Sterling Hitchcock
Encyclopedia
Sterling Alex Hitchcock (born April 29, 1971 in Fayetteville, North Carolina
) is a former Major League Baseball
left-handed pitcher
. He played from to , mostly with the New York Yankees
and San Diego Padres
.
Sterling never played in college, having been drafted out of high school in 1989. He attended Armwood High School in Seffner, Florida where his jersey is retired in the trophy case.
Hitchcock is best remembered for his performance in the playoffs with the Padres, in which he was named the NLCS
MVP
. He was the winning
pitcher in both of his starts with a 0.90 ERA
in the NLCS. Overall in the 1998 playoffs he was 3-1, allowing 3 runs in 22 innings (1.23 ERA) with 32 strikeout
s.
Three years later, Hitchcock was the winning pitcher for the Yankees in Game 5 of the 2001 World Series
.
During the regular season, Hitchcock's career-best win-loss record was 13-9 with Seattle in 1996. His career-best ERA was 3.93 with the Padres in 1998. He was drafted by the Yankees in 1989 and made his Major League debut in 1992, pitching his first full season in 1994. He was traded to the Mariners after the 1995 season in the deal that sent Tino Martinez
and Jeff Nelson to the Yankees. The following winter, the Mariners sent him to San Diego for Scott Sanders. His successful years with the Padres were followed by struggles with injuries. The Padres sent him back to the Yankees in mid-2001 for two minor leaguers. Later he pitched briefly with the St. Louis Cardinals before finishing his career with the Padres.
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Cumberland County, and is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a U.S. Army post located northwest of the city....
) is a former 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...
left-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...
. He played from to , mostly with 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...
and San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
.
Sterling never played in college, having been drafted out of high school in 1989. He attended Armwood High School in Seffner, Florida where his jersey is retired in the trophy case.
Hitchcock is best remembered for his performance in the playoffs with the Padres, in which he was named the NLCS
1998 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 7, 1998 at Turner Field in Atlanta, GeorgiaWith John Smoltz on the mound, the Braves were staked out to a 1–0 lead when Andruw Jones hit a solo home run to lead off the third inning off Andy Ashby. The Padres tied the game in the fifth when Tony Gwynn, appearing in his...
MVP
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...
. He was the winning
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...
pitcher in both of his starts with a 0.90 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...
in the NLCS. Overall in the 1998 playoffs he was 3-1, allowing 3 runs in 22 innings (1.23 ERA) with 32 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.
Three years later, Hitchcock was the winning pitcher for the Yankees in Game 5 of the 2001 World Series
2001 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 27, 2001 at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, ArizonaArizona showed no fear and chased Yankees starter Mike Mussina after just three innings. The Yankees gave up five unearned runs and the Diamondbacks rode Curt Schilling's seven strong innings to a 9–1 rout...
.
During the regular season, Hitchcock's career-best win-loss record was 13-9 with Seattle in 1996. His career-best ERA was 3.93 with the Padres in 1998. He was drafted by the Yankees in 1989 and made his Major League debut in 1992, pitching his first full season in 1994. He was traded to the Mariners after the 1995 season in the deal that sent Tino Martinez
Tino Martinez
Constantino "Tino" Martinez is a former Major League Baseball first baseman.Martinez was the first round draft pick for the Seattle Mariners in out of the University of Tampa where he starred during his time on campus. He began his Major League career in and has played for the Mariners, New...
and Jeff Nelson to the Yankees. The following winter, the Mariners sent him to San Diego for Scott Sanders. His successful years with the Padres were followed by struggles with injuries. The Padres sent him back to the Yankees in mid-2001 for two minor leaguers. Later he pitched briefly with the St. Louis Cardinals before finishing his career with the Padres.