Brad Ziegler
Encyclopedia
Brad Gregory Ziegler is a Major League Baseball
relief pitcher
for the Arizona Diamondbacks
.
, but he returned to Missouri State University
for his senior year. Upon graduating, the Philadelphia Phillies
drafted him in the 20th round (595th overall) of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft
.
He only threw six innings for the short season
Batavia Muckdogs
due to shoulder tendinitis. The Phillies released him a week before the start of the 2004 season because they felt he was not good enough to pitch in Low-A and too old to return to short season ball. After pitching well in four starts for the Schaumburg Flyers
, an independent Northern League team, the Athletics signed Ziegler and he went into the starting rotation for the High-A Modesto Athletics of the California League
.
After a solid season helping Modesto to the league playoffs, while pitching in his first game Ziegler was hit in the head by a line drive
off the bat of Fred Lewis
, playing for the San Jose Giants
at the time. Ziegler suffered a fracture of the skull but recovered in time to pitch again in , earning a promotion to the Double-A Midland Rockhounds
of the Texas League
.
Continuing to start through the 2006 season, Ziegler moved further up the organizational ladder and pitched in a few games for the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats
of the Pacific Coast League
, though he struggled in his brief time there.
Before the start of the 2007 season, Ziegler was approached by Ron Romanick
, the minor league pitching coordinator for the Athletics, about converting to a sidearm
/submarine
style of pitching. He agreed to the change and spent the 2007 season in both Midland and Sacramento as a relief pitcher
, improving the more he became accustomed to the change.
This led to a strong start to the 2008 season in Sacramento
prior to joining the major league club, though he suffered a second fracture of the skull in January during a workout following a youth camp he was assisting with. A thrown baseball deflected off another glove, hitting him in the forehead. Again, Ziegler recovered with no negative long-term effects.
. He had allowed just one earned run
on 15 hits
in 24.1 innings, while striking out
20. He earned his first Major League win on June 8 against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
.
On July 22, Ziegler set an American League
record for consecutive scoreless innings to start a major league career after pitching two innings against the Tampa Bay Rays
. The previous American League
mark was 22 innings, set by Dave Ferriss
of the Boston Red Sox
in . After pitching 2 innings against the Texas Rangers
on July 27 Ziegler broke the Major League
record of 25 innings that had been held by George McQuillan
of the Philadelphia Phillies
since .
Ziegler picked up his first career save in the Major Leagues and become the Athletics new closer on August 8 against the Detroit Tigers
. In earning his second on August 12 against the Tampa Bay Rays
he established a new Oakland record for consecutive scoreless innings at any point in a career with 38, passing starting pitcher Mike Torrez
, who reached 37 in .
Ziegler's streak came to an end at 39 innings when the Tampa Bay Rays scored a run against him in the ninth inning on August 14. Akinori Iwamura
scored on a double by B.J. Upton, which was also the first extra base hit Ziegler had allowed in the Majors. He had tied Al Benton
after a scoreless eighth inning, finishing at 39. Benton did it in with the Cleveland Indians
, though he allowed runs during that stretch as a starter. Ziegler also tied Christy Mathewson
for second place for scoreless innings by a rookie. Mathewson's streak came in as a member of the New York Giants
. Grover Cleveland Alexander
holds the record for a rookie, throwing 41 consecutive scoreless innings in with the Philadelphia Phillies
.
Although the run scored with one out already made, the Elias Sports Bureau rules for this statistic dictate that the streak ends as of the last completed inning and/or appearance. For example, if Ziegler had recorded an out and was removed with nobody on base, that 1/3 inning would be added to his streak and it would continue. If he left with runners on and any of them scored, it would revert back to the last completed inning and the streak would end, though if the runners were all left on base the out he recorded would count toward the streak and it would remain ongoing.
and Jordan Norberto
.
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...
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 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...
.
