Roy Oswalt
Encyclopedia
Roy Edward Oswalt is an American
Major League Baseball
pitcher and Olympic gold medalist who is currently a free agent. Oswalt, a slender six-foot right-handed starting pitcher
, is currently in his eleventh major league season. He spent the first nine and a half years of his career in the Houston Astros
organization.
Oswalt is currently considered to be among the elite pitchers in the National League. After completing nine years (2001–2009), Oswalt has compiled an 137–70 record with a 3.23 ERA
and a 3.58 strikeout-to-walk ratio (1473 – to – 418) in 1803.1 innings pitched
. He posted a 20–12 record in 2005 with a 2.94 ERA, repeating his 20-win performance of 2004. He was the ace of a Houston Astros
staff that included Roger Clemens
and Andy Pettitte
. He is also a three-time All-Star. On August 29, 2006, Oswalt's 29th birthday, he signed a five year extension with the Houston Astros totaling $73 million with an option for a 6th year.
, the son of Billy Oswalt, a logger
and a Vietnam veteran. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Nicole, and together they have two daughters. When they were children, he and Nicole played T-ball against one another. At Weir High School, Oswalt played defensive back and wide receiver on the football team, which won a state title his senior year. He graduated in a class with 32 students.
in Goodman, Mississippi
for two years.
in the 23rd round of the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft
; he was signed for $500,000 by Astros scouts Ralph Bratton, Brian Granger, and James Farrar on May 18, .
In , Oswalt played rookie ball in the Gulf Coast League
, and played well enough to be called up to the Auburn Doubledays
of the New York - Penn League
.
He split between the same two teams. In 16.0 innings of work with the Gulf Coast Astros, he struck out 27 batters and walked just one. He was promoted again to Auburn, where he recorded the league's fourth-lowest ERA
(2.18).
In , when Oswalt was with the Class A Michigan Battle Cats
in the Midwest League
, he suffered an apparently serious shoulder
injury. After a month of pain in his upper shoulder, Oswalt was convinced that his shoulder was torn. Shortly thereafter, he was checking the spark plug
wires on his pickup truck
. He touched one of the spark plug wires, causing the truck's engine
to start. The truck's electric current
flowed through Oswalt's body, and consequently the muscles in his hand tightened on the spark plug wire. Unable to let go of it, Oswalt grasped the wire for almost one minute
. Oswalt then claimed his foot slipped off the truck's bumper and he was finally "thrown off." After the electric shock
, Oswalt told his wife that his shoulder's condition improved and that he no longer felt any pain. According to Sports Illustrated
, he reported it thus to his wife: "My truck done shocked the fire out of me, and my arm don't hurt no more." Apparently, the electric charge loosened accumulated scar tissue
in the shoulder. Oswalt claims he has not felt any pain in his shoulder since the incident. He finished 1999 with 143 strikeout
s and a club-high 13 wins.
Oswalt began with the Class A Kissimmee Cobras of the Florida State League
, going 4–3 with a 2.98 ERA before a player injury on Class AA Round Rock Express
of the Texas League
, got him called up. Oswalt was only expected to pitch a few games, and had been given a round-trip ticket. But after striking out 15 batters in his first start with the Express, manager Jackie Moore
tore up his ticket. Nolan Ryan
, owner of the Express and Oswalt's idol, admired his calm demeanor and his aggressiveness so much that he successfully lobbied to keep Oswalt on the roster, where he would go 11–4 with a 1.94 ERA, and recording 141 strikeouts over 19 games (18 starts). It was here that he met pitching coach Mike Maddux
, who counseled the young Oswalt to be economical in his pitch selection by throwing more breaking balls and inducing groundouts early in the count.
As a result of his success at Round Rock, Oswalt was selected to play on the United States
baseball
team at the 2000 Summer Olympics
.
In the Olympics, Oswalt pitched in the semi-finals against South Korea
, a game that the U.S. won with a walk-off home run by Doug Mientkiewicz
en route to their surprising gold medal
finish.
In , Oswalt started the season with the Class AAA New Orleans Zephyrs
, where he went 2–3 before being called up to the major leagues when left-hander Wayne Franklin
was optioned down.
