David Cone
Encyclopedia
David Brian Cone is a former Major League Baseball
pitcher
. During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1986-2003 for six different teams. Cone pitched the sixteenth perfect game
in baseball history. He also set the MLB record for most years between 20-win seasons. He was a member of five World Series
championships ( with the Toronto Blue Jays
and , , and with the New York Yankees
). He has a career 8–3 postseason record over 21 postseason starts and a postseason ERA of 3.80.
He is the subject of the book A Pitcher's Story: Innings With David Cone by Roger Angell
. His fans are known as "Cone-Heads
."
Cone lives in Stamford, Connecticut
, and is a color commentator
for the Yankees on the YES Network
.
and attended Rockhurst High School
, an all-boys Jesuit school. Cone played quarterback
on the Rockhurst football
team, leading them to the district championship. He also played point guard
on the school's basketball
team, but did not play baseball in high school because Rockhurst did not have a baseball program at the time. Cone played summer ball in the Ban Johnson
League. At 16, he reported to an invitation-only tryout at Royals Stadium
and an open tryout for the St. Louis Cardinals
. Upon graduation, he was drafted by his hometown Kansas City Royals
in the third round of the 1981 Major League Baseball Draft
.
in his first two professional seasons. He sat out with an injury, and went 8-12 with a 4.28 ERA for the Double-A Memphis Chicks
when he returned in . During his second season with the Class AAA Omaha Royals
, Cone was converted to a relief pitcher
, and he made his Major League debut on June 8, in relief of reigning Cy Young Award
winner Bret Saberhagen
. He made three more appearances out of the Royals' bullpen
before returning to Omaha, where he went 8-4 with a 2.79 ERA. He returned to Kansas City when rosters expanded that September.
to the New York Mets
for Ed Hearn, Rick Anderson
and Mauro Gozzo
. Cone went 5–6 with a 3.71 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 21 appearances (13 starts) his first season in New York
.
Cone began the season in the bullpen, but was added to the starting rotation by the first week of May. His first start was a complete game
shut out
over the Atlanta Braves
, as he went 9-2 with a 2.52 ERA in the first half of the season to earn his first All-Star
nod. For the season, Cone went 20-3 with a 2.22 ERA to finish third in National League
Cy Young Award balloting.
The Mets ran away with the National League East
by fifteen games over the Pittsburgh Pirates
, and were heavy favorites over the Los Angeles Dodgers
, whom they had a 10-1 record against during the regular season, in the 1988 National League Championship Series
.
Cone became a newspaper commentator on the playoffs for the New York Daily News
, and incited controversy after the Mets' 3-2 victory in game one by saying Dodgers game one starter Orel Hershiser
"was lucky for eight innings," and ripping closer
Jay Howell
:
After providing the Dodgers with bulletin board material, they jumped on Cone for five runs in two innings in the second game of the playoffs to tie the series at a game apiece. After giving up the column, Cone came back with a complete game victory in game six; however, series MVP and 1988 Cy Young Award winner Orel Hershiser came back in game seven with the complete game shut out to lead the Dodgers to the 1988 World Series
against the Oakland Athletics
.
Cone spent over five seasons in his first stint with the New York Mets, most of the time serving as the team's co-ace alongside Dwight Gooden
while leading the National League in strikeouts in and . In 1991, Cone switched from uniform number 44 to 17 in honor of former teammate Keith Hernandez
. On August 30, he struck out three batters on nine pitches in the fifth inning of a 3-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds
. He became the 16th National League pitcher and the 25th pitcher in Major League history to accomplish the nine-strike/three-strikeout half-inning
.
Cone tied a National League record on October 6, in the season finale, by striking out 19 rival Philadelphia Phillies
batters in a 7-0, three-hit shutout at Philadelphia
. His 19 strikeouts was the second-highest total ever recorded in a nine inning game just behind the 20-strikeout games recorded by Kerry Wood
and Roger Clemens
(twice), and tying Tom Seaver
's single-game club record, making the Mets the only team with two pitchers to achieve the feat.
Cone was the lone Mets representative at the 1992 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
, going 9-4 with a 2.56 ERA at the All-Star break. With a 56-67 record, and fourteen games behind the first place Pirates, the infamous "worst team money could buy" traded Cone to the Toronto Blue Jays for Jeff Kent
and Ryan Thompson
on August 27, after the non-waiver trading deadline.
