Marcus McBeth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Marcus McBeth |
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McBeth with the Kane County Cougars in 2005
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| Relief pitcher | |||
| Born: August 23, 1980 Spartanburg, South Carolina, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| June 6, 2007, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 28, 2007, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 3-2 | ||
| Earned run average | 5.95 | ||
| Strikeouts | 17 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Marcus Andre McBeth (born August 23, 1980) is a former American baseball player. He was a right-handed relief pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds in 2007.
Contents
Early Life and College Baseball
Marcus grew up in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He went to Woodruff High School and later to the University of South Carolina. In 2000, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Chatham A's. This is a special league where college players can play during their summer break.
In 2001, Marcus was chosen by the Oakland Athletics in the fourth round of the MLB Draft. He was picked to play as a center fielder at first.
Starting His Professional Baseball Journey
When Marcus first started playing professional baseball, he was a hitter. For his first three years, he didn't hit the ball very well. He had a batting average of just .233. This means he got a hit about 23.3% of the time he tried. He also hit 19 home runs and helped score 111 runs.
However, Marcus had a very strong arm. His coaches saw this and asked him to try pitching instead.
Switching to Pitching
In 2005, Marcus started his new role as a pitcher. He played for a few different teams that year, including Kane County and Stockton. He pitched in 25 games, all as a relief pitcher. This means he came into the game after the starting pitcher. He finished the year with a 2–2 record and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.62. ERA measures how many runs a pitcher allows per nine innings.
Climbing the Ranks
Marcus continued to improve in 2006. He started the season as the closer for Stockton. A closer is a pitcher who finishes the game and tries to protect the team's lead. He didn't allow any runs in his first eight games and earned seven saves.
Because of his great performance, he was moved up to Midland, a Double-A team. There, he saved 25 games and had an excellent ERA of 2.48. Batters found it hard to hit against him, only getting hits about 21.3% of the time.
His success led to another promotion, this time to the Triple-A team, the Sacramento River Cats. Triple-A is the highest level before Major League Baseball. It was tougher there, and he gave up more runs. But overall, his 2006 season was very impressive. He had a 3–3 record, a 3.07 ERA, and 32 saves.
Making it to the Major Leagues
In November 2006, the Oakland Athletics added Marcus to their main roster. This kept other teams from picking him up. In April 2007, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds.
Marcus McBeth made his Major League Baseball debut with the Reds on June 6, 2007. He played against the St. Louis Cardinals. Just four days later, on June 10, he earned his first win against the Cleveland Indians.
Later Career
After his time with the Reds, Marcus was picked up by the Boston Red Sox in 2008. He played for their Triple-A team, the Pawtucket Red Sox. He was briefly called up to the Red Sox in 2009 but didn't play in a game before being sent back down. He became a free agent later that year.
In 2010, Marcus returned to the Athletics organization. He played in 14 games for the River Cats before becoming a free agent again.
Marcus was known for his fastball, which could reach speeds of 93 miles per hour. He also threw a slider and a changeup.
Life After Baseball
As of 2015, Marcus McBeth lives in Chandler, Arizona. He works as an area scout for the St. Louis Cardinals. This means he travels to watch young players and help his team find new talent.