Oswalt finished his rookie
campaign in 2001 with a 14–3 record and a 2.73 ERA, including a 12- 2 mark with a 2.82 ERA in his 20 starts. He finished second in voting for National League Rookie of the Year, losing unanimously to Albert Pujols
of the St. Louis Cardinals
. He also placed fifth in Cy Young Award
voting, which was won by Randy Johnson
of the Arizona Diamondbacks
. He won the Sporting News NL Rookie Pitcher of the Year Award
. He pitched 24 consecutive scoreless innings before giving up a second-inning home run to Andrés Galarraga
of the San Francisco Giants
.
The 2002 season was another step forward for Oswalt, who finished the season with a 19–9 record, striking out a career-high 208 batters and finishing with an ERA of 3.01. He tied with Eric Gagné
for fourth in Cy Young voting, losing once again to Johnson. From July 27 to September 8, he won a then-club record 9 straight starts before getting a no-decision in an extra innings Astros loss to St. Louis.
Injuries plagued Oswalt in 2003, but he still recorded a 10–5 record over just 21 starts. He started a no-hitter
against the New York Yankees
on June 11. Oswalt left after one inning, and 5 more Astros continued to no-hit the Yankees.
He rebounded in 2004 with the first 20-win season of his career, the only National League
pitcher to do so that year. He went 20–10 despite a career-high 3.49 ERA, and struck out 206 batters. He finished third in Cy Young Award voting, behind his teammate Roger Clemens
and, once again, Randy Johnson. He also made his first postseason appearance, going 1–0 with a 4.19 ERA in three starts and one relief appearance. He threw two complete-game shutouts during the season, both against the Milwaukee Brewers
. He led all NL starters with the fastest average fastball, at 94 miles per hour (151.3 km/h).http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=y&type=4&season=2004&month=0 He won the Darryl Kile Award, presented to the individual "who reflects the qualities of decency and character represented by" the former Astros and Cardinals pitcher.
In 2005, Oswalt threw a career-high 241 and two thirds innings, striking out 184 batters and only walking 48 on the way to his second consecutive 20-win season – the first Astro to do so since Joe Niekro
in 1979–80. He notched a 20–12 record, including a career-best 10-game winning streak from April 10 to July 26, with a sparkling 2.94 ERA, and was named to his first Major League Baseball All-Star Game
as the National League All-Star Final Vote
winner. He was fourth in Cy Young Award balloting, losing to Chris Carpenter
of the Cardinals. In the postseason that year, Oswalt started 4 games and went 3–0. His two seven inning one-run performances netted him the NLCS MVP award, including a three-hit seven strikeout gem in game 6, after the Astros lost game 5 on a home run by Albert Pujols
in the ninth inning.
Oswalt went 15–8 in 2006, and was named to his second consecutive All-Star team, led the National League with a 2.94 ERA, and struck out 166 batters while only walking 38. At the 2006 trade deadline, there was a rumor that the New York Mets
had acquired Roy Oswalt, but it was a false statement. He again finished fourth in Cy Young Award voting, losing once again to the ace of the Arizona Diamondbacks – not Randy Johnson this time, who had been traded to the New York Yankees
– but rather Brandon Webb
. Also ahead of him in voting were Carpenter and San Diego Padres
closer Trevor Hoffman
, who had set the career record for saves. On September 18, while pitching to the Cincinnati Reds
, Oswalt recorded his 1,000th strikeout, becoming the eighth player in Astros history to reach this milestone.
