David Aardsma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids David Aardsma |
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Aardsma with the Atlanta Braves
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| Relief pitcher | |||
| Born: December 27, 1981 Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 6, 2004, for the San Francisco Giants | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| August 23, 2015, for the Atlanta Braves | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 16–18 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.27 | ||
| Strikeouts | 340 | ||
| Saves | 69 | ||
| Teams | |||
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David Allan Aardsma (born December 27, 1981) is a former professional baseball pitcher from the United States. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2004 to 2015. During his career, he played for several teams, including the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, New York Mets, and Atlanta Braves.
After retiring from playing, David Aardsma joined the Toronto Blue Jays front office. He now works as a coordinator of player development, helping young players grow their skills.
Contents
Early Life and College Baseball
David Aardsma was born in Denver, Colorado. He went to Cherry Creek High School in Colorado and graduated in 2000. For his first year of college, he attended Pennsylvania State University.
Playing for the Rice Owls
In 2001, Aardsma transferred to Rice University. He played baseball for the Rice Owls baseball team. In 2003, he set new school records for the most saves in a single season and in a career. That same year, the Owls won their first national championship in the College World Series. Aardsma helped his team by earning two wins and one save during the tournament.
Summer Baseball Success
In 2002, Aardsma played collegiate summer baseball for the Falmouth Commodores. This team is part of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL). He was named a league all-star that year. He had a very low ERA of 0.68 and struck out 45 batters in just over 26 innings. In 2010, David Aardsma was honored by being inducted into the CCBL Hall of Fame.
Professional Baseball Career
David Aardsma was chosen by the San Francisco Giants in the first round of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft. He was the 22nd player picked overall.
San Francisco Giants Debut
Aardsma started his professional career with the San Jose Giants, a High-A team. He quickly moved up to the major leagues in 2004, skipping Double-A and Triple-A teams. He made his MLB debut on April 6, 2004, which was the second game of the season. In his first game, he pitched two innings and earned his first MLB win. He started strong, but later in the season, he was sent down to Triple-A Fresno.
Time with the Chicago Cubs
On May 28, 2005, Aardsma was traded to the Chicago Cubs. He spent the rest of 2005 in the minor leagues. In 2006, he returned to the major leagues with the Cubs. He had a good year, with a 3–0 record and a 4.08 ERA in 45 games as a relief pitcher. He was especially good against left-handed batters.
Playing for the Chicago White Sox
After his time with the Cubs, Aardsma was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 2007. He started the 2007 season well, with a 1.72 ERA in April. He struck out many batters in his first 13 games. However, he struggled in May and June and was sent to Triple-A Charlotte. He finished the season with a 6.40 ERA in 25 games.
Joining the Boston Red Sox
On January 28, 2008, the Boston Red Sox acquired Aardsma. He pitched well for the Red Sox for part of the season, keeping a 2.75 ERA through July. However, he then suffered a groin injury that affected his pitching. He finished the season with a 4–2 record and a 5.55 ERA in 47 games.
Success with the Seattle Mariners
Less than a year later, on January 20, 2009, Aardsma was traded to the Seattle Mariners. On April 10, he recorded the first save of his career. He later became the team's official closer, which is the pitcher who finishes the game to protect a lead.
Aardsma had a great 2009 season, finishing with a 2.52 ERA and 38 saves. He continued his strong performance in 2010, earning 31 saves. He became the first pitcher to get 30 saves for a team that lost 100 games. He suffered an oblique injury in September 2010, which ended his season.
Injuries and Recovery
After the 2010 season, Aardsma had surgery on his hip. While recovering, he also strained his elbow, which required Tommy John surgery in July 2011. This type of surgery helps repair a damaged elbow ligament. He became a free agent after the 2011 season.
New York Yankees and Mets
On February 22, 2012, Aardsma signed with the New York Yankees. He was still recovering from his surgeries and only pitched in one game for the Yankees in September 2012. The Yankees kept him for 2013, but then released him before the season started.
In April 2013, Aardsma signed a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins. He played in 10 games for their Triple-A team before leaving. Soon after, on May 20, 2013, he signed with the New York Mets.
After playing a few games in Triple-A, he was promoted to the Mets on June 8, 2013. He appeared in 43 games for the Mets, with a 4.31 ERA. He became a free agent after that season.
Later Career and Retirement
Aardsma signed minor league deals with the Cleveland Indians in 2014 and then the St. Louis Cardinals. He played mostly for the Cardinals' Triple-A team, the Memphis Redbirds, and had a good year with a 1.46 ERA and 11 saves.
In 2015, he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played for their Triple-A team, the Oklahoma City Dodgers, where he had 18 saves. He then signed with the Atlanta Braves in June 2015 and played in 33 games for them before being released. He did not pitch in the major leagues again after that.
In 2016, Aardsma signed with the Toronto Blue Jays and played in their minor league system. In 2017, he played for the Long Island Ducks, an independent baseball team.
On February 5, 2018, David Aardsma announced his retirement from playing baseball. He then joined the Blue Jays front office as a coordinator of player development.
Personal Life
David Aardsma has Dutch family roots, as all of his great-great-grandparents came from the Netherlands. He was considered to play for the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic, but he was not eligible to play.
Interestingly, Aardsma's last name, "Aardsma," is the first alphabetically among all baseball players in history. When he made his major league debut, his name took the top spot from Hall of Famer Hank Aaron. David Aardsma's sister, Amanda Aardsma, is an American actress and former beauty pageant contestant.
David Aardsma and his wife, Andrea, have a son who was born on June 26, 2010.
Fun Facts About David Aardsma
- David has Dutch family roots. All of his great-great-grandparents came from the Netherlands.
- His last name, "Aardsma," is first alphabetically among all baseball players in history! When he made his major league debut, his name took the top spot from baseball legend Hank Aaron.
- David's sister, Amanda Aardsma, is an American actress and was also a beauty pageant contestant.
- David and his wife, Andrea, have a son who was born in 2010.
See also
In Spanish: David Aardsma para niños
