Macay McBride
Encyclopedia
Joseph Macay McBride is a former Major League
baseball relief pitcher
.
in Sylvania, Georgia
, and made his mark as a power pitcher with a fastball in the low 90s. As a high school junior he led the all-state Team Georgia to victory in the annual Sunbelt Classic and was named the tournament's most valuable player
(MVP). In his final season McBride went 11–2 and notched 161 strikeouts. The Augusta Chronicle
named McBride to its all-area team every year, and considered McBride "one of the state's most dominant pitchers." Although McBride initially committed to the University of Georgia
, which had offered him a baseball scholarship, in the end he entered the amateur draft and was selected by the Atlanta Braves
in the first round, 24th pick overall.
and assigned him the Gulf Coast Braves, their Rookie-level minor league affiliate. McBride worked primarily as a starter in the Gulf Coast League
, going 4–4 with a 3.76 ERA and averaging nearly 11 strikeouts per nine innings. In Atlanta promoted McBride to the Single-A Macon Braves, where went 12–8 and led the South Atlantic League
with a 2.12 ERA. Promoted again in to the High-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans
, McBride went 9–8 with a 2.95 ERA.
McBride made the jump from Single to Double-A ball in when he joined the Greenville Braves
. He struggled in Greenville, posting a 1–7 record with a 4.46 ERA. Among his teammates that year were former Tigers pitcher Brian Moehler
and future Tigers/Mud Hens teammate Zach Miner
. McBride followed the Braves to Mississippi
in as the franchise relocated and showed improvement, going 3–1 with a 3.65 ERA over six appearances. Atlanta promoted him to the Triple-A Richmond Braves
, where he compiled a 1–5 record with a 4.33 ERA, almost wholly in relief. Lefties only hit .172 against him while he played for Richmond.
McBride was recalled from Triple-A on July 21, 2005 after the Braves traded Kevin Gryboski
to the Texas Rangers
. He made his major league debut on July 22 and pitched 14 innings for the Braves in 23 games, with a 5.79 earned run average
and 22 strikeouts in his rookie campaign. McBride rejoined Atlanta for the 2005 National League Division Series
, pitching an inning of scoreless relief in Game 1 against the Houston Astros
.
McBride completed his first full season in the Majors in , finishing with a 4–1 record and a 3.65 ERA in 71 appearances. He recorded his lone save of the season on May 21, 2006 against the Arizona Diamondbacks
. At the start of the season McBride struggled with his control was consequently optioned to Richmond to work on his control problems. Atlanta recalled McBride in mid-May, and he put together a 1–0 record with a 3.60 ERA before the being traded to the Detroit Tigers
on June 20 for pitcher Wilfredo Ledezma
. McBride, a native of Georgia, expressed disappointment: "I don't feel anything right now.... Growing up watching the Braves, I wanted to be part of a team that wins here. But these guys [Tigers] are pretty good, too." As it happened, the Tigers were coming to town for an interleague series, so McBride simply moved his belongings from the home clubhouse to the visitors' clubhouse.
in mid-August. In the off-season McBride announced that a broken bone in his elbow had hampered his efforts. On April 6, 2008, McBride went back on the disabled list at Toledo with "soreness in his throwing elbow."
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...
baseball relief pitcher
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...
.
High school
McBride attended Screven County High SchoolScreven County, Georgia
Screven County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 15,374. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 15,037...
in Sylvania, Georgia
Sylvania, Georgia
Sylvania is a city in Screven County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,675 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Screven County.-Geography:Sylvania is located at ....
, and made his mark as a power pitcher with a fastball in the low 90s. As a high school junior he led the all-state Team Georgia to victory in the annual Sunbelt Classic and was named the tournament's most valuable player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
(MVP). In his final season McBride went 11–2 and notched 161 strikeouts. The Augusta Chronicle
Augusta Chronicle
The Augusta Chronicle is the major daily newspaper of Augusta, Georgia and is one of the oldest newspapers in the United States. The paper is known for its coverage of the Masters Tournament, which is played in Augusta. Among locals, the paper is commonly referred to as "The AC"-History:The paper...
named McBride to its all-area team every year, and considered McBride "one of the state's most dominant pitchers." Although McBride initially committed to the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
, which had offered him a baseball scholarship, in the end he entered the amateur draft and was selected by the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
in the first round, 24th pick overall.
