Aaron Heilman
Encyclopedia
Aaron Michael Heilman is an American
professional baseball
pitcher
for the Pittsburgh Pirates
of Major League Baseball
. Heilman was drafted by the New York Mets out of Notre Dame in 2001. He came up through the Mets system as a starting pitcher but was converted to a relief pitcher in 2005. After the 2008 season, Heilman was traded to the Seattle Mariners
, but was traded a month later to the Chicago Cubs
.
and attended Logansport High School, where he was a letterman in baseball. As a senior, he was a team M.V.P. and an All-State selection. Heilman graduated from Logansport High School in 1997.
, he was selected by the New York Mets
in the first round of the 2001 amateur draft with the 18th overall pick. Heilman was a management information systems and philosophy major in the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame.
He was drafted by the New York Yankees
in the 55th round of the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft
and by the Minnesota Twins
in the first round (31st overall) of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft
, but did not sign either for either team.
Heilman was selected by the Mets in the first round (18th overall) of the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft
. He signed and made his professional debut that year with the Class-A Advanced St. Lucie Mets
. He pitched for the Double-A Binghamton Mets
and Triple-A Norfolk Tides
in 2002, and began the 2003 season with the Tides.
Heilman made his major league debut at Shea Stadium
on June 26, 2003 in a 6-1 loss to the Florida Marlins
. He posted an earned run average
of 5.93 as a starter for 2003, 2004 and the beginning of 2005. Heilman's finest game came as a starter on April 15, 2005, when he made a start in place of the injured Kris Benson
and pitched a one-hit complete game
shutout
. However, he was converted to a relief pitcher
for the rest of 2005 and excelled with an ERA of only 2.18. In the second half of the 2005 season, he held a 0.68 ERA, leading the league.
In Game 7 of the 2006 National League Championship Series
, Heilman surrendered a tie-breaking, two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning to Yadier Molina
of the St. Louis Cardinals
, putting St. Louis ahead 3-1. St. Louis would hold on to the lead to win the National League pennant, while Heilman suffered the loss for the Mets. He is most remembered for this one pitch of his Mets career, and is known for ruining the entire 2006 season for the team.
in a three team trade for J. J. Putz.
However, on January 28, 2009, the Mariners traded him to the Chicago Cubs
for Ronny Cedeño
and Garrett Olson
.
and Ryne White.
He re-signed with them on January 18, 2011. He is expected to compete for a spot in the starting rotation. He was released on July 19.
.
He was released on August 20, 2011.
on August 21, 2011, and was assigned to the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for the 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...
of 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...
. Heilman was drafted by the New York Mets out of Notre Dame in 2001. He came up through the Mets system as a starting pitcher but was converted to a relief pitcher in 2005. After the 2008 season, Heilman was traded to the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
, but was traded a month later to the 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...
.
High school years
Heilman was born in Logansport, IndianaLogansport, Indiana
Logansport is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, Indiana, United States. The population was 18,396 at the 2010 census. Logansport is located in northern Indiana, at the junction of the Wabash and Eel rivers, northeast of Lafayette.-History:...
and attended Logansport High School, where he was a letterman in baseball. As a senior, he was a team M.V.P. and an All-State selection. Heilman graduated from Logansport High School in 1997.
College career
After a successful college career at the University of Notre DameUniversity of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, he was selected by 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 the first round of the 2001 amateur draft with the 18th overall pick. Heilman was a management information systems and philosophy major in the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame.
He was drafted by 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...
in the 55th round of the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft
1997 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1997 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 2 and 3, 1997...
and 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 first round (31st overall) of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft
2000 Major League Baseball Draft
-First Round Selections:-Compensation picks:- Background :The Florida Marlins made Adrian Gonzalez of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, CA the first overall selection in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft...
, but did not sign either for either team.
New York Mets
2001 Major League Baseball Draft
-First Round Selections:-Supplemental First Round Selections:-Background:The Minnesota Twins selected St. Paul, MN native Joe Mauer with the number one pick in the 2001 draft. The 18-year-old Mauer, a catcher from Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, became the seventh Minnesotan to be...
. He signed and made his professional debut that year with the Class-A Advanced St. Lucie Mets
St. Lucie Mets
The St. Lucie Mets are a minor league baseball team based in Port St. Lucie, Florida.The team, which plays in the Florida State League, is the High-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club.The team plays at Digital Domain Park...
. He pitched for the Double-A Binghamton Mets
Binghamton Mets
The Binghamton Mets are a U.S. minor league baseball team based in Binghamton, New York. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club...
and Triple-A Norfolk Tides
Norfolk Tides
The Norfolk Tides are a minor league baseball team in the Triple-A International League. They play at Harbor Park in Norfolk, Virginia. Since 2007 they have been a farm team of the Baltimore Orioles; prior to that, they had a 38-year affiliation with the New York Mets.-Franchise history:The...
in 2002, and began the 2003 season with the Tides.
Heilman made his major league debut at Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
on June 26, 2003 in a 6-1 loss to the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
. He posted an earned run average
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...
of 5.93 as a starter for 2003, 2004 and the beginning of 2005. Heilman's finest game came as a starter on April 15, 2005, when he made a start in place of the injured Kris Benson
Kris Benson
Kristin James Benson is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher. Benson pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates from to , New York Mets from to , Baltimore Orioles in to , Texas Rangers in , and Arizona Diamondbacks in ....
and pitched a one-hit complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
. However, he was converted to 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...
for the rest of 2005 and excelled with an ERA of only 2.18. In the second half of the 2005 season, he held a 0.68 ERA, leading the league.
In Game 7 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...
, Heilman surrendered a tie-breaking, two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning to Yadier Molina
Yadier Molina
Yadier Benjamin Molina known affectionately by fans as "Yadi", is a Major League Baseball catcher who plays for the St. Louis Cardinals.Molina was the third catcher to play in two World Series before age 25, along with Johnny Bench and Yogi Berra. He is considered one of the best defensive...
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...
, putting St. Louis ahead 3-1. St. Louis would hold on to the lead to win the National League pennant, while Heilman suffered the loss for the Mets. He is most remembered for this one pitch of his Mets career, and is known for ruining the entire 2006 season for the team.
Chicago Cubs
After a dismal 2008 season, Heilman was traded to the Seattle MarinersSeattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
in a three team trade for J. J. Putz.
However, on January 28, 2009, the Mariners traded him to the 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...
for Ronny Cedeño
Ronny Cedeño
Ronny Alexander Cedeño is a Venezuelan Major League Baseball shortstop. He bats and throws right-handed and was born in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela...
and Garrett Olson
Garrett Olson
Garrett Andrew Olson is a Major League Baseball pitcher currently in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.-High school:Olson attended Buchanan High School in Clovis, California...
.
Arizona Diamondbacks
On November 19, 2009 Heilman was acquired by the Diamondbacks, in return for Scott MaineScott Maine
Scott Maine is a baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs.Maine was born and raised in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, where he attended William T. Dwyer High School. He was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 23rd round of the 2006 MLB Draft, but did not sign. He was drafted by the Arizona...
and Ryne White.
He re-signed with them on January 18, 2011. He is expected to compete for a spot in the starting rotation. He was released on July 19.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies signed a minor league contract with Heilman on July 21, 2011. He was assigned to the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigsLehigh Valley IronPigs
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a minor league baseball team that plays in the International League. The IronPigs are the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. The team plays their home games at Coca-Cola Park, which is located in Allentown, Pennsylvania...
.
He was released on August 20, 2011.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Heilman signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh 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...
on August 21, 2011, and was assigned to the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
.