Pat Neshek
Encyclopedia
Patrick J. Neshek is an American
professional baseball
pitcher
who is a free agent. Neshek is a graduate of Park Center Senior High School
in Minnesota
and of Butler University
.
s in a single-game (18 vs. Detroit, April 15, 2001), strikeouts in a single-season (118, 2001) and career (280) strikeout records.
Neshek was originally selected by the Minnesota Twins
in the 45th round (1337th overall) of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft
, but Neshek did not sign and went onto Butler. Neshek was later drafted in the sixth round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft
as the 182nd overall pick. He signed with the Twins that year and was assigned to the Twins Rookie level team. Neshek spent four years in the minor leagues, pitching 293.1 innings in 206 games. In those 293.1 innings, Neshek accumulated 367 strikeouts, a 16-12 record and an ERA
of just 2.18. During the season, Neshek led all minor league
Twins players in saves.
. On July 30, , Neshek got his first career win
against the Detroit Tigers
after he only pitched ⅓ of an inning
.
Neshek began the season posting a 2–0 April record with a 2.25 ERA. In May he gave up six hits in 13.2 innings pitched, had eighteen strikeouts and posted a very impressive 0.66 ERA. On July 1, 2007, Neshek was chosen to be 1 of the 5 players in the final vote for the All-Star game
along with Jeremy Bonderman
, Kelvim Escobar
, Roy Halladay
, and Hideki Okajima
. The spot went to Okajima, despite a campaign by Twins fans and national sports blogs to "Pitch in for Pat". Neshek finished third in voting.
Neshek recorded his first loss of the season against the New York Yankees
on July 5. After losing to the Yankees, Neshek won three games in fourteen days improving his record to 6-1. He posted a 3.97 ERA during the month of July. He lost his second game, but won his seventh game bringing his season record to 7-2, posting a 5.06 ERA for the month. On September 20, the Twins shut Neshek down for the season because of shoulder/elbow fatigue.
Neshek ended the season with a 7-2 win-loss record appearing in 74 games for a total of 70.1 innings pitched and a 2.94 ERA. Neshek was honored at the Annual Minnesota Twins Diamond Award Ceremony by winning the 2007 Dick Siebert Award.
In his first three appearances, Neshek allowed only one hit in 3.1 innings pitched and had a 0.00 ERA. Then Neshek was placed on the 60-day disabled list
with a tear of the UCL
and missed the rest of the season. On November 11, , it was announced that he would undergo ligament replacement surgery, more commonly known as Tommy John surgery
, and miss the season. He went under the knife a week later, on November 18.
Neshek sat out the entire 2009 season, recovering from the Tommy John surgery.
Neshek made the Twins' roster out of Spring Training. In innings he had a 4.15 ERA with two hits allowed, two runs allowed. However, Neshek was put on the Disabled List on April 15 due to middle finger inflammation. In another examination, MRI tests revealed that the injury was not in fact in his finger, but in his palm. Neshek wrote his anger on his website as well as on Facebook. He wrote via Facebook that he's "not happy with anything that has gone on, especially when it could have been taken care of three weeks ago and I was told the wrong info." This angered Twin's manager Ron Gardenhire because he was publicly criticizing the Twins organization and their medical staff. Eventually, the matter was settled. Later he added that "Gardy and I are on the same page" and once healthy he's willing to pitch wherever the Twins assign him, calling the whole thing "a miscommunication." After his stint on the DL ended, Neshek was optioned to Triple A Rochester. Neshek was recalled to the majors on September 6.
Neshek finished the season with a 0-1 win-loss record and 5.00 ERA with 9 strikeouts and 8 walks in 9 innings.
due to his injury. When it healed, he could not change back to over the shoulder and his unique delivery stayed the way it is. He still has a lump in his forearm where he was struck.
The delivery has earned mention on SportsCenter
as well as Baseball Tonight
. Professional baseball scouts have had a divided opinion on the issue. Some were worried that this violent-looking delivery would lead to arm problems. Others considered the delivery to be an asset, as right-handed batters have a very difficult time seeing the ball. For example, Jose Marzan, his former manager with the Single-A Fort Myers Miracle
believes that one of Neshek's greatest strengths is his ability to have enough strength to throw hard from such an angle, as his fastball used to top out around 96 mi/h prior to his Tommy John surgery. Neshek has had great success in both the minor and major leagues as a reliever, averaging more than a strikeout
per inning pitched.