Before the 2007 season, Roy Oswalt received the 2nd highest Pitcher Player Value Ranking from Sports Illustrated
Baseball Preview Edition. He was rated the best in the NL ahead of Brandon Webb and Chris Carpenter, and was only below the 2006 Triple Crown
winner Johan Santana
. On July 5, 2007 ESPNews reported that Oswalt replaced an injured John Smoltz
on the National League All-star team, making it Oswalt's 3rd consecutive all-star game appearance. He did not pitch in the 2007 All-Star game, however. On August 13, 2007, Sports Illustrated named Roy Oswalt as one of the 5 pitchers (along with Johan Santana, Roy Halladay
, Jake Peavy
, and Justin Verlander
) in the Current Dream Team. On 26 September 2007, it was reported that Oswalt was suffering from pain in his left side and it was decided to shut him down for the remainder of the season so as not to risk a more serious injury. He finished the 2007 season throwing 212 innings, his fourth consecutive year of 200 or more innings pitched, a 14–7 record, an ERA of 3.18 and 154 strikeouts. For the second straight year he has suffered from a bad bullpen, which has cost him three to four victories on the year.
Although he started off the 2008 season slowly (0–3, 9.00 ERA
), a solid second half helped Roy Oswalt reach his highest win total since 2005. Oswalt was able to accomplish this despite landing on the disabled list on July 19 for the first time since 2006. He also set an Astros team record with 32 scoreless innings. He finished the 2008 season throwing 208 innings, his fifth consecutive year of 200 or more innings pitched, a 17–10 record, an ERA of 3.54 and 165 strikeouts.
Oswalt is one of only 10 major league pitchers who won at least 11 games in each year from 2004 to 2008, the others being Tim Hudson
, Livan Hernandez
, CC Sabathia, Derek Lowe
, Johan Santana
, Javier Vazquez
, Carlos Zambrano
, Jason Marquis
, and John Lackey
.
In 2009, Oswalt played for the United States in the World Baseball Classic
appearing in two games. He was the winning pitcher in the contest versus the Netherlands, but was pulled from the semifinal against Japan in the fourth inning after giving up 6 runs.
On July 29, Oswalt was dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies for J. A. Happ
and two minor league players, center fielder Anthony Gose, and shortstop Jonathan Villar, playing for Class-A Advanced and Class-A respectively.
On August 24, Oswalt became the first Phillies pitcher to play a position other than pitcher in 39 years when he took left field against the Astros in the top of the 15th inning. Ryan Howard
was ejected in the bottom of the 14th, moving left fielder Raul Ibanez
to Howard's position at first base; as the Phillies had previously used all of the position players on their active roster, they were forced to play Oswalt in left, where he acquired one putout. At the plate, he recorded the final out of the 4–2 game in the bottom of the 16th with two outs after a walk and an intentional walk when he grounded out to the third baseman. The previous Phillies pitcher to play a position was Bill Wilson
, who played third base for a third of an inning on Aug. 6, 1971.
On September 12, Oswalt pitched his first complete game as a Phillie in a 3–0 win against the New York Mets
, allowing four hits and striking out six.
After a strong start to the 2011 season, Oswalt abruptly took a leave of absence from the Phillies on April 27, 2011, citing "personal reasons," namely to check on his family and home after a series of devastating tornadoes in Mississippi. He later returned to Philadelphia but his back problems forced the Phillies to place him on the DL.
Oswalt made his first start back from from the DL on August 7, 2011 against the San Francisco Giants
, holding them to three runs in six innings. Oswalt made his next two starts against the division-rival Washington Nationals
, earning two victories; over eight scoreless innings in the second contest, he allowed eight hits, allowed only one walk and struck out nine. After the 2011 season for the Phillies, the team declined his option, thus making him a free agent.
Oswalt throws four primary pitches. His fastball
is consistently between 92 miles per hour (148.1 km/h) and 94 miles per hour (151.3 km/h), occasionally touching 95 miles per hour (152.9 km/h) to 97 miles per hour (156.1 km/h); he throws a high percentage of fastballs and is known to be very aggressive, at times throwing multiple fastballs in a row into the strike zone. He throws an overhand curveball
at a speed of approximately 70 miles per hour (112.7 km/h) that is thrown with three fingers over the seams. Oswalt also throws a Vulcan changeup
in the low 80s, which he added to his repertoire during the 2010 offseason, and a slider
in the mid-80s.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
pitcher and Olympic gold medalist who is currently a free agent. Oswalt, a slender six-foot right-handed starting pitcher
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....
, is currently in his eleventh major league season. He spent the first nine and a half years of his career in 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...
organization.
