Mike Minor (Baseball)
Encyclopedia
Michael David "Mike" Minor (born December 26, 1987) is a left-handed starting pitcher
for the Atlanta Braves
. He was selected 7th overall in the 2009 MLB Draft
by the Braves.
in Chapel Hill, Tennessee
and was drafted in the 13th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft
by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
after his senior season. However, he did not sign, choosing to attend Vanderbilt University
.
of the Pittsburgh Pirates and David Price
of the Tampa Bay Rays.
in 2007 and 2008.
One highlight of the 2008 season was his earning the 4-1 win over Cuba in the championship game of the Haarlem Baseball Week tournament
in The Netherlands. This victory marked the first time in recorded history that a United States Collegiate National Team has defeated the Cuba Olympic Team in a tournament title game. In the 2008 World University Baseball Championship
held in Brno
, Czech Republic
, Minor led Team USA to its third gold medal alongside Stephen Strasburg
. In the tournament, he was 1-0 with a 1.15 ERA and 16 strikeouts, allowing 8 hits in 15 2/3 innings for Team USA.
. and represented the United States in the 2010 All-Star Futures Game
.
. He recorded his first strikeout
against Chris Johnson
. On the night he went 6 innings giving up 5 hits and 4 runs (3 earned) while walking only 1 and striking out 5 batters; he got no decision. In his next start on August 17th, 2010, Minor went 6 innings giving up 5 hits and 2 earned runs and got his first major league victory. Then, in his third career start against the Chicago Cubs
, Minor went 6 innings giving up 3 earned runs while striking out 12 and earning his second career victory. Those 12 strikeouts set a Atlanta Braves
rookie strikeout record in a single game; surpassing Tommy Hanson
's 11 strikeouts in 2009
. On August 18, 2011, in a game against the San Francisco Giants
, Minor pitched six scoreless innings including facing the minimum number of batters over the last four innings. This victory was the first time in 17 major league starts that Minor did not give up a run.
that sits 88-91 miles per hour
(MPH) but can touch up to 95 MPH. His best secondary pitch is a slider
, that has tight spin and hard bite late in the zone. Also throws a curveball
as a show pitch. He throws a change-up as well but needs to improve this pitch to become more effective.
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
for 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....
. He was selected 7th overall in the 2009 MLB Draft
2009 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held June 9 to June 11 at the MLB Network Studios in New York City.The drafting order is as follows:-First-round selections:Key-Supplemental first-round selections:From Baseball America...
by the Braves.
Early life
Minor had an outstanding high school career at Forrest SchoolForrest School (Chapel Hill, Tennessee)
Forrest School is a public school located in Chapel Hill, Tennessee. The school serves grades 6-12 and is part of the Marshall County School District...
in Chapel Hill, Tennessee
Chapel Hill, Tennessee
Chapel Hill is a town in the northeastern part of Marshall County, Tennessee, United States. The town was named after Chapel Hill, North Carolina by settlers from that area...
and was drafted in the 13th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft
2006 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2006 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 6 and 7. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams.-First Round Selections:...
by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
after his senior season. However, he did not sign, choosing to attend Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
.
College career
Minor played at Vanderbilt University with fellow major leaguers Pedro AlvarezPedro Alvarez (baseball)
Pedro Manuel Alvarez Jr. is a Dominican-American professional baseball third baseman with the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball....
of the Pittsburgh Pirates and David Price
David Price (baseball)
David Taylor Price is an American Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays. Price was selected first overall in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft by the Rays and made his major league debut in September 2008.Price pitched out of the bullpen during the Rays' run...
of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Awards/Honors
- 2007 Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American
- 2007 Rivals.com Freshman All-American
- 2007 SECSoutheastern ConferenceThe Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
All-Freshman Team - 2007 SEBaseball.com SEC Freshman of the Year
- 2007 SEBaseball.com Second Team All-SEC
- 2008 Best pitcher Haarlem Baseball Week
- 2009 Louisville Slugger Second Team Pre-season All-American http://secsports.com/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=5&url_article_id=11984&change_well_id=2
- 2009 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Second Team Pre-season All-America Team http://secsports.com/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=5&url_article_id=11962&url_subchannel_id=&change_well_id=2
- 2009 SECSoutheastern ConferenceThe Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
Pitcher of the Week - Week 8
United States National Team
Minor pitched for the United States National Team (Collegiate)USA Baseball
USA Baseball was founded in , and is the governing body for amateur baseball in the United States of America. It is a member of the United States Olympic Committee and organizes the United States national baseball team...
in 2007 and 2008.
