Robbie Beckett (born July 16, 1972) 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) ...

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 ...

Career

In 1990, he was

draft Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a ves ...

ed in the first round (25th) by 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 (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...

in the amateur draft out of

McCallum High School A. N. McCallum High School is a public high school in Austin, Texas, United States. McCallum, the second oldest high school in the Austin Independent School District (formerly known as Austin Public Schools prior to desegregation in 1971), open ...

in Austin, Texas. Starting out for the

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Rancho Cucamonga, California, and play their home games at LoanMart Field. The fra ...

in the Padre's farm system, he was soon well known for his impressive 100 mph fastballs at the young age of 21. During one stretch of his stint at the Quakes, he was able to throw 88 strikeouts in 84 innings. However, Beckett's extreme fastballs were counterbalanced by his poor control. During one spring training session, veteran MLB hitters refused to go to bat against such a powerful and erratic pitch and risk injury so early in the season. Unable to make progress in the Padres farm system, the team waived Beckett on March 29, 1996. The

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The fra ...

picked Beckett up but soon waived him also. After Florida, 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 ...

selected Beckett off waivers. Beckett made his Major League debut with the Rockies on September 12, 1996, when he was only 24 years old. Robbie Beckett was a left-handed

, but batted with his right. Beckett only played in a total of 7 games (none of which he started), and was released from the Colorado Rockies on September 26, 1997.

References

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Major League Baseball pitchers 1972 births Living people Colorado Rockies players Baseball players from Austin, Texas Albuquerque Dukes players American expatriate baseball players in Mexico Arizona League Padres players Charleston Rainbows players Colorado Springs Sky Sox players Las Vegas Stars (baseball) players Memphis Chicks players New Haven Ravens players Pericos de Puebla players Portland Sea Dogs players Rancho Cucamonga Quakes players Riverside Red Wave players San Antonio Missions players Waterloo Diamonds players Wichita Wranglers players {{US-baseball-pitcher-1970s-stub