Tony Sipp facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tony Sipp |
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Sipp with the Nationals in 2019
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: July 12, 1983 Pascagoula, Mississippi, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 22, 2009, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 30, 2019, for the Washington Nationals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 26–22 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.72 | ||
| Strikeouts | 531 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Tony Marcel Sipp (born July 12, 1983) is an American former professional baseball player. He was a relief pitcher, which means he came into games after the starting pitcher. Tony played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams. These included the Cleveland Indians, Arizona Diamondbacks, Houston Astros, and Washington Nationals.
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Tony Sipp's Early Life and Baseball Journey
Tony Sipp was born in Pascagoula, Mississippi. He went to Moss Point High School in Mississippi. There, he was a talented athlete in two sports. He played both football and baseball. In 2000, his football team won a state championship! He also helped his high school baseball team reach the state championship.
After high school, Tony continued playing baseball in college. He attended Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Northwest Florida State College. Later, he transferred to Clemson University. During his college years, he also played in special summer baseball leagues. These included the Cape Cod Baseball League, where he played for the Wareham Gatemen and the Cotuit Kettleers.
Tony Sipp's Professional Baseball Career
Tony Sipp started his professional baseball journey after college. He was picked by the Cleveland Indians in the 2004 Major League Baseball draft. This was a big step towards playing in the major leagues!
Playing for the Cleveland Indians
Tony began his professional career in 2004 with a team called the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. He pitched very well, winning 3 games and only losing 1. He also had a good ERA (Earned Run Average) of 3.16. This number shows how few runs he allowed.
Over the next few years, Tony played for different minor league teams. He kept improving his skills as a pitcher.
Tony made his big league debut with the Cleveland Indians on April 22, 2009. He was a relief pitcher, meaning he came out of the bullpen to pitch during games. In his first year, he had a great ERA of 2.92 and recorded 48 strikeouts. A strikeout is when a pitcher gets three strikes on a batter, and the batter is out.
He continued to be an important part of the Indians' bullpen. In 2010, he played in 70 games. In 2011, he had a strong year, winning 6 games and losing 3, with an ERA of 3.03. He played for the Indians for four years. During this time, he appeared in 248 games. He also recorded 167 "holds," which is a statistic for relief pitchers who enter a game in a save situation and maintain their team's lead.
Time with the Arizona Diamondbacks
In December 2012, Tony Sipp was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks. He pitched in 56 games for them. He had a record of 3 wins and 2 losses. He left the team in August 2013.
A Short Stop with the San Diego Padres
In early 2014, Tony signed a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres. He played for their Triple-A team, the El Paso Chihuahuas. However, he was released by the team in May 2014.
Success with the Houston Astros
Right after leaving the Padres, Tony Sipp signed with the Houston Astros in May 2014. He quickly became a key player in their bullpen. He pitched very well, striking out many batters.
In December 2015, the Astros re-signed Tony to a new contract. He continued to pitch for them in 2016 and 2017. In 2017, the Astros had an amazing season. They won 101 games and went on to win the 2017 World Series! Even though Tony didn't pitch in the World Series games, he was still part of the team that won the championship.
In 2018, Tony had one of his best seasons with the Astros. He had a fantastic ERA of 1.86. This means he allowed very few runs when he was pitching. He also struck out 42 batters in just 38.2 innings.
Joining the Washington Nationals
In March 2019, Tony Sipp signed a one-year deal with the Washington Nationals. He continued to pitch as a relief pitcher for them. In June, he reached a big milestone: 10 years of service time in Major League Baseball! This is a great achievement for any player. He was released by the Nationals in August 2019.
Tony Sipp's Pitching Style
Tony Sipp used four main pitches when he was on the mound:
- A four-seam fastball: This pitch is very fast, usually between 91 and 94 miles per hour.
- A two-seam fastball: This pitch is also fast, a little slower than the four-seam, at 89–91 miles per hour.
- A slider: This pitch moves sideways as it gets to the batter, usually around 79–82 miles per hour.
- A changeup: This pitch is thrown to right-handed batters and looks like a fastball but is slower, around 78–81 miles per hour.
His slider was often his go-to pitch when he had two strikes on a batter.
Images for kids
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Sipp with the Nationals in 2019
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Sipp with the Cleveland Indians in 2012
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Sipp pitching for the Houston Astros in 2015 American League Division Series Game 1
