David Aardsma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids David Aardsma |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Aardsma with the Atlanta Braves
|
|||
| Relief pitcher | |||
| Born: December 27, 1981 Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
|||
|
|||
| 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 | |||
|
|||
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. He played for many teams, including the San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, and New York Mets. After his playing career, he joined the Toronto Blue Jays front office, helping with player development.
Contents
Becoming a Baseball Star
David Aardsma was born in Denver, Colorado. He went to Cherry Creek High School and then to Pennsylvania State University. Later, he transferred to Rice University in 2001.
College Baseball Success
While playing for the Rice Owls baseball team, David became a star pitcher. In 2003, he set new school records for saves. A save is when a pitcher finishes a game and his team wins. That same year, the Rice Owls won their first national championship in the College World Series. David helped them win with two wins and a save.
Summer League Recognition
In 2002, David played for the Falmouth Commodores in the Cape Cod Baseball League. This is a special summer league for college players. He was named an all-star because he pitched so well. In 2010, he was even put into the CCBL Hall of Fame!
Playing in the Major Leagues
David Aardsma was chosen by the San Francisco Giants in the first round of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft. This was a big step towards playing professional baseball.
San Francisco Giants Debut
David started his professional career in the minor leagues. But he quickly moved up! In 2004, he made it to the major league team, skipping some levels. His first MLB game was on April 6, 2004. He pitched two innings and earned his first major league win. After a good start, he was sent to a Triple-A team, the Fresno Grizzlies, to get more experience.
Moving to Other Teams
David's career involved playing for several different teams. This is common in baseball as players are often traded.
- Chicago Cubs: In 2005, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs. In 2006, he played in 45 games for them as a relief pitcher.
- Chicago White Sox: In 2007, he moved across town to the Chicago White Sox. He started strong, striking out many batters in April.
- Boston Red Sox: In 2008, David joined the Boston Red Sox. He pitched well for a while but then had some injuries that affected his performance.
Becoming a Closer for the Mariners
In 2009, David was traded to the Seattle Mariners. This is where he really shined! He got his first career save on April 10. Soon after, he became the team's main "closer." A closer is a pitcher who comes into the game at the very end to protect a lead and get the final outs.
David had an amazing year in 2009, finishing with 38 saves. He continued his success in 2010, getting 31 saves. He was the first pitcher to get 30 saves for a team that lost 100 games, which shows how good he was even when his team struggled.
Later Career and Injuries
After his time with the Mariners, David faced some injuries, including elbow surgery. He signed with the New York Yankees in 2012 but only played in one game for them.
He then played for the New York Mets in 2013, appearing in 43 games. He also spent time with other teams like the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Atlanta Braves. His last major league game was in August 2015 with the Braves.
He later played for the Long Island Ducks, an independent league team, in 2017.
Retirement and New Role
On February 5, 2018, David Aardsma announced he was retiring from playing baseball. He then joined the Toronto Blue Jays front office. In this new role, he helps coordinate player development, guiding young players as they grow in their careers.
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.
