Shaun Marcum

Infobox MLB player


width = 150px
name=Shaun Marcum
position=Starting pitcher
team=Toronto Blue Jays
number=28
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1981|12|14
birthplace=city-state|Kansas City|Missouri
debutdate=September 6
debutyear=2005
debutteam=Toronto Blue Jays
statyear= August 30, 2008
stat1label=Win-Loss
stat1value= 23-16
stat2label=Earned run average
stat2value= 4.05
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value= 300
teams=
*Toronto Blue Jays (by|2005-present)

Shaun Michal Marcum (born December 14, 1981 in Kansas City, Missouri) is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays. He was drafted in the third round, 80th overall, of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft, by the Blue Jays. Marcum shot up through the minors and made his MLB debut on September 6, mlby|2005.

Career

2005

Marcum was a late season call-up from the minors in September when rosters expanded. Before making his debut, Marcum was often compared to his then fellow teammate Josh Towers by Blue Jays commentators Tom Candiotti and Pat Tabler. He wasn't a hard thrower and relied on locating his pitches for success. Marcum pitched 8 innings, giving up six hits, without surrendering a run in his debut.

2006

Marcum went 3-4 for the Blue Jays in mlby|2006 in 21 games including 14 starts. His ERA was a bit high though (5.06). In his final 7 starts, had a winning record of 2-1 with a 3.31 ERA.

2007

Marcum had a breakthrough season in mlby|2007. He went 12-6 with an ERA of 4.13. Marcum developed and improved his pitching style. He started to become known as more of a power pitcher. His fastball was clocked most times at around 89-90 MPH. His changeup became his best pitch, as he struck out batters most effectively with it. He struck out a total of 122 batters over 159 innings of work. He pitched 6+ scoreless innings in 7 of his starts, including 2 instances where he pitched 6+ No-hit innings before being relieved. One of those instances was against the Boston Red Sox. Manager John Gibbons was somewhat criticized for taking Marcum out, while he still had a no-hitter going.

2008

In mlby|2008, Marcum got off to a good start, going 8-6 with a 3.60 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 22 games. But an injury followed by a weak handful of starts following sent him to Triple-A on August 23. In September he was back in the starting rotation and had seemed to have returned to form. However, on September 19, days after an abbreviated start in which he left with elbow pain, the Jays released the information that Marcum would need Tommy John surgery and would miss the rest of the 2008 season and likely all of 2009.

External links

*baseballstats |mlb=451788 |espn=6427 |br=m/marcush01 |fangraphs=6204 |cube=M/shaun-marcum
* [http://tsf.waymoresports.thestar.com/thestar/baseball/player.cgi?4135 The Star]