Chris Carpenter

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Chris Carpenter bigraphy, stories - American baseball player

Chris Carpenter : biography

April 27, 1975 –

Christopher "Chris" John Carpenter (born April 27, 1975) is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher. He has played for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2003, and is currently signed with the team through the 2013 season.

Carpenter was 22 years old and a highly-regarded prospect when he broke into the majors in with the Toronto Blue Jays. He stayed with Toronto until after the season. He is 6′ 6" tall and weighs 230 pounds.

Pitching style

Like teammate Adam Wainwright, Carpenter’s repertoire consists mostly of sinkers (90–94 mph), cutters (87–90), and curveballs (74–77), with occasional four-seam fastballs and a changeup used against left-handed hitters. His curveball is his preferred pitch with 2 strikes. He is also a good fielder, having pitched three full seasons (2001, 2006 and 2009) without making an error.

Personal life

As of 2005, Carpenter resides in St. Louis with his wife Alyson, son Sam, and daughter Ava. He is an alumnus of Trinity High School (Manchester, New Hampshire).

Honors

  • 2004 NL Comeback Player of the Year – The Sporting News and "Players Choice Awards" (MLBPA)
  • 2005–2006, 2010 All-Star selection
  • 2005 Cy Young Award (NL)
  • 2005–2006 Sporting News NL Pitcher of the Year
  • 2009 Pitcher of the Month (Aug.)
  • 2009 NL Comeback Player of the Year – MLB and "Players Choice Awards" (MLBPA)
  • 2009 NL Bullet Rogan Award
  • 2009 Tony Conigliaro Award

Playing career

Minor Leagues

Carpenter began his pro career with the Medicine Hat Jays of the short-season Pioneer League in 1994. In his debut against the Great Falls Dodgers, he tossed six scoreless innings of one-hit ball, fanning nine along the way. He ended up with a mark of 6–3 and turned in the league’s third-lowest ERA. He was also picked as the Pioneer League’s #3 prospect by league managers, behind Aaron Boone and Ray Brown.

Toronto Blue Jays

Carpenter made his major league debut as a starter against the Minnesota Twins on May 12, 1997, pitching three innings in a 12–2 loss. He would lose his first five decisions before defeating the Chicago White Sox 6–5 on August 19, 1997. Carpenter pitched his first career complete game and shutout on September 9, 1997 as Toronto defeated the Anaheim Angels 2–0. Carpenter finished his rookie season with a 3–7 record and a 5.09 ERA.

After making two starts to begin the 1998 season, pitching a combined 10 innings and having a 9.00 ERA, the Blue Jays moved Carpenter into the bullpen, where he stayed until the end of May. Toronto moved Carpenter back into the starting rotation, and he pitched very well for the rest of the season, including winning six of his last seven decisions as the Blue Jays made a late push for a playoff spot, however, Toronto missed the playoffs, finishing four games behind the Boston Red Sox for the AL Wildcard. Carpenter recorded 12 wins, tying Pat Hentgen for second highest on the club, as he had a 12–7 record with a 4.37 ERA.

Carpenter had an injury plagued 1999 season, as he made only 24 starts, finishing with a 9–8 record with a 4.38 ERA. He struggled during the 2000 season, and at the beginning of August, in which Carpenter had a 7–10 record with a 6.99 ERA, he was pulled out of the starting rotation and placed into the bullpen. Carpenter returned to the rotation after a few weeks, and pitched better in September to finish the season with a 10–12 record, and posting a 6.26 ERA.

He pitched much better during the first half of the 2001 season, as at the end of June, Carpenter had a 7–4 record with a 3.67 ERA. He would then lose his next seven decisions over his next ten starts to fall to 7–11 and a 4.59 ERA. Carpenter rebounded from his slump to finish with a record of 11–11 and an ERA of 4.09. His 11 victories tied him with Esteban Loaiza and Paul Quantrill for the team high. Carpenter, along with Roy Halladay, were considered the starters of the future for the Blue Jays.