In 1991 graduated from Kenton Ridge High School in Springfield, Ohio, where he played baseball
and basketball...from 1989-91 was all-conference in baseball...as a senior went 10-0, 0.56...was selected by
the Pirates in the 39th round of the June 1991 free-agent draft but did not sign...attended Kent State University
instead, and in 1994 he was first-team Academic All-MAC and a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, given
annually to the best collegiate baseball player in the country...in 1993 pitched for Team USA and recorded 7
saves and a 0.81 era...while with the Giants in 2004 participated in Organ Donor Day...his late father, Mike, had
a lung transplant during the 2003-04 offseason...also attended the Wives' Cookbook Party to help promote
the sale of Entrees Cookbook, which benefited the Giants Community Fund.
2006
Was limited to 6 apps for the White Sox because of inflammation in his lower back...began
the season on Chi's 15-day disabled list...made 14 relief apps for Class AAA Charlotte during a pair of rehab
stints (7/5-8/1, 8/28-9/4)...at Charlotte made 9 consecutive scoreless rehab apps before he was reinstated
from the DL on 9/5...the next day at Bos made his season debut by throwing a perfect inning...on 10/26 the
Sox announced they would not exercise his contract option for the 2007 season...on 11/2 elected free agency...
on 3/1 was signed by the Reds to a minor league contract and was invited to Major League spring training
camp...the next day joined the club in Sarasota.
2005
Was one of the American League's top relievers
before being slowed by a sore lower back ... spent his second full season working in relief (also 2003 with St. Louis) ... was 2-4 with a 2.04 ERA (13 ER/57.1 IP) and 34 saves in 57 appearances in his first season with the Sox ... established
career highs in appearances, saves and ERA ... was one of 10 finalists for the Major League Baseball Delivery Man of the Year Award ... finished ninth in the AL Roliads Relief Man standings with 92 points ... ranked among AL relief leaders
in ERA (5th, 2.04), save percentage (7th, 87.2) and saves (9th, 34) ... the 34 saves are the fifth-highest total in Sox history ... posted a 1.48 ERA on the road and a 1.04 mark during the day, compared to a 2.45 ERA at home and a 2.48
ERA at night ... first batters faced hit .283 (15-53) ... allowed 23.8 percent (5-21) of inherited runners to score ... 46 of his
57 appearances were scoreless ... was 0-2 with a 1.53 ERA and 21 saves in the first half and 2-2 with a 2.86 ERA and 13 saves after the break ... amassed a 1.76 ERA in 16 games when pitching with no rest, a 0.71 ERA in 13 games with one day between and a 0.00 mark in seven games with two days of rest ... pitched more than 1.0 IP on seven
occasions (0.69 ERA) ... opponents hit .222 (46-207), including a .206 (22-107) average by righties ... yielded one hit in 22 at-bats (.045) with runners in scoring position and two outs ... went a season-high 2.1 IP on 4/29 vs. Detroit
... allowed two runs in 1.0 IP on 6/1 vs. the Angels, ending his string of 21.0 consecutive scoreless IP, the longest season-opening streak by a Sox pitcher since at least 1969 ... suffered first blown save on 6/11 at San Diego (2 ER/0.1 IP), ending his stretch of 18 straight saves dating to 2004 ... his 21 first-half saves were the third-most by a Sox pitcher behind Bobby Thigpen (27 in 1990) and Roberto Hernandez (26 in 1996) ... his string of 15 consecutive saves
ended on 8/16 vs. Minnesota when he allowed a solo homer to Michael Cuddyer ... earned his first win on 8/25 vs. Minnesota ... tossed 2.0 scoreless IP on 9/30 at Cleveland, his longest outing since 7/10 vs. Oakland (2.0 IP) ... served a one-game suspension handed down by Major League Baseball on 4/4 (Opening Day) as a result of hitting
Houston's Jeff Kent with a pitch on 9/23/04.
Postseason: Pitched in Game 3 of the 2005 World Series at Houston, suffering a blown save in 0.1 scoreless IP ... entered with two outs in the eighth inning, runners on first and second and the Sox leading, 5-4 ... gave up a game-tying double to Jason Lane before striking out Brad Ausmus ... the Sox went on to win, 7-5, in 14 innings.