. The Jays defeated the Oakland Athletics
in the 1992 American League Championship Series
, and the Atlanta Braves in the World Series to give Cone his first World Series ring, and become the first Canadian team to win the World Series. For his part, Cone went 1-1 with a 3.22 ERA in the post-season.
for the season. Cone had a subpar 1993, going 11-14 with a 3.33 ERA, however, he rebounded to go 16-4 with a 2.94 ERA in the strike-shortened season to win the American League
Cy Young Award, and finish ninth in MVP
voting. Cone was a Major League Baseball Players Association
representative in negotiations with Major League Baseball in events that surrounded the 1994 baseball strike.
, David Sinnes and Tony Medrano. Cone was 9-6 with a 3.38 ERA for Toronto, however, the Jays were 35-47 and in fifth place when they struck a deal with the second place New York Yankees. On July 28, , the Blue Jays sent Cone to the Yankees for Marty Janzen
, Jason Jarvis and Mike Gordon. The Yankees won the wild card the first year of the new three division, wild card format.
In his third post-season, Cone won the first game of the 1995 American League Division Series
against the Seattle Mariners
, and left game five with the score tied at four. The Mariners won the game in extra innings to eliminate the Yankees from the playoffs.
in his arm in and went on the disabled list
for the majority of the year. In his comeback start that September against the Oakland A's, Cone pitched a no-hitter through seven innings before he had to leave due to pitch count
restrictions. Mariano Rivera
allowed a single, ending the no-hit bid.
The Yankees returned to the post-season for the second of thirteen consecutive seasons. After losing to the Texas Rangers
in game one of the 1996 American League Division Series
, and a no decision in the 1996 American League Championship Series
, Cone came back in game three of the World Series against the Atlanta Braves with a six inning, one run performance to give the Yankees their first win of the Series on their way to their first World Championship in eighteen years.
Cone went 20-7 in , setting a Major League record for the longest span between twenty win seasons. He went 12-9 in , pitching the sixteenth perfect game
in baseball history on July 18 against the Montreal Expos
. It is the last no-hitter to date by a Yankee, the only regular season interleague perfect game and only interleague perfect game besides Don Larsen
's in the 1956 World Series
. Making the game even more remarkable was that it was "Yogi Berra
Day" at Yankee Stadium. After a long feud with owner George Steinbrenner
, Berra agreed to return to the stadium that day, and caught the ceremonial first pitch from fellow perfect game pitcher Don Larsen
. Larsen could be seen smiling in the press box after the final out was recorded.
After the perfect game, he seemed to suddenly lose effectiveness. It was the last shutout he would throw in his career. In he posted the worst record of his career, 4–14, while seeing his ERA balloon to 6.91, more than double his mark the previous year. In spite of his ineffectiveness, Cone was brought in during game four of the 2000 World Series
to face the Mets' Mike Piazza
, a controversial decision at the time — Denny Neagle
had given up a home run to Piazza in his previous at-bat, but was pitching with a lead and only needed to retire Piazza to go the minimum five innings to be eligible for a win. Cone induced a pop-up to end the inning. It was the only batter he faced in the entire Series.
, performing with mixed but mostly positive results, including a 9-7 win-loss record and a 4.31 ERA. His 2001 season included a suspenseful 1-0 loss against Yankees ace Mike Mussina
wherein Cone pitched innings giving up one unearned run, keeping the game close even as Mike Mussina came within one strike of completing a perfect game
, which would have made Cone the first pitcher to pitch a perfect game and be the losing pitcher in another.
during its inaugural season. However, his comeback attempt with the crosstown rival Mets in 2003 infuriated Yankees owner George Steinbrenner
and Cone was told he would not be welcome back. After his second retirement, Cone was offered a broadcasting position with the Mets, but opted to remain home with his family.
In 2008, David Cone rejoined the YES Network as an analyst and host of Yankees on Deck.
On July 17, 2009, Cone testified as a witness (representing the Democratic Party
) before the Senate Judiciary Committee during the Supreme Court
nomination hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor
. He read a prepared statement in support of Sotomayor's nomination which chronicled Major League Baseball's labor dispute of 1994 and the impact of the judge's decision which forced the disputants back to the bargaining table. Cone said, "It can be a good thing to have a judge in district court or a justice on the United States Supreme Court who recognizes that the law cannot always be separated from the realities involved in the disputes being decided."
