Philip Humber
Encyclopedia
Philip Gregory Humber is a Major League Baseball
pitcher
for the Chicago White Sox
.
in Carthage, Texas
. Humber was drafted by the New York Yankees
in the 29th round of the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft
, but he did not sign, choosing instead to attend Rice University
.
Humber was a dominant pitcher during his three college seasons for the Rice Owls baseball
team, stepping into the nationally-ranked Owls' starting rotation as a freshman. Humber finished his freshman season in with an 11-1 record, a 2.78 earned run average
and a Western Athletic Conference
leading 130 strikeout
s, earning National Freshman Player of the Year honors from Collegiate Baseball and All-America
honors from several publications.
His sophomore season in saw the development of Rice's "Big Three" rotation, featuring Humber and classmates Wade Townsend
and Jeff Niemann
. Humber put together another strong showing in 2003, posting an 11-3 record with a 3.30 ERA as Rice won its first national championship. He pitched a complete game
in the decisive third game of the 2003 College World Series
, a 14-2 win over Stanford University
. He was honored with 'Philip Humber Day' in his hometown of Carthage, Texas
.
In his junior season of 2004, Humber compiled a 13-4 record and 2.27 ERA. He also set the Rice single-game record for strikeouts when he fanned 17 Hawaii
hitters March 20, 2004. After being upset in the Houston Regional by Texas A&M
, Humber looked forward to the Major League Baseball Draft. Humber, Niemann, and Townsend were all selected in the first eight picks of the 2004 draft - the first time three teammates had ever gone so early in the same draft.
Humber was the New York Mets
' first-round draft pick out of Rice University
in 2004
. The third overall pick in that draft, he received a $3.7 million signing bonus
in January after a long holdout.
He entered spring training
2005 with the Mets, and after a brief stint there, he was sent to Single-A St. Lucie
, where, in fourteen starts, he posted a 2-6 record and a 4.99 ERA. Humber was then promoted to Double-A Binghamton
, where Humber, in one start gave up three earned run
s in four innings. Humber left the game early due to elbow pain, which required Tommy John Surgery
. He resumed pitching with St. Lucie, posting a 2.37 ERA in 7 starts.
On July 31, , 377 days after his surgery, Humber was once again promoted to Binghamton, where he was 2-2 with a 2.88 ERA. He made his major league debut on September 24, .
Humber made his first Major League start on September 26, , against the Washington Nationals
. The Mets, having lost eight of their previous 12 games and seen their lead over the Philadelphia Phillies
decrease from seven games to two, removed Mike Pelfrey from the final rotation to give an extra day of rest to pitchers Pedro Martinez
, Oliver Perez
, and John Maine
. Although the Mets raced out to a 6-2 lead, Humber allowed five runs
in four-plus innings, receiving a no decision in a game the Mets eventually lost, 9-6. The decision to start Humber was seen as emblematic of the Mets' desperation. As George Vecsey
wrote in The New York Times
, "How did it come to this? How did the entire Mets' season come to depend so much on a young pitcher, Philip Humber, who had never started in the major leagues until last night?" Humber did not start another major league game until August 21, 2010 as a member of the Kansas City Royals.
, Deolis Guerra
, and Carlos Gómez
for Johan Santana
. Though he spent most of the 2008 season assigned to the Twins' triple A affiliate, the Rochester Red Wings
, he did appear in five games for the Twins, pitching 11.2 innings
, and posting a 4.63 ERA and six strikeouts.
On April 17, , Humber was designated for assignment to make room for Juan Morillo.
with an invite to spring training.
On June 10, 2010, while pitching in a game for the Omaha Royals
, Humber was hit in the face on a line drive by Luis Cruz
. After lying on the mound for a few minutes, he was able to get up and walk on his own to the dugout. He was then transported to a local hospital.
Humber was called up by the Kansas City Royals on August 5, 2010, when Kansas City designated José Guillén
for assignment. On August 25, Humber pitched three relief innings for the Royals against the Detroit Tigers
and earned his first major league win.
