Josh Beckett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Josh Beckett |
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Beckett with the Red Sox in 2011
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: May 15, 1980 Spring, Texas, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 4, 2001, for the Florida Marlins | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| August 3, 2014, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 138–106 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.88 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,901 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Joshua Patrick Beckett (born May 15, 1980) is a former American baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Josh was a three-time MLB All-Star.
He had a great high school career and was one of the best young baseball players in the U.S. The Marlins picked him second overall in the 1999 MLB draft. Josh won the 2003 World Series with the Marlins and the 2007 World Series with the Red Sox. He was named the MVP of the 2003 World Series. He also won the 2007 American League Championship Series MVP award.
Beckett was traded from the Marlins to the Red Sox in 2006. Later, he moved from the Red Sox to the Dodgers in 2012. Both trades involved many players. After missing most of the 2013 season due to injury, he pitched a no-hitter for the Dodgers on May 25, 2014. This made him the 19th pitcher in Dodgers history to throw a no-hitter. However, injuries cut his season short again. He announced his retirement from baseball on October 7, 2014.
Contents
Early Life and High School Baseball
Josh Beckett grew up in Texas. He looked up to famous pitchers like Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens. As a kid, he played on Little League All-Star teams. He went to Spring High School in Spring, Texas.
In his freshman year, he had some trouble with grades. His coach even took him off the team for a bit. Before his sophomore year, Josh grew taller and his fastball got much faster. He also improved his grades and rejoined the team. That year, he had a 9–3 record with a 1.18 earned run average (ERA). He even threw three no-hitters.
As a junior, Baseball America called Beckett the best high school player in the country. His team was also ranked as the best high school baseball team. He finished with a 13–2 record. He struck out more than two batters per inning. His coach said he had never seen a pitcher with such talent.
In his senior year, USA Today named Beckett the High School Player of the Year. People called him "Kid Heat." He planned to pitch for Texas A&M University. But he and Josh Hamilton were seen as the top two players for the 1999 Major League Baseball draft. The Tampa Bay Rays chose Hamilton first. The Miami Marlins then picked Beckett second. The Marlins' scouting director, Al Avila, said Beckett had a powerful fastball. Josh was confident, saying he would reach the major leagues in two years. He also predicted he would play in an All-Star game by 2001.
Baseball Career Highlights
Florida Marlins (1999–2005)
Starting in the Minor Leagues
Josh Beckett had long talks with the Marlins about his contract. He even briefly went to Blinn College. But he finally signed a four-year, $7 million contract on August 28, 1999. This included a $3.625 million signing bonus. His bonus was bigger than almost any other player's salary on the Marlins' main team.
In March 2000, Beckett impressed the Marlins in his first spring training. His fastball was very fast, and he had a good curveball. He also showed his dedication by giving $100,000 to the team's charity. This was more than any other player had given. He started his professional career with the Kane County Cougars. He pitched well in his first game, allowing only one run.
That season, Beckett had some injuries, including shoulder problems. He later said he tried to get too strong too fast. He pitched in 13 games for the Cougars. He finished with a 2–3 record and a 2.12 ERA. Baseball America named him the Marlins' best young player. They also said he had the best fastball in his league.
In 2001, the Marlins sent Beckett to the Brevard County Manatees. He started the season incredibly well. He didn't allow any earned runs in his first 38 innings. He had a 6–0 record with a 1.23 ERA. The Marlins' General Manager, Dave Dombrowski, was very impressed. This led to Josh being moved up to the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs. In his first game with the Sea Dogs, he struck out eight of the first nine batters. On August 13, 2001, he helped pitch a no-hitter with two other Sea Dogs pitchers. In 13 starts for the team, he had an 8–1 record and a 1.82 ERA.
He was named Minor League Player of the Year by several groups. Baseball America also ranked him as the third-best young player in all of baseball.
Making it to the Major Leagues
Beckett made his MLB debut on September 4, 2001. He pitched six shutout innings against the Chicago Cubs. He earned his first MLB win. He also hit a double and scored a run. He said after the game, "It was fun. I'm ready for my next one." He didn't allow a run in his first 10 innings. He finished 2001 with a 2–2 record and a 1.50 ERA.
In 2002, Beckett had some blister problems. But on July 21, he struck out 12 batters in one game. In 23 games for the Marlins, he had a 6–7 record.
Beckett was the Marlins' opening day starting pitcher in 2003. At 22, he was the youngest in team history. He had an elbow injury in May and was placed on the disabled list (DL). He returned in July. He finished the season with a 9–8 record and a 3.04 ERA.
Josh made his first playoff appearance in the 2003 National League Division Series. He pitched well, but his team lost that game. However, the Marlins won the series. In the 2003 National League Championship Series, he struggled in game one. But in game five, with his team facing elimination, he pitched a complete game shutout. He allowed only three batters to reach base. The Marlins won that game and the next two. They won the National League championship.
Beckett won the 2003 World Series MVP Award. He had two strong games against the New York Yankees. In game three, he struck out 10 batters. In game six at Yankee Stadium, he pitched a complete game shutout. He struck out nine batters and made the final out to win the series for the Marlins.
In 2004, Beckett again started on opening day. He made three trips to the DL that season. He finished with a 9–9 record and a 3.79 ERA. In 2005, he had a 15–8 record and a 3.38 ERA.
