.
in Gatineau, Quebec. Aumont was just 15 years old when his hometown Montreal Expos
left for Washington after the 2004 season, but still supports the team despite playing in a new location.
with the 11th overall pick of the 2007 amateur draft
. On August 15, 2007, Aumont reached a deal with the Mariners and signed a contract which included a $1.9 million signing bonus.
, and Curtis Granderson
in order; the last two by strikeout, to escape the inning with no runs surrendered.
, the Seattle Mariners Advanced A affiliate. Because he continued not to produce as hoped the Seattle organization decided to begin converting Aumont into a reliever He posted a 3.24 ERA, with a 2-6 record, in 29 appearances as the Maverick's closer, saving 12 games, before being promoted to the Mariner's AA affiliate in mid-July. AA ball proved to hard for the Canadian, he posted a 5.09 ERA only getting one win along with 4 loses for a 1-4 record. The following season he was sent back down to single A baseball.
On December 16, Seattle finally cut their ties with him and he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies
along with Tyson Gillies
and J. C. Ramírez
for Cliff Lee
.
, where he lost six games and won one, with an horrendous ERA of 7.43. He also struggled with hit batters and wild pitches resulting in him being moved back to the bullpen. He was sent down the high-A Clearwater Threshers
in early June.
and has been clocked in the high 70s to low 80s. He has also thrown a changeup
on occasion.
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...
with the Philadelphia 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...
organization. He was drafted 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...
11th overall in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft. He is the third earliest Canadian pick (after Adam Loewen
Adam Loewen
Adam Alexander Loewen is a Canadian professional baseball outfielder and infielder for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws left-handed...
and Jeff Francis
Jeff Francis
Jeffrey William Francis is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.-Early life:...
, both picked in 2002) and the first Quebec player to be picked in the first round in MLB draft history.
Early life
As a child his first love was baseball and he was never crazy about hockey. He played baseball in high school at École secondaire du VersantÉcole secondaire du Versant
École secondaire du Versant is a public secondary school located in Gatineau, Quebec. It is located on Boulevard de la Cité at the corner of Boulevard La Verendrye in the Gatineau sector and is operated by the Commission Scolaire des Draveurs school board.The school is the most recent Francophone...
in Gatineau, Quebec. Aumont was just 15 years old when his hometown Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
left for Washington after the 2004 season, but still supports the team despite playing in a new location.
Family life
In September 2003, Phillipe Aumont left his father's place to go live with his coach, Stéphane Pétronzio, and his family of three children, where he currently resides.Draft
Phillippe was drafted by the Seattle MarinersSeattle 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...
with the 11th overall pick of the 2007 amateur draft
2007 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, and was held on June 7 and June 8, 2007...
. On August 15, 2007, Aumont reached a deal with the Mariners and signed a contract which included a $1.9 million signing bonus.
2008
Phillippe Aumont appeared in 15 games; starting eight, for the Seattle Mariners A level affiliate, posting a 2.75 era over 55 2/3 innings with 50 strikeouts versus 19 walks. He also began his professional career by not allowing a run in his first six appearances over 17 2/3 innings pitched. He was placed on the disabled list on June 10 and again on August 21, where he remained for the rest of the season.2009 World Baseball Classic
Phillippe Aumont pitched for team Canada in the 2009 WBC, appearing in the 7th inning against team U.S.A. on March 7. He struggled early, giving up two hits and a walk, before settling down. He then proceeded to retire MLB all-stars David Wright, Kevin YoukilisKevin Youkilis
Kevin Edmund Youkilis , also known as "Youk" , is an American professional baseball player with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball...
, and Curtis Granderson
Curtis Granderson
Curtis Granderson is an American Major League Baseball player for the New York Yankees. Before joining the Yankees in 2010, he played with the Detroit Tigers . A center fielder, Granderson is known for being a five-tool player...
in order; the last two by strikeout, to escape the inning with no runs surrendered.
2009
Aumont began the 2009 baseball season with the High Desert MavericksHigh Desert Mavericks
The High Desert Mavericks are a minor league baseball team in Adelanto, California, USA. Their Major League parent club is the Seattle Mariners. They are a Class A - Advanced team in the California League and had been a farm team of the Kansas City Royals since 2005 before the switch...
, the Seattle Mariners Advanced A affiliate. Because he continued not to produce as hoped the Seattle organization decided to begin converting Aumont into a reliever He posted a 3.24 ERA, with a 2-6 record, in 29 appearances as the Maverick's closer, saving 12 games, before being promoted to the Mariner's AA affiliate in mid-July. AA ball proved to hard for the Canadian, he posted a 5.09 ERA only getting one win along with 4 loses for a 1-4 record. The following season he was sent back down to single A baseball.
On December 16, Seattle finally cut their ties with him and he was traded to the Philadelphia 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...
along with Tyson Gillies
Tyson Gillies
Tyson Gillies is a minor league Outfielder in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. He was the Seattle Mariners' 25th round selection in the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft; signed by Mariners scout Wayne Norton. He graduated R.E...
and J. C. Ramírez
J. C. Ramírez
Juan Carlos "J. C." Ramírez is a minor league baseball pitcher currently in the Philadelphia Phillies organization.-Seattle Mariners:...
for Cliff Lee
Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer "Cliff" Lee is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee has also played for the Cleveland Indians, the Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers....
.
2010
Aumont started in the Phillies organization with the double-A Reading PhilliesReading 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....
, where he lost six games and won one, with an horrendous ERA of 7.43. He also struggled with hit batters and wild pitches resulting in him being moved back to the bullpen. He was sent down the high-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....
in early June.
Pitching
Aumont is a typical "power" pitcher: a pitcher with a hard fastball and sharp breaking ball whose goal is to strike out as many batters as possible. Standing 6'7" and weighing 255 pounds, Aumont throws a fastball in the mid 90s, reaching the upper 90s on occasion, with late movement. His breaking pitch is a "power slurve" which moves more like a curveballCurveball
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...
and has been clocked in the high 70s to low 80s. He has also thrown 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...
on occasion.