- Matt Capps
-
Matt Capps 
Capps with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2006Free agent Relief pitcher Born: September 3, 1983 Bats: Right Throws: Right MLB debut September 16, 2005 for the Pittsburgh Pirates Career statistics
(through September 19th, 2011)Win-Loss 28–28 Earned run average 3.51 Strikeouts 298 Saves 124 Teams - Pittsburgh Pirates (2005–2009)
- Washington Nationals (2010)
- Minnesota Twins (2010–2011)
Career highlights and awards Matthew Dicus Capps (born September 3, 1983 in Douglasville, Georgia), is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He is a 2002 graduate of Alexander High School in Douglasville, where he lettered in football, basketball, cross-country and baseball before receiving a scholarship at LSU. He possesses a noteworthy slider and a mid nineties fastball.
Contents
Professional career
Pittsburgh Pirates
Capps was drafted by the Pirates in the 7th round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft. He was a starting pitcher until 2004, never advancing above A-level in the minor leagues.
In 2005, he was converted to a relief pitcher and his career took off. Though he started the season at A-level Hickory, he was promoted mid-season to the AA Altoona Curve and later to the AAA Indianapolis Indians for the International League playoffs. After Indianapolis's season ended, he was promoted to the Pirates on September 16 and made his debut that night.
The beginning of the 2006 season saw Capps break spring training with the Pirates. At first, Capps saw time only in safe situations, but, as the season wore on, he established himself as one of the most consistent and effective relievers in the Pittsburgh bullpen. Although only a rookie, Capps saw a lot of appearances as the Pirates' set-up man to closers Mike González and Salomón Torres.
In 85 games during the 2006 season, Capps pitched a total of 80.2 innings, striking out 56 batters, while only allowing 81 hits and 37 runs, for an ERA of 3.79. Capps posted a team best 9–1 record out of the bullpen, while mixing in 13 holds and 1 save. He led all Major League rookie pitchers in appearances.
Capps began his second major league season as the sole eighth inning set-up man to Torres, and through the beginning of June, he was among Major League Baseball's leaders in holds. On June 1, manager Jim Tracy announced that Capps would replace Torres as the Pirates closer.[1] One day later, Capps recorded his first save of the season—the second of his career. This was the kick start to his new role as the Pirates' closer. It was also the time they decided to add an extra 11 minutes to his PNC entrance video.
Capps started the 2008 season by earning 15 consecutive saves, before blowing his first save of the season on June 10. On July 2, Capps was placed on the disabled list after suffering from arm soreness.[2] He missed nearly two months of action while he rehabbed at the Pirates' spring training facility in Bradenton, Florida. He ended the season with 21 saves and five blown saves.
In 2009, Capps converted 27 of 32 save opportunities, with a 5.80 ERA. He allowed 73 hits and 35 earned runs in 54.1 innings pitched. Capps was not tendered a contract by the Pirates on December 12 and became a free agent.
Washington Nationals
On January 6, 2010, Capps signed a one year, $3.5 million deal with the Washington Nationals.[3] Capps was named the DHL Delivery Man Award winner for the month of April 2010, after recording ten saves in ten opportunities with an ERA of 0.68 for the month.[4] He would convert his first 16 save opportunities of the season, en route to recording 23 saves in the season's opening half, good for a tie for second in the major leagues. He earned his first All-Star Game selection, voted in on the Player's Ballot. He was the leading vote-getter among all N.L. relievers.
Capps went on to be the winning pitcher in the game. The sixth hurler for the N.L., he struck out the previous day's Home Run Derby winner David Ortiz looking with a 2–2 fastball to end the sixth inning, holding the American Leaguers to a 1–0 lead. He would then be the beneficiary of Brian McCann's three-run double in the seventh.[5][6]
Minnesota Twins
On July 29, 2010, Capps was traded to the Minnesota Twins for catcher Wilson Ramos and left-handed pitcher Joe Testa. He took over the closer role from Jon Rauch [7] and picked up his first save as a Twin in his first outing, against the Seattle Mariners, on July 30. Through October 2, Capps was 2–0 with a 2.00 ERA for the Twins, with 16 saves in 18 opportunities. Upon the return of Joe Nathan, Capps was reassigned to the setup role for the 2011 season. After two blown saves in a row, Nathan relinquished the closer role to Capps on April 16. Capps again became a setup man, as Nathan returned to the role of closer, after a dramatic loss at Target Field on July 15, 2011.
See also
References
- ^ Associated Press (June 1, 2007). "Capps takes over Bucs' closer role, Torres moves to setup". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2890663. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
- ^ "Pirates place Matt Capps on 15-day disabled list". MLB.com. July 2, 2008. http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20080702&content_id=3051110&vkey=pr_pit&fext=.jsp&c_id=pit. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
- ^ Ladson, Bill (January 6, 2010). "Capps, Nats finalize one-year deal". MLB.com. http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100106&content_id=7880542&vkey=news_was&fext=.jsp&c_id=was. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
- ^ Ladson, Bill (May 3, 2010). "Capps named Delivery Man of the Month". MLB.com (Major League Baseball). http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100503&content_id=9764436&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
- ^ "MLB.com Gameday". MLB.com. http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2010_07_13_nasmlb_aasmlb_1&mode=gameday.
- ^ Lyle, Spencer (July 14, 2010). "National uprising: NL wins All-Star Game". MLB.com. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100713&content_id=12241778&vkey=allstar2010&fext=.jsp.
- ^ Thesier, Kelly (July 29, 2010). "Twins Acquire Matt Capps". MLB.com. http://kellythesier.mlblogs.com/archives/2010/07/twins_acquire_matt_capps.html.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
Categories:- 1983 births
- Living people
- Major League Baseball pitchers
- Baseball players from Georgia (U.S. state)
- Pittsburgh Pirates players
- Washington Nationals players
- Minnesota Twins players
- Gulf Coast Pirates (baseball) players
- Lynchburg Hillcats players
- Williamsport Crosscutters players
- Hickory Crawdads players
- Altoona Curve players
- Indianapolis Indians players
- People from Douglas County, Georgia
- National League All-Stars
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