Chris Lambert (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Christopher Raymond Lambert (born March 8, 1983) is a former Major League Baseball
pitcher
for the Detroit Tigers
and Baltimore Orioles
organization. Lambert was claimed off waivers after the Detroit Tigers
designated him for assignment
.
, Lambert moved to Manchester, New Hampshire
, where he attended Manchester Memorial High School
. Lambert initially planned to attend Holderness School
, but while playing American Legion
baseball the summer out of high school his 90–95 mph fastball
attracted attention from college recruiters. With offers from Florida State University
, Clemson
, LSU
and Boston College
, Lambert opted for Boston College, praising its "great academic reputation", "very good baseball program" and its closeness to Manchester. Lambert started at BC in early 2002, and immediately made a strong impression, going 9–3 with a 2.76 ERA
. The Big East conference named him "Rookie of the Year" and "Pitcher of the Year", while Baseball America
granted him "Freshman All-America honors." In the summer of 2002
, Lambert pitched for the Concord Quarry Dogs of the New England Collegiate Baseball League
, going 3–2 with a 1.55 ERA
in nine appearances. Lambert remained strong for the 2002- academic year, posting an 8–2 record with a 2.71 ERA and continuing to receive accolades. Lambert returned to Boston College for a third year, going 6–4 with a 3.02 ERA. Impressed, the St. Louis Cardinals
selected Lambert as their No. 1 draft pick, 19th pick overall.
in the Midwest League
and began playing immediately, posting a 1–1 record with an ERA of 2.38 in nine starts
. Promoted to the Single-A Palm Beach Cardinals
for the 2005 season he continued to dominate, going 7–1 with a 2.63 ERA in ten starts and earning a quick promotion to the Double-A Springfield Cardinals
in the Texas League
. The transition to Double-A baseball proved difficult; Lambert went 3–8 with a 6.35 ERA. In an interview, Lambert admitted that he "hadn't pitched that well, yet." A bright spot came at the end of the year when he was named to the United States national baseball team
.
Lambert returned to Double-A for the 2006 season and showed improvement, posting a winning record (10–9) and a lowered ERA of 5.30. Lambert made a single appearance at the end of the season with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds
, but was tagged for a loss, giving up three runs
in four innings. After stints in spring training
and minor league camp to open the 2007 season, Lambert was back in Springfield again. After a strong start, however, the Cardinals promoted him to Memphis, this time for good. However, for the first time, Lambert would be working out of the bullpen
: after years in the minors, he was no longer the power pitcher he had been in college. Lambert was philosophical about the change: "I guess that's just the way they thought I'd get to the big leagues. I've had my good innings and bad innings." Lambert would not, however, reach the majors with the Cardinals; on August 30, 2007, he was traded to the Detroit Tigers as the player to be named later
to complete the deal which sent pitcher Mike Maroth
to the Cardinals. The Tigers assigned Lambert to the Toledo Mud Hens
, their Triple-A club.
while striking out
ten. The Tigers invited Lambert to 2008 spring training
, but he did not make the major league cut and returned to Toledo, where in his first 12 starts he is 5–3 with an ERA of 3.37. On August 23, the Tigers announced their intention to recall Lambert to start on the 26th in place of the struggling Nate Robertson
. Lambert made his first major league debut for the Tigers on August 26, against the Cleveland Indians
. He struck out the first batter he faced, Indians outfielder
Grady Sizemore
.
Lambert was designated for assignment August 18, 2009.
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...
for 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...
and Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
organization. Lambert was claimed off waivers after 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...
designated him 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...
.
High school and college
Although born in CaliforniaCalifornia
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...
, Lambert moved to Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
, where he attended Manchester Memorial High School
Manchester Memorial High School
Manchester Memorial High School is a four-year comprehensive school in Manchester, New Hampshire with an enrollment of approximately 2,100. The school's Latin motto is "scientia est potentia."...
. Lambert initially planned to attend Holderness School
Holderness School
The Holderness School is a private, coeducational college-preparatory school in Holderness, near Plymouth, New Hampshire in the United States. The student body of 275 is drawn from 22 U.S. states and 14 foreign countries. While Holderness operates primarily as a boarding school, it also enrolls 50...
, but while playing American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
baseball the summer out of high school his 90–95 mph 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...
attracted attention from college recruiters. With offers from Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
, Clemson
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
, LSU
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
and Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
, Lambert opted for Boston College, praising its "great academic reputation", "very good baseball program" and its closeness to Manchester. Lambert started at BC in early 2002, and immediately made a strong impression, going 9–3 with a 2.76 ERA
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...
. The Big East conference named him "Rookie of the Year" and "Pitcher of the Year", while Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
granted him "Freshman All-America honors." In the summer of 2002
2002 NECBL season
The 2002 NECBL season was the ninth season in the history of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. The league expanded to twelve franchises with the addition of the North Adams SteepleCats of North Adams, Massachusetts and the Sanford Mainers of Sanford, Maine, the league's first franchise...