Oswalt is currently considered to be among the elite pitchers in the National League. After completing nine years (2001–2009), Oswalt has compiled an 137–70 record with a 3.23 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...
and a 3.58 strikeout-to-walk ratio (1473 – to – 418) in 1803.1 innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
. He posted a 20–12 record in 2005 with a 2.94 ERA, repeating his 20-win performance of 2004. He was the ace of a 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...
staff that included Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...
and Andy Pettitte
Andy Pettitte
Andrew Eugene Pettitte is a retired American left-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher.In his major league career, he played for the New York Yankees from 1995–2003. He then signed with the Houston Astros, and played for them from 2004 through 2006. In 2007, Pettitte rejoined the Yankees...
. He is also a three-time All-Star. On August 29, 2006, Oswalt's 29th birthday, he signed a five year extension with the Houston Astros totaling $73 million with an option for a 6th year.
Personal life
Oswalt grew up in Weir, MississippiWeir, Mississippi
Weir is a town in Choctaw County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 553 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Weir is located at , along the Yockanookany River....
, the son of Billy Oswalt, a logger
Lumberjack
A lumberjack is a worker in the logging industry who performs the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into forest products. The term usually refers to a bygone era when hand tools were used in harvesting trees principally from virgin forest...
and a Vietnam veteran. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Nicole, and together they have two daughters. When they were children, he and Nicole played T-ball against one another. At Weir High School, Oswalt played defensive back and wide receiver on the football team, which won a state title his senior year. He graduated in a class with 32 students.
College career
Oswalt attended Holmes Community CollegeHolmes Community College
Holmes Community College is a community college located in the state of Mississippi, headquartered in the Goodman Campus in Goodman.The system has three campuses in the cities of Grenada, Ridgeland, and Goodman, which is the location of the main or original campus. Holmes has satellite campuses in...
in Goodman, Mississippi
Goodman, Mississippi
Goodman is a town in Holmes County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,252 at the 2000 census. It is the birthplace of John A. Lomax , pioneering folklorist, andDavid Herbert Donald , Pulitzer-prize-winning historian....
for two years.
Minor league career
Oswalt was drafted by the Houston AstrosHouston 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...
in the 23rd round of the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft
1996 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1996 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 4 and 5, 1996...
; he was signed for $500,000 by Astros scouts Ralph Bratton, Brian Granger, and James Farrar on May 18, .
In , Oswalt played rookie ball in the Gulf Coast League
Gulf Coast League
The Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
, and played well enough to be called up to the Auburn Doubledays
Auburn Doubledays
The Auburn Doubledays are a minor league baseball team in Auburn, New York, USA, that is owned and operated by Auburn Community Baseball. They are a member of the Short-Season Class A New York-Penn League and have been a farm team of the Houston Astros , the Toronto Blue Jays , and Washington...
of the New York - Penn League
New York - Penn League
The New York – Penn League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the northeastern United States. It is classified as a "Short-Season A" league; its season starts in June, after major-league teams have signed their amateur draft picks to professional contracts, and ends in early...
.
He split between the same two teams. In 16.0 innings of work with the Gulf Coast Astros, he struck out 27 batters and walked just one. He was promoted again to Auburn, where he recorded the league's fourth-lowest 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...
(2.18).
In , when Oswalt was with the Class A Michigan Battle Cats
Michigan Battle Cats
The Michigan Battle Cats was a minor league baseball team which began playing in the Midwest League in 1995 and called C.O. Brown Stadium in Battle Creek, Michigan home. The franchise had previously been located in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994 where they were called the Madison Hatters. Prior to that...
in the Midwest League
Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort...
