Jeff Suppan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jeff Suppan |
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Suppan with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2009
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: January 2, 1975 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| July 17, 1995, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| May 28, 2012, for the San Diego Padres | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 140–146 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.70 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,390 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Jeffrey Scot Suppan (born January 2, 1975) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He also works as a baseball coach. Suppan played for 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). During his career, he pitched for teams like the Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, and Milwaukee Brewers.
Contents
- Jeff Suppan's Early Life and High School Baseball
- Jeff Suppan's Professional Baseball Career
- Playing for the Boston Red Sox (First Time)
- Time with the Arizona Diamondbacks
- Pitching for the Kansas City Royals
- Short Stint with the Pittsburgh Pirates
- Back with the Boston Red Sox
- Becoming a Star with the St. Louis Cardinals
- Joining the Milwaukee Brewers
- Return to the St. Louis Cardinals
- Minor League Stints and Retirement
- Jeff Suppan's Pitching Style
- Jeff Suppan's Restaurant and Faith
- Career Highlights for Jeff Suppan
- See also
Jeff Suppan's Early Life and High School Baseball
Jeff Suppan grew up in California's San Fernando Valley. He played baseball at Crespi Carmelite High School. As a freshman, he pitched a game where no one on the other team got a hit (a no-hitter). He did it again as a senior.
Suppan was also a great hitter. He hit for a .480 average and had a .950 slugging percentage in his senior year. As a pitcher, he had a very low earned run average (ERA) of 0.92. This means he gave up very few runs. The Los Angeles Times newspaper named him their top player in the San Fernando Valley in 1993.
After high school, Suppan planned to play college baseball at UCLA. However, the Boston Red Sox chose him in the 1993 MLB draft. He was the 49th player picked overall.
Jeff Suppan's Professional Baseball Career
Jeff Suppan played for many different teams during his 17 years in Major League Baseball. He was known for being a reliable pitcher.
Playing for the Boston Red Sox (First Time)
Suppan started his MLB career with the Boston Red Sox in 1995. He played with them until the end of the 1997 season. In 1997, he started 22 games and had a record of 7 wins and 3 losses.
Time with the Arizona Diamondbacks
In 1997, the Arizona Diamondbacks picked Suppan in a special draft for new teams. He played only one season with them in 1998. He had 1 win and 7 losses in 13 starts.
Pitching for the Kansas City Royals
Later in 1998, Suppan was traded to the Kansas City Royals. He became a regular pitcher for the Royals. For four seasons, he usually started about 33 games and won around 10 games each year. From 1999 to 2001, he won 10 games in each season.
Short Stint with the Pittsburgh Pirates
In 2003, Suppan signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He started the season strong, with 10 wins and 7 losses in 21 starts. His ERA was 3.57, which was very good.
Back with the Boston Red Sox
During the 2003 season, the Red Sox traded for Suppan again. They wanted him to help them make a playoff run. However, his second time with Boston was not as successful. He had 3 wins and 4 losses with a higher ERA.
Becoming a Star with the St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals signed Suppan in 2004. This was a great move for him. He had his best year, winning 16 games and losing 9. His ERA was 4.16. He helped the Cardinals reach the 2004 World Series.
In 2005, he pitched even better. He won 16 games and lost 10, with an ERA of 3.57. He also hit two home runs in his career, both against the New York Mets. One of these home runs was in Game 3 of the 2006 National League Championship Series (NLCS).
Suppan was a key player in the 2006 NLCS. He started Game 7 against the Mets. He pitched seven innings and only gave up one run. The Cardinals won the game 3-1. Because of his excellent pitching in the series, Suppan was named the National League Championship Series MVP. He had a very low 0.60 ERA in 15 innings pitched during the NLCS. The Cardinals went on to win the 2006 World Series.
Joining the Milwaukee Brewers
After his success with the Cardinals, Suppan signed a four-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2006. This contract was worth $42 million.
However, his performance with the Brewers was not as strong. His ERA went up, and his strikeouts went down. Some fans even started wearing paper bags over their heads during his games. In 2007, Suppan and some teammates appeared on the TV show The Young and the Restless. The Brewers released Suppan in June 2010.
Return to the St. Louis Cardinals
After leaving the Brewers, Suppan signed with the St. Louis Cardinals again on June 14, 2010. He became a free agent after that season.
Minor League Stints and Retirement
Suppan signed minor league deals with the San Francisco Giants in 2011 and then with the Kansas City Royals again. He played for the Royals' minor league team, the Omaha Storm Chasers.
In 2012, Suppan signed with the San Diego Padres. He made his first start in the major leagues since 2010 on May 2, 2012. He decided to become a free agent in June 2012.
Suppan announced his retirement as a player on January 2, 2014. This was his 39th birthday. He chose this date to honor his mother, who passed away on the same day six years earlier.
After retiring as a player, Suppan became a pitching coach. He coached for the Idaho Falls Chukars, a minor league team for the Kansas City Royals. In 2019, he became a coach who travels to different minor league teams for the Royals.
Jeff Suppan's Pitching Style
Jeff Suppan was known as a finesse pitcher. This means he didn't rely on throwing the ball super fast. Instead, he used many different pitches with good movement to trick hitters. He wanted them to hit the ball weakly.
His pitches included:
- A four-seam fastball and a sinker (which drops as it gets to the batter) in the mid-80s miles per hour.
- A cut fastball (which moves slightly sideways) in the low-to-mid 80s.
- A changeup (a slower pitch that looks like a fastball) around 80 mph.
- A big curveball (which drops sharply) at 70 mph.
- A slider (which breaks away from the batter) in the upper 70s.
Jeff Suppan's Restaurant and Faith
Suppan's nickname is "Soup." He used to own a restaurant called Soup's Grill in Woodland Hills, California. He ran it with his wife. The restaurant closed in 2016 so he could focus on his coaching career.
Suppan is a very religious person. He is a Roman Catholic. He has appeared in DVDs like Champions Of Faith and Rosary Stars Praying the Gospel. He has also talked about his faith in interviews.
He appeared in a political advertisement in 2006. This ad was against a law in Missouri that would allow certain kinds of embryonic stem cell research. The ad aired during the World Series to get the attention of voters in Missouri.
Career Highlights for Jeff Suppan
- 2006 World Series Champion
- 2006 National League Championship Series MVP
See also
- List of people from Oklahoma City
- List of World Series starting pitchers
- St. Louis Cardinals award winners and league leaders
