Mike Boddicker
Encyclopedia
For the similarly named musician (coincidentally also from Cedar Rapids, Iowa), see Michael Boddicker
Michael James "Mike" Boddicker (born August 23, 1957, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
) was a right-handed Major League Baseball
pitcher
for the Baltimore Orioles
(1980–1988), Boston Red Sox
(1988–1990), Kansas City Royals
(1991–1992), and Milwaukee Brewers
(1993). He was the ALCS
MVP in 1983
and was an American League All-Star in 1984. He is currently an announcer for the Orioles.
on August 23, 1957. His ancestors emigrated in 1861 from the Province of Westphalia
, which was situated in current-day Germany
, and were among the original settlers of Norway, Iowa
, where he was raised. He was the youngest of five children to Harold and Dolly. His father
, who was commonly known as Bus, operated a travelling hammermill
for grain
milling before becoming a custodian
at the local elementary school
.
, featured off-speed pitch
es and deception to compensate for a lack of power. He was able to throw from three different arm
angles. He had a fastball
that never came close to reaching 90 miles per hour. The one pitch that made him famous was the fosh, which he called "a glorified changeup
." Another one he used with success was the slurve
. Tony Phillips
once commented, "What I noticed about him is that he lets you get yourself out. I find myself sometimes actually jumping at his pitches, being overanxious because he doesn't throw very fast, and I wind up popping the ball up."
Boddicker had a W-L record of 134-116 with a 3.80 ERA during his career. His best season was 1984
when he went 20-11 with a 2.79 ERA
(leading the American League
in both wins and ERA). He also won the Gold Glove Award in 1990
.
In the 1983 postseason with the Baltimore Orioles, Boddicker pitched brilliantly. With his team down 1-0 in both the ALCS and World Series, Boddicker pitched his team out of the hole by winning Game 2 of the ALCS 4-0 vs the Chicago White Sox (complete game shutout) and Game 2 of the World Series 4-1 vs the Philadelphia Phillies en route to a world championship.
On July 29, 1988, Boddicker was traded from the Orioles to the Boston Red Sox
for OF Brady Anderson
and pitcher Curt Schilling
. Boddicker went 7-3 down the stretch for the Sox, helping them win the AL East crown that year. He went 15-11 in 1989
and had a stellar season in 1990, going 17-8 with a 3.36 ERA while helping the Red Sox win another division title.
After signing with the Royals, he finished 12-12 with a 4.08 ERA in 1991, his last full season (30 games). After his contract was purchased by the Brewers, he pitched 54 innings for them in 1993, his final year. He finished 3-5 with a 5.67 ERA that year.
Michael Boddicker
Michael J. Boddicker , is an American film composer and session musician, specializing in electronic music. Three times N.A.R.A.S. Most Valuable Player "Synthesizer" and MVP Emeritus, he was awarded a Grammy as a songwriter for Imagination from Flashdance in 1984...
Michael James "Mike" Boddicker (born August 23, 1957, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
) was a right-handed 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...
for the 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...
(1980–1988), Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
(1988–1990), Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
(1991–1992), and Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(1993). He was the ALCS
1983 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 5, 1983 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandPlaying in their first postseason game since the 1959 World Series, the White Sox jumped out to a 1–0 series lead behind a complete-game victory by Hoyt, the American League Cy Young Award winner...
MVP in 1983
1983 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Baltimore Orioles over Philadelphia Phillies ; Rick Dempsey, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Mike Boddicker*National League Championship Series MVP: Gary Matthews...
and was an American League All-Star in 1984. He is currently an announcer for the Orioles.
Early years
Boddicker was born in Cedar Rapids, IowaCedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
on August 23, 1957. His ancestors emigrated in 1861 from the Province of Westphalia
Province of Westphalia
The Province of Westphalia was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815 to 1946.-History:Napoleon Bonaparte founded the Kingdom of Westphalia, which was a client state of the First French Empire from 1807 to 1813...
, which was situated in current-day Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and were among the original settlers of Norway, Iowa
Norway, Iowa
Norway is a city in Benton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 601 at the 2000 census. The city is about southwest of downtown Cedar Rapids. It is part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, where he was raised. He was the youngest of five children to Harold and Dolly. His father
Father
A father, Pop, Dad, or Papa, is defined as a male parent of any type of offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to father, parallel to "maternal" for mother...
, who was commonly known as Bus, operated a travelling hammermill
Hammermill
A hammermill is a machine whose purpose is to shred or crush aggregate material into smaller pieces. These machines have many sorts of applications in many industries, including:*Ethanol plants...
for grain
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
milling before becoming a custodian
Janitor
A janitor or custodian is a professional who takes care of buildings, such as hospitals and schools. Janitors are responsible primarily for cleaning, and often some maintenance and security...
at the local elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
.