Neshek suffered an injury during the 2008 season, tearing the UCL in his pitching arm. This injury ultimately required Tommy John surgery, which sidelined Neshek for the 2009 season.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
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 is a free agent. Neshek is a graduate of Park Center Senior High School
Park Center Senior High School
Park Center Senior High School is a three-year public high school located in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota on 7300 Brooklyn Blvd. The principal is Kelli Parpart and the assistant principals are Heather Miller-Cink and Bart Becker...
in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and of Butler University
Butler University
Butler University is a private university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university offers 60 degree programs to 4,400 students through six colleges: business, communication, education, liberal Arts and sciences, pharmacy and health...
.
Early career
At Park Center High School, he was named to the All-State team. At Butler University, Neshek was a three year letter winner and holds school records for strikeoutStrikeout
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 a single-game (18 vs. Detroit, April 15, 2001), strikeouts in a single-season (118, 2001) and career (280) strikeout records.
Neshek was originally selected by the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
in the 45th round (1337th overall) 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...
, but Neshek did not sign and went onto Butler. Neshek was later drafted in the sixth round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft
2002 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2002 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 4 and 5.This year's draft is featured in Michael Lewis' 2003 book Moneyball.-First Round Selections:-Supplemental First Round Compensation Selections:...
as the 182nd overall pick. He signed with the Twins that year and was assigned to the Twins Rookie level team. Neshek spent four years in the minor leagues, pitching 293.1 innings in 206 games. In those 293.1 innings, Neshek accumulated 367 strikeouts, a 16-12 record 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 just 2.18. During the season, Neshek led all minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
Twins players in saves.
Minnesota Twins
In his major league debut, Neshek pitched two innings and allowed just one hitHit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
. On July 30, , Neshek got his first career win
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
against 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...
after he only pitched ⅓ of an inning
Inning
Inning is a municipality in the district of Erding in Bavaria in Germany....
.
Neshek began the season posting a 2–0 April record with a 2.25 ERA. In May he gave up six hits in 13.2 innings pitched, had eighteen strikeouts and posted a very impressive 0.66 ERA. On July 1, 2007, Neshek was chosen to be 1 of the 5 players in the final vote for the All-Star game
All-Star Final Vote
All-Star Final Vote is an annual Internet and text message ballot by Major League Baseball fans to elect the final player for each team that participates in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game after all other selections have been made and announced on national television. The first 33 players...
along with Jeremy Bonderman
Jeremy Bonderman
Jeremy Allen Bonderman is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher who currently is a free agent. Bonderman is six feet and two inches tall and weighs 220 pounds. He bats and throws right-handed...
, Kelvim Escobar
Kelvim Escobar
Kelvim Jose Escobar Bolivar is a Major League Baseball pitcher, who is currently a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed...
, Roy Halladay
Roy Halladay
Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...
, and Hideki Okajima
Hideki Okajima
is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox organization in the United States, currently with their AAA affiliate, the Pawtucket Red Sox. He played with the Yomiuri Giants and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league from 1994-2006...
. The spot went to Okajima, despite a campaign by Twins fans and national sports blogs to "Pitch in for Pat". Neshek finished third in voting.
Neshek recorded his first loss of the season against the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
on July 5. After losing to the Yankees, Neshek won three games in fourteen days improving his record to 6-1. He posted a 3.97 ERA during the month of July. He lost his second game, but won his seventh game bringing his season record to 7-2, posting a 5.06 ERA for the month. On September 20, the Twins shut Neshek down for the season because of shoulder/elbow fatigue.
Neshek ended the season with a 7-2 win-loss record appearing in 74 games for a total of 70.1 innings pitched and a 2.94 ERA. Neshek was honored at the Annual Minnesota Twins Diamond Award Ceremony by winning the 2007 Dick Siebert Award.
