Heathcliff Slocumb facts for kids

Heath "Heathcliff" Slocumb was a professional baseball player. He was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was born on June 7, 1966. Heathcliff threw and batted with his right hand.

Early Life and Baseball Start

As a kid, Heath Slocumb was called "Heathcliff." This nickname came from a popular comic strip cat.

Heath did not play baseball much when he was younger. He didn't play in Little League or even casual games. His high school coach said he first tried baseball as a junior. He showed up to tryouts at John Bowne High School without a glove.

A scout heard that Heathcliff was a football player. He had tried out for many sports teams at his school. Even though he had a strong arm, his pitching style needed work. He was not chosen in the 1984 MLB draft.

However, a New York Mets scout noticed him. The Mets signed him to play for $5,000 on July 17, 1984.

Professional Baseball Career

Heathcliff Slocumb played in Major League Baseball for 10 years. He played for several teams during his career. These teams included the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and Philadelphia Phillies. He also played for the Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, and Baltimore Orioles. His career also included time with the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres.

Career Highlights

Heathcliff was chosen as an All-Star in 1995. This is a big honor for a baseball player.

During his career, he had 98 saves. A save happens when a relief pitcher finishes a close game without giving up the lead. He had 32 saves for the Phillies in 1995. He also had 31 saves for the Red Sox in 1996.

He finished his career with 28 wins and 37 losses. He also had 513 strikeouts. His ERA was 4.08. ERA measures how many earned runs a pitcher gives up per nine innings.

Important Trade

In 1997, Heathcliff was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the Seattle Mariners. The Red Sox received pitcher Derek Lowe and catcher Jason Varitek in return. At the time, Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek were not well-known. Lowe had only played a few major league games. Varitek had not played in the majors at all.

However, this trade turned out to be very important. Lowe and Varitek both became All-Stars multiple times. They were key players for the Red Sox. They helped the team win the World Series in 2004. Both players were later added to the Red Sox Hall of Fame. In 2005, Varitek became the captain of the Red Sox team.

Heathcliff helped the Mariners reach the playoffs in 1997. But after that, his career was not as strong. He was not as effective in later years.

Personal Life

Heathcliff Slocumb was married to his high school sweetheart, Deborah. They had two daughters together. During his baseball career, his daughters lived with their grandmother.