In his five seasons with the Marlins, Beckett had a 41–34 record. He had a 3.46 ERA and struck out 607 batters.
Boston Red Sox (2006–2012)
On Thanksgiving Day 2005, Beckett was traded to the Boston Red Sox. He went with third baseman Mike Lowell and relief pitcher Guillermo Mota. In return, the Marlins received several players. This trade was part of the Marlins' plan to reduce player salaries. In his first game with the Red Sox, Beckett won against the Texas Rangers.
Beckett was the first Red Sox pitcher to hit a home run in 35 years. This happened on May 20, 2006, against the Philadelphia Phillies. On July 18, he signed a new contract with the Red Sox. He finished his first season with a 16–11 record and a 5.01 ERA.
In 2007, Beckett started throwing more breaking pitches. He also learned to place his pitches better. He allowed fewer walks and home runs. He became one of only six Red Sox pitchers to win their first seven starts. After a great first half, he was chosen for the 2007 MLB All-Star Game. He won the game after pitching two innings. Beckett became the first pitcher since 2005 to win 20 games in a season. He finished with a 20–7 record and a 3.27 ERA. He finished second in the AL Cy Young Award voting.
Beckett threw a shutout against the Anaheim Angels to start the 2007 American League Division Series. He then started game one of the 2007 American League Championship Series (ALCS) and won. In game five, he struck out 11 batters. Beckett's great performance earned him the 2007 ALCS MVP Award. He then started and won game one of the 2007 World Series against the Colorado Rockies. Boston went on to win the series.
On May 8, 2008, Beckett got his 1,000th career strikeout. He finished the season with a 12–10 record and a 4.03 ERA.
In 2009, Beckett started on Opening Day for the Red Sox. He struck out 10 batters in seven innings. On April 14, 2009, MLB suspended him for throwing a pitch over a batter's head. He appealed and got the suspension reduced. On June 20, 2009, he pitched his first complete game shutout as a Red Sox player. On July 5, 2009, he was chosen for the 2009 MLB All Star Game.
Beckett won his 100th career game on July 12, 2009. He pitched a complete game shutout against the Kansas City Royals. He finished the season with a 17–6 record and a 3.86 ERA. He also had a career-high 199 strikeouts.
On April 5, 2010, the Red Sox and Beckett agreed to a new contract. It was for four years and $68 million. He had some injuries in 2010. In 21 starts, he had a 6–6 record and a 5.78 ERA.
In 2011, he had his best career ERA (2.89). He was 13–7 in 30 games. He was chosen for his third All-Star Game. On September 16, he got his 1,000th strikeout as a Red Sox player.
Beckett had a tough 2012 season. He went 5–11 with a 5.23 ERA for the Red Sox. He was also in the news when it was reported he played golf while injured. In his last game with the Red Sox, he allowed four runs on August 19, 2012. Over seven seasons, he started 194 games for the Red Sox. He had an 89–58 record and 1,108 strikeouts.
Los Angeles Dodgers (2012–2014)
On August 25, 2012, Beckett was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He went with Adrián González, Carl Crawford, and Nick Punto. In return, the Red Sox received several players. He started seven games for the Dodgers after the trade. He had a 2–3 record and a 2.93 ERA.
Beckett had a difficult start to the 2013 season. He had an 0–5 record in eight starts. He was placed on the disabled list on May 15. He felt numbness in his hand. He had surgery on July 10, 2013, which ended his season.
After surgery, Beckett returned to the Dodgers on April 9, 2014. On May 13, he earned his first win since 2012.
On May 25, 2014, Beckett pitched a no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies. This was the 21st no-hitter in Dodgers history. It was the first since Hideo Nomo in 1996. Beckett threw 128 pitches, struck out six, and walked three. He became the oldest pitcher (34) to throw a no-hitter since Randy Johnson in 2004. He was named the National League Player of the Week for this game.
On July 8, 2014, Beckett went on the disabled list again. He had a hip injury. He returned on July 22, but struggled. On August 3, he could only pitch four innings. He told the team his hip was hurting again. An MRI showed a torn labrum and cysts in his hip. This likely meant his season was over. On October 7, 2014, Beckett officially announced his retirement from baseball.
Pitching Style
Josh Beckett used five main pitches:
- A four-seam fastball (91–94 mph)
- A two-seam fastball (91–94 mph)
- A cutter (89–91 mph)
- A curveball (73–79 mph)
- A changeup (86–88 mph)
He used all five pitches against left-handed batters. But he didn't use the changeup against right-handed batters. He liked to use his curveball when he was ahead in the count. This pitch made batters miss often. In 2012, Beckett also started trying a slider and a splitter.
Personal Life
Josh Beckett married Holly Fisher on January 22, 2011. She is an aeronautics engineer and was his classmate in high school. They have three children together. Beckett owns homes in Manhattan Beach, California, and Boerne, Texas.
Beckett loves deer hunting and has done it since he was a child. In 2002, he won a contest for hunting the largest buck in Texas. He owns a large deer-hunting ranch in Cotulla, Texas.
He was in a music video for the singer Kevin Fowler. Some of his teammates were also in the video.
See also
In Spanish: Josh Beckett para niños
- List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders
