Nick Blackburn
Encyclopedia
Robert Nicholas Blackburn (born February 24, 1982 in Ada, Oklahoma
) is a Major League Baseball
pitcher
in the Minnesota Twins
system. He graduated from Del City High School
in Del City, Oklahoma
. He attended Seminole State College. The 6-4, 227 pound right-hander was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 34th round of the 2000 amateur entry draft. The Minnesota Twins
then drafted him in the 29th round of the 2001 amateur entry draft. The Minnesota Twins
signed him on May 21, 2002. From 2002 to 2007, he pitched 6 seasons for the Minnesota Twins
minor league system. In 138 minor league appearances, he pitched 702 innings, posting 40-40 record with 434 strikeouts and a 3.68 ERA. His best season in the minors came in 2007, and after the season Baseball America ranked him as the Twins' No. 1 prospect. Since 2008 Blackburn has pitched for the major league Minnesota Twins.
, 4-seam fastball, changeup
, curveball
, and slider
. His fastball is not overpowering, usually in the high 80’s to low 90’s; however, his 6-4 stand makes his fastball “appear to get on batters faster than the miles per hour would indicate.” He normally uses his fastball to get hitters off-balance before he pitches his four breaking balls. He throws a nice curveball and tight slider. When pitching at his best, he can locate all five of his pitches for strikes, which can make him nearly unhittable.
, where he pitched in 17 games. In those 17 games, he pitched 110.2 innings, posting a 7-3 record with 57 strikeouts and a 2.11 ERA. He was called up by the Twins in September. He made his major league debut on September 3, 2007, in a home game against the Cleveland Indians. In his major league debut, he pitched 1 inning of perfect baseball as a relief pitcher. He went onto pitch 6 games in 2007, all as a relief pitcher. He picked up his first hold on September 10, 2007, in a road win against the Kansas City Royals. Through his first 4 games as a Twins relief pitcher, he posted a 2.70 ERA; however, he gave up 8 earned runs in his last two appearances, raising his season total ERA to 7.71.
, posting a 3.00 ERA, earning him a starting spot on the 2008 rotation. He picked up his first major league win on April 19, 2008, in a home game against the Cleveland Indians, pitching 7.2 innings of shutout baseball.
On June 1, 2008, Blackburn was hit in the face by a line drive off the bat of New York Yankees
outfielder Bobby Abreu
; however, he did not miss any time.
Through July 27, 2008, he had the lowest ERA for Minnesota Twins
starting pitchers with a 3.69 ERA. He finished the season with an 11-11 record, an ERA of 4.05, and 96 strikeouts.
After the Twins and the Chicago White Sox
ended the season with 88-74 records to top the AL Central, Blackburn started the 1-game tiebreaker to determine the division winner. Blackburn gave up just 4 hits, including a Jim Thome home run, but this home run proved to be the only scoring, as the Twins posted just two hits against starter John Danks.
and replaced in the rotation by Brian Duensing
. In one relief appearance, Blackburn surrendered three earned runs in two innings. Through July 29, Blackburn was 7-7 with a 6.66 ERA.
On July 29, the Twins optioned Blackburn to triple-A Rochester
to make room on the active roster for newly acquired closer Matt Capps
. He was recalled on August 21, 2010, after Kevin Slowey
was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a triceps injury.
On August, 29th in his second start since being recalled, Blackburn retired 21 batters in a row. After walking Chone Figgins in the bottom of the ninth, he was relieved and Brian Fuentes struck out Russell Branyan.
Ada, Oklahoma
Ada is a city in and the county seat of Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 16,008 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, the city population was estimated at 17,019....
) is a Major League Baseball
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...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in 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...
system. He graduated from Del City High School
Del City High School
Del City High School is the only public high school located in Del City, Oklahoma and one of three high schools in the Mid-Del School District. The high school first opened in 1953. According to GreatSchools.org, the high school rates above Midwest City High School and is rated below Carl Albert...
in Del City, Oklahoma
Del City, Oklahoma
Del City is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The population was 21,332 at the 2010 census....
