Brett Aarion Cecil (born July 2, 1986) is an American former

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("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, who attempts to e ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...

(MLB) for the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

and St. Louis Cardinals. Cecil was drafted as the 38th overall pick in the

2007 MLB draft The 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players and was held on June 7, 2007 and June 8, 2007. The first day session of the draft included the fir ...

by the Blue Jays. He pitched for

DeMatha Catholic High School DeMatha Catholic High School is a four-year Catholic high school for boys located in Hyattsville, Maryland, United States. Named after John of Matha, DeMatha is under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and is a member of the Washington C ...

and the

Maryland Terrapins The Maryland Terrapins, commonly referred to as the Terps, consist of 19 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Maryland, College Park in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Divis ...

of the

University of Maryland, College Park The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of ...

.Driver, David. "Ex-Terp Cecil excels with Blue Jays," Explore Howard, Thursday, September 16, 2010.
/ref> In the summer of 2005, he pitched for the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts in the

Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League The Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League (CRCBL) is a collegiate summer baseball league located in the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland, metropolitan areas. The CRCBL is a member of the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball (NAC ...

and threw the first and only no-hitter by a single pitcher in league history. He first pitched in a professional league for the Class A

Auburn Doubledays The Auburn Doubledays are a collegiate summer baseball team of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL) that is located in Auburn, New York. From 1958 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's New York–Penn League (NYP ...

in 2007. In 2008, he was promoted to the

Dunedin Blue Jays The Dunedin Blue Jays are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and are the Single-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball club. They are located in Dunedin, Florida, and play their home games at TD Ballpark ...

, and later to the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, and finally to the Triple-A

Syracuse Chiefs Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States * Syracuse, New York ** East Syracuse, New York ** North Syracuse, New York * Syracuse, Indiana *Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, M ...

. He received an invitation to attend spring training with the Blue Jays in 2009, but began the season in Triple-A. Although he pitches left-handed, he is usually right-handed; pitching is "the only thing he does left-handed".

Amateur career

Cecil was born in

Dunkirk Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label= French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.Calvert County, Maryland Calvert County is located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 92,783. Its county seat is Prince Frederick. The county's name is derived from the family name of the Barons of Baltimore, the proprietors o ...

. He first started playing baseball when he was eight years old near his southern Maryland home. As he got older, his father would drive him more than 20 miles each way to White Marsh Park in Bowie,

Prince George's County ) , demonym = Prince Georgian , ZIP codes = 20607–20774 , area codes = 240, 301 , founded date = April 23 , founded year = 1696 , named for = Prince George of Denmark , leader_title = Executive , leader_name = Angela D. Alsobrooks ...

where there was more competition. As a teenager, he attended

, also in Prince George's County. Upon graduation from Dematha, he stayed in Prince George's County and attended the

University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the Flagship un ...

. In 2006, he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operate ...

for the

Orleans Cardinals The Orleans Firebirds, formerly the Orleans Cardinals, are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Orleans, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Firebirds play t ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thous ...

and was named a league all-star.

Professional career

Toronto Blue Jays

2009

Cecil was called up to the Toronto Blue Jays on May 1, 2009, and made his major league debut on May 5 as the starting pitcher against the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive ...

at home. In that game, Cecil pitched six innings, giving up two runs, one earned, and six hits but was credited with a no-decision in a game Toronto eventually won. His next start was May 10 against the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The t ...

, pitching 8 scoreless innings to earn his first Major League win. Cecil defeated the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

, keeping Toronto in first place, but then gave up five home runs to the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eig ...

on May 21, losing his first game, as Toronto went on a nine-game losing streak and dropped out of first place. Cecil was returned to

AAA AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer to: Airports * Anaa Airport in French Polynesia (IATA airport code AAA) * Logan County Airport (Illinois) (FAA airport code AAA) Arts, entertainment, and ...

after losing to Boston, and then pitched solidly for the Las Vegas 51s. Continued injury problems for Blue Jays' pitchers led to Cecil being recalled to the major leagues on June 18, and he started against the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadi ...

on June 20, filling in for the injured Casey Janssen and

Roy Halladay Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III (May 14, 1977 – November 7, 2017) was an American professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies between 1998 and 2013. His nicknam ...

, pitching 7 innings while allowing 3 earned runs in a no-decision, in a game Toronto lost in 12 innings.

2010

Originally not making the rotation for the Blue Jays, Cecil was called up early in the season and became a regular in the Jays rotation along with Ricky Romero, Shaun Marcum and Brandon Morrow. On May 3, 2010, he took a perfect game into the seventh inning against the

, but walked

Grady Sizemore Grady Sizemore (born August 2, 1982) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians from 2004 through 2011, but did not play in the majors for the following two years aft ...

with one out. Then, two batters later, he allowed a single to

Jhonny Peralta Jhonny Antonio Peralta (born May 28, 1982) is a Dominican former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). The Cleveland Indians signed him as an amateur free agent in his native D ...

which scored Sizemore from second to end his

no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher w ...

and his

shutout In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usuall ...

. He ended up going 8

inning In baseball, softball, and similar games, an inning is the basic unit of play, consisting of two halves or frames, the "top" (first half) and the "bottom" (second half). In each half, one team bats until three outs are made, with the other tea ...

s, allowing one hit, two walks, one

run Run(s) or RUN may refer to: Places * Run (island), one of the Banda Islands in Indonesia * Run (stream), a stream in the Dutch province of North Brabant People * Run (rapper), Joseph Simmons, now known as "Reverend Run", from the hip-hop grou ...

