Dan Meyer (pitcher)

Dan Meyer
Pittsburgh Pirates
Relief pitcher
Born: July 3, 1981 (1981-07-03) (age 30) Woodbury, New Jersey
Bats: Right	Throws: Left
MLB debut
September 14, 2004 for the Atlanta Braves
Career statistics (through 2010 season)
Win-Loss	3-9
Earned run average	5.46
Strikeouts	92
Teams
Atlanta Braves (2004) Oakland Athletics (2007-2008) Florida Marlins (2009-2010)

Meyer with the Oakland Athletics in 2007.

Daniel Livingston Meyer (born July 3, 1981 in Woodbury, New Jersey) is a left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher, who is currently in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Meyer played high school baseball at Kingsway Regional High School in Swedesboro, New Jersey.^[1] Meyer is one of only two players (the other being Boardwalk Brown) in the history of MLB to have been born in Woodbury, NJ.^[2]

Minor league career

A touted prospect out of James Madison University, Meyer helped his team to the college playoffs in 2002 after going 9-2 with a 3.15 ERA and posting 90 strikeouts in 97 innings. Meyer was then drafted in the first round (34th overall) in the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft by the Atlanta Braves. Meyer quickly rose through the Braves system as he pitched in Single-A in 2003 and split the 2004 season in Double-A and Triple-A. He went 6-3 with a 2.22 ERA and struck out batters 11.91 times per 9 innings in Double-A earning him a callup to Triple-A. His 2.70 ERA in 11 starts in Triple-A earned him a September callup that 2004 season for the Braves.

Major league career

Meyer pitched 2 games in 2004 as a September call up for the Braves. During the offseason, Meyer was involved in the big trade with the Oakland Athletics for ace Tim Hudson that had also sent pitcher Juan Cruz and outfielder Charles Thomas to the Athletics.

During 2005 spring training, Meyer had a 7.78 ERA in 6 games (4 starts) and was sent to the Sacramento River Cats, the Athletics Triple-A team. He went 2-8 with a 5.36 ERA in 19 games (17 starts) for the River Cats that included 2 stints on the disabled list. His strikeout numbers declined from the days of being a prospect in the Atlanta Braves organization. It was the first time in his pro career that he had an ERA over 2.87 and gave up career highs in earned runs (53), home runs (15), and walks (43). He led the River Cats pitching staff in losses with 8.

The following year, Meyer began the season for the River Cats again. In 10 starts, he went 3-3 with a 5.07 ERA before having season ending surgery in which bone chips were removed from his shoulder; his strikeout numbers declined even more.

In 2007, Meyer once again began the year for the River Cats. For the first time in his career in the Athletics organization, his strikeout numbers began to look a little more like the numbers he put up for the Braves organization. With a 4.07 ERA in 15 starts through July 15, Meyer was finally called up to the big league club on August 13, 2007. He had gone 6-2 with a 3.40 ERA in 19 starts for the River Cats at the time of his call up and had the third lowest ERA in the Pacific Coast League.

Following the 2008 season, Meyer was claimed off wiavers by the Florida Marlins.^[3]

In 2009, Meyer proved to be one of the team's most effective and dependable relievers, turning in his best season of his career. He finished with a 3.09 ERA, in 71 games and 58.1 innings pitched.

However, Meyer's success would be short lived, as his 2010 season with the Marlins started out very badly, and continued to get worse as time went by. As of June 15, his ERA was 10.80 in 12 appearances with the team. He has since been designated for assignment. Later, on July 9, Meyer was given another chance by being called up to the Marlins. The story at marlins.com that announced his return began with the lines, "Mind clear. Mechanics ironed out. Dan Meyer is once again back in the big leagues."^[4] He appeared in only 13 games for the Marlins and became a free agent at the end of the season.

He signed a split contract with the Phillies in November 2010.^[5]

References

1. ^ Dan Meyer player profile, The Baseball Cube. Accessed July 17, 2007.
2. ^ http://www.baseball-reference.com/bio/NJ_born.shtml
3. ^ Marlins claim LHP Dan Meyer off waivers
4. ^ Rejuvenated Meyer back with Marlins
5. ^ http://www.nj.com/gloucester/index.ssf?/base/sports-9/1289886925138780.xml&coll=8

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Persondata
Name	Meyer, Dan
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	July 3, 1981
Place of birth	Woodbury, New Jersey
Date of death
Place of death