. He attended Seminole State College. The 6-4, 227 pound right-hander was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 34th round of the 2000 amateur entry draft. 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...
then drafted him in the 29th round of the 2001 amateur entry draft. 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...
signed him on May 21, 2002. From 2002 to 2007, he pitched 6 seasons 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...
minor league system. In 138 minor league appearances, he pitched 702 innings, posting 40-40 record with 434 strikeouts and a 3.68 ERA. His best season in the minors came in 2007, and after the season Baseball America ranked him as the Twins' No. 1 prospect. Since 2008 Blackburn has pitched for the major league Minnesota Twins.
Pitching style
Blackburn’s repertoire consists of a 2-seam fastball, sinkerSinker (baseball)
In baseball, a sinker , is a type of fastball pitch which has significant downward and horizontal movement. The sinker is known for inducing a lot of ground balls...
, 4-seam fastball, 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...
, 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 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....
. His fastball is not overpowering, usually in the high 80’s to low 90’s; however, his 6-4 stand makes his fastball “appear to get on batters faster than the miles per hour would indicate.” He normally uses his fastball to get hitters off-balance before he pitches his four breaking balls. He throws a nice curveball and tight slider. When pitching at his best, he can locate all five of his pitches for strikes, which can make him nearly unhittable.
2007 season
Blackburn started his 2007 season with the Rochester Red WingsRochester 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...
, where he pitched in 17 games. In those 17 games, he pitched 110.2 innings, posting a 7-3 record with 57 strikeouts and a 2.11 ERA. He was called up by the Twins in September. He made his major league debut on September 3, 2007, in a home game against the Cleveland Indians. In his major league debut, he pitched 1 inning of perfect baseball as a relief pitcher. He went onto pitch 6 games in 2007, all as a relief pitcher. He picked up his first hold on September 10, 2007, in a road win against the Kansas City Royals. Through his first 4 games as a Twins relief pitcher, he posted a 2.70 ERA; however, he gave up 8 earned runs in his last two appearances, raising his season total ERA to 7.71.
2008 season
Blackburn pitched 9 innings in spring training 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...
, posting a 3.00 ERA, earning him a starting spot on the 2008 rotation. He picked up his first major league win on April 19, 2008, in a home game against the Cleveland Indians, pitching 7.2 innings of shutout baseball.
On June 1, 2008, Blackburn was hit in the face by a line drive off the bat of 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...
outfielder Bobby Abreu
Bobby Abreu
Bob Kelly "Bobby" Abreu , nicknamed "El Comedulce" and also "La Luche", is a Major League Baseball left fielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim....
; however, he did not miss any time.
Through July 27, 2008, he had the lowest ERA for 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...
starting pitchers with a 3.69 ERA. He finished the season with an 11-11 record, an ERA of 4.05, and 96 strikeouts.
After the Twins and 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...
ended the season with 88-74 records to top the AL Central, Blackburn started the 1-game tiebreaker to determine the division winner. Blackburn gave up just 4 hits, including a Jim Thome home run, but this home run proved to be the only scoring, as the Twins posted just two hits against starter John Danks.
2009 season
Nick Blackburn was in the starting rotation for the entire season. His record was 11-11 and he had an ERA of 4.03.2010 season
Blackburn started the 2010 season relatively strong, going 6-1 in April and May, with a 4.28 ERA. However, he struggled after that, going 1-6 with a 9.20 ERA over his next nine starts. On July 21, 2010, Blackburn was demoted to the bullpenBullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
and replaced in the rotation by Brian Duensing
Brian Duensing
Brian Matthew Duensing is a major league baseball starting pitcher for the Minnesota Twins.-High school:...
. In one relief appearance, Blackburn surrendered three earned runs in two innings. Through July 29, Blackburn was 7-7 with a 6.66 ERA.
On July 29, the Twins optioned Blackburn to triple-A Rochester
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...
to make room on the active roster for newly acquired closer Matt Capps
Matt Capps
Matthew Dicus Capps , is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He is a 2002 graduate of Alexander High School in Douglasville, where he lettered in football, basketball, cross-country and baseball before receiving a scholarship at LSU...
. He was recalled on August 21, 2010, after Kevin Slowey
Kevin Slowey
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.-College:...
was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a triceps injury.
On August, 29th in his second start since being recalled, Blackburn retired 21 batters in a row. After walking Chone Figgins in the bottom of the ninth, he was relieved and Brian Fuentes struck out Russell Branyan.