Kevin Slowey
Encyclopedia
Kevin Michael Slowey is a Major League Baseball
relief pitcher
for the Minnesota Twins
. Slowey was selected by the Twins with the 73rd pick in the 2nd round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft
.
, Slowey drew little attention from Division I schools and ended up attending Winthrop University
on an academic scholarship after scoring a 1420 on his SAT
. He went on to be named as a third-team All-American by Baseball America
in 2005 when he had 14-2 record with 126 strikeouts, only 13 walks issued, and a 2.16 ERA. In his three seasons at Winthrop, he set school records with 331 strikeouts and 29 wins.
candidate out of spring training, he began the 2007 season with the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings
. After a 6-2 start 1.54 ERA, 57 strikeouts, and 5 walks for the Red Wings, he was called up to the Twins and made his major league debut on June 1, 2007 as a replacement for struggling Ramon Ortiz
in the starting rotation.
In his first major league start against the Oakland Athletics
, Slowey received a no decision in a Twins 3-2 win. He gave up one run, five hits, struck out three, and walked two in six complete innings. The lone run came off of a solo home run in the sixth inning by the A's Eric Chavez
. A highlight of the start occurred early in the game when in the first inning, Slowey showed excellent poise in working out of a bases loaded jam.
In his second start, on June 6, 2007, Slowey earned the first win of his MLB career. The win came against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
. He pitched five innings giving up five runs, four of them earned, striking out two, and walking none as the Twins won 8-5.
After an excellent start against the Atlanta Braves
on June 12, 2007, in which he gave up 2 earned runs, Slowey began to struggle through his remaining starts. On July 5, 2007, after giving up 5 earned runs in 3 2/3 innings against the New York Yankees
, Slowey was optioned back to the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings
, exchanging his roster spot with Carmen Cali
.
in spring training, posting a 2-1 record and 5.90 ERA, earning him a spot on the starting rotation.
On April 11, 2008, he was placed on the 15-day DL. On May 8, 2008, he was activated from the DL.
On May 29, 2008, he pitched his first MLB complete game
. In that game against the Kansas City Royals
, he was one out away from a shutout as well; however, he up gave an RBI double. In his 101st pitch of the night, he retired the next batter and finished the night with a victory after nine innings of work.
On June 29, 2008, he pitched his first big league complete shutout game against the Milwaukee Brewers
.
At the end of the 2008 season, he had a 12-11 record with a 3.99 ERA, 24 walks, and 123 strikeouts. He went 0-2 on 33% of all batters he faced, the highest percentage in the majors.http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/2008-pitches-pitching.shtml
after he was hit in the ankle by a batted ball, but did not miss any time on the mound.
On August 8, 2010, Slowey missed a start against the Chicago White Sox
due to elbow soreness.
On August 15, 2010 he pitched 7 no hit innings against the Oakland Athletics
before being removed in the top of the eighth for Jon Rauch
. Rauch retired the first batter he faced before giving up a double to Cliff Pennington
. Addressing the questionable move, manager Ron Gardenhire
said, "It's the way it is. It's sad. I'd be booing too because I want to see a no-hitter, but I also know I'm responsible for this guy's arm.", as he alluded to the elbow tendinitis that caused Slowey to miss his last start. Slowey had thrown 106 pitches through his seven innings.
As of August 16, 2010 he was 11-5 with a 4.22 ERA.
and his repertoire includes a low 90s fastball
considered to be his best pitch, a good changeup
, a good slow curveball
, and a tight slider. He is known for his exceptional control and command of the strike zone and is often compared to former Minnesota Twins pitcher Brad Radke
, due to his excellent control. Slowey's delivery is much simpler than Radke's; however, mainly due to the absence of Radke's high leg kick.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
for the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. Slowey was selected by the Twins with the 73rd pick in the 2nd round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft
2005 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2005 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 7 and 8. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams...
.
College
Coming out of Upper St. Clair High SchoolUpper St. Clair High School
Upper St. Clair High School is a public high school in Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania, USA, serving students in grades 9–12. The school is part of the Upper St. Clair School District. USCHS is one of three secondary schools in Pennsylvania to be recognized as a Blue Ribbon School three times...
, Slowey drew little attention from Division I schools and ended up attending Winthrop University
Winthrop University
Winthrop University is a public, four-year liberal arts university in Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA. In 2006-07, Winthrop University had an enrollment of 6,292 students. The University has been recognized as South Carolina's top-rated university according to evaluations conducted by the South...
on an academic scholarship after scoring a 1420 on his SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
. He went on to be named as a third-team All-American by Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
in 2005 when he had 14-2 record with 126 strikeouts, only 13 walks issued, and a 2.16 ERA. In his three seasons at Winthrop, he set school records with 331 strikeouts and 29 wins.
2007 season
Slowey ascended rapidly through the Twins minor league system and after failing to make the team as a dark horseDark horse
Dark horse is a term used to describe a little-known person or thing that emerges to prominence, especially in a competition of some sort.-Origin:The term began as horse racing parlance...
candidate out of spring training, he began the 2007 season with the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
. After a 6-2 start 1.54 ERA, 57 strikeouts, and 5 walks for the Red Wings, he was called up to the Twins and made his major league debut on June 1, 2007 as a replacement for struggling Ramon Ortiz
Ramón Ortiz
Ramón Diógenes Ortiz is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher. He has previously pitched in Major League Baseball for the Anaheim Angels, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals, Minnesota Twins, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs as well as the Orix...
in the starting rotation.
