Josh Pearce
Encyclopedia
Joshua Ray Pearce is a former Major League Baseball
pitcher
who played for the St. Louis Cardinals
from to .
Pearce was drafted by the New York Mets
out of West Valley High School in Yakima, Washington in the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft
, but did not sign. Instead, he attended Portland State University (1998), the University of Arizona
and was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2nd round of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft
. Though not dominant in the minors, he steadily worked his way up the ranks and made his major league debut on April 20, 2002; he pitched 4.2 innings and gave up 3 earned run
s, getting a no-decision. In , Pearce pitched in relief
for Triple-A Memphis
and had a 3.56 ERA
in 26 games. In , his last professional season, he pitched for Double-A Springfield
and Memphis.
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...
who played 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...
from to .
Pearce was drafted by 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...
out of West Valley High School in Yakima, Washington in the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft
1996 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1996 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 4 and 5, 1996...
, but did not sign. Instead, he attended Portland State University (1998), the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
and was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2nd round of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft
1999 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1999 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 2 and 3, 1999...
. Though not dominant in the minors, he steadily worked his way up the ranks and made his major league debut on April 20, 2002; he pitched 4.2 innings and gave up 3 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...
s, getting a no-decision. In , Pearce pitched in relief
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 Triple-A Memphis
Memphis Redbirds
The Memphis Redbirds are the Triple-A minor league baseball affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They play their home games at AutoZone Park in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. The stadium's capacity is 14,320. They entered the Pacific Coast League as an expansion team in 1998, and were owned as a...
and had a 3.56 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...
in 26 games. In , his last professional season, he pitched for Double-A Springfield
Springfield Cardinals
The Springfield Cardinals are a minor league baseball team based in Springfield, Missouri. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals major-league club, and is owned by the Cardinals. The club plays at Hammons Field.The Springfield Cardinals...
and Memphis.