Baseball career
Boddicker's pitching repertoire, once called "Little League slop" by Rod CarewRod Carew
Rodney Cline "Rod" Carew is a former Major League Baseball first baseman, second baseman and coach. He played from 1967 to 1985 for the Minnesota Twins and the California Angels and was elected to the All-Star game every season except his last. In 1991, Carew was inducted into the National...
, featured off-speed pitch
Off-speed pitch
In baseball, an off-speed pitch is a pitch thrown at a slower speed than a fastball. Colloquially, off-speed pitches are known as "junk." Breaking balls and changeups are the two most common types of off-speed pitches. Other more rarely thrown varieties include the knuckleball and the Eephus...
es and deception to compensate for a lack of power. He was able to throw from three different arm
Arm
In human anatomy, the arm is the part of the upper limb between the shoulder and the elbow joints. In other animals, the term arm can also be used for analogous structures, such as one of the paired forelimbs of a four-legged animal or the arms of cephalopods...
angles. He had a fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
that never came close to reaching 90 miles per hour. The one pitch that made him famous was the fosh, which he called "a glorified changeup
Changeup
A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball. Other names include change-of-pace, Bugs Bunny change-up, the dreaded equalizer, and simply change. The changeup is sometimes called an off-speed pitch, although that term can also be used simply to mean any pitch that is slower than a fastball...
." Another one he used with success was the slurve
Slurve
The slurve is a baseball pitch in which the pitcher throws a slider as if he were throwing a curve ball. The term is a portmanteau of the words "slider" and "curve".-History:...
. Tony Phillips
Tony Phillips
Keith Anthony Phillips is a former Major League Baseball utility player who had an 18-year career from to . He played regularly at three infield positions, primarily as a second baseman, but also had significant time as a shortstop and third baseman...
once commented, "What I noticed about him is that he lets you get yourself out. I find myself sometimes actually jumping at his pitches, being overanxious because he doesn't throw very fast, and I wind up popping the ball up."
Boddicker had a W-L record of 134-116 with a 3.80 ERA during his career. His best season was 1984
1984 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Detroit Tigers over San Diego Padres ; Alan Trammell, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Kirk Gibson*National League Championship Series MVP: Steve Garvey...
when he went 20-11 with a 2.79 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...
(leading the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
in both wins and ERA). He also won the Gold Glove Award in 1990
1990 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Cincinnati Reds over Oakland Athletics ; José Rijo, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP Dave Stewart*National League Championship Series co-MVPs: Rob Dibble and Randy Myers...
.
In the 1983 postseason with the Baltimore Orioles, Boddicker pitched brilliantly. With his team down 1-0 in both the ALCS and World Series, Boddicker pitched his team out of the hole by winning Game 2 of the ALCS 4-0 vs the Chicago White Sox (complete game shutout) and Game 2 of the World Series 4-1 vs the Philadelphia Phillies en route to a world championship.
On July 29, 1988, Boddicker was traded from the Orioles to the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
for OF Brady Anderson
Brady Anderson
Brady Kevin Anderson is an American former outfielder with the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball...
and pitcher Curt Schilling
Curt Schilling
Curtis Montague "Curt" Schilling is a former American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He helped lead the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series in and won World Series championships in with the Arizona Diamondbacks and in and with the Boston Red Sox. Schilling retired with a...
. Boddicker went 7-3 down the stretch for the Sox, helping them win the AL East crown that year. He went 15-11 in 1989
1989 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Oakland Athletics over San Francisco Giants ; Dave Stewart, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Rickey Henderson*National League Championship Series MVP: Will Clark...
and had a stellar season in 1990, going 17-8 with a 3.36 ERA while helping the Red Sox win another division title.
After signing with the Royals, he finished 12-12 with a 4.08 ERA in 1991, his last full season (30 games). After his contract was purchased by the Brewers, he pitched 54 innings for them in 1993, his final year. He finished 3-5 with a 5.67 ERA that year.
Family
Mike has a wife, Lisa and four children: daughters, Stephanie and Brittany, and sons, Cory and James. He has two grandchildren.See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- List of Major League Baseball ERA champions
- List of Major League Baseball wins champions
- MLB All-Time Hit Batsmen ListMLB All-Time Hit Batsmen ListThis is a list of top 100 Major League Baseball pitchers who have the most hit batsmen of all time. There is an of hitters who have been hit by pitch the most times.Active players are denoted in bold text.-The List:* Bold denotes active player...