Robert John Woodward (born September 28, 1962) 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 ...
, who 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) in parts of the 1985 through 1988 seasons, for 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 ...
. Listed at 6' 3", 185 lb., he batted and threw
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 ...
.
Woodward spent his 11 years career in the Red Sox (1981–89) and
Orioles
Oriole or Orioles may refer to:
Animals
* Old World oriole, colorful passerine birds in the family Oriolidae
* New World oriole, a group of birds in the family Icteridae
Music
* The Orioles, an R&B and doo-wop group of the late 1940s and earl ...
(1990–91) systems. In his major league career, he posted a 4-4 record with a 5.04
ERA
An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth.
Com ...
in 24 appearances, including 14
starts, giving up 68 runs (eight unearned) on 118 hits and 36
walks while
striking out
''Striking Out'' is an Irish television legal drama series, broadcast on RTÉ, that first aired on 1 January 2017. Produced by Bl!nder F!lms for RTÉ Television, ''Striking Out'' stars Amy Huberman as Dublin-based solicitor Tara Rafferty, who i ...
45 in 100
innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning ...
.
Woodward is also famous for his heated argument with
Dave Winfield
David Mark Winfield (born October 3, 1951) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) right fielder. He is the special assistant to the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association. Over his 22-year career, he pl ...
in 1985 after Winfield accidentally let go of his bat twice in a game and almost hit Woodward both times.
At four different minor league levels, Woodward went 81-79 with a 3.94 ERA in 345 appearances. While playing for the 1986
Pawtucket Red Sox
The Pawtucket Red Sox, known colloquially as the PawSox, were a professional minor league baseball club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1973 to 2020, the team was a member of the International League and served as the Triple-A affiliate ...
, he pitched consecutive scoreless innings, setting a club record that still stands today. During the 2008 season,
Devern Hansack
Devern Brandon Hansack (born February 5, 1978) is a former Nicaraguan professional baseball pitcher who pitched for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws right-handed.
Professional career
Hansack, born in Pearl Lagoon, ...
ran a string of consecutive scoreless innings to 25 for the second longest streak in the club history.
External links
Rob Woodwardat Pawtucket Red Sox
Major League Baseball pitchers
Boston Red Sox players
Elmira Pioneers players
Winter Haven Red Sox players
Winston-Salem Spirits players
New Britain Red Sox players
Pawtucket Red Sox players
Rochester Red Wings players
Baseball players from New Hampshire
People from Lebanon, New Hampshire
1962 births
Living people
{{US-baseball-pitcher-1960s-stub