Scott Spiezio
Encyclopedia
Scott Edward Spiezio (ˈspiːzi.oʊ; born September 21, 1972 in Joliet, Illinois
) is a former Major League Baseball
infielder
. He is currently an infielder for the Newark Bears of the independent Atlantic League . He is well known for his time as a member of the Anaheim Angels
, when he hit a 3-run home run
in Game Six of the 2002 World Series
against the San Francisco Giants
, sparking the Angels to a dramatic come-from-behind victory. He has also played for the Oakland Athletics
, Seattle Mariners
, and St. Louis Cardinals
. He is the son of former Padre and Cardinal Ed Spiezio
.
In addition to his pivotal moment helping the Angels win the World Series in , 2002 was also Spiezio's most productive season full season, with a .807 OPS
. Spiezio was a utility player on the St. Louis Cardinals 2006 World Series
championship team.
He is one of the baseball players whom the character Kenny Powers
is based on in the HBO series Eastbound and Down.
and was a student and a letterman in baseball. In baseball, he was named his league's MVP and was an All-State selection. His sophomore year he was nicknamed "The Man with the Golden Guitar", a name that has stuck with him his entire life.
. He made the All-Big 10 Team in baseball in and . Scott was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 1993 player draft and signed later that year. He made his debut with the A's and established himself as a classic utility player
, making starts at first base, second base, and third base
during his time with the A's. Spiezio is a switch hitter
who hits for more power when batting left-handed
.
Spiezio signed as a free agent with the Anaheim Angels after the season. During his years with the Angels, he made appearances in left field and right field, as well as first, second, and third base. In 2002, he had a career year. Playing every day, he set career highs for batting average, on-base percentage and RBI. It was in the postseason that he had his greatest success. Spiezio batted 18 for 55 (.327) for Anaheim in the playoffs that year. In Game 6 of the 2002 World Series, with Anaheim trailing three games to two in the series, trailing 5-0 in the seventh inning of the game, and facing a Series loss, Spiezio hit a three-run homer off of Félix Rodríguez
to pull his team to within two runs. A lead off homer by Darin Erstad
followed by a two-run double by Troy Glaus
in the next inning won the game, and the Angels would go on to win their first ever World Series championship. Spiezio tied Sandy Alomar Jr.'s postseason RBI with 19 in 1 postseason that was set back in while playing for the Cleveland Indians
.
After the 2003 season, Spiezio became a free agent and signed a contract with the Seattle Mariners. The next two seasons were the worst of his career. He hit .215 in for the Mariners and played only 29 games the next year (compiling an .064 average) before the Mariners released him on August 19, .
On February 18, , Spiezio signed a minor league contract with the St. Louis Cardinals with an invitation to the club's spring training
. Spiezio played well enough during the Cardinals' exhibition to secure a roster spot with the team as a reserve infielder entering the 2006 season. This move would reunite Spiezio with his former Angels teammate, shortstop David Eckstein
.
Spiezio, used as a pinch hitter
and all-around reserve player as well as the primary backup to Scott Rolen
at third base, had his best season since 2002 for the 2006 Cardinals, hitting 13 home runs and driving in 52 runs despite only getting 276 at bats. He would have another dramatic moment in the playoffs. With the Cardinals trailing 6-4 in the seventh inning of Game 2 of the 2006 National League Championship Series
, Spiezio hit a two-run triple to tie the score. The Cardinals went on to win the game and the series in seven games, then proceeded to win the 2006 World Series, earning Spiezio his second championship ring.
On November 16, 2006, Spiezio signed a two-year contract to return to the Cardinals until the end of the season, with a club option for . The deal was worth an estimated $4.5 million.
On June 15, , Spiezio took the mound as a relief pitcher
in the bottom of the 8th inning of a lopsided loss against the Athletics. His fastball
was clocked as high as 87 mph. He pitched one inning, giving up 1 walk
, no hits
, no runs
, and no strikeout
s. After having pitched in one game, Spiezio has played six positions in his career (seven counting designated hitter
), missing catcher
, shortstop
, and center field.
. Noted to have an elevated heart rate and "sweating profusely", Spiezio received IV fluids. He was described as being "irritable and anxious". Spiezio disconnected his IV and left the stadium rather than accept medical treatment.
On August 9, 2007, the Cardinals placed him on the restricted list. The Cardinals stated that Spiezio would be seeking treatment for an unspecified substance abuse problem.