, he suffered an apparently serious shoulder
Shoulder
The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle , the scapula , and the humerus as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder make up the shoulder joints. The major joint of the shoulder is the glenohumeral joint, which...
injury. After a month of pain in his upper shoulder, Oswalt was convinced that his shoulder was torn. Shortly thereafter, he was checking the spark plug
Spark plug
A spark plug is an electrical device that fits into the cylinder head of some internal combustion engines and ignites compressed fuels such as aerosol, gasoline, ethanol, and liquefied petroleum gas by means of an electric spark.Spark plugs have an insulated central electrode which is connected by...
wires on his pickup truck
Pickup truck
A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
. He touched one of the spark plug wires, causing the truck's engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
to start. The truck's electric current
Electric current
Electric current is a flow of electric charge through a medium.This charge is typically carried by moving electrons in a conductor such as wire...
flowed through Oswalt's body, and consequently the muscles in his hand tightened on the spark plug wire. Unable to let go of it, Oswalt grasped the wire for almost one minute
Minute
A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units...
. Oswalt then claimed his foot slipped off the truck's bumper and he was finally "thrown off." After the electric shock
Electric shock
Electric Shock of a body with any source of electricity that causes a sufficient current through the skin, muscles or hair. Typically, the expression is used to denote an unwanted exposure to electricity, hence the effects are considered undesirable....
, Oswalt told his wife that his shoulder's condition improved and that he no longer felt any pain. According to Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
, he reported it thus to his wife: "My truck done shocked the fire out of me, and my arm don't hurt no more." Apparently, the electric charge loosened accumulated scar tissue
Granulation tissue
Granulation tissue is the perfused, fibrous connective tissue that replaces a fibrin clot in healing wounds. Granulation tissue typically grows from the base of a wound and is able to fill wounds of almost any size it heals...
in the shoulder. Oswalt claims he has not felt any pain in his shoulder since the incident. He finished 1999 with 143 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....
s and a club-high 13 wins.
Oswalt began with the Class A Kissimmee Cobras of the Florida State League
Florida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
, going 4–3 with a 2.98 ERA before a player injury on Class AA Round Rock Express
Round Rock Express
The Round Rock Express is a class Triple-A Pacific Coast League minor league baseball team in Round Rock, Texas, owned by RSR Sports and founded by Reid Ryan, son of Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. The team is affiliated with the Texas Rangers, for whom Nolan Ryan serves as the president and...
of the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
, got him called up. Oswalt was only expected to pitch a few games, and had been given a round-trip ticket. But after striking out 15 batters in his first start with the Express, manager Jackie Moore
Jackie Moore (baseball)
Jackie Spencer Moore is the bench coach for the Texas Rangers currently on his fourth different stint as a coach the club...
tore up his ticket. Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
, owner of the Express and Oswalt's idol, admired his calm demeanor and his aggressiveness so much that he successfully lobbied to keep Oswalt on the roster, where he would go 11–4 with a 1.94 ERA, and recording 141 strikeouts over 19 games (18 starts). It was here that he met pitching coach Mike Maddux
Mike Maddux
Michael Ausley Maddux is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and the pitching coach of the Texas Rangers. He is the older brother of four-time Cy Young Award winner Greg Maddux....
, who counseled the young Oswalt to be economical in his pitch selection by throwing more breaking balls and inducing groundouts early in the count.
As a result of his success at Round Rock, Oswalt was selected to play on the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
baseball
Baseball at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Baseball at the 2000 Summer Olympics was the third time an Olympic baseball tournament had been held as a full medal sport, and the ninth time it had been part of the Summer Olympic Games in any capacity. It was held in Sydney, Australia from 17 September through to the bronze and gold medal games...
team at the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
.
In the Olympics, Oswalt pitched in the semi-finals against South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, a game that the U.S. won with a walk-off home run by Doug Mientkiewicz
Doug Mientkiewicz
Douglas Andrew Mientkiewicz is a first baseman who last appeared in the majors in with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed...
en route to their surprising gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
finish.
In , Oswalt started the season with the Class AAA New Orleans Zephyrs
New Orleans Zephyrs
The New Orleans Zephyrs are a minor league baseball team based in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. The Zephyrs play in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. The Zephyrs play their home games at Zephyr Field....
, where he went 2–3 before being called up to the major leagues when left-hander Wayne Franklin
Wayne Franklin
Gary Wayne Franklin is an American Major League Baseball pitcher for the independent Chico Outlaws of the Golden Baseball League. He previously played for the Houston Astros , Milwaukee Brewers , San Francisco Giants , New York Yankees , and Atlanta Braves...
was optioned down.