On January 7, 2010, it was reported that Cone would be leaving the YES Network in order to "spend more time with my family." He was replaced by former Yankees first baseman Tino Martinez
. On April 19, 2011 Cone returned to the Yankees broadcast booth in Toronto, working as analyst for a Yankees-Blue Jays series along with Ken Singleton
. As an announcer, Cone is known for making references to sabermetric statistics, referencing some websites such as Fangraphs.com.
His .606 Won-Loss % ranks 95th on MLB all-time list; 7.77 hits allowed per nine innings pitched ranks 60th on MLB All-Time List; 8.28 strikeouts per nine innings pitched ranks 17th; 2,668 strikeouts ranks 21st, and 419 games started ranks 97th on the MLB all-time list.
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...
. During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1986-2003 for six different teams. Cone pitched the sixteenth perfect game
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
in baseball history. He also set the MLB record for most years between 20-win seasons. He was a member of five World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
championships ( with 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 ....
and , , and with 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...
). He has a career 8–3 postseason record over 21 postseason starts and a postseason ERA of 3.80.
He is the subject of the book A Pitcher's Story: Innings With David Cone by Roger Angell
Roger Angell
Roger Angell is an American essayist. He has been a regular contributor to The New Yorker and was its chief fiction editor for many years...
. His fans are known as "Cone-Heads
Coneheads
The Coneheads is a sketch on Saturday Night Live which originated on the January 15, 1977 episode, and starred Dan Aykroyd as father Beldar, Jane Curtin as mother Prymaat, and Laraine Newman as daughter Connie.-Summary:...
."
Cone lives in Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
, and is a color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
for the Yankees on the YES Network
YES Network
The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network is a New York City-based, regional cable television channel; it broadcasts a variety of sports events, with an emphasis on New York Yankees baseball games, and New Jersey Nets basketball games. YES made its debut on March 19, 2002...
.
Early years
Cone was born in Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
and attended Rockhurst High School
Rockhurst High School
Rockhurst High School is a private, Roman Catholic, Jesuit, preparatory school for boys located in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, on the Missouri-Kansas border along State Line Road....
, an all-boys Jesuit school. Cone played quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
on the Rockhurst football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team, leading them to the district championship. He also played point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
on the school's 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...
team, but did not play baseball in high school because Rockhurst did not have a baseball program at the time. Cone played summer ball in the Ban Johnson
Ban Johnson
Byron Bancroft "Ban" Johnson , was an American executive in professional baseball who served as the founder and first president of the American League ....
League. At 16, he reported to an invitation-only tryout at Royals Stadium
Kauffman Stadium
Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium is a Major League Baseball stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri, and home to the Kansas City Royals of the American League. Together with Arrowhead Stadium, home of the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs, it is a part of the Truman Sports Complex...
and an open tryout for 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...
. Upon graduation, he was drafted by his hometown Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
in the third round of the 1981 Major League Baseball Draft
1981 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1981 Major League Baseball draft.- Other notable players :*John Elway was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 2nd round of the 1981 amateur draft...
.
Kansas City Royals
Cone went 22-7 with a 2.21 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...
in his first two professional seasons. He sat out with an injury, and went 8-12 with a 4.28 ERA for the Double-A Memphis Chicks
Memphis Chicks
The Memphis Chicks were an American minor league baseball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Chicks were charter members of the Southern Association from 1901 until November 18, 1960, when the club folded and was transferred to Macon, Georgia for 1961.The Chicks suffered a...
when he returned in . During his second season with the Class AAA Omaha Royals
Omaha Royals
The Omaha Storm Chasers are a United States minor league baseball team currently based in the Omaha suburb of Papillion, Nebraska. The team is the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals major league club and has been a member of the expanded Pacific Coast League since 1998. From 1969 to 1997,...
, Cone 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...
, and he made his Major League debut on June 8, in relief of reigning Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
winner Bret Saberhagen
Bret Saberhagen
Bret William Saberhagen is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher.-Early years:Bret Saberhagen attended Grover Cleveland High School, located in Reseda, California. Saberhagen starred in both basketball and baseball...
. He made three more appearances out of the Royals' 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"...
before returning to Omaha, where he went 8-4 with a 2.79 ERA. He returned to Kansas City when rosters expanded that September.