In his first three appearances, Neshek allowed only one hit in 3.1 innings pitched and had a 0.00 ERA. Then Neshek was placed on the 60-day 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 a tear of the UCL
Ulnar collateral ligament (elbow)
The ulnar collateral ligament is a thick triangular band consisting of two portions, an anterior and posterior united by a thinner intermediate portion....
and missed the rest of the season. On November 11, , it was announced that he would undergo ligament replacement surgery, more commonly known as Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery, known in medical practice as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body...
, and miss the season. He went under the knife a week later, on November 18.
Neshek sat out the entire 2009 season, recovering from the Tommy John surgery.
Neshek made the Twins' roster out of Spring Training. In innings he had a 4.15 ERA with two hits allowed, two runs allowed. However, Neshek was put on the Disabled List on April 15 due to middle finger inflammation. In another examination, MRI tests revealed that the injury was not in fact in his finger, but in his palm. Neshek wrote his anger on his website as well as on Facebook. He wrote via Facebook that he's "not happy with anything that has gone on, especially when it could have been taken care of three weeks ago and I was told the wrong info." This angered Twin's manager Ron Gardenhire because he was publicly criticizing the Twins organization and their medical staff. Eventually, the matter was settled. Later he added that "Gardy and I are on the same page" and once healthy he's willing to pitch wherever the Twins assign him, calling the whole thing "a miscommunication." After his stint on the DL ended, Neshek was optioned to Triple A Rochester. Neshek was recalled to the majors on September 6.
Neshek finished the season with a 0-1 win-loss record and 5.00 ERA with 9 strikeouts and 8 walks in 9 innings.
San Diego Padres
Neshek reported via Twitter that he has been sent to the San Diego Padres on March 20, 2011. Corey Brock, the Padres beat reporter for MLB.com, has confirmed the move An ESPN affiliated radio station in Minnesota, ESPN 1500, reports that the move occurred after Neshek was placed on outright waivers. He was designated for assignment on August 20, after recording a 4.01 ERA in 25 appearances for the Padres. After the 2011 season, he elected for free agency.Pitching style
Neshek has a very unorthodox style of delivery that could best be described as throwing side-arm. He developed it after being struck in the forearm with a ball in high school by C.J. Woodrow (a former Philadelphia Phillies farmhand). He then began to throw side arm and play shortstopShortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
due to his injury. When it healed, he could not change back to over the shoulder and his unique delivery stayed the way it is. He still has a lump in his forearm where he was struck.
The delivery has earned mention on SportsCenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
as well as Baseball Tonight
Baseball Tonight
Baseball Tonight is a program that airs on ESPN. The show, which recapitulates the day's Major League Baseball action, has been on the air since 1990.-Air times:...
. Professional baseball scouts have had a divided opinion on the issue. Some were worried that this violent-looking delivery would lead to arm problems. Others considered the delivery to be an asset, as right-handed batters have a very difficult time seeing the ball. For example, Jose Marzan, his former manager with the Single-A Fort Myers Miracle
Fort Myers Miracle
The Fort Myers Miracle is the Class A Advanced minor league baseball affiliate of the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball club, currently managed by Jake Mauer. Home games are played at the Lee County Sports Complex in Hammond Stadium, which has a capacity of 7,500, and opened in...
believes that one of Neshek's greatest strengths is his ability to have enough strength to throw hard from such an angle, as his fastball used to top out around 96 mi/h prior to his Tommy John surgery. Neshek has had great success in both the minor and major leagues as a reliever, averaging more than a 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....
per inning pitched.
Neshek suffered an injury during the 2008 season, tearing the UCL in his pitching arm. This injury ultimately required Tommy John surgery, which sidelined Neshek for the 2009 season.
Personal website
Neshek has created his own website, which he runs entirely on his own. It is for his fans to interact and talk about collecting autographs. He has been known to auction off some of his game-used items in exchange for memorabilia. The site has over four thousand members. Neshek himself is also an avid autograph collector.Major League Awards
- Minnesota Twins Dick Siebert AwardMinnesota TwinsThe Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
(Upper Midwest Player of the Year) (20072007 in baseball-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champion – [Boston Red Sox]*Postseason – October 2 to October 28Click on any series score to link to that series' page....
)