Matt Belisle
Encyclopedia
Matthew Thomas Belisle (born June 6, 1980, in Austin, Texas
) is a Major League Baseball
right-handed pitcher
for the Colorado Rockies
.
and was drafted out of high school by the Atlanta Braves
in the 2nd round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft
.
. He was promoted to the Single-A Macon Braves to begin the season; in 15 starts
, he had a 2.38 ERA
and a WHIP
under 1. This was good enough to get Belisle a promotion to Single-A Advanced Myrtle Beach
where he had a 3.43 ERA in 12 starts. He spent all of and most of with the Double-A Greenville Braves
before being traded to the Cincinnati reds for veteran relief pitcher
Kent Mercker
as the PTBNL
on August 14, 2003.
and was called up to the majors on September 7, , making his debut that same day. In his debut, he pitched 2 innings, giving up a solo home run
and walking
one. In 6 relief appearances, he had a 1-1 record and a 5.20 ERA. Belisle did not play in the majors in . He spent the entire year in Triple-A and struggled with a 9-11 record and a 5.26 ERA in 28 starts.
In , Belisle spent the entire year in the majors, mostly pitching out of the bullpen
. He made 5 starts and 55 relief appearances with an ERA of 4.41. He went 2-0 with a 3.60 ERA in 40 innings in , but missed a big chunk of the season with a back injury. In , in a career-high 30 starts for the Reds, Belisle went 8-9 with a 5.32 ERA after winning the number five spot in the starting rotation, after being mostly a reliever the past two years. In , he struggled in 6 starts with a 1-4 record and 7.28 ERA before being sent down to Triple-A and being reconverted into a relief pitcher.
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
) is a 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...
right-handed 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...
for the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
.
Early life
He attended McCallum High SchoolMcCallum High School
A. N. McCallum High School is a public high school in Austin, Texas, United States.McCallum, the second oldest high school in the Austin Independent School District, opened in 1953 to relieve growth in north and northwest Austin. Named after AISD's first high school superintendent, A.N...
and was drafted out of high school 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 2nd round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft
1998 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1998 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, 1998...
.
Minor leagues
Belisle began his professional career in , pitching for the Rookie level Danville BravesDanville Braves
The Danville Braves are a minor league baseball team in Danville, Virginia, USA. They are an Advanced Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League and have been a farm team of the Atlanta Braves since 1993. The Braves play home games at American Legion Post 325 Field...
. He was promoted to the Single-A Macon Braves to begin the season; in 15 starts
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
, he had a 2.38 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...
and a WHIP
Walks plus hits per inning pitched
In baseball statistics, walks plus hits per inning pitched is a sabermetric measurement of the number of baserunners a pitcher has allowed per inning pitched. It is a measure of a pitcher's ability to prevent batters from reaching base...
under 1. This was good enough to get Belisle a promotion to Single-A Advanced Myrtle Beach
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...
where he had a 3.43 ERA in 12 starts. He spent all of and most of with the Double-A 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...
before being traded to the Cincinnati reds for veteran 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...
Kent Mercker
Kent Mercker
Kent Franklin Mercker is a retired Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played for nine teams over his seventeen-year career....
as the PTBNL
Player to be named later
The concept of the "player to be named later" is most often associated with Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball trades.-Description:...
on August 14, 2003.
Cincinnati Reds
Belisle was assigned to Triple-A LouisvilleLouisville Bats
The Louisville Bats, which play in Louisville, Kentucky, are the AAA minor league baseball affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. The team, formerly known as the Louisville RiverBats, plays in the International League...
and was called up to the majors on September 7, , making his debut that same day. In his debut, he pitched 2 innings, giving up a solo home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
and walking
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
one. In 6 relief appearances, he had a 1-1 record and a 5.20 ERA. Belisle did not play in the majors in . He spent the entire year in Triple-A and struggled with a 9-11 record and a 5.26 ERA in 28 starts.
In , Belisle spent the entire year in the majors, mostly pitching out of the bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
. He made 5 starts and 55 relief appearances with an ERA of 4.41. He went 2-0 with a 3.60 ERA in 40 innings in , but missed a big chunk of the season with a back injury. In , in a career-high 30 starts for the Reds, Belisle went 8-9 with a 5.32 ERA after winning the number five spot in the starting rotation, after being mostly a reliever the past two years. In , he struggled in 6 starts with a 1-4 record and 7.28 ERA before being sent down to Triple-A and being reconverted into a relief pitcher.