Scott William Sauerbeck (November 9, 1971 – February 18, 2025) was an American 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 ...

left-handed

relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who pitches in the game after the starting pitcher or another relief pitcher has been removed from the game due to fatigue (medical), fatigue, injury, ineffectiveness, ejection ...

. He played 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) from 1999 to 2006 for 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

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) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

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) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

, and

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

Early career

Sauerbeck attended Northwest High School in

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

, and played

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

and

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

, graduating in 1990. He called himself "the curveball flipping freak." After attending

Miami University Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public university, public research university in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the second-oldest List of colleges and universities in Ohio, university in Ohi ...

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

, Sauerbeck was drafted by 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 ...

in the 23rd round of the 1994 amateur draft.

Professional career

New York Mets

Sauerbeck was drafted by the

in the 23rd round, with the 624th overall selection, of the

1994 Major League Baseball draft The 1994 Major League Baseball draft took place in June 1994. The draft saw the New York Mets select Paul Wilson first overall. First round selections The following are the first round picks in the 1994 Major League Baseball draft. Supplem ...

. He made his professional debut with the Low-A Pittsfield Mets. Sauerbeck split the 1995 season between the Single-A

Capital City Bombers Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

and High-A

St. Lucie Mets The St. Lucie Mets are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the New York Mets. They are located in Port St. Lucie, Florida, and play their home games at Clover Park. The Mets have been members ...

. In 39 appearances for the two affiliates, he compiled an aggregate 5–5 record and 2.72 ERA with 58 strikeouts across innings pitched. Sauerbeck split the 1996 campaign between St. Lucie and the Double-A

Binghamton Mets The Binghamton Rumble Ponies are an American Minor League Baseball team based in Binghamton, New York. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club. The Rumble Ponies play in Mi ...

, accumulating a 9–9 record and 2.65 ERA with 92 strikeouts in 146 innings pitched across 25 games (24 starts). He returned to Binghamton in 1997, also making one appearance for the Triple-A

Norfolk Tides The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's loc ...

, and compiled an 8–9 record and 4.93 ERA with 88 strikeouts in innings pitched across 27 games (20 starts). Sauerbeck spent the entirety of the 1998 season with Triple-A Norfolk. In 27 starts for the Tides, he registered a 7–13 record and 3.93 ERA with a career-high 119 strikeouts across innings pitched.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On December 14, , Sauerbeck was drafted by the

in the

Rule 5 draft The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball (MLB) player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor lea ...

. Sauerbeck pitched in 65 games for the Pirates during his rookie campaign, compiling a 4–1 record and 2.00 ERA with 55 strikeouts over innings of work. He made 75 appearances out of the

bullpen In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if ...

for Pittsburgh in 2000, logging a 5–4 record and 4.04 ERA with 83 strikeouts across innings pitched. Sauerbeck pitched in 70 contests for Pittsburgh in 2001, compiling a 2–2 record and 5.60 ERA with 79 strikeouts and 2 saves across innings pitched. In 2002, he made 78 appearances for the team, registering a 5–4 record and 2.30 ERA with 70 strikeouts across innings pitched. Sauerbeck made 53 appearances for Pittsburgh during the 2003 campaign, posting a 3–4 record and 4.05 ERA with 32 strikeouts over 40 innings of work.

Boston Red Sox

On July 22, , Sauerbeck and pitcher Mike González were traded to the

in exchange for

Brandon Lyon Brandon James Lyon (born August 10, 1979) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, and New Yor ...

and Anastacio Martínez, but the Pirates backed out of the deal after discovering an injury to Lyon. However, the Pirates and Red Sox worked out another trade that sent Sauerbeck and

Jeff Suppan Jeffrey Scot Suppan (; born January 2, 1975) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and current professional baseball coach who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, ...

to Boston in exchange for

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field, between first base and third base. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns pla ...

Freddy Sanchez. With Boston, he pitched in 26 games and made one postseason appearance, struggling a 6.48 ERA with 18 strikeouts across innings pitched.

Cleveland Indians

On April 12, 2004, Sauerbeck signed with the

, but missed the season due to an injury. He returned to action in 2005, making 58 appearances and pitching to a 4.04 ERA with 35 strikeouts across innings pitched. Sauerbeck made 24 appearances for the Indians to begin the campaign, but struggled to a 6.23 ERA with 11 strikeouts over 13 innings pitched. On June 9, 2006, Sauerbeck was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...

by the Indians due to poor performance on the field and a recent arrest. He was released on June 14.

Oakland Athletics

On June 19, 2006, Sauerbeck signed a one-year, major league contract with the

. In 22 appearances for Oakland, he recorded a 3.65 ERA with 6 strikeouts across innings pitched. Sauerbeck was released by the Athletics organization on October 10.

Houston Astros

On February 2, 2007, Sauerbeck signed a minor league contract with the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

. In 18 appearances for the Triple-A

Round Rock Express The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home ...

, he posted a 3.93 ERA with 22 strikeouts across innings pitched. Sauerbeck was released by the Astros organization on June 19.

Toronto Blue Jays

On June 25, 2007, Sauerbeck signed a minor league contract with 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) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

organization. He spent the remainder of the year with the High-A

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 Triple-A

Syracuse Chiefs Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...

, accumulating a 2–1 record and 5.66 ERA with 32 strikeouts across innings pitched. Sauerbeck elected free agency on October 29.

Cincinnati Reds

On February 1, 2008, Sauerbeck signed a minor league contract with the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

that included an invitation to

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

. In 4 appearances for the Triple-A

Louisville Bats The Louisville Bats are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky, and are named in dual reference to the bat, wi ...

, he struggled to a 9.00 ERA with 5 strikeouts over 4 innings of work. Sauerbeck was released by the Reds organization on May 6.

Chicago White Sox

On May 28, 2008, Sauerbeck signed a minor league contract with 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) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

and was assigned to their Triple-A affiliate, the

Charlotte Knights The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field ...

. Sauerbeck's final minor league game was August 29, pitching a scoreless inning with two

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...

s against the

Durham Bulls The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened ...

. He announced his retirement following the game. With the Knights, Scott compiled a 1–2 record with a 4.37 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 37 games.

Personal life

On May 30, 2006, Sauerbeck was arrested and charged with obstructing official business and permitting someone intoxicated to drive his vehicle.

Death

Sauerbeck died from complications from the

influenza A virus ''Influenza A virus'' (''Alphainfluenzavirus influenzae'') or IAV is the only species of the genus ''Alphainfluenzavirus'' of the virus family '' Orthomyxoviridae''. It is a pathogen with strains that infect birds and some mammals, as well as c ...

with

hypertensive heart disease Hypertensive heart disease includes a number of complications of high blood pressure that affect the heart. While there are several definitions of hypertensive heart disease in the medical literature, the term is most widely used in the context of ...

a contributing factor, on February 18, 2025, at the age of 53.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sauerbeck, Scott 1971 births 2025 deaths Baseball players from Cincinnati Binghamton Mets players Boston Red Sox players Capital City Bombers players Charlotte Knights players Cleveland Indians players Deaths from influenza in the United States Dunedin Blue Jays players Infectious disease deaths in Florida Louisville Bats players Major League Baseball pitchers Miami RedHawks baseball players Nashville Sounds players Navegantes del Magallanes players American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Norfolk Tides players Oakland Athletics players Pittsburgh Pirates players Pittsfield Mets players Round Rock Express players Sacramento River Cats players St. Lucie Mets players Stockton Ports players Syracuse Chiefs players