, Lambert pitched for the Concord Quarry Dogs of the New England Collegiate Baseball League
New England Collegiate Baseball League
The New England Collegiate Baseball League is a 12-team collegiate summer baseball league founded in 1993 and sanctioned by the NCAA and Major League Baseball. Each NECBL team plays an eight-week, 42-game schedule during June and July, with a playoff in early August...
, going 3–2 with a 1.55 ERA
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...
in nine appearances. Lambert remained strong for the 2002- academic year, posting an 8–2 record with a 2.71 ERA and continuing to receive accolades. Lambert returned to Boston College for a third year, going 6–4 with a 3.02 ERA. Impressed, 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...
selected Lambert as their No. 1 draft pick, 19th pick overall.
St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals assigned Lambert to the Single-A Peoria ChiefsPeoria Chiefs
The Peoria Chiefs are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, from Peoria, Illinois. They play in the Midwest League....
in the Midwest League
Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort...
and began playing immediately, posting a 1–1 record with an ERA of 2.38 in nine starts
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....
. Promoted to the Single-A Palm Beach Cardinals
Palm Beach Cardinals
The Palm Beach Cardinals are a minor league baseball team based in Jupiter in Palm Beach County, Florida.The team, which plays in the Florida State League, is the High-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals major-league club....
for the 2005 season he continued to dominate, going 7–1 with a 2.63 ERA in ten starts and earning a quick promotion to the Double-A Springfield Cardinals
Springfield Cardinals
The Springfield Cardinals are a minor league baseball team based in Springfield, Missouri. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals major-league club, and is owned by the Cardinals. The club plays at Hammons Field.The Springfield Cardinals...
in 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...
. The transition to Double-A baseball proved difficult; Lambert went 3–8 with a 6.35 ERA. In an interview, Lambert admitted that he "hadn't pitched that well, yet." A bright spot came at the end of the year when he was named to the United States national baseball team
United States national baseball team
The United States National Baseball team represents the United States in international baseball competition. The United States has won the previous two Baseball World Cups, having lost this title to the Netherlands in 2011, and is currently second in the IBAF World Rankings, behind Cuba.The team...
.
Lambert returned to Double-A for the 2006 season and showed improvement, posting a winning record (10–9) and a lowered ERA of 5.30. Lambert made a single appearance at the end of the season with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds
Memphis Redbirds
The Memphis Redbirds are the Triple-A minor league baseball affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They play their home games at AutoZone Park in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. The stadium's capacity is 14,320. They entered the Pacific Coast League as an expansion team in 1998, and were owned as a...
, but was tagged for a loss, giving up three 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...
in four innings. After stints in 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...
and minor league camp to open the 2007 season, Lambert was back in Springfield again. After a strong start, however, the Cardinals promoted him to Memphis, this time for good. However, for the first time, Lambert would be working out of the bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
: after years in the minors, he was no longer the power pitcher he had been in college. Lambert was philosophical about the change: "I guess that's just the way they thought I'd get to the big leagues. I've had my good innings and bad innings." Lambert would not, however, reach the majors with the Cardinals; on August 30, 2007, he was traded to the Detroit Tigers as the player to be named later
Player to be named later
The concept of the "player to be named later" is most often associated with Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball trades.-Description:...
to complete the deal which sent pitcher Mike Maroth
Mike Maroth
Michael Warren Maroth is a former American Major League Baseball starting pitcher. Born in Orlando, Florida, and after attending the University of Central Florida, the left-handed Maroth made his Major League debut in for the Detroit Tigers.-Early career:A third-round pick in the draft, Maroth...
to the Cardinals. The Tigers assigned Lambert to the Toledo Mud Hens
Toledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a minor league baseball team located in Toledo, Ohio. The Mud Hens play in the International League, and are affiliated with the major league baseball team the Detroit Tigers, based approximately 50 miles to the north of Toledo. The current team is one of several...
, their Triple-A club.
Detroit Tigers
Lambert's time as a relief pitcher for Memphis had not been a success: in 28 appearances he was 1–4 with an ERA of 7.49. The Tigers, accordingly, returned Lambert to a starting role. He made one start at the tail end of the 2007 season; a six-inning performance in which he allowed just one hitHit (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....
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....
ten. The Tigers invited Lambert to 2008 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...
, but he did not make the major league cut and returned to Toledo, where in his first 12 starts he is 5–3 with an ERA of 3.37. On August 23, the Tigers announced their intention to recall Lambert to start on the 26th in place of the struggling Nate Robertson
Nate Robertson
Nathan Daniel "Nate" Robertson, is a Major League Baseball pitcher who currently pitches in the Seattle Mariners organization.-Florida Marlins:...
. Lambert made his first major league debut for the Tigers on August 26, against 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...
. He struck out the first batter he faced, Indians outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Grady Sizemore
Grady Sizemore
Gradius "Grady" Sizemore III is an American professional baseball outfielder with the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball.-Early life:...
.
Lambert was designated for assignment August 18, 2009.