2001-2005
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
campaign in 2001 with a 14–3 record and a 2.73 ERA, including a 12- 2 mark with a 2.82 ERA in his 20 starts. He finished second in voting for National League Rookie of the Year, losing unanimously to Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
of 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...
. He also placed fifth in 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...
voting, which was won by Randy Johnson
Randy Johnson
Randall David Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 22-year career, he pitched for six different teams....
of 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...
. He won the Sporting News NL Rookie Pitcher of the Year Award
The Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award
The Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award was established in 1946 by The Sporting News .*In 1947-48, and again in 1950, a single award was given for all of Major League Baseball....
. He pitched 24 consecutive scoreless innings before giving up a second-inning home run to Andrés Galarraga
Andrés Galarraga
Andrés José Padovani Galarraga is a former Major League Baseball first baseman who played for the Montreal Expos , St. Louis Cardinals , Colorado Rockies , Atlanta Braves , Texas Rangers , San Francisco Giants and Anaheim Angels...
of the 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....
.
The 2002 season was another step forward for Oswalt, who finished the season with a 19–9 record, striking out a career-high 208 batters and finishing with an ERA of 3.01. He tied with Eric Gagné
Éric Gagné
Éric Serge Gagné is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.Signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent in 1995, Gagné began his career as a starting pitcher...
for fourth in Cy Young voting, losing once again to Johnson. From July 27 to September 8, he won a then-club record 9 straight starts before getting a no-decision in an extra innings Astros loss to St. Louis.
Injuries plagued Oswalt in 2003, but he still recorded a 10–5 record over just 21 starts. He started 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"...
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...
on June 11. Oswalt left after one inning, and 5 more Astros continued to no-hit the Yankees.
He rebounded in 2004 with the first 20-win season of his career, the only 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...
pitcher to do so that year. He went 20–10 despite a career-high 3.49 ERA, and struck out 206 batters. He finished third in Cy Young Award voting, behind his teammate Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...
and, once again, Randy Johnson. He also made his first postseason appearance, going 1–0 with a 4.19 ERA in three starts and one relief appearance. He threw two complete-game shutouts during the season, both against the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. He led all NL starters with the fastest average fastball, at 94 miles per hour (151.3 km/h).http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=y&type=4&season=2004&month=0 He won the Darryl Kile Award, presented to the individual "who reflects the qualities of decency and character represented by" the former Astros and Cardinals pitcher.
In 2005, Oswalt threw a career-high 241 and two thirds innings, striking out 184 batters and only walking 48 on the way to his second consecutive 20-win season – the first Astro to do so since Joe Niekro
Joe Niekro
Joseph Franklin Niekro was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He was the younger brother of pitcher Phil Niekro, and the father of Minor League Baseball pitcher Lance Niekro. A native of Blaine, Ohio, Niekro attended Bridgeport High School in Bridgeport, Ohio and attended West...
in 1979–80. He notched a 20–12 record, including a career-best 10-game winning streak from April 10 to July 26, with a sparkling 2.94 ERA, and was named to his first Major League Baseball All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
as the National League All-Star Final Vote
All-Star Final Vote
All-Star Final Vote is an annual Internet and text message ballot by Major League Baseball fans to elect the final player for each team that participates in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game after all other selections have been made and announced on national television. The first 33 players...
winner. He was fourth in Cy Young Award balloting, losing to Chris Carpenter
Chris Carpenter
Christopher John Carpenter is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2003, and is currently signed with the team until the 2011 season, with a club option for 2012.Carpenter was 22 years old and a highly-regarded prospect when he broke into the...
of the Cardinals. In the postseason that year, Oswalt started 4 games and went 3–0. His two seven inning one-run performances netted him the NLCS MVP award, including a three-hit seven strikeout gem in game 6, after the Astros lost game 5 on a home run by Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
in the ninth inning.