In his first major league start against the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, Slowey received a no decision in a Twins 3-2 win. He gave up one run, five hits, struck out three, and walked two in six complete innings. The lone run came off of a solo home run in the sixth inning by the A's Eric Chavez
Eric Chavez
Eric Cesar Chavez is an American Major League Baseball infielder. Chavez has played for the Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees...
. A highlight of the start occurred early in the game when in the first inning, Slowey showed excellent poise in working out of a bases loaded jam.
In his second start, on June 6, 2007, Slowey earned the first win of his MLB career. The win came against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
. He pitched five innings giving up five runs, four of them earned, striking out two, and walking none as the Twins won 8-5.
After an excellent start against the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
on June 12, 2007, in which he gave up 2 earned runs, Slowey began to struggle through his remaining starts. On July 5, 2007, after giving up 5 earned runs in 3 2/3 innings against the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, Slowey was optioned back to the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
, exchanging his roster spot with Carmen Cali
Carmen Cali
Carmen Salvatore Cali is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher, who is currently a free agent.Cali graduated in 1997 from Naples High School after lettering and starring four years in both football and baseball. He went on to graduate, and letter in baseball, at Florida Atlantic University.He...
.
2008 season
Slowey pitched 10.2 innings for the Minnesota TwinsMinnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
in spring training, posting a 2-1 record and 5.90 ERA, earning him a spot on the starting rotation.
On April 11, 2008, he was placed on the 15-day DL. On May 8, 2008, he was activated from the DL.
On May 29, 2008, he pitched his first MLB complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
. In that game against the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
, he was one out away from a shutout as well; however, he up gave an RBI double. In his 101st pitch of the night, he retired the next batter and finished the night with a victory after nine innings of work.
On June 29, 2008, he pitched his first big league complete shutout game against the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
.
At the end of the 2008 season, he had a 12-11 record with a 3.99 ERA, 24 walks, and 123 strikeouts. He went 0-2 on 33% of all batters he faced, the highest percentage in the majors.http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/2008-pitches-pitching.shtml
2009 Season
Kevin Slowey was dominant in the 2009 season, posting a 10-3 record. Slowey's season was cut short when he was placed on the disabled list for a strained right wrist on July 4. Tests revealed that a pre-existing bone fragment was responsible for the aggravation. Slowey had season-ending surgery on his wrist in late July.2010 Season
Slowey, despite having wrist surgery, was able to start the season in the Twins rotation, winning in his first start of the year against the Los Angeles Angels. On July 1, 2010 he left a game against the Detroit TigersDetroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
after he was hit in the ankle by a batted ball, but did not miss any time on the mound.
On August 8, 2010, Slowey missed a start against the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
due to elbow soreness.
On August 15, 2010 he pitched 7 no hit innings against the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
before being removed in the top of the eighth for Jon Rauch
Jon Rauch
Jon Erich Rauch is a right-handed relief pitcher who is currently a free agent. At 6' 11" , he is the tallest player in Major League Baseball history. He is also an Olympic Gold Medalist.-Early years:...
. Rauch retired the first batter he faced before giving up a double to Cliff Pennington
Cliff Pennington (baseball)
Clifton Randoulph Pennington is a Major League Baseball infielder for the Oakland Athletics.-Career:Pennington attended Texas A&M University. He played for the Texas A&M Aggies baseball team....
. Addressing the questionable move, manager Ron Gardenhire
Ron Gardenhire
Ronald Clyde "Gardy" Gardenhire is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and current manager of the Minnesota Twins.He is six feet tall and weighed 175 pounds during most of his baseball career....
said, "It's the way it is. It's sad. I'd be booing too because I want to see a no-hitter, but I also know I'm responsible for this guy's arm.", as he alluded to the elbow tendinitis that caused Slowey to miss his last start. Slowey had thrown 106 pitches through his seven innings.
As of August 16, 2010 he was 11-5 with a 4.22 ERA.
2011 Season
In Spring Training 2011, Slowey was given a chance to win a spot in the Twins starting rotation, but he was unsuccessful. He began the 2011 season in the bullpen.Pitches
Slowey is considered to be a control pitcherControl pitcher
A control pitcher is a pitcher who succeeds mostly by using accurate pitches, as opposed to a power pitcher who relies on velocity. By issuing a below average number of bases on balls he exhibits good control of his pitches...
and his repertoire includes a low 90s fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
considered to be his best pitch, a good changeup
Changeup
A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball. Other names include change-of-pace, Bugs Bunny change-up, the dreaded equalizer, and simply change. The changeup is sometimes called an off-speed pitch, although that term can also be used simply to mean any pitch that is slower than a fastball...
, a good slow curveball
Curveball
The curveball is a type of pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball causing it to dive in a downward path as it approaches the plate. Its close relatives are the slider and the slurve. The "curve" of the ball varies from pitcher to...
, and a tight slider. He is known for his exceptional control and command of the strike zone and is often compared to former Minnesota Twins pitcher Brad Radke
Brad Radke
Brad William Radke is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who played his entire 12 season career with the Minnesota Twins. Radke won 148 career games and was one of the most consistent pitchers in the Twins organization during the late 90's...
, due to his excellent control. Slowey's delivery is much simpler than Radke's; however, mainly due to the absence of Radke's high leg kick.
External links
- http://kevinslowey.mlblogs.com/