Steven R. Cishek () (born June 18, 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 ...

. Cishek 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 Florida / Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals,

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...

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 ...

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...

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 ...

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...

and

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 ...

. He holds the Marlins franchise record for consecutive saves, with 33 in a row.

Amateur career

Born and raised in

Falmouth, Massachusetts Falmouth ( ) is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 32,517 at the 2020 census, making Falmouth the second-largest municipality on Cape Cod after Barnstable. The terminal for the Steamship Authority ferri ...

, Cishek attended Falmouth High School where he starred as a

and also played

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

. Not heavily recruited out of high school by Division I schools, Cishek attended Division II Carson-Newman College in

Jefferson City, Tennessee Jefferson City (originally named Mossy Creek) is a city in Jefferson County, Tennessee, United States. It is part of the Morristown Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census the population was 8,419. History Heading southwest along t ...

, and led the team to a conference championship in 2007.

Professional career

Florida / Miami Marlins

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 ...

selected Cishek in the fifth round of 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 ...

. Cishek was called up to the MLB for the first time on September 20, 2010. He pitched scoreless innings towards the end of the season. Steve Cishek in 2013

On May 24, 2011, Cishek was called up once again to join the Marlins after

Jay Buente Jay Phillip Buente (pronounced "BEN tee") (born ) is a former professional baseball pitcher. He was drafted in the 14th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball draft. Amateur career High school Buente attended F. J. Reitz High School where he ...

was designated for assignment. In 2012, Heath Bell was demoted as the team's closer and Cishek assumed the role for about a week. After a few relief appearances by Bell, he regained the closer's role. After about two months as the closer, Bell was demoted to a relief pitcher and Cishek took over the closer role again. Cishek flourished in 2013, his first full season as Miami's closer, converting 34 of his 36 save opportunities, while posting a 2.33 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. He played with Miami again in 2014 and 2015. On June 1, 2015, Cishek was optioned to Double-A Jacksonville to work on his mechanics. To that point in the season, he had posted a 6.98 ERA with 17 strikeouts and 10 walks.

St. Louis Cardinals

On July 24, 2015, Cishek was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for RHP Kyle Barraclough. He debuted for the Cardinals on July 26 in a 3–2 loss to the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in B ...

, pitching one scoreless inning but being charged with an

error An error (from the Latin ''error'', meaning "wandering") is an action which is inaccurate or incorrect. In some usages, an error is synonymous with a mistake. The etymology derives from the Latin term 'errare', meaning 'to stray'. In statistic ...

on a

pickoff In baseball, a pickoff is an act by a pitcher or catcher, throwing a live ball to a fielder so that the fielder can tag out a baserunner who is either leading off or about to begin stealing the next base. A pickoff attempt occurs when this thro ...

attempt. The Cardinals did not tender Cishek a contract for the 2016 season, making him a free agent.

Seattle Mariners

On December 14, 2015, Cishek agreed to a two-year contract worth $10 million with the

. After going 25 for 31 in save opportunities, the Mariners removed Cishek as closer for a temporary basis. On August 5, he was placed on the disabled list with a hip injury.

Tampa Bay Rays

On July 28, 2017, the Mariners traded Cishek to the

for Erasmo Ramírez.

Chicago Cubs

On December 16, 2017, Cishek signed a two-year, $13 million contract with the

. On August 20, 2019, he was reactivated from the Triple-A

Iowa Cubs The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in Des Moines, Iowa, and are named for their Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. The Cubs play their ho ...

Chicago White Sox

On January 14, 2020, Cishek signed a one-year deal with the

. With the 2020 Chicago White Sox, Cishek appeared in 22 games, compiling a 0–0 record with 5.40 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 20.0 innings pitched. Cishek was designated for the assignment by the White Sox on September 24. He was released by the organization on September 28.

Houston Astros

On February 9, 2021, Cishek signed a minor league contract with the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...

organization that included an invitation to Spring Training. On March 25, 2021, Cishek requested and was granted his release.

Los Angeles Angels

On March 29, 2021, Cishek signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the

Washington Nationals

On March 14, 2022, Cishek signed a one-year contract with the

Player profile

Cishek is primarily a sinkerballer who, despite utilizing a sidearm delivery, is able to throw his sinker with above-average velocity ranging from to . His secondary pitch is a slider in the range, a pitch he uses more commonly against right-handed hitters. Additionally, he has a four-seam fastball and a

changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...

; he uses the changeup exclusively against left-handed hitters, and that pitch ranges from to . Cishek features his slider liberally in two-strike counts, especially 1–2.

Personal life

Cishek married Marissa (Mitchell) Cishek in November 2012. The couple have three daughters together. Cishek is a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

. Growing up in Massachusetts, Cishek was a fan of 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 ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cishek, Steve 1986 births Living people Arkansas Travelers players Baseball players from Massachusetts Carson–Newman Eagles baseball players Chicago Cubs players Chicago White Sox players Everett AquaSox players Florida Marlins players Greensboro Grasshoppers players Jacksonville Suns players Jamestown Jammers players Jupiter Hammerheads players Los Angeles Angels players Major League Baseball pitchers Miami Marlins players New Orleans Zephyrs players People from Falmouth, Massachusetts Phoenix Desert Dogs players Seattle Mariners players St. Louis Cardinals players Tacoma Rainiers players Tampa Bay Rays players Washington Nationals players World Baseball Classic players of the United States 2013 World Baseball Classic players Falmouth High School (Massachusetts) alumni