, and 10

strikeouts In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...

. Despite not making the original team out of

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives estab ...

he led the team in wins with 15, along with a much improved 4.22 ERA.

2011

To start the 2011 season, Cecil went 1–2 with a 6.86 ERA, which led to the Blue Jays optioning him to Triple-A, in order to make room for

Chris Woodward Christopher Michael Woodward (born June 27, 1976) is an American former professional baseball utility player, coach and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, Seattle Mariners, ...

on the 25-man roster. He was later recalled in late June and lost in his first start, against the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. Founded as part o ...

. On July 24, he pitched his first complete game shutout against Texas Rangers. Cecil finished the 2011 season with a 4–11 record and an ERA of 4.73.

2012

Cecil did not make the Blue Jays roster out of spring training, and was assigned to Triple-A Las Vegas. After Kyle Drabek was placed on the disabled list, Cecil was called up on June 15. After posting a 2–4 record with a 5.72 ERA through nine starts, Cecil was demoted to Triple-A Las Vegas 51s on August 4.

2013

Cecil started the 2013 season in the Blue Jays bullpen. On June 19, 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 (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fi ...

, Cecil broke the club record for facing the most consecutive batters without allowing a hit, set by

David Cone David Brian Cone (born January 2, 1963) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher, and current color commentator for the New York Yankees on the YES Network and WPIX as well as for ESPN on Sunday Night Baseball.Yunel Escobar and the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...

. On July 6, Cecil was named to the AL All-Star Team, which was special for Cecil considering the fact that it is rare for a mid relief pitcher to earn an All-Star appearance. Cecil pitched of an inning in the All-Star Game, striking out

Domonic Brown Domonic Larun Brown (born September 3, 1987), is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Philadelphia Phillies in , after being named the Phillies' top prospect in and the top ...

on 3 pitches. On July 31, Cecil recorded his first career save in a 5–2 win over the

. He was placed on the disabled list on September 17, ending his 2013 campaign with a 5–1 record, 2.82 earned run average, and 70 strikeouts over 60 innings.

2014

In January 2014, Cecil filed for salary arbitration with Toronto, but came to terms on a 1-year, $1.3 million contract on January 17. He pitched the entire season out of the bullpen, making a career-high 66 appearances. In 53 innings pitched, Cecil posted a 2–3 record with a 2.70 ERA and 76 strikeouts. He also recorded 5 saves, and gave up only 2 home runs for the entire season.

2015

On January 15, Cecil signed a one-year, $2.475 million contract with Toronto to avoid salary arbitration. With the departure of Casey Janssen in the offseason, the role of closer was left vacant into spring training. On March 24, manager

John Gibbons John Michael Gibbons (born June 8, 1962) is an American former professional baseball player and former manager of the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). Gibbons briefly played in the Major Leagues as a catcher with the New Y ...

named Cecil the Blue Jays' closer to open the 2015 season. Cecil struggled to open the 2015 season, and lost the closer role early to rookie Miguel Castro. On April 28, Cecil was moved back into the closer role. After yielding 8 earned runs in his previous 2 innings pitched, Cecil was again removed from the closer role on June 23. From June 24 through the end of the season, Cecil did not allow an earned run, lowering his ERA from 5.96 to 2.48. He was named to the postseason roster and appeared in both of the Blue Jays first two games, however he suffered a calf injury in the second game. Afterward it was determined that he would miss the remainder of the postseason with a tear in his left calf muscle.

2016

On January 15, 2016, Cecil and the Blue Jays avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $3.8 million contract. Cecil pitched his 38th consecutive scoreless appearance on April 4 against the Tampa Bay Rays, which tied the MLB record for consecutive scoreless appearances set by Craig Kimbrel in 2011. In 2016 he was 1–7 with a 3.93 ERA.Brett Cecil Stats , Baseball-Reference.com
/ref>

St. Louis Cardinals

2017

Cecil signed a four-year, $30.5 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals on November 21, 2016. In 2017, he was 2–4 with a 3.88 ERA in 73 relief appearances.

2018

Cecil began the year on the 10-day disabled list, and was activated on May 11. He was placed on the disabled list once again on July 27 due to right foot inflammation. He was activated on August 15. Cecil finished his 2018 campaign with a 1–1 record and a 6.89 ERA in 32.2 relief innings pitched.

2019

For the second straight year, Cecil began the year on the 10-day

injured list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...

. He was transferred to the 60-day IL on March 29, and did not pitch at all during the season. During the off-season from the 2019–2020, and during the quarantine caused by the

COVID-19 Pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

, he developed a sidearm delivery due to the fact that Cardinals pitching coach, Mike Maddux, said that all pitchers should experiment with anything they wanted during quarantine.

2020

Cecil was released by the Cardinals organization on July 22, 2020. Cecil announced his retirement from professional baseball on November 7, 2021, via Instagram.

Personal life

Cecil and his ex-wife, Jennifer, have three children; two sons, and a daughter.

References

External links

Brett Cecil at MiLB.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cecil, Brett 1986 births Living people Toronto Blue Jays players St. Louis Cardinals players Baseball players from Maryland American expatriate baseball players in Canada American League All-Stars Major League Baseball pitchers Maryland Terrapins baseball players Orleans Firebirds players People from Calvert County, Maryland DeMatha Catholic High School alumni Auburn Doubledays players Syracuse Chiefs players New Hampshire Fisher Cats players Dunedin Blue Jays players Las Vegas 51s players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players 2017 World Baseball Classic players