Scott Erickson
Encyclopedia
Scott Gavin Erickson is a former Major League Baseball
pitcher
.
, and began his professional career, after being drafted by the NY Mets in 1986, Houston Astros in 1987, and Toronto Blue Jays in 1988, in when he was drafted by the Minnesota Twins
in the 4th round of the amateur draft
. After 27 minor league starts, Erickson rose to the major leagues in his second season of professional baseball in direct from Class AA Orlando Sun Rays, a season in which he finished with a record of 8-4. After posting a record of 12-2 with a 1.39 ERA in the first half of the 1991 season, including being awarded the American League Pitcher of the Month award for May, Erickson won 20 games in his first full season and finished second to Roger Clemens
in the American League Cy Young Award
. During the Minnesota Twins
, World Series
winning season, Erickson led the majors in wins
with a record of 20-8. After giving up the most hits in the Major Leagues in , he became the third Twins pitcher to throw a no-hitter
on April 27, 1994, against the Milwaukee Brewers
. It was the first no-hitter in the Metrodome.
Erickson remained with the Twins until when he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles
, earning a peak annual salary
of $6,620,921. He later signed a five-year, $32-million contract with Baltimore through . At the end of his contract, he joined the New York Mets
and then was traded to the Texas Rangers
in 2004.
He was in the starting rotation for the Los Angeles Dodgers
in 2005. Erickson signed a deal with the New York Yankees
on February 16, 2006. Erickson was released by the Yankees on June 19 and retired from baseball at the beginning of the season.
Scott Erickson was a groundball pitcher, leading the league five times in most double plays, and is in the Top 5 alltime in groundball to flyout ratio. Erickson was highly involved in sports even during high school; while he attended Homestead High School in Cupertino, California
he played third base
, soccer and football
. After completing his secondary education, he graduated from San Jose City College
in 1988 and then majored in accounting at the University of Arizona
. Scott was inducted into the Arizona Wildcat Hall of Fame after just one year of pitching at the university. Erickson set a school record for wins with an 18-3 record, as he led the country in wins, innings pitched, and complete games(14). Those impressive numbers earned him a unanimous First Team All-American honor. His teammates at Arizona included Trevor Hoffman
, Kevin Long
, and J. T. Snow
.
In July 2002 Erickson was charged with second-degree assault after a fight with his girlfriend, but the charges were dropped before the case reached court. On February 3, 2004, Erickson married television reporter and model Lisa Guerrero
.
Erickson started a production company called "HomeTeam Productions". Erickson was an executive producer for the movie A Plumm Summer
which came out to theaters on April 25, 2008.
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
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...
.
Career
Erickson was born in Long Beach, CaliforniaLong Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, and began his professional career, after being drafted by the NY Mets in 1986, Houston Astros in 1987, and Toronto Blue Jays in 1988, in when he was drafted by the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
in the 4th round of the amateur draft
1989 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1989 Major League Baseball draft.-Supplemental first round selections:-External links:*...
. After 27 minor league starts, Erickson rose to the major leagues in his second season of professional baseball in direct from Class AA Orlando Sun Rays, a season in which he finished with a record of 8-4. After posting a record of 12-2 with a 1.39 ERA in the first half of the 1991 season, including being awarded the American League Pitcher of the Month award for May, Erickson won 20 games in his first full season and finished second to 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...
in the American 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...
. During the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
winning season, Erickson led the majors in wins
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
with a record of 20-8. After giving up the most hits in the Major Leagues in , he became the third Twins pitcher to throw 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"...
on April 27, 1994, 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...
. It was the first no-hitter in the Metrodome.
Erickson remained with the Twins until when he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, earning a peak annual salary
Salary
A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis....
of $6,620,921. He later signed a five-year, $32-million contract with Baltimore through . At the end of his contract, he joined 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 then was traded to the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
in 2004.
He was in the starting rotation for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
in 2005. Erickson signed a deal with 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 February 16, 2006. Erickson was released by the Yankees on June 19 and retired from baseball at the beginning of the season.
Scott Erickson was a groundball pitcher, leading the league five times in most double plays, and is in the Top 5 alltime in groundball to flyout ratio. Erickson was highly involved in sports even during high school; while he attended Homestead High School in Cupertino, California
Cupertino, California
Cupertino is an affluent suburban city in Santa Clara County, California in the U.S., directly west of San Jose on the western edge of the Santa Clara Valley with portions extending into the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The population was 58,302 at the time of the 2010 census. Forbes...
he played third base
Third Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...
, soccer and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
. After completing his secondary education, he graduated from San Jose City College
San Jose City College
San Jose City College, founded in 1921, is a community college located in the city of San Jose, Santa Clara County, California.San Jose City College was originally called San Jose Junior College and operated in downtown San Jose, California...
in 1988 and then majored in accounting at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
. Scott was inducted into the Arizona Wildcat Hall of Fame after just one year of pitching at the university. Erickson set a school record for wins with an 18-3 record, as he led the country in wins, innings pitched, and complete games(14). Those impressive numbers earned him a unanimous First Team All-American honor. His teammates at Arizona included 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...
, Kevin Long
Kevin Long (baseball)
Kevin Richard Long is a former minor league baseball player and the current hitting coach for the New York Yankees.-Playing career:Long graduated from Thunderbird High School in Phoenix, Arizona....
, and J. T. Snow
J. T. Snow
Jack Thomas "J. T." Snow, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball player. He played all but two games in his career as a first baseman, and played nine of his 13½ seasons with the San Francisco Giants...
.
In July 2002 Erickson was charged with second-degree assault after a fight with his girlfriend, but the charges were dropped before the case reached court. On February 3, 2004, Erickson married television reporter and model Lisa Guerrero
Lisa Guerrero
Lisa Coles Guerrero is an American sportscaster, actress, host and model. The Los Angeles Times has called Guerrero the 'hardest working sports reporter'. The Hispanic Business Journal named her one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in America. President George W...
.
Erickson started a production company called "HomeTeam Productions". Erickson was an executive producer for the movie A Plumm Summer
A Plumm Summer
A Plumm Summer is a 2007 adventure-family film directed by Caroline Zelder. It starred Owen Pearce, Chris Massoglia , Morgan Flynn, William Baldwin, Henry Winkler, and Lisa Guerrero...
which came out to theaters on April 25, 2008.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- List of Major League Baseball wins champions
- MLB All-Time Hit Batsmen ListMLB All-Time Hit Batsmen ListThis is a list of top 100 Major League Baseball pitchers who have the most hit batsmen of all time. There is an of hitters who have been hit by pitch the most times.Active players are denoted in bold text.-The List:* Bold denotes active player...
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
External links
- Scott Erickson baseball statistics provided by baseball-almanac.com.