Graduated from Somerville (TX) High School in 1993...attended Southwest Texas
State University...single...7-year professional comes to big league camp as non-roster invitee with 4 years of big
league experience...owns 7-10 big league ledger with 4.49 ERA (68er, 136.1ip) over 121 relief appearances...
has seen Major League action with San Diego (2001-02), Oakland (2003) and Montreal (2004).
2004
Split campaign between Montreal and triple-A Edmonton...came to Spring
Training as non-roster invitee...made Opening Day roster, working out of bullpen...had 2 different
stints with Expos (April 3-25 and May 4-June 20), totaling 1-2 mark with 5.40 ERA over 19 relief
appearances...earned win in final appearance with Expos, June 19 vs. White Sox...was designated
for assignment Aug. 3 and outrighted to Edmonton Aug. 6...in 28 outings for Trappers, went 5-5
with save and 5.02 ERA.
2003
Fikac spent majority of the season with Triple-A Sacramento, but did make 14 appearances for Oakland...pitched in the big leagues for a 3rd straight season...was a member of the Athletics' Opening Day roster after posting 2 saves and a 1.69 ERA in Spring Training...also limited Cactus League batters to an impressive .155 mark in 10
games...in all, went 0-1 with 2 holds and a 4.50 ERA in 14 games for the A's...was not on the A's post-season roster.
2003 Highlights:
- WITH OAKLAND: Started the season with Oakland...posted a 4.61 ERA in 11 games before being optioned to Sacramento
on May 11...spent the remainder of the season with the River Cats, but was recalled on September 14...appeared in 3
September contests, posting a 3.86 ERA...worked at least 2.0 innings in 4 of first 5 outings, including career-long 3.0-inning
stint on April 9 at The Ballpark in Arlington...only decision came April 17 at Seattle...took the loss, allowing Mark McLemore
RBI single in the 10th inning...allowed 4 homers. all to right-handed batters...posted 2 holds, April 5 vs. Anaheim and April
9 at Texas...Oakland went 6-8 when Jeremy pitched...stranded 12 of 16 inherited baserunners...7 of 14 first batters faced
reached base safely (3 hits, 3 walks, one hit batter).
- WITH SACRAMENTO: Played a vital role as Sacramento claimed Pacific Coast League Championship...went 3-3 with
4 saves and a 2.25 ERA in 42 games out of the bullpen...limited PCL batters to a .197 mark...walked only 13 in 56.0 innings
(2.1 per 9 innings pitched)...fanned 8.0 batters per 9 innings en route to a 3.8/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio...worked less than
1.0 inning in all 4 saves...posted a 0.73 ERA in June (1 ER/12.1 IP)...posted one save and a 4.50 ERA during the River
Cats post-season run.
- HE KNOWS FRANK: Following the 2003 regular season, tried out for the United States Olympic Qualifying Team, which
was managed by Expos skipper Frank Robinson...left camp on October 18 due to elbow tendinitis in his right arm...pitched
in one Arizona Fall League contest for the Qualifying Team...fanned 2 in 1.0 scoreless inning of
2001
SUMMARY: Purchased from Double-A Mobile on August 14, Fikac made a spectacular major league debut, going 2-0 with a 1.37 ERA in 23 relief outings...did not allow a run in his first 12-plus games (16.0 IP), and posted a 0.76 ERA (2 ER/23.2 IP) in his first 21 games before surrendering 4 runs (2 earned) in 2.2 innings his last 2 times out...stranded 17 of 21 inherited runners...retired 18 of 23 first batters...recorded 6 holds after emerging as the club's primary right-handed set-up man...did not allow a run in 19 of 23 appearances, and did not give up a hit in 15...his change-up was rated the best in the organization by Baseball America heading into 2002.
GREAT START: Did not allow a run in his first 12-plus M.L. appearances (16.0 IP) before an Adrian Beltre RBI single September 17 at Los Angeles...the streak was the longest to start a career by a Padre since at least 1975...worked a perfect 8th in his August 16 M.L. debut vs. New York, striking out Benny Agbayani, Vance Wilson and Jay Payton in order, then earning his first win when Mike Darr homered in the bottom of the 8th to snap a 5-5 tie in a 7-5 victory...the last pitcher to fan the side in order in his first M.L. inning was the Cardinals' Braden Looper March 31, 1998 vs. Los Angeles...was perfect in each of his first 4 outings, a span of 4.1 innings.
LEFT OUT: Did not allow a hit to a left-handed hitter in 27 at-bats, walking 4 and fanning 8...righthanders batted .234 (15-for-64) with 2 homers, a walk and 11 strikeouts...overall, limited the opposition to a .165 average (15-for-91) and 2 home runs.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Opponents hit .170 (9-for-53) with the bases empty, .158 (6-for-38) with runners on and .154 (4-for-26) with men in scoring position...first batters faced hit .217 (5-for-23)...posted a 0.64 ERA (1 ER/14.0 IP) on the road and a 2.19 ERA (3 ER/12.1 IP) at home...opponents hit just .116 (5-for-43) at The Q.
2001 IN THE MINORS: Was 6-0 with 18 saves and a 1.97 ERA in 53 relief appearances at Double-A Mobile...finished 2nd in the Padres organization and 5th in the Southern League in saves...opponents hit just .219 (54-for-247) with 3 home runs...in 68.2 Double-A innings, Fikac allowed only 54 hits and 20 walks, fanning 75...from June 1 through his August 14 promotion to San Diego, went 4-0 with 16 saves and a 1.03 ERA (4 ER/35.0 IP) in 28 games...opponents hit just .185 (22-for-119) with one home run in that stretch...was promoted to Triple-A Portland for one appearance on June 17, allowing one run on 3 hits in 3.0 innings vs. Calgary.
2000
Spent his 2nd consecutive season at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, going 5-3 with a team-leading 20 saves and a 1.80 ERA in 61 relief appearances...ranked 2nd in the California League in appearances...finished 4th in saves...limited opponents to a .174 (46-for-265) batting average, 2nd-best in the league, and only 2 home runs...his 8.88 base runners allowed per 9 innings were 3rd-fewest among Cal League relief pitchers...issued 24 walks and fanned 101, an average of 12.1 strikeouts per 9, 4th-most in the CL...struck out at least one batter in 54 of 61 appearances...did not allow an earned run in 19 consecutive outings (21.2 IP) June 26-August 9, picking up 12 saves in the process...allowed only one hit in 13 games (14.2 IP) July 3-August 5.
1999
Posted an 8-3 record in 40 games (6 starts) for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga...ranked 4th on the Quakes staff in appearances and games finished (13), and 6th in innings pitched (85.0)...held the opposition to a .217 (23-for-106) average with runners in scoring position...received no decision in his lone post-season start vs. San Bernardino, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits and one walk while striking out 6 over 5.1 innings.
1998
Made his professional debut with 12 relief appearances at Rookie-level Idaho Falls, finishing 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA...in 20.0 innings, surrendered only 11 hits and 5 earned runs...struck out 19...opponents batted just .153 (11-for-72), the 2nd-lowest average allowed by a Pioneer League relief pitcher...allowed an average of 9.0 base runners per 9 innings, 5th-fewest among PL relief pitchers...did not surrender a home run.