2004
Became the first pitcher in San Francisco Giants history to record 10 saves and make 10 starts in same season since Scott Garrelts in 1986 ... opened season in Giants rotation before being moved to closer role in early August ... was 4-4 with a 4.59 ERA (53 ER/110.0 IP) in 18 starts and 2-5 with a 4.33 ERA (13 ER/27.0 IP), 17 saves
and 28 strikeouts in relief ... tied for second in the majors with 17 saves (20 opportunities) after 8/8, his first save chance ... tied for
second in the National League with eight saves in August and nine combined in September/October ... was unscored upon in 23 of 29 relief outings ... held opponents to a .224 (22-98) average as
reliever ... earned first save on 8/8 vs. the Cubs, recording final five outs for first save since 4/12/03 at Houston (with St. Louis) ...
posted no decision on 7/3 vs. Oakland despite allowing just one unearned run over 7.0 IP and striking out a career-high 11 batters
... earned final victory as starter on 7/23 at St. Louis, throwing a no-hitter for 6.1 IP ... was issued three-game suspension by Major League Baseball on 9/28 ... suspension, which was the result of his ejection on 9/23 vs. Houston after hitting Jeff Kent with pitch, was reduced to one game following an offseason appeal hearing.
2003
Began season in the St. Louis bullpen before emerging as a starter for San Francisco over the final two months of the season ... was released by the Cardinals on 6/26 and signed to a minor-league deal by the Giants on 7/11 ... made six starts for the Giants, going 2-1 with a 2.97 ERA (11 ER/33.1 IP) ... club was 4-2 in his starts ... allowed three runs or less in each start ... won his Giants debut on 8/3 at Cincinnati, allowing two runs on four hits over 6.0 IP ... was on the disabled list from 8/24-9/9 with a left intercostal strain ... made three straight relief
appearances following reinstatement before closing season with consecutive starts ... was 1-2 with a 5.46 ERA (18 ER/29.2 IP) and one save in 23 relief outings with Cardinals before being designated for assignment on 6/19 ... save on 4/12 at Houston was his first since 2000 with Montreal.
2002
Was traded to Boston in December 2001 and suffered through injury-riddled campaign ... made Red Sox
debut on 4/3 vs. Toronto ... strained his right groin before throwing pitch and left game in the second inning before contest was called due to rain ... was placed on disabled list on 4/4 ... was reinstated on 7/20 ... returned to the disabled list on 7/21 with staph infection in left elbow ... was reinstated on 8/22 ... started that day vs. Texas andearned his first American League victory, yielding two runs over 5.0 IP.
2001
Was acquired by St. Louis in offseason trade and tied his career high with 14 wins in 33 starts ... worked at least 6.0 IP in 22 of 33 starts ... won eight of last 14 decisions as Cardinals earned playoff berth ... posted 8-4 win on 4/6 at Arizona in St. Louis debut ... tossed 6.1 IP of no-hit ball on 4/12 vs. Colorado, but ended with no decision in Cardinals 6-4 loss ... allowed one-out walk in seventh inning and then yielded back-to-back homers to Larry Walker and Todd Helton ... posted 50th career victory on 6/9 vs. Pittsburgh ... compiled career-high four-game winning streak from 5/4-20 ... tied his then-career best with nine strikeouts on 7/20 vs. Pittsburgh.
2000
Led Expos in wins (12) and losses (14) while falling 2.0 IP short of 200.0 ... ranked fifth in the NL in runs allowed (128), seventh in losses and eighth in hits allowed (226) ... Expos were 13-17 in his starts ... went 2-0 with four saves and a 7.84 ERA (9 ER/10.1 IP) in eight relief outings ... made second consecutive Opening Day start, dropping 10-4 decision on 4/3 vs. Los Angeles ... recorded second career shutout on 4/14 at Philadelphia, allowing six hits in 4-0 victory ... served as Expos' closer from 5/12-31 after Ugueth Urbina was disabled ... picked up first career save on 5/12 vs. the Cubs ... last save came 5/23 at San Francisco ... made last relief appearance 5/31 at Cincinnati before returning to rotation for good on 6/5 vs. the Yankees.