On September 14, 2007, Spiezio was removed from the restricted list after 36 days and also re-activated to play in that evening's home game.
, California
. The warrant was issued on six charges relating to a car crash in December.
On March 31, , Spiezio signed a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves
. However, he was released on April 12 for being unprepared to play in a game.
. Spiezio signed another one-year deal to play the 2010 season for the Newark Bears
.he hit .279 with 3 homeruns and 35 runs batted in while appearing in 52 games.
Joliet, Illinois
Joliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. As of the 2010 census, the city was the fourth-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 147,433. It continues to be Illinois' fastest growing...
) is a former 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...
infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
. He is currently an infielder for the Newark Bears of the independent Atlantic League . He is well known for his time as a member of the Anaheim Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
, when he hit a 3-run home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
in Game Six of the 2002 World Series
2002 World Series
The 2002 World Series was a best-of-seven playoff series to determine the champion of Major League Baseball for the 2002 season. It was the 98th such contest between the champions of the American League and National League , and featured the AL champion Anaheim Angels against the NL champion San...
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....
, sparking the Angels to a dramatic come-from-behind victory. He has also played for the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, 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...
, and 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 is the son of former Padre and Cardinal Ed Spiezio
Ed Spiezio
Edward Wayne Spiezio is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the World Series-winning 1967 St. Louis Cardinals team. He also played for the San Diego Padres and the Chicago White Sox....
.
In addition to his pivotal moment helping the Angels win the World Series in , 2002 was also Spiezio's most productive season full season, with a .807 OPS
On-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player to both get on base and to hit for power, two important hitting skills, are represented. An OPS of .900 or higher in Major League...
. Spiezio was a utility player on the St. Louis Cardinals 2006 World Series
2006 World Series
The 2006 World Series, the 102nd edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, began on October 21 and ended on October 27, and matched the American League champion Detroit Tigers against the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals won the Series in five games, taking...
championship team.
He is one of the baseball players whom the character Kenny Powers
Kenny Powers
Kenny Powers is the fictional main character from the HBO television series Eastbound and Down, played by American actor Danny McBride. Powers is portrayed as a once dominant baseball pitcher, whose poor work ethic and short temper jeopardized his professional career...
is based on in the HBO series Eastbound and Down.
High school years
Spiezio attended Morris High School in Morris, IllinoisMorris, Illinois
Morris is a city in Grundy County, Illinois, United States. The population was 13,636 at the 2010 census.Morris is home to the Dresden Nuclear Power Plant, which provides a substantial portion of the electricity supply for the Chicago metropolitan area...
and was a student and a letterman in baseball. In baseball, he was named his league's MVP and was an All-State selection. His sophomore year he was nicknamed "The Man with the Golden Guitar", a name that has stuck with him his entire life.
Major league career
Scott Spiezio went to college at the University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
. He made the All-Big 10 Team in baseball in and . Scott was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 1993 player draft and signed later that year. He made his debut with the A's and established himself as a classic utility player
Utility player
In sport, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently, a sort of jack of all trades. Sports in which the term is often used include association football , baseball, rugby, rugby league, water polo and softball....
, making starts at first base, second base, and third base
Third Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...
during his time with the A's. Spiezio is a switch hitter
Switch hitter
In baseball, a switch-hitter is a player who bats both right-handed and left-handed.-Baseball:Usually, right-handed batters hit better against left-handed pitchers and vice-versa. Most curveballs break away from batters hitting from the same side as the opposing pitcher. Such pitches are often...
who hits for more power when batting left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
.
Spiezio signed as a free agent with the Anaheim Angels after the season. During his years with the Angels, he made appearances in left field and right field, as well as first, second, and third base. In 2002, he had a career year. Playing every day, he set career highs for batting average, on-base percentage and RBI. It was in the postseason that he had his greatest success. Spiezio batted 18 for 55 (.327) for Anaheim in the playoffs that year. In Game 6 of the 2002 World Series, with Anaheim trailing three games to two in the series, trailing 5-0 in the seventh inning of the game, and facing a Series loss, Spiezio hit a three-run homer off of Félix Rodríguez
Félix Rodríguez (baseball)
Félix Antonio Rodríguez is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Camden Riversharks....
to pull his team to within two runs. A lead off homer by Darin Erstad
Darin Erstad
Darin Charles Erstad is the Head Coach of the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball team and a former Major League Baseball outfielder/first baseman. Prior to , he had played with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim franchise before signing with the Chicago White Sox in 2007...
followed by a two-run double by Troy Glaus
Troy Glaus
Troy Edward Glaus is a Major League Baseball first baseman and third baseman who is currently a free agent. Previously, Glaus played with the Anaheim Angels , Arizona Diamondbacks , Toronto Blue Jays , St. Louis Cardinals , and the Atlanta Braves . Glaus lettered in baseball while attending UCLA...
in the next inning won the game, and the Angels would go on to win their first ever World Series championship. Spiezio tied Sandy Alomar Jr.'s postseason RBI with 19 in 1 postseason that was set back in while playing for the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
.