Atlanta Braves
The Braves gave McBride a $1.34 million signing bonusSigning bonus
A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive to the employee, e.g., if the annual salary is lower than he or she desires...
and assigned him the Gulf Coast Braves, their Rookie-level minor league affiliate. McBride worked primarily as a starter in the Gulf Coast League
Gulf Coast League
The Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
, going 4–4 with a 3.76 ERA and averaging nearly 11 strikeouts per nine innings. In Atlanta promoted McBride to the Single-A Macon Braves, where went 12–8 and led the South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
with a 2.12 ERA. Promoted again in to the High-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are a minor league baseball team in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. They are a Class A Advanced team in the Carolina League and the franchise is currently the farm team of the Texas Rangers. From their inaugural season until 2010, the Pelicans were an affiliate of the...
, McBride went 9–8 with a 2.95 ERA.
McBride made the jump from Single to Double-A ball in when he joined the Greenville Braves
Greenville Braves
The Greenville Braves were an American minor league baseball franchise, based in Greenville, South Carolina, that served as the Class AA farm team of the Atlanta Braves between 1984 and 2004...
. He struggled in Greenville, posting a 1–7 record with a 4.46 ERA. Among his teammates that year were former Tigers pitcher Brian Moehler
Brian Moehler
Brian Merritt Moehler is a starting pitcher, who is currently a free agent.Moehler pitched for the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the sixth round of the draft, who assigned him to the Niagara Falls Rapids...
and future Tigers/Mud Hens teammate Zach Miner
Zach Miner
Zachary Charles Miner is a Major League Baseball pitcher currently in the Kansas City Royals organization. He bats and throws right-handed.-Atlanta Braves:...
. McBride followed the Braves to Mississippi
Mississippi Braves
The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they are referred to locally, are a minor league baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson. The team is the Class AA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, and plays in the Southern League. The team is owned and operated by Liberty Media, which...
in as the franchise relocated and showed improvement, going 3–1 with a 3.65 ERA over six appearances. Atlanta promoted him to the Triple-A Richmond Braves
Richmond Braves
The Richmond Braves were the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and played in the International League. Colloquially referred to as the R-Braves, they were based in Richmond, Virginia, where they played from 1966, when the Milwaukee Braves moved to Atlanta where their AAA team, the Crackers,...
, where he compiled a 1–5 record with a 4.33 ERA, almost wholly in relief. Lefties only hit .172 against him while he played for Richmond.
McBride was recalled from Triple-A on July 21, 2005 after the Braves traded Kevin Gryboski
Kevin Gryboski
Kevin John Gryboski is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.- High school career :At Bishop Hoban High School in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Gryboski was a two-sport star in both baseball and basketball...
to the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
. He made his major league debut on July 22 and pitched 14 innings for the Braves in 23 games, with a 5.79 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...
and 22 strikeouts in his rookie campaign. McBride rejoined Atlanta for the 2005 National League Division Series
2005 National League Division Series
-Atlanta Braves vs. Houston Astros:-Game 1, October 4:Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriIt was a matchup between Jake Peavy and eventual 2005 Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter. In the bottom of the first, Jim Edmonds's one-out solo homer put the Cardinals up 1–0...
, pitching an inning of scoreless relief in Game 1 against the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
.
McBride completed his first full season in the Majors in , finishing with a 4–1 record and a 3.65 ERA in 71 appearances. He recorded his lone save of the season on May 21, 2006 against the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
. At the start of the season McBride struggled with his control was consequently optioned to Richmond to work on his control problems. Atlanta recalled McBride in mid-May, and he put together a 1–0 record with a 3.60 ERA before the being traded 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...
on June 20 for pitcher Wilfredo Ledezma
Wilfredo Ledezma
Wilfredo Jose Ledezma is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher who is with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. He has previously played for the Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Washington Nationals, and Pittsburgh Pirates...
. McBride, a native of Georgia, expressed disappointment: "I don't feel anything right now.... Growing up watching the Braves, I wanted to be part of a team that wins here. But these guys [Tigers] are pretty good, too." As it happened, the Tigers were coming to town for an interleague series, so McBride simply moved his belongings from the home clubhouse to the visitors' clubhouse.
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers put McBride to work in the bullpen, where he went 0–1 with a 6.12 ERA before the Tigers optioned him to the Triple-A Toledo Mud HensToledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a minor league baseball team located in Toledo, Ohio. The Mud Hens play in the International League, and are affiliated with the major league baseball team the Detroit Tigers, based approximately 50 miles to the north of Toledo. The current team is one of several...
in mid-August. In the off-season McBride announced that a broken bone in his elbow had hampered his efforts. On April 6, 2008, McBride went back on the disabled list at Toledo with "soreness in his throwing elbow."