Huston Street
Encyclopedia
Huston Lowell Street (icon; born August 2, 1983, in Austin
, Texas
) is an American baseball
relief pitcher
for the Colorado Rockies
. His father is former University of Texas quarterback
James Street
, and his brother Juston Street is currently a pitcher for the minor league Vancouver Canadians
.
in Austin, Texas from 1997–2001 where he lettered in both football and baseball. He then attended The University of Texas
from –, where he pitched for the school's baseball team. He is widely regarded as one of the best collegiate closer
s of all time. Street earned a form of All-America
n honors at Texas every season he was there and helped his team win the College World Series
of collegiate baseball in 2002. In that season, he set a CWS record for the most saves and won the Series Most Valuable Player honors for his amazing work as a closer. A year later, Street led the Longhorns to the Series semifinals, and in 2004, he helped his team to the finals, only to lose in two games to Cal State Fullerton
. In 2010, Street was named to the NCAA College World Series Legends Team.
, Street spent a few months in the minor leagues, spending no more than a month at each level. He then was invited to the Arizona Fall League
where his team took the championship.
Street was called up to the major leagues at the start of the season. He became Oakland's closer when incumbent Octavio Dotel
went down in May with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery
. Street saved 23 games in 27 chances to go along with a 5–1 record, 72 strikeout
s, and a 1.72 ERA
. Only Mariano Rivera
's 1.38 ERA for the Yankees
was better among American League relievers. Street had 72 strikeouts in 78 1/3 innings pitched
, and opposing hitters batted
only .194 against him. He was rewarded for his effort by being named Rookie of the Year, as the third player in a row who had spent some time in the Athletics organization (after Angel Berroa
in , and Bobby Crosby
in 2004).
Street continued to serve as the closer for the A's in . He finished the season with a 4-4 record, 37 saves, 67 strikeouts, a 3.31 ERA in 70.2 innings pitched, and 11 blown saves. On October 14, Street gave up a walk-off three-run home run to Magglio Ordonez
of the Detroit Tigers
in Game 4 of the 2006 ALCS that ended the A's postseason.
Street had a solid season in , despite missing time with an injury. He went 5–2 with a 2.88 ERA, with 16 saves and 62 strikeouts in 50 innings.
Huston struggled somewhat with a nagging injury in . After a rough stretch in July and August, he lost his closer position to rookie Brad Ziegler
. Street's health and pitching improved, although Ziegler continued to close.
with outfielder Carlos González
and pitcher Greg Smith
for outfielder Matt Holliday
.
He beat out Manny Corpas to earn the role of the Rockies' closing pitcher for the 2009 season. After poor performances by Street, Corpas was re-named the closer on April 17; however, Corpas also pitched poorly, and the closer job was given back to Street on May 1. Since this time, Street has excelled in the closer role and was a key cog in the Rockies' mid-season run back into the race (16–1 from June 4 to June 22). As of September 28, 2009, he has earned 34 saves in 36 opportunities. with a 2.73 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 59.2 innings.
After a 2009 season in which he blew only two saves, Street struggled during the playoffs for the Rockies. In Game 4 of the 2009 National League Division Series, Street entered the ninth inning with the Rockies leading 4–2. He was able to record the first two outs before allowing three runs that gave the Phillies a 5–4 win and a series victory.
Prior to a game on July 26, 2010, Street was struck in the midsection by a line drive during batting practice. He fainted several times from the pain and needed to be taken off the field in an ambulance.
usually hovers in the 90–93 mph range, topping out around 95 mph, but has exceptional tailing movement. He also features a sharp slider
at 84–86 mph that he uses frequently against righties, as well as a good circle changeup
at around the 81–83 mph range with splitter
-like movement that he uses effectively against lefties.
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
) is an American baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
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 Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
. His father is former University of Texas 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...
James Street
James Street (quarterback)
James Street is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at the University of Texas at Austin from 1966-1969...
, and his brother Juston Street is currently a pitcher for the minor league Vancouver Canadians
Vancouver Canadians
The Vancouver Canadians are a minor league baseball team located in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Canadians are the Northwest League affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. The C's have previously affiliated with the Oakland Athletics between 2000-2010. They are the only Canadian team in the...
.
Education
Street attended Westlake High SchoolWestlake High School (Texas)
Westlake High School is a high school in West Lake Hills, Texas in the Eanes Independent School District. In 2011, it was ranked 72nd on Newsweek Magazine's list of America's top High Schools....
in Austin, Texas from 1997–2001 where he lettered in both football and baseball. He then attended The University of Texas
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
from –, where he pitched for the school's baseball team. He is widely regarded as one of the best collegiate 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...
s of all time. Street earned a form of All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n honors at Texas every season he was there and helped his team win the College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
of collegiate baseball in 2002. In that season, he set a CWS record for the most saves and won the Series Most Valuable Player honors for his amazing work as a closer. A year later, Street led the Longhorns to the Series semifinals, and in 2004, he helped his team to the finals, only to lose in two games to Cal State Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton is a public university located in Fullerton, California. It is the largest institution in the CSU System by enrollment, it offers long-distance education and adult-degree programs...
