Kent Mercker

Infobox MLB player
name = Kent Mercker

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width = 250
caption =
team = Cincinnati Reds
number = 50
position = Relief pitcher
birthdate = birth date and age|1968|2|1
birthplace = city-state|Dublin|Ohio
bats = Left
throws = Left
debutdate = September 22
debutyear = 1989
debutteam = Atlanta Braves
statyear = 2007
stat1label = Win-Loss
stat1value = 73-67
stat2label = Earned run average
stat2value = 4.16
stat3label = Strikeouts
stat3value = 911
teams =
*Atlanta Braves (by|1989-by|1995)
*Baltimore Orioles (by|1996)
*Cleveland Indians (by|1996)
*Cincinnati Reds (by|1997)
*St. Louis Cardinals (by|1998-by|1999)
*Boston Red Sox (by|1999)
*Anaheim Angels (by|2000)
*Colorado Rockies (by|2002)
*Cincinnati Reds (by|2003)
*Atlanta Braves (by|2003)
*Chicago Cubs (by|2004)
*Cincinnati Reds (by|2005-by|2006, by|2008-present)

Kent Franklin Mercker (born February 1, 1968 in Dublin, Ohio) is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds. He has played for nine teams over his seventeen-year career.

Mercker was taken in the first round (5th pick overall) of the by|1986 amateur draft by the Atlanta Braves. He made his Major League debut with the Braves on September 22, by|1989 and appeared in two games that season.

During his years with the Braves, Mercker split time between the bullpen and the starting rotation. After serving as a reliever for the vast part of his first five seasons, he joined the Braves' rotation full time for the by|1994 and by|1995 seasons.

After the 1995 season, the Braves traded Mercker to the Baltimore Orioles. Mercker has been a journeyman ever since, spending time with Baltimore (by|1996), Cleveland (1996), Cincinnati (by|1997, by|2003, by|2005-by|2006), St. Louis (by|1998-by|1999), Boston (1999), Anaheim (by|2000), Colorado (by|2002), Atlanta (2003), and the Chicago Cubs (by|2004). During the 2004 season, Mercker reportedly called the broadcast booth to complain about commentary by Steve Stone and, along with Moisés Alou, confronted Stone on a team flight. He signed with Cincinnati for the third time in his career on December 20, 2004.

Mercker has taken part in two no-hit games during his career, both with the Braves. The first, on September 11, by|1991 against the San Diego Padres at Fulton County Stadium, was a combined effort between Mercker, the starter, who pitched six innings; Mark Wohlers, who pitched the seventh and eighth innings; and Alejandro Pena, who pitched the ninth. The Braves defeated the Padres 1-0. The second no-hitter was a solo effort by Mercker, as he no-hit the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 8, 1994 at Dodger Stadium in a 6-0 victory. To date, this no-hitter is the last to be pitched by a Brave. [http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/gallery/featured/GAL1137746/14/26/index.htm]

On February 8, by|2008, Mercker signed a minor league contract with Cincinnati with an invitation to spring training. At the end of Spring Training, he was added to the 40-man roster.

ee also

* List of Major League Baseball no-hitters

External links

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/merckke01.shtml Kent Mercker Career Statistics]