New York Mets
Prior to the season, Cone was traded with Chris JelicChris Jelic
Christopher John Jelic , is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder who appeared in four games with the New York Mets in...
to 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...
for Ed Hearn, Rick Anderson
Rick Anderson (baseball, born 1956)
Richard Arlen Anderson is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher and the current pitching coach for the Minnesota Twins.-New York Mets:...
and Mauro Gozzo
Mauro Gozzo
Mauro Gozzo is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played all or part of six seasons in the majors, from until ....
. Cone went 5–6 with a 3.71 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 21 appearances (13 starts) his first season in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Cone began the season in the bullpen, but was added to the starting rotation by the first week of May. His first start was a 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...
shut out
Shut Out
"Shut Out" is a single from the Paul Jabara album of the same name and features special guest vocals by Donna Summer. On the album, it is used as the first half of a medley another with another song called "Heaven is a Disco."...
over 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....
, as he went 9-2 with a 2.52 ERA in the first half of the season to earn his first All-Star
All-star
All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
nod. For the season, Cone went 20-3 with a 2.22 ERA to finish third in National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Cy Young Award balloting.
The Mets ran away with the National League East
National League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
by fifteen games over 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...
, and were heavy favorites over the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, whom they had a 10-1 record against during the regular season, in the 1988 National League Championship Series
1988 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 4, 1988 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaThe series opened with a classic pitching matchup, pitting the Dodgers' Orel Hershiser, who had won 23 games during the regular season and carried a Major League record 59 consecutive scoreless innings into the game,...
.
Cone became a newspaper commentator on the playoffs for the New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
, and incited controversy after the Mets' 3-2 victory in game one by saying Dodgers game one starter Orel Hershiser
Orel Hershiser
Orel Leonard Hershiser IV is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently an analyst for Baseball Tonight and Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN and a professional poker player for...
"was lucky for eight innings," and ripping closer
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
Jay Howell
Jay Howell
Jay Canfield Howell is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds , Chicago Cubs , New York Yankees , Oakland Athletics , Los Angeles Dodgers , Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers .Howell was a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers when they won the 1988 World Series...
:
After providing the Dodgers with bulletin board material, they jumped on Cone for five runs in two innings in the second game of the playoffs to tie the series at a game apiece. After giving up the column, Cone came back with a complete game victory in game six; however, series MVP and 1988 Cy Young Award winner Orel Hershiser came back in game seven with the complete game shut out to lead the Dodgers to the 1988 World Series
1988 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 15, 1988 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaBecause of using ace Orel Hershiser in Game 7 of the NLCS, the Dodgers had to open with rookie Tim Belcher in Game 1. Meanwhile, Oakland sent a well-rested Dave Stewart to the mound. Both pitchers, however, would have...
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....
.
Cone spent over five seasons in his first stint with the New York Mets, most of the time serving as the team's co-ace alongside Dwight Gooden
Dwight Gooden
Dwight Eugene Gooden , nicknamed "Doc Gooden" or "Dr. K", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was one of the most dominant and feared pitchers in the National League in the middle and late 1980s.-Career:...
while leading the National League in strikeouts in and . In 1991, Cone switched from uniform number 44 to 17 in honor of former teammate Keith Hernandez
Keith Hernandez
Keith Barlow Hernandez is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He is currently a baseball analyst working for the New York Mets, for whom he played from –, on SportsNet New York and WPIX television broadcasts...
. On August 30, he struck out three batters on nine pitches in the fifth inning of a 3-2 win over the 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....
. He became the 16th National League pitcher and the 25th pitcher in Major League history to accomplish the nine-strike/three-strikeout half-inning
Pitchers who struck out three batters on nine pitches
In Major League Baseball, 43 pitchers have thrown a nine-pitch, three-strikeout half-inning, throwing nothing but strikes...
.
Cone tied a National League record on October 6, in the season finale, by striking out 19 rival 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...
batters in a 7-0, three-hit shutout at Philadelphia
Veterans Stadium
Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
. His 19 strikeouts was the second-highest total ever recorded in a nine inning game just behind the 20-strikeout games recorded by Kerry Wood
Kerry Wood
Kerry Lee Wood is a National Major League Baseball relief pitcher. Wood recorded over 200 strikeouts in four out of his first five seasons, with a high of 266 in 2003....
and Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...
(twice), and tying Tom Seaver
Tom Seaver
George Thomas "Tom" Seaver , nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets...
's single-game club record, making the Mets the only team with two pitchers to achieve the feat.
