Joshua David Sharpless (born January 26, 1981) is a former

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) ...

right-handed In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to it being stronger, faster or more dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply less subjecti ...

relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as inclement weather d ...

Biography

Sharpless grew up in the greater

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

area, attending Freedom Area Senior High School in

Freedom, Pennsylvania Freedom is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, located along the Ohio River northwest of Pittsburgh. The population was 1,495 at the 2020 census. Originally founded as a steamboat building town, chief industries later incl ...

. Drafted in the 24th round of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft out of

Allegheny College he, תגל ערבה ותפרח כחבצלת , mottoeng = "Add to your faith, virtue and to your faith, knowledge" ( 2 Peter 1:5)"The desert shall rejoice and the blossom as the rose" (Isaiah 35:1) , faculty = 193 ...

, he progressed through the Pirates

minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in N ...

system in three years. He reached the majors on August 1, , when trade-deadline moves left openings in the major league roster. He made his first appearance on August 2, 2006. Sharpless continued to live in the Pittsburgh area year-round while playing for the Pirates. After being released by the Pirates on March 31, , Sharpless signed a minor league contract with the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...

on April 10, 2008. After becoming a free agent following the 2008 season, Sharpless signed with the

York Revolution The York Revolution is an American professional minor-league baseball team based in York, Pennsylvania. It is a member of the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent "partner league" of Major League Baseball ...

of the Atlantic League for the 2009 season. He continues to live in the Pittsburgh area and gives pitching lessons to area high schoolers.

References

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharpless, Josh 1981 births Living people Major League Baseball pitchers Baseball players from Pennsylvania People from Beaver, Pennsylvania Sportspeople from Beaver County, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Pirates players Williamsport Crosscutters players Hickory Crawdads players Lynchburg Hillcats players Altoona Curve players Indianapolis Indians players Connecticut Defenders players York Revolution players Allegheny Gators baseball players