Todd Van Poppel
Encyclopedia
Todd Matthew Van Poppel (born December 9, 1971 in Hinsdale, Illinois
) is a former Major League Baseball
pitcher
who played for the Oakland Athletics
, Detroit Tigers
(1996), Texas Rangers
, Pittsburgh Pirates
(1998), Chicago Cubs
(-), and Cincinnati Reds
(2003-). He retired during spring training
with the New York Mets
in .
and 170 strikeout
s as a senior at Martin High School in Arlington, Texas
. He was drafted in the first round, 14th overall, by the Athletics directly out of high school in . The Atlanta Braves
had seriously considered using their No. 1 overall selection on the highly touted pitcher. But because Van Poppel explicitly told the Braves he would not sign with them, the team opted instead to take shortstop
(and later third baseman
) Chipper Jones
.
s selected by the A's in the first 36 picks of the 1990 draft
, referred to at the time as "The Four Aces". The other three draftees were Don Peters, Dave Zancanaro and Kirk Dressendorfer
. All four struggled with injuries after being drafted, and only Van Poppel and Dressendorfer ever reached the major leagues.
Because Van Poppel was signed to a major league contract rather than the standard minor league contract, the A's only had a limited number of minor league options they could use on him. By all accounts, his lack of seasoning in the minors cost both the A's and Van Poppel. He pitched just 37.2 innings in Single-A in 1990, spent at Double-A Huntsville
, and was hurt for much of at Triple-A Tacoma
before splitting time between Oakland and Tacoma in 1993. In all, he made only 32 minor league starts.
Armed with a blazing fastball
that had little movement, Van Poppel struggled with the A's -- his best season in Oakland was probably , when he went 4-8 with a 4.88 ERA, splitting time as a starter and a reliever
. He also notched 122 strikeouts (and 56 walks
) in 138.1 innings that year.
In 1996, his numbers dropped sharply, and he was released by the A's mid-season. After unremarkable stops in Detroit, Texas and Pittsburgh, Van Poppel did have two successful years (2000 and 2001) as a middle reliever with the Cubs, before his effectiveness declined.
Van Poppel's career record was 40-52. He never won more than seven games in a season.
, a Texas Collegiate League
team. The Outlaws went on to win the league championship that year.
Hinsdale, Illinois
Hinsdale is a suburb of Chicago, Illinois; it is located partly in Cook County and mainly in DuPage County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 17,349 at the 2000 census. The town's ZIP code is 60521. The town has a rolling, wooded topography, with a quaint downtown and is a 30-minute...
) 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...
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...
who 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....
, Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
(1996), 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...
, Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
(1998), Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
(-), and 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....
(2003-). He retired during 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...
with 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...
in .
Amateur career
Van Poppel was 11-3 with a 0.97 ERAEarned 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 170 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 as a senior at Martin High School in Arlington, Texas
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
. He was drafted in the first round, 14th overall, by the Athletics directly out of high school in . 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....
had seriously considered using their No. 1 overall selection on the highly touted pitcher. But because Van Poppel explicitly told the Braves he would not sign with them, the team opted instead to take 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 later third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
) Chipper Jones
Chipper Jones
Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones, Jr. is a Major League baseball player for the National League's Atlanta Braves. Although initially a shortstop, he has spent most of his career as the starting third baseman for the Braves...
.
Professional career
Van Poppel was the first of four starting pitcherStarting 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....
s selected by the A's in the first 36 picks of the 1990 draft
1990 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1990 Major League Baseball draft.-Background:The draft went a record 101 rounds, surpassing 1989's total of 88, and included a record 1,487 selections. The Astros led all clubs with 100 selections. Seattle was second with 75,...
, referred to at the time as "The Four Aces". The other three draftees were Don Peters, Dave Zancanaro and Kirk Dressendorfer
Kirk Dressendorfer
Kirk Richard Dressendorfer was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He graduated from Pearland High School and is an alumnus of The University of Texas at Austin. At UT he was a three-time All-American and All-SWC, posting a career record of 45-8, including a single-season record 15 complete games...
. All four struggled with injuries after being drafted, and only Van Poppel and Dressendorfer ever reached the major leagues.
Because Van Poppel was signed to a major league contract rather than the standard minor league contract, the A's only had a limited number of minor league options they could use on him. By all accounts, his lack of seasoning in the minors cost both the A's and Van Poppel. He pitched just 37.2 innings in Single-A in 1990, spent at Double-A Huntsville
Huntsville Stars
The Huntsville Stars are a minor league baseball team of the Southern League and are the Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Huntsville, Alabama and are named for the space industry with which Huntsville is economically tied .The Stars play their home games at Joe W...
, and was hurt for much of at Triple-A Tacoma
Tacoma Rainiers
The Tacoma Rainiers are a minor league baseball team that plays in the Pacific Coast League , and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners...
before splitting time between Oakland and Tacoma in 1993. In all, he made only 32 minor league starts.
Armed with a blazing 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...
that had little movement, Van Poppel struggled with the A's -- his best season in Oakland was probably , when he went 4-8 with a 4.88 ERA, splitting time as a starter and a reliever
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...
. He also notched 122 strikeouts (and 56 walks
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...
) in 138.1 innings that year.
In 1996, his numbers dropped sharply, and he was released by the A's mid-season. After unremarkable stops in Detroit, Texas and Pittsburgh, Van Poppel did have two successful years (2000 and 2001) as a middle reliever with the Cubs, before his effectiveness declined.
Van Poppel's career record was 40-52. He never won more than seven games in a season.
Retirement
Shortly after his retirement from baseball in 2005, Van Poppel announced he was investing in the Denton OutlawsDenton Outlaws
The Denton Outlaws were a collegiate summer baseball team based in Denton, Texas; they played their home games at Falcon Field in Corinth, Texas. The team was quite competitive during their short time in the Texas Collegiate League. In 2005, they were the TCL Champions...
, a Texas Collegiate League
Texas Collegiate League
The Texas Collegiate League is a collegiate summer baseball league comprising teams of the top college players from North America and beyond. The TCL is based in Coppell, Texas, and shares its headquarters with the Coppell Copperheads, the DFW Metroplex-area team...
team. The Outlaws went on to win the league championship that year.