Minor leagues
Ziegler was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 31st round (938th overall) of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft2002 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2002 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 4 and 5.This year's draft is featured in Michael Lewis' 2003 book Moneyball.-First Round Selections:-Supplemental First Round Compensation Selections:...
, but he returned to Missouri State University
Missouri State University
Missouri State University is a public university located in Springfield, Missouri, United States and founded in 1905. It is the state's second largest university, with an official enrollment of 20,802 in fall 2011...
for his senior year. Upon graduating, the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
drafted him in the 20th round (595th overall) of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft
2003 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2003 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 3 and 4. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams.Source: -First round selections:...
.
He only threw six innings for the short season
Short season
Short season refers to a form of class A minor league baseball in which only about 75 games are played each season, as opposed to the typical 140 games for an affiliated minor league team at a higher level...
Batavia Muckdogs
Batavia Muckdogs
The Batavia Muckdogs are a minor league baseball team based in Batavia, a city in Genesee County, New York, United States. The Muckdogs are the current Short-Season A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals...
due to shoulder tendinitis. The Phillies released him a week before the start of the 2004 season because they felt he was not good enough to pitch in Low-A and too old to return to short season ball. After pitching well in four starts for the Schaumburg Flyers
Schaumburg Flyers
The Schaumburg Flyers were a professional baseball team based in Schaumburg, Illinois, in the United States. The Flyers were to be a charter member of the North American League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, however, the team folded in March of 2011, before they began play in...
, an independent Northern League team, the Athletics signed Ziegler and he went into the starting rotation for the High-A Modesto Athletics of the California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
.
After a solid season helping Modesto to the league playoffs, while pitching in his first game Ziegler was hit in the head by a line drive
Line drive
In baseball, a line drive is a type of batted ball, sharply hit, and on a level trajectory. The threshold between a line drive and a fly ball can be subjective....
off the bat of Fred Lewis
Fred Lewis
Frederick Deshaun Lewis is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He made his debut on September 1, , with the San Francisco Giants. He is the cousin of former major league outfielder Matt Lawton. Lewis also hit the 46th Splash Hit at AT&T Park...
, playing for the San Jose Giants
San Jose Giants
The San Jose Giants are a minor league baseball team in San Jose, California, USA. They are a Class A - Advanced team in the Northern Division of the California League, and have been a farm team of the San Francisco Giants since 1988. Home games are played at San Jose Municipal Stadium...
at the time. Ziegler suffered a fracture of the skull but recovered in time to pitch again in , earning a promotion to the Double-A Midland Rockhounds
Midland RockHounds
The Midland RockHounds are a minor league baseball team based in Midland, Texas, USA. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics major league club. The RockHounds play in Citibank Ballpark, located in Midland. Opened in 2002, the stadium seats...
of the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
.
Continuing to start through the 2006 season, Ziegler moved further up the organizational ladder and pitched in a few games for the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats
Sacramento River Cats
The Sacramento River Cats is a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. The team plays in the Pacific Coast League and is the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics....
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
, though he struggled in his brief time there.
Before the start of the 2007 season, Ziegler was approached by Ron Romanick
Ron Romanick
Ronald James Romanick is a Major League Baseball pitching coach and a former Major League Baseball pitcher. In 2011, he was the Oakland Athletics pitching coach. After the 2011 season, Romanick's contract was not renewed by Oakland in anticipation of new manager Bob Melvin bringing in his own...
, the minor league pitching coordinator for the Athletics, about converting to a sidearm
Sidearm
In baseball, sidearm describes balls thrown along a low, approximately horizontal axis rather than a high, mostly vertical axis ....
/submarine
Submarine (baseball)
In baseball, a submarine pitch is one in which the ball is released underhand and just above the ground, with the torso bent at a right angle and shoulders tilted so severely that they rotate around a nearly horizontal axis...
style of pitching. He agreed to the change and spent the 2007 season in both Midland and Sacramento 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...
, improving the more he became accustomed to the change.