1999
Made his first career Opening Day start with Montreal ... led Expos staff with career highs of 216.1 IP and 34 starts ... finished tied for fourth in the NL in losses ... earned 9-2 victory in season opener 4/5 at Pittsburgh ... won his first two decisions before going 1-10 with 6.17 ERA (72 ER/105.0 IP) in an 18-start stretch from 4/23-7/27 ... dropped seven straight decisions from 5/14-7/27 ... tied an Expos record by allowing career-high nine runs on 5/19 vs. Philadelphia ... rebounded to compile a 2.95 ERA (36 ER/109.2 IP) in 16 starts after the break, including a 2.37 ERA (24 ER/91.0 IP) over his final 13 outings ... underwent laser eye surgery on 8/25 in Montreal in a procedure performed by Dr. A. Gordon Balazsi at Rene Laennec Medical Clinic.
1998
Ranked sixth in the NL in opponents average (.234) and eighth in ERA (3.13) ... his 14 wins led the Expos and were a career best (matched in 2001) ... was 12-3 in his starts when Expos scored first ... ERA below was under 3.00 when he allowed four earned runs in 5.1 IP on 9/20 at Philadelphia ... tossed second career complete game on 5/3 vs. Ariziona, allowing a career-low two hits ... retired 17 of last 18 batters faced, including final 13 ... was on the disabled list from 5/15-30 with strained intercostal muscle in left side of his back ... went 3-4 with a 3.94 ERA
(20 ER/45.2 IP) in eight starts before injury and 11-7 with a 2.87 ERA (45 ER/141.1 IP) in 24 games (22 starts) after reinstatement ... went 8-4 with 2.95 ERA (34 ER/103.2 IP) in 16 starts after the break ... picked up the victory on 8/29 at San Diego, allowing one run in 7.2 IP while hitting his second career homer, a solo shot off Sterling Hitchcock.
1997
Was traded to Florida in the offseason and traded again to Montreal during spring training ... opened season as Expos setup man before being moved into the rotation ... lasted 6.0 IP or more 16 times in 28 starts ... his eight wins were four more than previous two seasons combined ... struck out five in 2.0 IP in Montreal debut on 4/4 vs. Colorado ... was then moved into starting rotation for the first time since his junior season at Kent State (1993) ... homered in his first major-league plate appearance on 4/16 at Houston (off Shane Reynolds), becoming just the 13th pitcher in major-league history to accomplish that feat ... made his starting debut in a 5-1 win vs. the Cubs on 4/22 ... went 5-1 with a 2.94 ERA (22 ER/67.1 IP) in first 11 starts after the break ... threw 29.0 consecutive scoreless IP from 8/26-9/13, the longest streak in the NL in 1997 ... recorded his first career complete game and shutout on 7/15 at Florida, allowing five hits with nine strikeouts ... was working on 13 days rest due to
strained muscle in back ... was sidelined for 10 days following start on 8/27 with strained
rhomboid muscle in upper back.
1996
Was recalled by San Diego from Class AAA Las Vegas on 8/1 and appeared in six games before being optioned back on 8/24 ... was recalled a second time on 9/7 ... remained with Padres through the end of the season but was not on the postseason roster ... earned only win on 9/9 vs. Pittsburgh.
1995
Was recalled from Las Vegas on 5/8 ... earned the win in his major-league debut on 5/9 vs. Los Angeles ... threw 1.0 IP in relief, retiring all three batters faced with one strikeout ... was 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA (1 ER/7.1 IP) in first six games ... was optioned on 6/12.
1994
Was selected by San Diego in the first round (third overall) of draft ... started his pro career at Class AA Wichita, but after allowing just one earned run in his first 21.0 IP (0.43 ERA) was promoted to Las Vegas on 8/20
... was named third-best ML prospect in Texas League by
Baseball America.
