Josh Towers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Josh Towers |
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Towers with the Blue Jays in 2007
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: February 26, 1977 Port Hueneme, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| May 2, 2001, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 12, 2009, for the New York Yankees | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 45–55 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.95 | ||
| Strikeouts | 389 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Josh Towers is a former professional baseball player from the United States. He was a right-handed pitcher, which means he threw the ball with his right hand. Josh was born on February 26, 1977. He is 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 188 pounds.
Contents
Playing Professional Baseball
Starting with the Baltimore Orioles
Josh Towers began his professional baseball journey when the Baltimore Orioles picked him in the 15th round of the 1996 Major League Baseball draft. He made his first appearance in a major league game on May 2, 2001. He started as a relief pitcher, coming into games from the bullpen.
Later that season, he became a starting pitcher. On June 8, he pitched a complete game shutout, meaning he pitched the entire game without allowing the other team to score. For the 2001 season, he had 8 wins and 10 losses. His ERA was 4.49, and he pitched 140.1 innings. His season ended early when he accidentally broke his finger.
In 2002, Josh had a tough start, losing his first three games. He then moved back to the bullpen but still struggled. He was sent to a minor league team in Triple-A Rochester. He finished that season with a 7.57 ERA. After the season, he became a free agent, meaning he could sign with any team.
Time with the Toronto Blue Jays
For the 2003 season, Josh signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. He joined the team partway through the year and had a very good performance. He played in 14 games, starting 8 of them, and finished with 8 wins and only 1 loss. His ERA was 4.48.
Interestingly, while with the Blue Jays, Josh wore uniform number 7. This was unusual because most pitchers wear numbers with two digits. He was the only pitcher in the major leagues at that time with a single-digit uniform number.
In 2004, Josh became the Blue Jays' fifth starting pitcher. He had 9 wins and 9 losses in 21 starts, with a 5.11 ERA. He missed some games in September because of a sore shoulder.
The 2005 season was a strong one for Josh. After the team's top pitcher, Roy Halladay, got injured, Josh became one of Toronto's most reliable pitchers. He led the team with 13 wins and set new personal bests. He had a 3.71 ERA, started 33 games, and pitched 208.2 innings. In November, he signed a new two-year contract with the Blue Jays.
The Blue Jays had a difficult season in 2006. Josh struggled, with only 1 win and 8 losses and a 9.00 ERA after 10 starts. He was sent down to the Triple-A team to try and improve. He only pitched in five more major league games that season. He finished 2006 with 2 wins and 10 losses and an 8.42 ERA.
After his tough 2006 season, Josh trained with his teammate Reed Johnson and developed a new workout plan. He competed for a spot in the Blue Jays' starting rotation for the 2007 season. He pitched very well during spring training and earned a spot in the rotation.
However, his struggles continued early in 2007. After four starts, he was moved to the bullpen. He returned to the starting rotation on June 11. On July 8, Josh pitched eight shutout innings, almost pitching a perfect game. During a game against the New York Yankees on August 7, Josh intentionally hit Alex Rodriguez with a pitch. This caused both teams' benches to clear. After the game, Josh was moved back to the bullpen for the rest of the season. The Blue Jays did not offer him a new contract, and he became a free agent.
Other Teams and Retirement
On January 4, 2008, Josh signed a contract with the Colorado Rockies. He spent four months playing for their Triple-A team, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. He was later released by the Rockies.
In January 2009, Josh signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals. He only played in one game for their Triple-A team due to an injury and was released in May.
Soon after, on May 10, 2009, he signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees. He was called up to the Yankees' main roster on August 8 but was sent back down the next day. He was called up again on September 5. He earned a World Series ring that year for his two appearances with the team.
On December 11, 2009, Josh signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He competed for a spot in their starting rotation during spring training but was assigned to their Triple-A team, the Albuquerque Isotopes. He made eight starts there, with 2 wins and 5 losses and an 8.05 ERA. He left the team on May 20.
In 2011, he played for the Guerreros de Oaxaca in the Mexican Baseball League. He had a 7.94 ERA in four games. After that, he signed with the Independent Camden Riversharks. With Camden, he had 5 wins and 6 losses, with a 6.15 ERA. On August 7, 2011, Josh Towers announced he was retiring from baseball.
Since retiring, Josh Towers has worked as a baseball commentator for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Rebels baseball team. He also works as a baseball analyst for Vegas Stats & Information Network.
