Jarrod Washburn
Encyclopedia
Jarrod Michael Washburn (born August 13, 1974) is a former Major League Baseball
pitcher
and currently resides in his hometown of Webster, Wisconsin.
his freshman year. In his freshman season, he won
the championship game of the NCAA
Division III World Series, against Wesleyan University
(Connecticut). Washburn pitched eight strikeouts in a 6-2 complete game victory. That season he had a 6-1 record, a 2.03 earned run average
(ERA) before being named to the NCAA Division III All-Midwest Region second team. In his 1995 sophomore season, he compiled a 9-1 record, 1.93 ERA. In 1996 (after leaving UW-O in 1995), . In 2010, he was inducted in the college's sports Titan Hall of Fame. Washburn was named to the NCAA Division III All-Midwest Region first team.
in the second round of the 1995 Major League Baseball Draft
as the 31st overall pick. Washburn began his professional career pitching for the Low Single-A Boise Hawks
and Cedar Rapids Kernels
in 1995. In , he began pitching for High Single-A Lake Elsinore
, was promoted mid-season to Double-A Midland
, and promoted late-season to Triple-A Vancouver
. Washburn began back in Double-A and was playing for Triple-A Vancouver in when he was called up and made his major league debut on June 2. After dividing his time between the Angels and Triple-A Edmonton
in , Washburn was called up for good in ; he started 30 games and went 11-10 with an ERA
of 3.77 establishing himself as a major league starter.
Washburn's career year was , when he won 18 games and lost 6 with an excellent ERA of 3.15, finishing 4th in American League
Cy Young Award
voting, and helped the Angels to a World Series championship
. In the American League Division Series
against the New York Yankees
, he went 1-0 in 2 starts and had an ERA of 3.75. In the American League Championship Series
against the Minnesota Twins
, Washburn started one game, pitching 7 innings and allowing only 1 earned run
; however, he struggled in the World Series
against the San Francisco Giants
, giving up 10 earned runs in his 2 starts in Games 1 and 5. The Angels would go on to win the 2002 World Series in 7 games, in the first World Series ever in which both teams were wild card
teams.
In , Washburn went 10-15 and his ERA climbed to 4.43. was similar with a 4.64 ERA, but with more run support
, his record improved to 11-8. In , despite having a record of only 8-8, he had an ERA of 3.20 and became a free agent
after the season.
On July 6, 2009, Washburn threw the first one-hitter in Safeco Field history. The game was also the tenth one-hitter in Mariners team history. Washburn started 7-6 in 2009, and had a 2.87 ERA with only 28 walks through July 18, 2009.
As of the end of July 2009, opposing batters were hitting .224 against him, which was the third-lowest batting average in the league; he was just behind Edwin Jackson
(.216) and Matt Garza
(.222), and was followed by Scott Feldman
(.228; .217 as a starter).
for pitchers Luke French
and Mauricio Robles
. Washburn's tenure with the Tigers was forgettable, as he proceeded to go 1-3 with a 7.33 ERA in 8 starts. In 2009, with the Mariners and Tigers, he went a combined 9-9 with a 3.78 ERA in 28 starts.
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...
and currently resides in his hometown of Webster, Wisconsin.
High school / college
Jarrod Washburn graduated from Webster High School, in Webster, Burnett County, Wisconsin, in 1992. Washburn attended the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, he redshirtedRedshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
his freshman year. In his freshman season, he won
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...
the championship game of the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division III World Series, against Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
(Connecticut). Washburn pitched eight strikeouts in a 6-2 complete game victory. That season he had a 6-1 record, a 2.03 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
(ERA) before being named to the NCAA Division III All-Midwest Region second team. In his 1995 sophomore season, he compiled a 9-1 record, 1.93 ERA. In 1996 (after leaving UW-O in 1995), . In 2010, he was inducted in the college's sports Titan Hall of Fame. Washburn was named to the NCAA Division III All-Midwest Region first team.
Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Washburn was drafted by the California AngelsLos 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...
in the second round of the 1995 Major League Baseball Draft
1995 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1995 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign-Background:Outfielder Darin Erstad of the University of Nebraska was the first pick in the 1995 Rule 4 Draft. Erstad compiled a career .356 average in three seasons with the...
as the 31st overall pick. Washburn began his professional career pitching for the Low Single-A Boise Hawks
Boise Hawks
The Boise Hawks are a minor league baseball team, located in Boise, Idaho. The team is currently a farm team for the Chicago Cubs and play in the Short-Season Class A Northwest League.-History:...
and Cedar Rapids Kernels
Cedar Rapids Kernels
The Cedar Rapids Kernels are a Class A minor league baseball team based in Iowa. It is affiliated with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and plays in the Midwest League.-Franchise history:...
in 1995. In , he began pitching for High Single-A Lake Elsinore
Lake Elsinore Storm
The Lake Elsinore Storm is a minor league baseball team in Lake Elsinore, California, USA. It is a Class A - Advanced team in the California League, and is a farm team of the San Diego Padres. The Storm plays its home games at Lake Elsinore Diamond...