2006-2009
Oswalt went 15–8 in 2006, and was named to his second consecutive All-Star team, led the National League with a 2.94 ERA, and struck out 166 batters while only walking 38. At the 2006 trade deadline, there was a rumor that 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...
had acquired Roy Oswalt, but it was a false statement. He again finished fourth in Cy Young Award voting, losing once again to the ace of the Arizona Diamondbacks – not Randy Johnson this time, who had been traded to 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...
– but rather Brandon Webb
Brandon Webb
Brandon Tyler Webb is a Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the 2006 National League Cy Young Award winner.-High school:Webb attended Paul G...
. Also ahead of him in voting were Carpenter and 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...
closer Trevor Hoffman
Trevor Hoffman
Trevor William Hoffman is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During his 18-year career from 1993 to 2010, he pitched for the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, and the Milwaukee Brewers, spending years of his career with the Padres. A long-time closer, he is the Major...
, who had set the career record for saves. On September 18, while pitching to the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati 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....
, Oswalt recorded his 1,000th strikeout, becoming the eighth player in Astros history to reach this milestone.
Before the 2007 season, Roy Oswalt received the 2nd highest Pitcher Player Value Ranking from Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
Baseball Preview Edition. He was rated the best in the NL ahead of Brandon Webb and Chris Carpenter, and was only below the 2006 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...
winner 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....
. On July 5, 2007 ESPNews reported that Oswalt replaced an injured John Smoltz
John Smoltz
John Andrew Smoltz is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and active sportscaster. He is best known for his prolific career of more than two decades with the Atlanta Braves, in which he garnered eight All-Star selections and received the Cy Young Award in 1996...
on the National League All-star team, making it Oswalt's 3rd consecutive all-star game appearance. He did not pitch in the 2007 All-Star game, however. On August 13, 2007, Sports Illustrated named Roy Oswalt as one of the 5 pitchers (along with Johan Santana, Roy Halladay
Roy Halladay
Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...
, Jake Peavy
Jake Peavy
Jacob Edward Peavy is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who plays for the Chicago White Sox. He bats and throws right-handed...
, and Justin Verlander
Justin Verlander
Justin Brooks Verlander is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball....
) in the Current Dream Team. On 26 September 2007, it was reported that Oswalt was suffering from pain in his left side and it was decided to shut him down for the remainder of the season so as not to risk a more serious injury. He finished the 2007 season throwing 212 innings, his fourth consecutive year of 200 or more innings pitched, a 14–7 record, an ERA of 3.18 and 154 strikeouts. For the second straight year he has suffered from a bad bullpen, which has cost him three to four victories on the year.
Although he started off the 2008 season slowly (0–3, 9.00 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...
), a solid second half helped Roy Oswalt reach his highest win total since 2005. Oswalt was able to accomplish this despite landing on the disabled list on July 19 for the first time since 2006. He also set an Astros team record with 32 scoreless innings. He finished the 2008 season throwing 208 innings, his fifth consecutive year of 200 or more innings pitched, a 17–10 record, an ERA of 3.54 and 165 strikeouts.
Oswalt is one of only 10 major league pitchers who won at least 11 games in each year from 2004 to 2008, the others being Tim Hudson
Tim Hudson
Timothy Adam Hudson is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who plays for the Atlanta Braves. Hudson began his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and played his last two years of college eligibility at Auburn University...
, Livan Hernandez
Liván Hernández
Eisler Liván Hernández Carrera is a Cuban professional baseball pitcher. He is the half-brother of pitcher Orlando "El Duque" Hernández.-Playing career:...
, CC Sabathia, Derek Lowe
Derek Lowe
Derek Christopher Lowe is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Cleveland Indians. He throws and bats right-handed. He is 6'6" and 230 pounds.-Early years:...
, 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....
, Javier Vazquez
Javier Vázquez
Javier Carlos Vázquez is a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. Previously, he pitched for the Florida Marlins , Atlanta Braves , Chicago White Sox , Arizona Diamondbacks , New York Yankees and Montreal Expos . Vázquez was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico...
, Carlos Zambrano
Carlos Zambrano
Carlos Alberto Zambrano is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher with the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball. Zambrano, who stands 6' 5" and weighs 260 pounds, was signed by the Cubs as a free agent in 1997 and made his debut in 2001...
