Zach Day
Pitcher
Born: (1978-06-15) June 15, 1978
Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
June 15, 2002, for the Montreal Expos
Last MLB appearance
May 22, 2006, for the Washington Nationals
MLB statistics
Win–loss record21–27
Earned run average4.66
Strikeouts189
Teams

Stephen Zachary Day (born June 15, 1978) is an American former right-handed sinker-ball pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for two teams from 2002 to 2006.

Career history

Day graduated from La Salle High School in Cincinnati in 1996,[1] where he played basketball, baseball and golf and was prep player of the year in Cincinnati in 1995. He went on to attend the University of Cincinnati, studying pre-business. Day was drafted in the fifth round in 1996 by the New York Yankees. He spent four seasons in the organization before being traded, alongside Jake Westbrook and Ricky Ledee, to the Cleveland Indians for David Justice in July 2000.[2] In July 2001, Day was sent to the Montreal Expos for outfielder Milton Bradley.[3]

2002

Day made his major league debut for the Montreal Expos in 2002. His debut was on his birthday, and he was credited the win.[4] He was the first pitcher to achieve that combination (birthday, debut, win) since at least 1901, possibly ever.[5] He finished 2002 at 4–1 with a 3.62 ERA in 19 games. He also had 1 save. His one save came on September 26, 2002, during an Expos 4–3 victory over the Marlins. Day pitched the final three innings in perfect fashion (0 runs, 0 hits, 5 strikeouts) to nail down the win for starting pitcher Tony Armas Jr.[6]

2003

Day pitched a career high 23 starts, going 9–8. He led the majors in wild pitches with 13. He was initially named NL Rookie of the Month in April, but the award was revoked and given to Hee-seop Choi due to Day having reached the rookie limit of service days in 2002.[7]

2004

Day's 2004 season was cut short due to injury. He hit the Disabled List in July with a shoulder injury and then again in August after breaking his middle finger trying to bunt.[8][9][10] He made 19 starts, having a respectable 3.93 ERA despite going 5-10 for the defunct Montreal Expos.

2005

Day managed to pitch in 12 games for the Nationals before being traded to Colorado.[11]

He was 0–1 in 5 games for the Rockies.

2006

Day began the season with the Rockies but was designated for assignment after posting an ERA of 10.80 in 3 starts.[12]

After being claimed off waivers by the Nationals,[13] Day was looking to bounce back to his former self. However, after five appearances, Day was placed on the 60-day DL on May 23 for right shoulder tendinitis and underwent rotator cuff surgery on June 6, ending his 2006 season.[14] The Nationals released Day on October 3, 2006, ending his second stint with the team.[15]

2007

On December 20, 2006, he signed a minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals.[16] He spent the year playing for the Triple-A Omaha Royals, starting nine games and relieving in two more. Day became a free agent at the end of the season.

2008

On January 11, 2008, Day signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins, but was released in early May having made 6 appearances for the Fort Myers Miracle. After his release, he announced his retirement due to continuing shoulder problems.[17]

After retiring, Day went back to school to get his degree. He also joined TrackMan and became a prominent figure in baseball analytics and tracking technology.[18][19][20]

References

  1. ↑ "Zach Day Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Yankees complete Justice trade by sending Day, Westbrook to Cleveland". CBC Sports. 2000-07-24.
  3. ↑ WITHERS, TOM. "Bradley looking for fresh start with Tribe". The Ledger. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  4. ↑ "Expos 9-3 Blue Jays (Jun 15, 2002) Final Score". ESPN. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  5. ↑ "Royals and Cards". 95.3 KDKD Today's Country. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  6. ↑ "Florida Marlins at Montreal Expos Box Score, September 26, 2002".
  7. ↑ "Choi Is NL Rookie of Month After Mix Up". Midland Daily News. May 2, 2003. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Tuesday roundup: Thome, Sosa, Griffey in derby". ESPN.com. 2004-07-06. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  9. ↑ "Diamondbacks' Gonzalez Has Reconstructive Surgery on Elbow". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  10. ↑ "Sunday roundup: Expos' Day out 4-6 weeks". ESPN.com. 2004-08-01. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  11. ↑ "Nationals acquire OF Wilson from Rockies". 14 July 2005.
  12. ↑ "Rockies designate Day for assignment, call up Asencio". ESPN.com. 2006-04-22. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  13. ↑ "Nationals claim Day off waivers". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  14. ↑ Svrluga, Barry (2006-05-23). "Nats Hurting After Another Painful Loss". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  15. ↑ "Nats release six pitchers, including Astacio, Lawrence". ESPN.com. 2006-10-03. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  16. ↑ "Royals add Duckworth, Day". web.archive.org. 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  17. ↑ "Twins minor league report: Former All-Star works way back up". web.archive.org. 2008-05-14. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  18. ↑ "Former Sinkerballer Zach Day Spins Data Instead of Pitches As He Creates Baseball's Ultimate Arm Metrics". www.sportsbusinessjournal.com. 2021-09-27. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  19. ↑ Rosecrans, C. Trent. "Former big leaguer Zach Day joins C Dot Show on Feb. 12". The Enquirer. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  20. ↑ "Measuring Pitching with TrackMan: The Secrets of Fastball Spin". Baseball Prospectus. 2013-12-05. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.