.
.
On April 9, 2011 Humber won his first start with the White Sox, pitching 6 2/3 innings and only allowing one run.
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 Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
.
Early life
Humber attended Carthage High SchoolCarthage High School (Carthage, Texas)
Carthage High School is a public secondary school located in Carthage, Texas.The school serves about 800 students in grades nine through twelve and is part of the Carthage Independent School District.- Athletics :Sports offered at CHS are:*Football...
in Carthage, Texas
Carthage, Texas
Carthage is a city in Panola County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,664 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Panola County, and is situated in East Texas near the Louisiana state line.-Geography:...
. Humber was drafted by 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...
in the 29th round of the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft
2001 Major League Baseball Draft
-First Round Selections:-Supplemental First Round Selections:-Background:The Minnesota Twins selected St. Paul, MN native Joe Mauer with the number one pick in the 2001 draft. The 18-year-old Mauer, a catcher from Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, became the seventh Minnesotan to be...
, but he did not sign, choosing instead to attend Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
.
Humber was a dominant pitcher during his three college seasons for the Rice Owls baseball
Rice Owls baseball
The Rice Owls baseball team is the interscholastic baseball team representing Rice University in Houston, Texas. The Rice Owls have been a regular fixture in the NCAA Tournament, participating in every tournament since 1995 including a victory in the 2003 College World Series, the first national...
team, stepping into the nationally-ranked Owls' starting rotation as a freshman. Humber finished his freshman season in with an 11-1 record, a 2.78 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 a Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
leading 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, earning National Freshman Player of the Year honors from Collegiate Baseball and All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
honors from several publications.
His sophomore season in saw the development of Rice's "Big Three" rotation, featuring Humber and classmates Wade Townsend
Wade Townsend
Wade Daniel Townsend is a Minor League Baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He was the Tampa Bay Rays' first-round draft pick out of Rice University in 2005, signing for a $1.5 million bonus...
and Jeff Niemann
Jeff Niemann
Jeffrey Warren Niemann is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays.-College:...
. Humber put together another strong showing in 2003, posting an 11-3 record with a 3.30 ERA as Rice won its first national championship. He pitched a complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
in the decisive third game of the 2003 College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
, a 14-2 win over Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. He was honored with 'Philip Humber Day' in his hometown of Carthage, Texas
Carthage, Texas
Carthage is a city in Panola County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,664 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Panola County, and is situated in East Texas near the Louisiana state line.-Geography:...
.
In his junior season of 2004, Humber compiled a 13-4 record and 2.27 ERA. He also set the Rice single-game record for strikeouts when he fanned 17 Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
hitters March 20, 2004. After being upset in the Houston Regional by Texas A&M
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
, Humber looked forward to the Major League Baseball Draft. Humber, Niemann, and Townsend were all selected in the first eight picks of the 2004 draft - the first time three teammates had ever gone so early in the same draft.
New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
' first-round draft pick out of Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
in 2004
2004 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2004 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 7 and 8. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams...
. The third overall pick in that draft, he received a $3.7 million signing bonus
Signing 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...
in January after a long holdout.
He entered 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...
2005 with the Mets, and after a brief stint there, he was sent to Single-A St. Lucie
St. Lucie Mets
The St. Lucie Mets are a minor league baseball team based in Port St. Lucie, Florida.The team, which plays in the Florida State League, is the High-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club.The team plays at Digital Domain Park...
, where, in fourteen starts, he posted a 2-6 record and a 4.99 ERA. Humber was then promoted to Double-A Binghamton
Binghamton Mets
The Binghamton Mets are a U.S. minor league baseball team based in Binghamton, New York. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club...
, where Humber, in one start gave up three earned run
Earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run...
s in four innings. Humber left the game early due to elbow pain, which required 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...
. He resumed pitching with St. Lucie, posting a 2.37 ERA in 7 starts.
On July 31, , 377 days after his surgery, Humber was once again promoted to Binghamton, where he was 2-2 with a 2.88 ERA. He made his major league debut on September 24, .
