Aaron Small
Encyclopedia
Aaron James Small is an American
former Major League Baseball
pitcher
. He is probably best remembered for his short successful stint as a starter
for the New York Yankees
in .
Small also played for the Toronto Blue Jays
, Florida Marlins
, Oakland Athletics
, Arizona Diamondbacks
, and Atlanta Braves
. Regarded as a career minor leaguer, he played for a total of more than 20 teams, including his major and minor league stops, during his professional career.
in West Covina, California
. Small was a 1st-team all-conference selection in baseball
, and lettered in basketball
. He graduated in 1989.
Small's high school baseball teammates included future major league players Jason Giambi
, who he would later play with on the Athletics and Yankees, and Cory Lidle
.
. He debuted for the Blue Jays in , but was traded to the Florida Marlins in for minor leaguer Ernie Delgado. Over the next ten years, Small would split most of his time between Triple-A and the majors, with major league appearances for the Oakland Athletics
, Arizona Diamondbacks
, Atlanta Braves
, and a second stint with the Marlins, before joining the Yankees.
In addition, Small was also a member of the Milwaukee Brewers
, Tampa Bay Devil Rays
, Colorado Rockies
and Anaheim Angels
organizations, though he never pitched in the major leagues for those teams.
and Triple-A Columbus
. Due to injuries, he was called up to the Yankees to fill in, making his first start on July 20, which he won.
Small recorded 10 major league victories
without a loss. Small recorded his first major league complete game
shutout
, which came against the Oakland Athletics
on September 3, 2005. His pitch count
during the game was just over 110 and he struck out
the last batter he faced, Dan Johnson, and Small received the baseball from catcher
Jorge Posada
as a remembrance.
Small was the first Yankees pitcher to win his first 9 decisions since Tommy John
in , and became just the fourth pitcher in history to win at least 10 games without a loss, joining Tom Zachary
, Dennis Lamp
, and Howie Krist
. He finished the 2005 season 10-0 with a 3.20 earned run average
and 37 strikeout
s. He was re-signed to a one-year, $1.2 million contract during the off-season.
During 2006 spring training
, Small injured his right hamstring
. He missed the start of the season, but returned to the team on April 30, 2006.
On June 17, 2006, Small was designated for assignment
by the Yankees and was outrighted to Triple-A Columbus
.
. However, on May 18, 2007, he announced his retirement after being released by the Mariners.
at Yankee Stadium
. Six weeks prior, Small survived a bout with encephalitis
that included a medically induced coma
lasting eight days.
Small, along with his wife Macy, is a devout Christian
. He is active in his church, Fairview Baptist Tabernacle in Sweetwater
, Tennessee
, where he and his wife Macy Small a ministry to students.
On June 26th, 2011, He was again honored by the New York Yankees at Old Timer's Day.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
. He is probably best remembered for his short successful stint as a starter
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....
for 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 .
Small also played for the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
, 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...
, 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....
, 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...
, and 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....
. Regarded as a career minor leaguer, he played for a total of more than 20 teams, including his major and minor league stops, during his professional career.
High school
Small attended South Hills High SchoolSouth Hills High School (West Covina, California)
South Hills High School is a public coeducational high school located in the hills in the eastern part of West Covina, California , east of Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley. South Hills High School is part of the Covina-Valley Unified School District...
in West Covina, California
West Covina, California
West Covina is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. Located some east of Downtown Los Angeles in the eastern San Gabriel Valley, it is a mostly middle class suburb of Los Angeles...
. Small was a 1st-team all-conference selection in 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...
, and lettered in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. He graduated in 1989.
Small's high school baseball teammates included future major league players Jason Giambi
Jason Giambi
Jason Gilbert Giambi is an American professional baseball first baseman with the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball.He was the American League MVP in 2000 while with the Oakland Athletics, and is a five-time All-Star who has led the American League in walks four times, in on base percentage...
, who he would later play with on the Athletics and Yankees, and Cory Lidle
Cory Lidle
Cory Fulton Lidle was an Americanright-handed baseball pitcher who spent nine seasons in the major leagues with seven different teams. His twin brother Kevin Lidle also played baseball, as a catcher for several minor league teams...
.
Professional career
Small was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 22nd round of the 1989 Major League Baseball Draft1989 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:*...
. He debuted for the Blue Jays in , but was traded to the Florida Marlins in for minor leaguer Ernie Delgado. Over the next ten years, Small would split most of his time between Triple-A and the majors, with major league appearances 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....
, 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...
, 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....
, and a second stint with the Marlins, before joining the Yankees.
In addition, Small was also a member of 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...
, Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
, Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
and 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...
organizations, though he never pitched in the major leagues for those teams.
New York Yankees
Small began in the Yankees minor league system, pitching for Double-A TrentonTrenton Thunder
The Trenton Thunder are an American Minor League Baseball team and are the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. The Thunder play in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League, and are the two-time defending league champions...
and Triple-A Columbus
Columbus Clippers
The Columbus Clippers are a minor league baseball team based in Columbus, Ohio. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The team is owned by the government of Franklin County, Ohio....
. Due to injuries, he was called up to the Yankees to fill in, making his first start on July 20, which he won.
Small recorded 10 major league victories
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...
without a loss. Small recorded his first major league 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....
, which came against 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....
on September 3, 2005. His pitch count
Pitch count
In baseball statistics, pitch count is the number of pitches thrown by a pitcher in a game.Pitch counts are especially a concern for young pitchers, pitchers recovering from injury, or pitchers who have a history of injuries. The pitcher wants to keep the pitch count low because of his stamina...
during the game was just over 110 and he struck out
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....
the last batter he faced, Dan Johnson, and Small received the baseball from 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...
Jorge Posada
Jorge Posada
Jorge Rafael Posada Villeta is a Major League Baseball player who is currently a free agent and has played his entire career for the New York Yankees. He served as the Yankees primary catcher for most of his career, though following off-season knee surgery, he was moved to designated hitter for...
as a remembrance.
Small was the first Yankees pitcher to win his first 9 decisions since Tommy John
Tommy John
Thomas Edward John Jr. is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball whose 288 career victories rank as the seventh highest total among left-handers in major league history...
in , and became just the fourth pitcher in history to win at least 10 games without a loss, joining Tom Zachary
Tom Zachary
Jonathan Thompson Walton Zachary was a pitcher who had a 19-year career that lasted from 1918 to 1936. He played for the Philadelphia A's, Washington Senators, St...
, Dennis Lamp
Dennis Lamp
Dennis Patrick Lamp is a former middle relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1977 through 1992, Lamp played for the Chicago Cubs , Chicago White Sox , Toronto Blue Jays , Oakland Athletics , Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates .-Career:In a 19-season career, Lamp posted a...
, and Howie Krist
Howie Krist
Howard Wilbur Krist was a pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1937-1946. "Spud" played his entire career for the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League, and was a member of the 1942 and 1946 World Series Championship teams.Krist's 10-0 record in 1941, his first full season, is the third-best...
. He finished the 2005 season 10-0 with a 3.20 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...
and 37 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. He was re-signed to a one-year, $1.2 million contract during the off-season.
During 2006 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...
, Small injured his right hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
. He missed the start of the season, but returned to the team on April 30, 2006.
On June 17, 2006, Small was designated for assignment
Designated for assignment
Designated for assignment is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball. When a player is designated for assignment, he is immediately removed from the club's 40-man roster. This gives the club 10 days to decide what to do with the player while freeing up a roster spot for another...
by the Yankees and was outrighted to Triple-A Columbus
Columbus Clippers
The Columbus Clippers are a minor league baseball team based in Columbus, Ohio. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The team is owned by the government of Franklin County, Ohio....
.
Post-Yankees
On January 23, , Small signed a minor league contract with 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...
. However, on May 18, 2007, he announced his retirement after being released by the Mariners.
Personal life and post-retirement
On August 2, , Small took part in the 62nd Annual Old-Timers' DayOld-Timers' Day
Old-Timers' Day generally refers to a tradition in Major League Baseball of a team, especially the New York Yankees, devoting the early afternoon preceding a weekend late afternoon game to celebrate the baseball-related accomplishments of its former players who have since retired...
at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
. Six weeks prior, Small survived a bout with encephalitis
Encephalitis
Encephalitis is an acute inflammation of the brain. Encephalitis with meningitis is known as meningoencephalitis. Symptoms include headache, fever, confusion, drowsiness, and fatigue...
that included a medically induced coma
Induced coma
A barbiturate-induced coma, or barb coma, is a temporary coma brought on by a controlled dose of a barbiturate drug, usually pentobarbital or thiopental...
lasting eight days.
Small, along with his wife Macy, is a devout Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
. He is active in his church, Fairview Baptist Tabernacle in Sweetwater
Sweetwater, Tennessee
Sweetwater is a city in Monroe and McMinn counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the most populous city in Monroe County. The population was 5,586 at the 2000 census. Sweetwater is the home of the Craighead Caverns which contains the Lost Sea, the United States' largest underground...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, where he and his wife Macy Small a ministry to students.
On June 26th, 2011, He was again honored by the New York Yankees at Old Timer's Day.