Joe Magrane
Encyclopedia
Joseph David Magrane is a former Major League Baseball
pitcher
and is currently a color commentary broadcaster for the MLB Network
. He was teamed with play-by-play announcer Dewayne Staats
from 1998 to 2008 as part of the Tampa Bay Rays
television team.
Magrane served as an analyst for NBC Sports
' coverage of Baseball at the 2008 Summer Olympics
. He teamed with play-by-play man Eric Collins of ESPN
.
He led the National League in ERA (2.18) in 1988, despite winning only five games (losing nine). He finished 4th in voting for the 1989 NL Cy Young with an 18-9 win-loss record, a 2.91 ERA and only 5 home runs surrendered in 234 2/3 innings.
An injured elbow in 1990 cost him almost all of the next two seasons and most of his effectiveness, and Magrane never really regained his early form. He did win 11 games between the St. Louis and California ballclubs in 1993, but could not muster more than 2 wins or 74 innings pitched in any other season until his retirement in 1996 at the relatively early age of 32.
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 is currently a color commentary broadcaster for the MLB Network
MLB Network
MLB Network is an American television specialty channel dedicated to professional baseball. It is primarily owned by Major League Baseball. Comcast, DirecTV, Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications have minority ownership of the new network, with MLB retaining a controlling two-thirds share...
. He was teamed with play-by-play announcer Dewayne Staats
Dewayne Staats
Dewayne Staats is the play-by-play commentator for the Tampa Bay Rays' television broadcasts . He is teamed with color commentary announcer Brian Anderson. He has previously worked with analysts Joe Magrane and Kevin Kennedy.-Biography:Growing up near St. Louis, Missouri in Wood River, IL, Staats...
from 1998 to 2008 as part of the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
television team.
Magrane served as an analyst for NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
' coverage of Baseball at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Baseball at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Baseball at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing was held from August 13 to August 23. All games were played at Wukesong Baseball Field, a temporary venue constructed at the Beijing Wukesong Culture & Sports Center...
. He teamed with play-by-play man Eric Collins of ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
.
Playing career
During his rookie season he helped the Cardinals win the 1987 NL Pennant. He also led the National League in Hit Batsmen (10).He led the National League in ERA (2.18) in 1988, despite winning only five games (losing nine). He finished 4th in voting for the 1989 NL Cy Young with an 18-9 win-loss record, a 2.91 ERA and only 5 home runs surrendered in 234 2/3 innings.
An injured elbow in 1990 cost him almost all of the next two seasons and most of his effectiveness, and Magrane never really regained his early form. He did win 11 games between the St. Louis and California ballclubs in 1993, but could not muster more than 2 wins or 74 innings pitched in any other season until his retirement in 1996 at the relatively early age of 32.