Humber made his first Major League start on September 26, , against the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
. The Mets, having lost eight of their previous 12 games and seen their lead over the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
decrease from seven games to two, removed Mike Pelfrey from the final rotation to give an extra day of rest to pitchers Pedro Martinez
Pedro Martínez
Pedro Jaime Martínez is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He is an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2004 World Series champion...
, Oliver Perez
Oliver Pérez
Óliver Pérez Martínez is a left-handed pitcher currently in the Washington Nationals organization.-San Diego Padres:...
, and John Maine
John Maine
John Kevin Maine is an American professional baseball pitcher. He has played for the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets. He bats and throws right-handed.-Early life and college:Maine was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia...
. Although the Mets raced out to a 6-2 lead, Humber allowed five runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
in four-plus innings, receiving a no decision in a game the Mets eventually lost, 9-6. The decision to start Humber was seen as emblematic of the Mets' desperation. As George Vecsey
George Vecsey
George Vecsey is an American non-fiction author and sports columnist for The New York Times. Vecsey is best known for his work in sports, but has co-written several autobiographies with non-sports figures.-Career:...
wrote in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, "How did it come to this? How did the entire Mets' season come to depend so much on a young pitcher, Philip Humber, who had never started in the major leagues until last night?" Humber did not start another major league game until August 21, 2010 as a member of the Kansas City Royals.
Minnesota Twins
On February 2, , Humber was included in a trade to the Minnesota Twins along with Kevin MulveyKevin Mulvey
Kevin John Mulvey is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball. He has previously played for the Minnesota Twins.-Early life:Mulvey is a New Jersey native...
, Deolis Guerra
Deolis Guerra
Deolis Alexander Guerra is a minor league right-handed pitcher in the Minnesota Twins' organization currently assigned to the Twins' Double-A affiliate, the New Britain Rock Cats....
, and Carlos Gómez
Carlos Gómez
Carlos Argelis Gómez Pena, nicknamed "Go-Go", is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Milwaukee Brewers.-Minor leagues:...
for Johan Santana
Johan Santana
Johan Alexander Santana Araque is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher who is currently playing for the New York Mets. He is a native of Venezuela....
. Though he spent most of the 2008 season assigned to the Twins' triple A affiliate, the Rochester Red Wings
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
, he did appear in five games for the Twins, pitching 11.2 innings
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
, and posting a 4.63 ERA and six strikeouts.
On April 17, , Humber was designated for assignment to make room for Juan Morillo.
Kansas City Royals
On December 15, 2009, Humber signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City RoyalsKansas 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...
with an invite to spring training.
On June 10, 2010, while pitching in a game for the Omaha Royals
Omaha Royals
The Omaha Storm Chasers are a United States minor league baseball team currently based in the Omaha suburb of Papillion, Nebraska. The team is the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals major league club and has been a member of the expanded Pacific Coast League since 1998. From 1969 to 1997,...
, Humber was hit in the face on a line drive by Luis Cruz
Luis Cruz
Luis Alfonso Cruz is a Mexican professional baseball shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws right handed. He is 6 foot 1 and 180 pounds.-Boston Red Sox:...
. After lying on the mound for a few minutes, he was able to get up and walk on his own to the dugout. He was then transported to a local hospital.
Humber was called up by the Kansas City Royals on August 5, 2010, when Kansas City designated José Guillén
José Guillén
José Manuel Guillén |San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic]]) is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. A prototypical league journeyman, the Giants were the tenth team for which Guillén has played since his major league debut in 1997....
for assignment. On August 25, Humber pitched three relief innings for the Royals 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...
and earned his first major league win.
Oakland Athletics
In December 2010, Humber was waived by the Royals and claimed by the Oakland AthleticsOakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
.
Chicago White Sox
On January 18, 2011, Humber was waived by the Athletics and claimed by the Chicago White SoxChicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
.
On April 9, 2011 Humber won his first start with the White Sox, pitching 6 2/3 innings and only allowing one run.