Heathcliff Slocumb facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Heathcliff Slocumb |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: June 7, 1966 Jamaica, New York, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 11, 1991, for the Chicago Cubs | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 26, 2000, for the San Diego Padres | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 28–37 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.08 | ||
| Strikeouts | 513 | ||
| Saves | 98 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Heath "Heathcliff" Slocumb (born June 7, 1966) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) relief pitcher. He threw and batted right-handed.
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Heathcliff Slocumb's Early Life and Baseball Start
As a child, Heathcliff Slocumb was given the nickname "Heathcliff." This came from a popular comic strip cat.
Heathcliff did not play much baseball when he was young. He didn't even play in Little League or casual games. He first tried baseball in high school. He showed up for tryouts at John Bowne High School in Flushing, Queens. He didn't even have a glove at the time.
His high school coach said Heathcliff was a football player. He had tried out for every sports team at the school. Even though he had a strong arm, his pitching skills were not very good at first. Because of this, he was not chosen in the 1984 MLB draft.
However, a scout for the New York Mets noticed him. The scout put him on an amateur team. On July 17, 1984, the Mets signed him to play professionally.
Heathcliff Slocumb's Professional Baseball Career
Heathcliff Slocumb played in Major League Baseball for 10 years. During his career, he played for several teams. These included the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, Baltimore Orioles, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Diego Padres.
In 1995, he was chosen to be an All-Star. This is a big honor in baseball. During his career, he had a record of 28 wins and 37 losses. He also recorded 513 strikeouts. His ERA was 4.08. An ERA shows how many earned runs a pitcher gives up per nine innings.
Heathcliff also had 98 saves in his career. A save happens when a relief pitcher finishes a game and protects a lead. He had 32 saves for the Phillies in 1995. He also had 31 saves with the Boston Red Sox in 1996.
A Notable Trade in 1997
In the middle of the 1997 season, Heathcliff Slocumb was traded. He went from the Boston Red Sox to the Seattle Mariners. In return, the Red Sox received pitcher Derek Lowe and catcher Jason Varitek.
At the time of the trade, Derek Lowe had only played in 12 major-league games. His ERA was almost 7. Jason Varitek had not played in the major leagues yet. Looking back, many people say this trade was very one-sided. This means one team got a much better deal.
Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek both became very successful players. They were chosen for multiple All-Star teams. They also played a big part in the Red Sox winning the World Series in 2004. Both players were later added to the team's Hall of Fame. In 2005, Jason Varitek was even named captain of the Red Sox.
Heathcliff Slocumb helped the Mariners reach the playoffs in 1997. However, his career slowed down a lot after 1998. He was not as effective as a pitcher after that time.
Heathcliff Slocumb's Personal Life
Heathcliff Slocumb married his high school sweetheart, Deborah. They had two daughters together. Sadly, Deborah passed away in 1992. During Heathcliff's baseball career, his daughters lived with their grandmother in Richmond Hill, Queens.