Cone was the lone Mets representative at the 1992 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
1992 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1992 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 63rd playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 14, 1992 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California, the...
, going 9-4 with a 2.56 ERA at the All-Star break. With a 56-67 record, and fourteen games behind the first place Pirates, the infamous "worst team money could buy" traded Cone to the Toronto Blue Jays for Jeff Kent
Jeff Kent
Jeffrey Franklin Kent is a retired Major League Baseball second baseman. Kent won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 2000 with the San Francisco Giants, and is the all-time leader in home runs among second basemen...
and Ryan Thompson
Ryan Thompson
Ryan Orlando Thompson is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played all or part of nine seasons in the majors between 1992 and 2002 for the New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros, New York Yankees, Florida Marlins, and Milwaukee Brewers. He also played one season in Japan for...
on August 27, after the non-waiver trading deadline.
Toronto Blue Jays
With Toronto Cone was 4-3, with a 2.55 ERA and 47 strikeouts. Combined with the 214 strikeouts he had with the Mets, his 261 strikeouts led the major leagues and were a career high. Cone headed to the post-season for the second time in his career as the Blue Jays won the American League EastAmerican League East
The American League Eastern Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions . This division was created before the start of the 1969 season along with the Western Division...
. The Jays defeated 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....
in the 1992 American League Championship Series
1992 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 7, 1992 at SkyDome in Toronto, OntarioThe first game of the series had Oakland's Dave Stewart face off against Toronto's Jack Morris. The A's put up a three-spot against Morris in the second inning, as Mark McGwire and Terry Steinbach hit back-to-back home runs...
, and the Atlanta Braves in the World Series to give Cone his first World Series ring, and become the first Canadian team to win the World Series. For his part, Cone went 1-1 with a 3.22 ERA in the post-season.
Cy Young Award
Cone returned to his hometown Kansas City Royals as a free agentFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
for the season. Cone had a subpar 1993, going 11-14 with a 3.33 ERA, however, he rebounded to go 16-4 with a 2.94 ERA in the strike-shortened season to win the 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...
Cy Young Award, and finish ninth in MVP
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
voting. Cone was a Major League Baseball Players Association
Major League Baseball Players Association
The Major League Baseball Players Association is the union of professional major-league baseball players.-History of MLBPA:The MLBPA was not the first attempt to unionize baseball players...
representative in negotiations with Major League Baseball in events that surrounded the 1994 baseball strike.
1995
Four days after the strike ended, the Royals traded Cone back to the Blue Jays for Chris StynesChris Stynes
Christopher Desmond Stynes is a former Major League Baseball utility player. He spent time with the Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Baltimore Orioles...
, David Sinnes and Tony Medrano. Cone was 9-6 with a 3.38 ERA for Toronto, however, the Jays were 35-47 and in fifth place when they struck a deal with the second place New York Yankees. On July 28, , the Blue Jays sent Cone to the Yankees for Marty Janzen
Marty Janzen
Martin Thomas Janzen is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball. Originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Yankees in , Janzen spent parts of two seasons in the major leagues...
, Jason Jarvis and Mike Gordon. The Yankees won the wild card the first year of the new three division, wild card format.
In his third post-season, Cone won the first game of the 1995 American League Division Series
1995 American League Division Series
-Seattle Mariners vs. New York Yankees:-Game 1, Tuesday, October 3:Jacobs Field in Cleveland, OhioAfter a 39-minute rain delay, Game 1 got underway with two veterans, Roger Clemens and Dennis Martínez, starting the opener. The Red Sox jumped in front first in the third on John Valentin's two run...
against 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...
, and left game five with the score tied at four. The Mariners won the game in extra innings to eliminate the Yankees from the playoffs.
New York Yankees
Cone was 4-1 with a 2.02 ERA when he was diagnosed with an aneurysmAneurysm
An aneurysm or aneurism is a localized, blood-filled balloon-like bulge in the wall of a blood vessel. Aneurysms can commonly occur in arteries at the base of the brain and an aortic aneurysm occurs in the main artery carrying blood from the left ventricle of the heart...
in his arm in and went on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
for the majority of the year. In his comeback start that September against the Oakland A's, Cone pitched a no-hitter through seven innings before he had to leave due to 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...
restrictions. Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera is a Panamanian right-handed baseball pitcher who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. Nicknamed "Mo", Rivera has served as a relief pitcher for most of his career, and since 1997, he has been the Yankees' closer...
allowed a single, ending the no-hit bid.
