Kurt Ainsworth
Encyclopedia
Kurt Harold Ainsworth (born September 9, 1978 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
) is a retired Major League Baseball
pitcher
. He played for the San Francisco Giants
and Baltimore Orioles
and went to Louisiana State University
. Ainsworth also won an Olympic Games
gold medal
with the United States
' baseball team at the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney
.
in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As a senior, he was a first team All-State selection, won the Student-Athlete Award, and was named a Catholic High Man of the Year. After his senior baseball season, he played in the Louisiana All-Star game.
in the 1999 MLB amateur draft
. He signed with the Giants and finished the 1999 season with the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
of the Class A Northwest League
, where he started 10 games and accumulated a record of 3-3 and an ERA
of 1.61.
He spent the season with the Shreveport Captains of the Texas League
. At the age of 21, he was the same age as many of the players in rookie leagues, but he went 10-9 with an ERA of 3.30 and 130 strikeout
s in 158 innings in the Class AA Texas League. This earned him a promotion to the Class AAA Fresno Grizzlies
of the Pacific Coast League
in . Although he again went 10-9 at Fresno, his ERA in 27 games was 5.07; nevertheless, he was still called up to the Major Leagues and made two relief appearances for the Giants in 2001.
The season was a more successful one for Ainsworth. He again spent much of the season with Fresno, but with better results; his ERA in 19 starts there was 3.41, and his record for the season was 8-6. He made six appearances (four starts) for the Giants during the season; although his record for the Giants was just 1-2, his ERA in 25 2/3 innings was 2.10, and he struck out 15 batters.
Just as Ainsworth's career was looking very promising, it started falling prey to serious arm injuries in . He began the season in the Giants' starting rotation and made 11 starts for them; he went 5-4 with an ERA of 3.82 in 66 innings pitched. On June 3, 2003, he was placed on the disabled list
with inflammation in his shoulder. He made a rehabilitation appearance with Fresno on June 15, but lasted just two innings; later in the month, doctors found that his shoulder blade
was broken, an extremely unusual injury for a pitcher. On July 31, the trading deadline, the Giants traded him and Damian Moss
to the Baltimore Orioles for Sidney Ponson
. He was not activated from the disabled list until September 20, and he appeared in just three games for the Orioles in 2003, pitching 2 1/3 innings in relief and accumulating an 0-1 record with an 11.57 ERA.
Ainsworth recovered in time to start the season with the Orioles, but he made only seven starts before the Orioles demoted him to the Class AAA Ottawa Lynx
. He pitched only four innings for the Lynx before he went on the disabled list again with right elbow inflammation; he was out until mid-August, and he finished the season by making two rehab starts for the Orioles's short-season Class A club, the Aberdeen IronBirds
.
Ainsworth made two appearances for the Orioles in spring training
in . In three innings, he allowed five runs, for an ERA of 15.00, and his record was 0-1. He was sidelined beginning in spring training with what he would find out was a torn labrum and a torn rotator cuff
. He considered retirement but underwent shoulder surgery in late March; he was hoping for a return in the season, but did not succeed.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
) is a retired 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...
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...
. He played for 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....
and Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
and went to Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
. Ainsworth also won an Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
' baseball team at the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
.
High school career
Kurt Ainsworth attended Catholic HighCatholic High School (Baton Rouge)
Catholic High School is an all-male Catholic college-preparatory school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, run by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart. It offers grades eight through twelve.-Awards and recognition:...
in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As a senior, he was a first team All-State selection, won the Student-Athlete Award, and was named a Catholic High Man of the Year. After his senior baseball season, he played in the Louisiana All-Star game.
Professional career
After playing collegiately for Louisiana State University, Ainsworth was made the first-round draft pick (24th overall) of the San Francisco GiantsSan Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
in the 1999 MLB amateur 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...
. He signed with the Giants and finished the 1999 season with the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
The Salem-Keizer Volcanoes are a minor league baseball team in Keizer, Oregon, United States. They are a Short-Season Class A team in the Northwest League, and have been an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants since the Volcanoes' inception in 1997...
of the Class A Northwest League
Northwest League
The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Class A-Short Season minor baseball league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954...