, Jason Marquis
Jason Marquis
Jason Scott Marquis is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He previously pitched for the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals and Arizona Diamondbacks....
, and John Lackey
John Lackey
John Derran Lackey is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. Lackey was drafted by the Anaheim Angels in 1999 and helped the franchise win its first World Series title in 2002, which was his first season in the major leagues...
.
In 2009, Oswalt played for the United States in the World Baseball Classic
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and created by Major League Baseball , the Major League Baseball Players Association , and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world...
appearing in two games. He was the winning pitcher in the contest versus the Netherlands, but was pulled from the semifinal against Japan in the fourth inning after giving up 6 runs.
2010
On July 29, Oswalt was dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies for J. A. Happ
J. A. Happ
James Anthony "J. A." Happ is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Houston Astros. He is a six-foot-six left-hander. Though his name is James Anthony and his initials are "J...
and two minor league players, center fielder Anthony Gose, and shortstop Jonathan Villar, playing for Class-A Advanced and Class-A respectively.
On August 24, Oswalt became the first Phillies pitcher to play a position other than pitcher in 39 years when he took left field against the Astros in the top of the 15th inning. Ryan Howard
Ryan Howard
Ryan James Howard is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies. Nicknamed "The Big Piece", Howard stands and weighs . He bats and throws left-handed....
was ejected in the bottom of the 14th, moving left fielder Raul Ibanez
Raúl Ibáñez
Raúl Javier Ibáñez is an American Major League Baseball outfielder.Over his career, Ibáñez, who did not make 500 plate appearances until the age of thirty, has batted .280 with 377 doubles, 252 home runs and 1054 runs batted in over sixteen Major League seasons...
to Howard's position at first base; as the Phillies had previously used all of the position players on their active roster, they were forced to play Oswalt in left, where he acquired one putout. At the plate, he recorded the final out of the 4–2 game in the bottom of the 16th with two outs after a walk and an intentional walk when he grounded out to the third baseman. The previous Phillies pitcher to play a position was Bill Wilson
Bill Wilson (pitcher)
William Harlan "Bill" Wilson was a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1969 to 1973.-External links:*...
, who played third base for a third of an inning on Aug. 6, 1971.
On September 12, Oswalt pitched his first complete game as a Phillie in a 3–0 win against 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...
, allowing four hits and striking out six.
2011
After a strong start to the 2011 season, Oswalt abruptly took a leave of absence from the Phillies on April 27, 2011, citing "personal reasons," namely to check on his family and home after a series of devastating tornadoes in Mississippi. He later returned to Philadelphia but his back problems forced the Phillies to place him on the DL.
Oswalt made his first start back from from the DL on August 7, 2011 against the 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....
, holding them to three runs in six innings. Oswalt made his next two starts against the division-rival Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
, earning two victories; over eight scoreless innings in the second contest, he allowed eight hits, allowed only one walk and struck out nine. After the 2011 season for the Phillies, the team declined his option, thus making him a free agent.
Pitches
Oswalt is known as one of the faster workers in baseball in terms of time between pitches. Despite his small frame, he is one of baseball's hardest hurlers, and frequently appears among the league leaders in innings pitched.Oswalt throws four primary pitches. 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...
is consistently between 92 miles per hour (148.1 km/h) and 94 miles per hour (151.3 km/h), occasionally touching 95 miles per hour (152.9 km/h) to 97 miles per hour (156.1 km/h); he throws a high percentage of fastballs and is known to be very aggressive, at times throwing multiple fastballs in a row into the strike zone. He throws an overhand 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...
at a speed of approximately 70 miles per hour (112.7 km/h) that is thrown with three fingers over the seams. Oswalt also throws a Vulcan changeup
Vulcan changeup
In baseball, the vulcan changeup pitch is a type of changeup; it closely resembles a forkball and split-finger fastball. It is a variation of the circle changeup, and when mastered can be extremely effective...
in the low 80s, which he added to his repertoire during the 2010 offseason, and a 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....
in the mid-80s.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- List of Major League Baseball ERA champions
- List of Major League Baseball wins champions