The Yankees returned to the post-season for the second of thirteen consecutive seasons. After losing to 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...
in game one of the 1996 American League Division Series
1996 American League Division Series
-Texas Rangers vs. New York Yankees:-Game 1, October 1:Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, MarylandIt was Baltimore's first playoff game since the clinching Game 5 of the 1983 World Series. For the Indians, it was their second consecutive division title. Charles Nagy and David Wells matched...
, and a no decision in the 1996 American League Championship Series
1996 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 9, 1996 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe first game of the series is most notable for the infamous "Jeffrey Maier Incident." With the Yankees trailing 4–3 in the bottom of the eighth, rookie Derek Jeter hit a fly ball to deep right field off Orioles reliever...
, Cone came back in game three of the World Series against the Atlanta Braves with a six inning, one run performance to give the Yankees their first win of the Series on their way to their first World Championship in eighteen years.
Cone went 20-7 in , setting a Major League record for the longest span between twenty win seasons. He went 12-9 in , pitching the sixteenth perfect game
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
in baseball history on July 18 against the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
. It is the last no-hitter to date by a Yankee, the only regular season interleague perfect game and only interleague perfect game besides Don Larsen
Don Larsen
Donald James Larsen is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1953-67 for seven different teams. Larsen is best known for pitching the sixth perfect game in baseball history, doing so in game 5 of the 1956 World Series...
's in the 1956 World Series
1956 World Series
The 1956 World Series of Major League Baseball was played between the New York Yankees and the defending champion Brooklyn Dodgers during the month of October 1956. The Series was a rematch of the 1955 World Series...
. Making the game even more remarkable was that it was "Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
Day" at Yankee Stadium. After a long feud with owner George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. During Steinbrenner's 37-year ownership from 1973 to his death in July 2010, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned seven World Series...
, Berra agreed to return to the stadium that day, and caught the ceremonial first pitch from fellow perfect game pitcher Don Larsen
Don Larsen
Donald James Larsen is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1953-67 for seven different teams. Larsen is best known for pitching the sixth perfect game in baseball history, doing so in game 5 of the 1956 World Series...
. Larsen could be seen smiling in the press box after the final out was recorded.
After the perfect game, he seemed to suddenly lose effectiveness. It was the last shutout he would throw in his career. In he posted the worst record of his career, 4–14, while seeing his ERA balloon to 6.91, more than double his mark the previous year. In spite of his ineffectiveness, Cone was brought in during game four of the 2000 World Series
2000 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 21, 2000 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe opener fell on two anniversaries. Twenty-five years prior, Boston Red Sox's catcher Carlton Fisk ended Game 6 of the 1975 World Series with his famous home run off the left field foul pole in Fenway Park in Boston to beat...
to face the Mets' Mike Piazza
Mike Piazza
Michael Joseph "Mike" Piazza ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. He played in his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, San Diego Padres and the Oakland Athletics....
, a controversial decision at the time — Denny Neagle
Denny Neagle
Dennis Edward Neagle Jr. is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was last under contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays during the season, but he did not play due to injury...
had given up a home run to Piazza in his previous at-bat, but was pitching with a lead and only needed to retire Piazza to go the minimum five innings to be eligible for a win. Cone induced a pop-up to end the inning. It was the only batter he faced in the entire Series.
Boston Red Sox
In Cone pitched for the rival Boston Red SoxBoston 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"...
, performing with mixed but mostly positive results, including a 9-7 win-loss record and a 4.31 ERA. His 2001 season included a suspenseful 1-0 loss against Yankees ace Mike Mussina
Mike Mussina
Michael Cole Mussina , nicknamed Moose, is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played for the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees ....
wherein Cone pitched innings giving up one unearned run, keeping the game close even as Mike Mussina came within one strike of completing a perfect game
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
, which would have made Cone the first pitcher to pitch a perfect game and be the losing pitcher in another.
