Brandon Webb
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Brandon Tyler Webb (born May 9, 1979) is an American former professional
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
. Webb pitched in
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB) for the
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...
from 2003 through 2009, and, after multiple shoulder surgeries, signed with but did not play for the Texas Rangers in 2011. Webb attended the
University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical ...
, where he played
college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...
for the Wildcats baseball team. During his MLB career, Webb won the 2006 National League
Cy Young Award The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (baseball), National League (NL). The award was introduced in 1956 by Commissioner of Baseball ( ...
and was a three-time MLB All-Star. He was sidelined with injuries for much of 2009–2012 and, after several aborted comeback attempts, retired in 2013. He has the 18th highest Adjusted ERA+ of all major league players with 142.


Amateur career

Webb attended Paul G. Blazer High School in
Ashland, Kentucky Ashland is a List of cities in Kentucky, home rule-class city in Boyd County, Kentucky, United States. The most populous city in Boyd County, Ashland is located upon the southern bank of the Ohio River at the state border with Ohio and near West ...
, and graduated in 1997. Afterwards, he attended the
University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical ...
, where he played for the Kentucky Wildcats baseball team. During his tenure with Kentucky, Webb set the all-time single season record for strikeouts by a Wildcat (123). He was inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009.


Professional career


Arizona Diamondbacks

Webb was drafted by the
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...
in the 8th round of the 2000 Major League Baseball draft. He made his first major league appearance on April 22, 2003, against the
Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos () were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in the National League (baseball), National League ...
. Webb finished the season with 28 starts and a 10–9 record. He was awarded Baseball America Rookie of the Year and placed third in the
Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given annually to two outstanding rookie players, one each for the American League (AL) and National League (baseball), National League (NL), as voted on by the Baseball Writers' Associatio ...
voting in the National League. Webb was made the #2 starter to
Randy Johnson Randall David Johnson (born September 10, 1963), nicknamed, "the Big Unit," is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (1988–2009) for six teams, primarily the Seattle Mariners and Arizo ...
in following the team's offseason trade of Curt Schilling. He finished the season with a 7–16 record in a league high 35 starts, leading the league in losses, walks and wild pitches, and posting an ERA of 3.59. In , he posted a 14–12 record and an ERA of 3.54. He led the team in ERA, innings pitched (229) and wild pitches (14). After the season he signed a four-year contract extension worth a guaranteed $19.5 million (that included a team option for 2010). Through his first 13 starts of the season, Webb had a perfect 8–0 record, which included a 30 inning scoreless streak. He suffered his first losing effort of the season on June 10, in a 5–0 loss to the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
. An early contender to win the
National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
Cy Young Award The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (baseball), National League (NL). The award was introduced in 1956 by Commissioner of Baseball ( ...
, Webb pitched in the 2006 MLB All-Star Game, recording one hitless inning. Webb struggled in the second half of the season in part due to elbow soreness. He scored a win in an emotional outing versus the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
on August 28, pitching seven effective innings. The win came a day after close friend and former UK teammate Jon Hooker and his new bride were among the victims of the doomed Comair Flight 5191 leaving Lexington. Webb went on to finish the 2006 season with a record of 16–8 and an
earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
of 3.10, and was recognized with the NL
Cy Young Award The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (baseball), National League (NL). The award was introduced in 1956 by Commissioner of Baseball ( ...
. His 16 wins tied five other pitchers for the most victories in the
National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
. Webb's win total marked the lowest for a starting pitcher who won the Cy Young in a full season. His 3.10 ERA was the fourth best in the majors. In Webb logged a then-franchise record 42 scoreless innings streak as of the conclusion of his start on August 17, 2007, including three straight shutouts. This is the fifteenth longest such streak in major league history. His three consecutive shutouts during the streak was the longest streak since Roger Clemens accomplished the same with Toronto in 1998. This streak came to an end when the
Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...
scored in the first inning of his start on August 22, 2007. The franchise record was broken by Zac Gallen in 2022. Webb carried the D'backs rotation in 2007, leading the team as it won the National League West crown. Webb finished with a record of 18–10 with a 3.01 ERA. Webb pitched the first game of the 2007 playoffs against the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
. Webb pitched 7 innings of 1 run ball, striking out 9 en route to a win. The Diamondbacks went on to sweep the Cubs but fell to the Rockies in the NLCS, Webb falling in the first game. Webb allowed 4 runs in 6 innings, taking the loss. The Diamondbacks were ultimately swept 4–0. Webb began the season with nine straight wins, becoming the first Major League pitcher to do so since Andy Hawkins won his first ten in 1985. Going into the All-Star break Webb was atop the Majors in wins, standing at 13–4 with an ERA of 3.21 and a WHIP of 1.13. He made the All-Star team and threw a scoreless 14th inning with two strikeouts at Yankee Stadium. Webb finished the 2008 season with a career high and NL leading 22 wins, against 7 losses. He finished second in the National League Cy Young voting to division rival Tim Lincecum. His 3.15 ground ball/fly ball ratio was the highest in the major leagues. In , Webb was named #31 on the Sporting News' list of the 50 top current players in baseball. Webb pitched on opening day against the
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
, but was limited to just four innings. On April 7, 2009, he was placed on the disabled list with right shoulder bursitis. On August 3, 2009, Dr. Keith Meister of the Rangers performed surgery on his right shoulder, ending his season. Despite the injury, after the 2009 season ended the Diamondbacks picked up Webb's $8.5 million option for 2010. The team would have had to pay a $2 million buyout had it declined. Webb spent the year rehabbing his injury and did not appear at all in 2010.


