Joey Eischen
Encyclopedia
Joseph Raymond Eischen is a former relief pitcher
in Major League Baseball
.
on June 19, 1994. The following year he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers
, appearing in 17 games, striking out 15 and walking 11 over 20 innings. He was traded again at the Major League trading deadline in 1996 to the Detroit Tigers
. In his first full season, he struck out a career high 51 batters (a number he later tied in 2002). Before the 1997 season, Eischen was traded twice - first to the San Diego Padres
, then again to the Cincinnati Reds
.
Eischen only pitched in one game for the Reds in 1997 and did not appear in the major leagues again until 2001. He returned to the Expos in 2001 and stayed with the franchise until 2006, enjoying moderate success. He had his best season in 2002, finishing with a 6-1 record and an ERA
of 1.34. In 2003, he appeared in a career high 70 games and had a very respectable 3.06 ERA. The workload apparently caught up to him the following season, as he pitched in only 21 games and his season was cut short by a shoulder injury.
He managed to come back in 2005 (with the relocated Washington Nationals
) and appear in 57 games but was limited to a total of 36 innings. In one not-so-enviable instance, he went 5 consecutive outings without recording an out.
Eischen still managed to become a cult hero for Washington fans with his all out play and witty remarks. Commenting on Orioles owner Peter Angelos' objection to the Expos move to Washington, Eischen said "He's going to have to suck on it and like it. We're not going anywhere." It was well documented that he had to wear a mouth guard because he would grind his teeth when pitching.
Until he broke his arm diving for a ball, Eischen was an integral part of the Nationals bullpen as they led the NL East through the first half of 2005. The overachieving Nationals bullpen was worn thin and the starting pitching could not maintain the pace they had set through June. At 81-81, they finished the season in last place. Eischen was the first pitcher to register a win as a National. A favorite of Frank Robinson's, Eischen spent the first several innings of every game on the top step of the dugout alongside the Hall of Famer. Perhaps as a nod from Frank, Eischen relieved Chad Cordero and was the last Nationals hurler to throw a pitch that year.
In 2006, his last in the Majors, Eischen struggled drastically for the first two months of the season and was eventually put on the 60-day disabled list when he was scheduled to have season-ending surgery on his shoulder. After 6 consecutive seasons with the organization, he was released. His career ended after a failed comeback with the Detroit Tigers in 2007, in which he was cut during spring training
.
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...
in Major League Baseball
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...
.
High school
Joey Eischen attended West Covina High School in West Covina, California and was a letterman in football, basketball, baseball, and tennis. He graduated from West Covina High School in 1988.Major league career
Eischen made his Major League debut with the Montreal ExposMontreal 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...
on June 19, 1994. The following year he was traded to 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...
, appearing in 17 games, striking out 15 and walking 11 over 20 innings. He was traded again at the Major League trading deadline in 1996 to 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 his first full season, he struck out a career high 51 batters (a number he later tied in 2002). Before the 1997 season, Eischen was traded twice - first to the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
, then again to 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....
.
Eischen only pitched in one game for the Reds in 1997 and did not appear in the major leagues again until 2001. He returned to the Expos in 2001 and stayed with the franchise until 2006, enjoying moderate success. He had his best season in 2002, finishing with a 6-1 record and 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 1.34. In 2003, he appeared in a career high 70 games and had a very respectable 3.06 ERA. The workload apparently caught up to him the following season, as he pitched in only 21 games and his season was cut short by a shoulder injury.
He managed to come back in 2005 (with the relocated Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
) and appear in 57 games but was limited to a total of 36 innings. In one not-so-enviable instance, he went 5 consecutive outings without recording an out.
Eischen still managed to become a cult hero for Washington fans with his all out play and witty remarks. Commenting on Orioles owner Peter Angelos' objection to the Expos move to Washington, Eischen said "He's going to have to suck on it and like it. We're not going anywhere." It was well documented that he had to wear a mouth guard because he would grind his teeth when pitching.
Until he broke his arm diving for a ball, Eischen was an integral part of the Nationals bullpen as they led the NL East through the first half of 2005. The overachieving Nationals bullpen was worn thin and the starting pitching could not maintain the pace they had set through June. At 81-81, they finished the season in last place. Eischen was the first pitcher to register a win as a National. A favorite of Frank Robinson's, Eischen spent the first several innings of every game on the top step of the dugout alongside the Hall of Famer. Perhaps as a nod from Frank, Eischen relieved Chad Cordero and was the last Nationals hurler to throw a pitch that year.
In 2006, his last in the Majors, Eischen struggled drastically for the first two months of the season and was eventually put on the 60-day disabled list when he was scheduled to have season-ending surgery on his shoulder. After 6 consecutive seasons with the organization, he was released. His career ended after a failed comeback with the Detroit Tigers in 2007, in which he was cut during spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
.