This led to a strong start to the 2008 season in Sacramento
Sacramento River Cats
The Sacramento River Cats is a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. The team plays in the Pacific Coast League and is the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics....
prior to joining the major league club, though he suffered a second fracture of the skull in January during a workout following a youth camp he was assisting with. A thrown baseball deflected off another glove, hitting him in the forehead. Again, Ziegler recovered with no negative long-term effects.
Oakland Athletics
Ziegler received his first call-up to the major leagues on May 30, 2008, when the Athletics purchased his contract from the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats. In 19 relief appearances with the River Cats before his promotion, Ziegler was 2-0 with a 0.37 earned run averageEarned 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...
. He had allowed just one earned run
Earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run...
on 15 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....
in 24.1 innings, while striking 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....
20. He earned his first Major League win on June 8 against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
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...
.
On July 22, Ziegler set an American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
record for consecutive scoreless innings to start a major league career after pitching two innings against the Tampa Bay 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...
. The previous American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
mark was 22 innings, set by Dave Ferriss
Dave Ferriss
Dave Meadow Ferriss is a former pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. He was born in Shaw, Mississippi, a small town in the Mississippi Delta...
of the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
in . After pitching 2 innings against 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...
on July 27 Ziegler broke the Major League
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...
record of 25 innings that had been held by George McQuillan
George McQuillan
George Watt McQuillan , born in Brooklyn, New York, was a pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies , Cincinnati Reds , Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Indians ....
of the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
since .
Ziegler picked up his first career save in the Major Leagues and become the Athletics new closer on August 8 against the 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...
. In earning his second on August 12 against the Tampa Bay 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...
he established a new Oakland record for consecutive scoreless innings at any point in a career with 38, passing starting pitcher Mike Torrez
Mike Torrez
Michael Augustine Torrez is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball.-Career:Torrez had an 18-year career from 1967 to 1984. He played for the St...
, who reached 37 in .
Ziegler's streak came to an end at 39 innings when the Tampa Bay Rays scored a run against him in the ninth inning on August 14. Akinori Iwamura
Akinori Iwamura
Akinori Iwamura is a Japanese Major League Baseball infielder, who is currently with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Japanese Pacific League...
scored on a double by B.J. Upton, which was also the first extra base hit Ziegler had allowed in the Majors. He had tied Al Benton
Al Benton
John Alton Benton was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who played with the Philadelphia Athletics , Detroit Tigers , Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox ....
after a scoreless eighth inning, finishing at 39. Benton did it in with 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...
, though he allowed runs during that stretch as a starter. Ziegler also tied Christy Mathewson
Christy Mathewson
Christopher "Christy" Mathewson , nicknamed "Big Six", "The Christian Gentleman", or "Matty", was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire career in what is known as the dead-ball era...
for second place for scoreless innings by a rookie. Mathewson's streak came in as a member of the New York 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....
. Grover Cleveland Alexander
Grover Cleveland Alexander
Grover Cleveland Alexander , nicknamed "Old Pete", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and St. Louis Cardinals and was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1938.-Career:Alexander was born in Elba, Nebraska, one of thirteen...
holds the record for a rookie, throwing 41 consecutive scoreless innings in with the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
.
Although the run scored with one out already made, the Elias Sports Bureau rules for this statistic dictate that the streak ends as of the last completed inning and/or appearance. For example, if Ziegler had recorded an out and was removed with nobody on base, that 1/3 inning would be added to his streak and it would continue. If he left with runners on and any of them scored, it would revert back to the last completed inning and the streak would end, though if the runners were all left on base the out he recorded would count toward the streak and it would remain ongoing.
Arizona Diamondbacks
On July 31, 2011, Ziegler was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Brandon AllenBrandon Allen
Brandon Durell Allen is a Major League Baseball first baseman and left fielder for the Oakland Athletics.-Arizona Diamondbacks:...
and Jordan Norberto
Jordan Norberto
Jordan Norberto is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Oakland Athletics.-Professional career:Norberto made the Diamondbacks Opening Day roster in 2010....
.