After the 2003 season, Spiezio became a free agent and signed a contract with the Seattle Mariners. The next two seasons were the worst of his career. He hit .215 in for the Mariners and played only 29 games the next year (compiling an .064 average) before the Mariners released him on August 19, .
On February 18, , Spiezio signed a minor league contract with the St. Louis Cardinals with an invitation to the club's spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
. Spiezio played well enough during the Cardinals' exhibition to secure a roster spot with the team as a reserve infielder entering the 2006 season. This move would reunite Spiezio with his former Angels teammate, shortstop David Eckstein
David Eckstein
David Mark Eckstein is a former American professional baseball player who was an infielder in Major League Baseball for ten seasons. He played college baseball for the University of Florida, and has played professionally for the Anaheim Angels, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona...
.
Spiezio, used as a pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
and all-around reserve player as well as the primary backup to Scott Rolen
Scott Rolen
Scott Bruce Rolen is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds. He is an eight-time Gold Glove winner and seven-time All-Star.-Philadelphia Phillies:...
at third base, had his best season since 2002 for the 2006 Cardinals, hitting 13 home runs and driving in 52 runs despite only getting 276 at bats. He would have another dramatic moment in the playoffs. With the Cardinals trailing 6-4 in the seventh inning of Game 2 of the 2006 National League Championship Series
2006 National League Championship Series
The National League Championship Series , the second round of the 2006 National League playoffs, began on October 12 and ended on October 19; it was scheduled to begin on October 11, but was postponed a day because of inclement weather. The St...
, Spiezio hit a two-run triple to tie the score. The Cardinals went on to win the game and the series in seven games, then proceeded to win the 2006 World Series, earning Spiezio his second championship ring.
On November 16, 2006, Spiezio signed a two-year contract to return to the Cardinals until the end of the season, with a club option for . The deal was worth an estimated $4.5 million.
On June 15, , Spiezio took the mound as a relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
in the bottom of the 8th inning of a lopsided loss against the Athletics. 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...
was clocked as high as 87 mph. He pitched one inning, giving up 1 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...
, no hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, no runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, and no 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. After having pitched in one game, Spiezio has played six positions in his career (seven counting designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
), missing catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
, shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
, and center field.
Substance abuse
On August 7, 2007, Spiezio suffered a physical breakdown during the Cardinals' game against the San Diego PadresSan 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...
. Noted to have an elevated heart rate and "sweating profusely", Spiezio received IV fluids. He was described as being "irritable and anxious". Spiezio disconnected his IV and left the stadium rather than accept medical treatment.
On August 9, 2007, the Cardinals placed him on the restricted list. The Cardinals stated that Spiezio would be seeking treatment for an unspecified substance abuse problem.
On September 14, 2007, Spiezio was removed from the restricted list after 36 days and also re-activated to play in that evening's home game.
Release
On February 27, , Spiezio was released from his contract with the Cardinals after an arrest warrant was issued against him in IrvineIrvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The warrant was issued on six charges relating to a car crash in December.
On March 31, , Spiezio signed a minor league deal with 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....
. However, he was released on April 12 for being unprepared to play in a game.
Independent baseball career
After his major league career ended, Spiezio started playing for the independent baseball leagues. Spiezio signed a one-year deal to play the 2009 season for the Orange County Flyers of the Golden Baseball LeagueGolden Baseball League
The Golden Baseball League, based in San Ramon, California, was an independent baseball league. It later merged with the Northern League and the United Baseball League to form the North American League in the western United States, western Canada and Mexico....
. Spiezio signed another one-year deal to play the 2010 season for the Newark Bears
Newark Bears
The Newark Bears are an American professional baseball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are a member of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since the 1999 season, the Bears have played their home games at Bears &...
.he hit .279 with 3 homeruns and 35 runs batted in while appearing in 52 games.