Texas Rangers

Webb became a free agent at the conclusion of the season and on December 26, 2010, agreed to a one-year contract with the Texas Rangers. Webb made his first appearance in a game in more than two years on May 30, 2011, pitching for Double-A Frisco. Over innings, he allowed five runs on eight hits, struck out two, walked two and hit a batter. On July 24, the Rangers announced Webb would undergo a second right rotator cuff surgery on August 1, 2011, that would sideline him until the start of the 2012 season.


Retirement

Webb officially retired from Major League Baseball on February 4, 2013. In May 2013, he filed a workers' compensation claim against the Texas Rangers for shoulder, neck, back, arm, and musculo-skeletal system injuries.


Pitches

Webb was mainly known for his sinker, regarded on a par with Roy Halladay and Chien-Ming Wang's as among the game's best sinkerballers. He threw it in the 87–91 mph range, a curveball (72–75), changeup (77–80), and occasionally a cutter against left-handed hitters. Webb's sinker made him an effective at groundball pitcher, with one of the best ground ball/fly ball ratios in the game, at more than 3.5:1. His changeup could be useful for getting swinging strikes, yielding a 55% whiff rate in the 2008 season.


Personal life

Webb and his wife, Alicia, make their home in
Ashland, Kentucky Ashland is a List of cities in Kentucky, home rule-class city in Boyd County, Kentucky, United States. The most populous city in Boyd County, Ashland is located upon the southern bank of the Ohio River at the state border with Ohio and near West ...
. He decided to stick close to home for college, attending the
University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical ...
in Lexington. In December 2007, the
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) is Kentucky's state-funded government agency, agency charged with building and maintaining U.S. Highway System, federal highways and List of primary state highways in Kentucky, Kentucky state highways, ...
renamed a section of U.S. Route 60 the "Brandon Webb Highway" in honor of Webb. In 2005 Webb established Brandon Webb's K Foundation, a charity that aims to "improve the lives of critically and chronically ill children throughout Arizona by providing daily support and life changing experiences."


See also

*
List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders Major League Baseball recognizes the player or players in each league with the most wins each season. In baseball, Win (baseball), wins are a baseball statistics, statistic used to evaluate pitchers. Credit for a win is given by the official scor ...


References


External links


Webb's K FoundationToronto StarYahoo! Sports
{{DEFAULTSORT:Webb, Brandon 1979 births Living people Kentucky Wildcats baseball players Arizona Diamondbacks players Major League Baseball pitchers Cy Young Award winners National League All-Stars National League (baseball) wins champions Paul G. Blazer High School alumni Sportspeople from Ashland, Kentucky Baseball players from Kentucky Arizona League Diamondbacks players South Bend Silver Hawks players Lancaster JetHawks players Tucson Sidewinders players El Paso Diablos players