Comeback with New York Mets
He sat out the season, but attempted a comeback in . Cone went 1-3 in 4 starts for the Mets with a 6.50 ERA. He announced his retirement soon after his last appearance for the Mets on May 28, citing a chronic hip problem.Retirement
Upon retiring from baseball in 2001, Cone became a color commentator on the YES NetworkYES Network
The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network is a New York City-based, regional cable television channel; it broadcasts a variety of sports events, with an emphasis on New York Yankees baseball games, and New Jersey Nets basketball games. YES made its debut on March 19, 2002...
during its inaugural season. However, his comeback attempt with the crosstown rival Mets in 2003 infuriated Yankees owner George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. During Steinbrenner's 37-year ownership from 1973 to his death in July 2010, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned seven World Series...
and Cone was told he would not be welcome back. After his second retirement, Cone was offered a broadcasting position with the Mets, but opted to remain home with his family.
In 2008, David Cone rejoined the YES Network as an analyst and host of Yankees on Deck.
On July 17, 2009, Cone testified as a witness (representing the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
) before the Senate Judiciary Committee during the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
nomination hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor
Sonia Sotomayor
Sonia Maria Sotomayor is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving since August 2009. Sotomayor is the Court's 111th justice, its first Hispanic justice, and its third female justice....
. He read a prepared statement in support of Sotomayor's nomination which chronicled Major League Baseball's labor dispute of 1994 and the impact of the judge's decision which forced the disputants back to the bargaining table. Cone said, "It can be a good thing to have a judge in district court or a justice on the United States Supreme Court who recognizes that the law cannot always be separated from the realities involved in the disputes being decided."
On January 7, 2010, it was reported that Cone would be leaving the YES Network in order to "spend more time with my family." He was replaced by former Yankees first baseman Tino Martinez
Tino Martinez
Constantino "Tino" Martinez is a former Major League Baseball first baseman.Martinez was the first round draft pick for the Seattle Mariners in out of the University of Tampa where he starred during his time on campus. He began his Major League career in and has played for the Mariners, New...
. On April 19, 2011 Cone returned to the Yankees broadcast booth in Toronto, working as analyst for a Yankees-Blue Jays series along with Ken Singleton
Ken Singleton
Kenneth Wayne Singleton is an American former professional baseball player and current television sports commentator. He played as an outfielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball for the New York Mets, Montreal Expos, and Baltimore Orioles.-Baseball career:Born in Manhattan, New York...
. As an announcer, Cone is known for making references to sabermetric statistics, referencing some websites such as Fangraphs.com.
Career statistics
| W 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... |
L 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... |
PCT | 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... |
G Games played Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,... |
GS Games started In baseball statistics, games started indicates the number of games that a pitcher has started for his team. A pitcher is credited with starting the game if he faces the first opposing batter... |
CG | SHO 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.... |
SV Save (sport) In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities successfully converted, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers... |
IP Innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two... |
H | ER 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... |
R | HR Home run In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process... |
BB 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... |
SO 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.... |
WP Wild pitch In baseball, a wild pitch is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, perhaps even the batter-runner on strike three or ball four, to advance.A wild pitch usually... |
HBP Hit by pitch In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 194 | 126 | .606 | 3.46 | 450 | 419 | 56 | 22 | 1 | 2898.2 | 2504 | 1115 | 1222 | 258 | 1137 | 2668 | 149 | 106 |
His .606 Won-Loss % ranks 95th on MLB all-time list; 7.77 hits allowed per nine innings pitched ranks 60th on MLB All-Time List; 8.28 strikeouts per nine innings pitched ranks 17th; 2,668 strikeouts ranks 21st, and 419 games started ranks 97th on the MLB all-time list.
- New York Yankees All-Time Leader in Strikeouts per 9 Innings Pitched (8.67).
- Holds New York Yankees single season record for most Strikeouts per 9 Innings Pitched (10.25 in 1997).
- Is the last Yankee pitcher to strike out 200+ batters in two consecutive seasons.
- Struck out 19 batters in one game, October 6, 1991
- Is the only pitcher to have a 20 win season with the Mets (1988) and the Yankees (1998).
See also
- Pitchers who have thrown a perfect gamePerfect gameA perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- List of Major League Baseball strikeout champions
- List of Major League Baseball wins champions
- List of pitchers who have struck out 18 or more batters in a nine-inning MLB game
- Top 100 Major League Baseball hit batsmen leaders
- Pitchers who have struck out three batters on nine pitches
- Top 100 strikeout pitchers of all timeTop 100 strikeout pitchers of all timeIn baseball, a strikeout occurs when the batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. Strikeouts are associated with dominance on the part of the pitcher and failure on the part of the batter....