Érik Bédard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Érik Bédard |
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Bedard with the Houston Astros
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: March 5, 1979 Navan, Ontario, Canada |
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| debut | |||
| April 17, 2002, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 12, 2014, for the Tampa Bay Rays | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 71–82 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.99 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,246 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Érik Joseph Bédard (born March 5, 1979) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams. These teams included the Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, and Tampa Bay Rays. While with the Orioles, Bédard was known as their top pitcher. In 2007, he set a team record for strikeouts per nine innings.
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Érik Bédard's Early Life
Érik Bédard was born on March 5, 1979, in Navan, Ontario, Canada. This town is close to Ottawa. Érik is a Franco-Ontarian, meaning he is a French-speaking person from Ontario.
He started playing baseball in the Orleans Little League. He was a pitcher for the 1992 Orleans Junior Red Sox team. This team won the 1992 Canadian Championship. Unlike many American players, Bédard did not play high school baseball. This is common in Canada because the baseball season is shorter there.
After high school, Bédard grew taller and gained weight. He went with a friend to a tryout at Norwalk Community College in Connecticut. He joined the baseball team there without being specially recruited. While in college, his fastball pitch became much faster. He also gained more weight and became an All-American player.
Professional Baseball Career
Starting with the Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles chose Bédard in the sixth round of the 1999 Major League Baseball draft. He was a left-handed pitcher. He started his professional career with the Gulf Coast Orioles. There, he had a very low ERA (Earned Run Average) of 0.44. This was one of the best among minor league pitchers that year.
In 2000, he played for the Delmarva Shorebirds. He had 9 wins and 4 losses with a 3.57 ERA. The next year, with the Frederick Keys, he had the best ERA among all Orioles farm team pitchers at 2.15. He also had 9 wins and 2 losses.
Bédard made his first MLB appearance on April 17, 2002, against the New York Yankees. He pitched in another game before being sent to the Double-A Bowie Baysox. He had a 6–3 record and a 1.97 ERA there. He was even called the best pitching prospect in his league. However, he had to have "Tommy John surgery" on his elbow in September 2002. This surgery replaces a damaged ligament in the elbow.
Bédard spent most of 2003 recovering from his surgery. He returned to play a few games late in the season. In 2004, he earned a spot in the Orioles' starting rotation. He had a 4.59 ERA that year. People sometimes criticized him for throwing too many pitches early in games.
With help from pitching coach Ray Miller, Bédard improved his control of his changeup pitch. This pitch went along with his fast fastball and slurve. In early 2005, he had a great 2.08 ERA. But a knee injury sidelined him for two months. In 2006, he had one of his best years. He won 15 games and lost 11, with a 3.76 ERA. He also pitched 196.1 innings, which was his most in any season.
Bédard was the Orioles' Opening Day starting pitcher in 2007. On May 20, he got his first major league hit. He even got an RBI (run batted in) single in the same game. On July 7, Bédard struck out 15 Texas Rangers players. This tied an Orioles team record. He also set a record for most strikeouts in a game by a Canadian player. His great performance in July earned him the American League Pitcher of the month award.
Even though his team was not winning much, Bédard's individual play was excellent. Many thought he might win the American League Cy Young Award. His teammate Kevin Millar said Bédard had "probably the best curveball in baseball." Bédard broke the Orioles' single-season strikeout record on August 26, 2007. The old record was 218 strikeouts.
Bédard had a strained muscle in his side, which was found on September 4. Because the Orioles were not going to make the playoffs, his season ended early. He finished 2007 with 13 wins and 5 losses, a 3.16 ERA, and 221 strikeouts.
Playing for the Seattle Mariners
On February 8, 2008, Bédard was traded to the Seattle Mariners. It was a big trade involving five players going to the Orioles. The Mariners' manager announced that Bédard would be their Opening Day starter. Bédard then signed a one-year contract with the Mariners.
He had 6 wins and 4 losses with a 3.67 ERA in 15 starts for the Mariners in 2008. However, he had to go on the disabled list in July because of shoulder stiffness. He missed the rest of the season and had shoulder surgery in September.
In 2009, Bédard played for the first four months. Then he went on the disabled list again with a torn labrum in his pitching shoulder. He finished that season with 5 wins, 3 losses, and a 2.82 ERA.
Bédard re-signed with the Mariners for 2010. He hoped to return to play that year, but he had more problems with his shoulder. He did not pitch in the major leagues in 2010. After the 2010 season, the Mariners signed him again for 2011. He played in 16 games for them, with 4 wins and 7 losses, and a 3.45 ERA.
Time with the Boston Red Sox
On July 31, 2011, Bédard was traded to the Boston Red Sox. This was part of a three-team trade. Bédard made eight starts for the Red Sox in August and September. He had one win, two losses, and a 4.03 ERA. He never pitched more than six innings in a game for them.
With the Pittsburgh Pirates
On December 7, 2011, the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Bédard to a one-year contract. He was their Opening Day Starter in 2012. Bédard had 7 wins and 14 losses with a 5.02 ERA in 24 starts. The Pirates released him on August 28, 2012.
Playing for the Houston Astros
The Houston Astros signed Bédard to a minor-league deal on January 21, 2013. This was after they moved to the American League. He got his first career save on opening day, March 31, 2013. On July 21, 2013, he pitched 6 1/3 innings of a no-hitter. He asked to leave the game after throwing 109 pitches. In 32 games for the Astros (26 starts), he had 4 wins and 12 losses with a 4.59 ERA.
Time with the Tampa Bay Rays
On February 17, 2014, Bédard signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays. He was released by the Rays in March but then changed his mind. He agreed to play for their Triple-A minor league team, the Durham Bulls.
On April 11, 2014, the Rays called Bédard up to the major league team. He pitched for the Rays until July 28, 2014, when he was taken off the team roster. He was released on August 3. In 17 games (15 starts), he had 4 wins and 6 losses with a 4.76 ERA.
Final Stop: Los Angeles Dodgers
On January 18, 2015, Bédard signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, he strained his back during spring training. This meant he would miss several weeks and could not make the opening day roster. After recovering, he played three games for a Class-A team. On June 11, 2015, Érik Bédard announced his retirement from baseball.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players from Canada