, was promoted mid-season to Double-A Midland
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...
, and promoted late-season to Triple-A Vancouver
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...
. Washburn began back in Double-A and was playing for Triple-A Vancouver in when he was called up and made his major league debut on June 2. After dividing his time between the Angels and Triple-A Edmonton
Edmonton Trappers
The Edmonton Trappers were a minor league baseball team in the Pacific Coast League, ending with the 2004 season. Home games were played at Telus Field in downtown Edmonton, Alberta, Canada....
in , Washburn was called up for good in ; he started 30 games and went 11-10 with an 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...
of 3.77 establishing himself as a major league starter.
Washburn's career year was , when he won 18 games and lost 6 with an excellent ERA of 3.15, finishing 4th in 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
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...
voting, and helped the Angels to a World Series championship
2002 World Series
The 2002 World Series was a best-of-seven playoff series to determine the champion of Major League Baseball for the 2002 season. It was the 98th such contest between the champions of the American League and National League , and featured the AL champion Anaheim Angels against the NL champion San...
. In the American League Division Series
American League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series...
against 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 went 1-0 in 2 starts and had an ERA of 3.75. In the American League Championship Series
American League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series , played in October, is a round in the postseason that determines the winner of the American League pennant...
against the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, Washburn started one game, pitching 7 innings and allowing only 1 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...
; however, he struggled in the 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...
against the San Francisco 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....
, giving up 10 earned runs in his 2 starts in Games 1 and 5. The Angels would go on to win the 2002 World Series in 7 games, in the first World Series ever in which both teams were wild card
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
teams.
In , Washburn went 10-15 and his ERA climbed to 4.43. was similar with a 4.64 ERA, but with more run support
Run support
Run support is a baseball statistic used to assess a starting pitcher's good fortune. It measures how many runs were scored by his team on average when he starts. It is considered a somewhat important statistic because a team earn wins by holding its opponents to fewer runs than it scores...
, his record improved to 11-8. In , despite having a record of only 8-8, he had an ERA of 3.20 and became a free agent
Free 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....
after the season.
Seattle Mariners
On December 22, 2005, Washburn signed a four-year contract worth $37.5 million with the Seattle Mariners. In 2006, he finished a disappointing 8-14 with a 4.67 ERA; in 2007, he bettered his ERA to 4.32. In 2008, Washburn struggled early in the season, but from June 9 to August 6, he had an ERA of 3.24. Through August 6, Washburn had the lowest run support in the American League, and was also the victim of seven blown saves in 2008, tying for first in the majors.On July 6, 2009, Washburn threw the first one-hitter in Safeco Field history. The game was also the tenth one-hitter in Mariners team history. Washburn started 7-6 in 2009, and had a 2.87 ERA with only 28 walks through July 18, 2009.
As of the end of July 2009, opposing batters were hitting .224 against him, which was the third-lowest batting average in the league; he was just behind Edwin Jackson
Edwin Jackson
Edwin Jackson is an American professional baseball pitcher.-Early life:Jackson's father, Edwin Jackson, Sr., a military cook, was stationed in Germany at the time of his birth. Jackson is one of 27 major league players who were born in Germany...
(.216) and Matt Garza
Matt Garza
Matthew Scott Garza is a United States professional baseball pitcher with the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball.-Amateur career:He attended Washington Union High School and Fresno State.-Minnesota Twins:...
(.222), and was followed by Scott Feldman
Scott Feldman
Scott Feldman was a news anchor for News 12 Long Island for 22 years.-Early life:Feldman was born in St. Louis, Missouri, graduated from the University of Denver in 1971. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves and National Guard....
(.228; .217 as a starter).
Detroit Tigers
On July 31, 2009, Washburn was traded to the Detroit TigersDetroit 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...
for pitchers Luke French
Luke French
Detective Sergeant Luke French is a fictional police officer of the Criminal Investigation Department within Wyvern Constabulary's, Holby South Police Station. His character is featured in Holby Blue, a spin-off of the long running medical drama Holby City.-Character history:Luke is one of the...
and Mauricio Robles
Mauricio Robles
Mauricio Antonio Robles is a professional baseball pitcher in the Seattle Mariners organization. He was signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Detroit Tigers on April 1, ....
. Washburn's tenure with the Tigers was forgettable, as he proceeded to go 1-3 with a 7.33 ERA in 8 starts. In 2009, with the Mariners and Tigers, he went a combined 9-9 with a 3.78 ERA in 28 starts.