Why the #Cardinals win: building great pitching staffs. Reliever @PatNeshek agrees to minor league deal with invite to STL big league camp.
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) February 6, 2014
In seven MLB seasons, Pat Neshek has pitched for three teams—the Twins, Padres, and Athletics. With a Spring Training invite to Jupiter, Florida, Neshek looks to make that four MLB teams in eight seasons. If he can return to his 2013 form, I would say he has a pretty good chance in doing so.
The 33-year-old right-handed reliever out of Butler University (Go Dawgs!) has long been known for his funky delivery. It is a delivery that screams injury on each and every pitch. Sure enough, he did injure his elbow and missed all of 2009 after Tommy John surgery. However, it appears he has put the injury behind him, and this delivery has made him a solid reliever for the majority of his career.
Year |
G |
IP |
LOB% |
K% |
BB% |
ERA |
FIP |
2006 |
32 |
37.0 |
97.1% |
38.4% |
4.4% |
2.19 |
2.88 |
2007 |
74 |
70.1 |
76.0% |
26.6% |
9.7% |
2.94 |
3.67 |
2008 |
15 |
13.1 |
68.2% |
26.8% |
7.1% |
4.73 |
3.73 |
2010 |
11 |
9.0 |
75.3% |
20.9% |
18.2% |
5.00 |
5.52 |
2011 |
25 |
24.2 |
82.4% |
17.9% |
19.6% |
4.01 |
6.31 |
2012 |
24 |
19.2 |
100.0% |
20.8% |
7.8% |
1.37 |
4.52 |
2013 |
45 |
40.1 |
81.6% |
16.4% |
8.5% |
3.35 |
4.66 |
His numbers the past few seasons have been pretty good, but they are nothing like his numbers from his first two seasons as a pro. If there was some way he could get back to somewhere near that form (not very likely), then this would truly end up being a steal for the Cardinals.
In short, I don't know if this is really all that big of a deal for the Cardinals. At the end of camp, there is a chance they cut him, and we will never hear from him again. However, as a current Butler University student, I will always pull for my fellow Bulldogs, especially when it involves my hometown team. Alright, I realize not many of you care about that, but I strongly encourage you to read this story from USA Today about a tragedy he experienced back in 2012. After reading a story like that, how can you not pull for a guy like him?
He's one of the great guys in the league, and I truly believe he could be a huge asset to the bullpen—both on and off the field. That is, if he is healthy and can return to his 2013 form (or better). If you are interested in collecting sports cards, you really want to check out his website because he is one of the biggest collectors in the league.You can also find him on Twitter: @PatNeshek.
Finally, any help with the following would be much appreciated:
@PatNeshek Hey Pat, I write for @vivaelbirdos and am a current @butleru pharmacy student. Could we have a chat for the site? #GoDawgs :)
— stlCupofJoe (@stlCupofJoe) February 6, 2014