. In 2010, Street was named to the NCAA College World Series Legends Team.
Oakland Athletics
Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the first round, 40th overall, of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft2004 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2004 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 7 and 8. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams...
, Street spent a few months in the minor leagues, spending no more than a month at each level. He then was invited to the Arizona Fall League
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League is an off-season league owned and operated by Major League Baseball which operates during the fall in Arizona, United States at five spring training complexes...
where his team took the championship.
Street was called up to the major leagues at the start of the season. He became Oakland's closer when incumbent Octavio Dotel
Octavio Dotel
Octavio Eduardo Dotel is a Domincan professional baseball pitcher who is currently a Free Agent....
went down in May with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery, known in medical practice as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body...
. Street saved 23 games in 27 chances to go along with a 5–1 record, 72 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s, and a 1.72 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...
. Only 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...
's 1.38 ERA for the 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...
was better among American League relievers. Street had 72 strikeouts in 78 1/3 innings pitched
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...
, and opposing hitters batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
only .194 against him. He was rewarded for his effort by being named Rookie of the Year, as the third player in a row who had spent some time in the Athletics organization (after Angel Berroa
Angel Berroa
Ángel Maria Berroa Selmo is a Dominican professional baseball infielder. Berroa was selected as the 2003 American League Rookie of the Year.-Early career:...
in , and Bobby Crosby
Bobby Crosby
Robert Edward Crosby is an infielder in Major League Baseball who is currently a free agent. The son of former major league infielder Ed Crosby, he bats and throws right-handed...
in 2004).
Street continued to serve as the closer for the A's in . He finished the season with a 4-4 record, 37 saves, 67 strikeouts, a 3.31 ERA in 70.2 innings pitched, and 11 blown saves. On October 14, Street gave up a walk-off three-run home run to Magglio Ordonez
Magglio Ordóñez
Magglio José Ordóñez Delgado is a Venezuelan Major League Baseball right fielder. He has played for the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers . Ordóñez is six feet, one inch tall and weighs .-Professional career:...
of 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 Game 4 of the 2006 ALCS that ended the A's postseason.
Street had a solid season in , despite missing time with an injury. He went 5–2 with a 2.88 ERA, with 16 saves and 62 strikeouts in 50 innings.
Huston struggled somewhat with a nagging injury in . After a rough stretch in July and August, he lost his closer position to rookie Brad Ziegler
Brad Ziegler
Brad Gregory Ziegler is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks.-Minor leagues:...
. Street's health and pitching improved, although Ziegler continued to close.
Colorado Rockies
On November 12, 2008, Street was traded to the Colorado RockiesColorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
with outfielder Carlos González
Carlos González (baseball)
Carlos Eduardo González is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Colorado Rockies.-Minor leagues:...
and pitcher Greg Smith
Greg Smith (pitcher)
Gregory Thomas Smith is an American professional baseball pitcher.-Baseball career:Smith attended Louisiana State University, where he played for the LSU Tigers baseball team...
for outfielder Matt Holliday
Matt Holliday
Matthew Thomas Holliday , nicknamed "Big Daddy", is an American Major League Baseball left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. Holliday was originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the seventh round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft.Holliday is a five-time All-Star and Silver Slugger...
.
He beat out Manny Corpas to earn the role of the Rockies' closing pitcher for the 2009 season. After poor performances by Street, Corpas was re-named the closer on April 17; however, Corpas also pitched poorly, and the closer job was given back to Street on May 1. Since this time, Street has excelled in the closer role and was a key cog in the Rockies' mid-season run back into the race (16–1 from June 4 to June 22). As of September 28, 2009, he has earned 34 saves in 36 opportunities. with a 2.73 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 59.2 innings.
After a 2009 season in which he blew only two saves, Street struggled during the playoffs for the Rockies. In Game 4 of the 2009 National League Division Series, Street entered the ninth inning with the Rockies leading 4–2. He was able to record the first two outs before allowing three runs that gave the Phillies a 5–4 win and a series victory.
Prior to a game on July 26, 2010, Street was struck in the midsection by a line drive during batting practice. He fainted several times from the pain and needed to be taken off the field in an ambulance.
Scouting
Unlike most closers, Street is a finesse pitcher instead of a power pitcher. Street's fastballFastball
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...
usually hovers in the 90–93 mph range, topping out around 95 mph, but has exceptional tailing movement. He also features a sharp slider
Slider
In baseball, a slider is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball....
at 84–86 mph that he uses frequently against righties, as well as a good circle changeup
Circle changeup
In baseball, a circle changeup is a pitch thrown with a grip that includes a circle formation, hence the name. The circle is formed by making a circle with the index finger, holding the thumb at the bottom of the ball parallel to the middle finger and holding the ball far out in the hand...
at around the 81–83 mph range with splitter
Split-finger fastball
A split-finger fastball or splitter is a pitch in baseball. It is named after the technique of putting the index and middle finger on different sides of the ball, or "splitting" them. When thrown hard, it appears to be a fastball to the batter, but suddenly "drops off the table" towards home...
-like movement that he uses effectively against lefties.