One highlight of the 2008 season was his earning the 4-1 win over Cuba in the championship game of the Haarlem Baseball Week tournament
2008 Haarlem Baseball Week
The 2008 Haarlem Baseball Week was an international baseball competition held at the Pim Mulier Stadium in Haarlem, the Netherlands from July 4–13, 2008...
in The Netherlands. This victory marked the first time in recorded history that a United States Collegiate National Team has defeated the Cuba Olympic Team in a tournament title game. In the 2008 World University Baseball Championship
2008 World University Baseball Championship
-Semi finals:-5th place game:-Bronze medal game:-Final:-Final standings:-External links:*...
held in Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, Minor led Team USA to its third gold medal alongside Stephen Strasburg
Stephen Strasburg
Stephen James Strasburg is a right-handed pitcher for the Washington Nationals, who selected him with the first pick in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft...
. In the tournament, he was 1-0 with a 1.15 ERA and 16 strikeouts, allowing 8 hits in 15 2/3 innings for Team USA.
Pro career
Minor was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the first round (7th overall) in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft2009 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held June 9 to June 11 at the MLB Network Studios in New York City.The drafting order is as follows:-First-round selections:Key-Supplemental first-round selections:From Baseball America...
. and represented the United States in the 2010 All-Star Futures Game
All-Star Futures Game
The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game between a team of top minor league prospects from the United States and a team of prospects from other parts of the World...
.
Atlanta Braves
Minor made his major-league debut on August 9th, 2010 against the Houston AstrosHouston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
. He recorded his first strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
against Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson (baseball)
Christopher Dalton Johnson is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Houston Astros.-Professional career:Johnson was drafted in the 37th round by the Red Sox in June 2003 but instead opted for college...
. On the night he went 6 innings giving up 5 hits and 4 runs (3 earned) while walking only 1 and striking out 5 batters; he got no decision. In his next start on August 17th, 2010, Minor went 6 innings giving up 5 hits and 2 earned runs and got his first major league victory. Then, in his third career start against the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, Minor went 6 innings giving up 3 earned runs while striking out 12 and earning his second career victory. Those 12 strikeouts set a 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....
rookie strikeout record in a single game; surpassing Tommy Hanson
Tommy Hanson
Thomas J "Tommy" Hanson is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Atlanta Braves. Hanson was considered by Baseball America to be the top prospect in the Braves farm system going into the 2009 season...
's 11 strikeouts in 2009
2009 Atlanta Braves season
The 2009 Atlanta Braves Season features the Braves' attempt to reclaim a postseason berth for the first time since 2005. The Braves are once again skippered by Bobby Cox, now in his 24th season managing the team...
. On August 18, 2011, in a game against the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, Minor pitched six scoreless innings including facing the minimum number of batters over the last four innings. This victory was the first time in 17 major league starts that Minor did not give up a run.
Pitch repertoire
Minor throws a fastballFastball
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...
that sits 88-91 miles per hour
Miles per hour
Miles per hour is an imperial unit of speed expressing the number of statute miles covered in one hour. It is currently the standard unit used for speed limits, and to express speeds generally, on roads in the United Kingdom and the United States. It is also often used to express the speed of...
(MPH) but can touch up to 95 MPH. His best secondary pitch is a slider
Slider
In baseball, a slider is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball....
, that has tight spin and hard bite late in the zone. Also throws a 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...
as a show pitch. He throws a change-up as well but needs to improve this pitch to become more effective.