, where he started 10 games and accumulated a record of 3-3 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 1.61.
He spent the season with the Shreveport Captains of the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
. At the age of 21, he was the same age as many of the players in rookie leagues, but he went 10-9 with an ERA of 3.30 and 130 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 in 158 innings in the Class AA Texas League. This earned him a promotion to the Class AAA Fresno Grizzlies
Fresno Grizzlies
The Fresno Grizzlies are a minor league baseball team based in Fresno, California. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League , is the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major league club. The Grizzlies play in Chukchansi Park , located in downtown Fresno and built in 2002...
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
in . Although he again went 10-9 at Fresno, his ERA in 27 games was 5.07; nevertheless, he was still called up to the Major Leagues and made two relief appearances for the Giants in 2001.
The season was a more successful one for Ainsworth. He again spent much of the season with Fresno, but with better results; his ERA in 19 starts there was 3.41, and his record for the season was 8-6. He made six appearances (four starts) for the Giants during the season; although his record for the Giants was just 1-2, his ERA in 25 2/3 innings was 2.10, and he struck out 15 batters.
Just as Ainsworth's career was looking very promising, it started falling prey to serious arm injuries in . He began the season in the Giants' starting rotation and made 11 starts for them; he went 5-4 with an ERA of 3.82 in 66 innings pitched. On June 3, 2003, he was placed on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
with inflammation in his shoulder. He made a rehabilitation appearance with Fresno on June 15, but lasted just two innings; later in the month, doctors found that his shoulder blade
Scapula
In anatomy, the scapula , omo, or shoulder blade, is the bone that connects the humerus with the clavicle ....
was broken, an extremely unusual injury for a pitcher. On July 31, the trading deadline, the Giants traded him and Damian Moss
Damian Moss
Damian Joseph Moss is a retired Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher.-Career:After making his major league debut on April 26, , with the Atlanta Braves, Moss would also spend the season in Atlanta, where he placed fifth in the National League Rookie of the Year award...
to the Baltimore Orioles for Sidney Ponson
Sidney Ponson
Sidney Alton Ponson is a Major League pitcher who is currently a free agent. According to the Atlantic League website Ponson was placed on the "Retired" list as of June 18, 2010. Ponson stands at 6'1" tall and weighs 260 pounds. He throws right-handed...
. He was not activated from the disabled list until September 20, and he appeared in just three games for the Orioles in 2003, pitching 2 1/3 innings in relief and accumulating an 0-1 record with an 11.57 ERA.
Ainsworth recovered in time to start the season with the Orioles, but he made only seven starts before the Orioles demoted him to the Class AAA Ottawa Lynx
Ottawa Lynx
The Ottawa Lynx were a minor league baseball team that formerly competed in the Triple-A International League from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field was Lynx Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. Over the team's 15 seasons, it was the Triple-A Minor League affiliate of the Montreal Expos , Baltimore...
. He pitched only four innings for the Lynx before he went on the disabled list again with right elbow inflammation; he was out until mid-August, and he finished the season by making two rehab starts for the Orioles's short-season Class A club, the Aberdeen IronBirds
Aberdeen IronBirds
The Aberdeen IronBirds are a Short-Season A classification affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. The IronBirds play in the New York - Penn League and are based in Aberdeen, Maryland, which is in Harford County....
.
Ainsworth made two appearances for the Orioles in 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...
in . In three innings, he allowed five runs, for an ERA of 15.00, and his record was 0-1. He was sidelined beginning in spring training with what he would find out was a torn labrum and a torn rotator cuff
Rotator cuff
In anatomy, the rotator cuff is the group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the shoulder. The four muscles of the rotator cuff, along with the teres major muscle, the coracobrachialis muscle and the deltoid, make up the seven scapulohumeral muscles of the human body.-Function:The...
. He considered retirement but underwent shoulder surgery in late March; he was hoping for a return in the season, but did not succeed.