Josh Beckett, Retired
Date of Birth: 5/15/1980
Birthplace: Spring, Texas
Josh Beckett started his professional baseball career in the Miami Marlins' minor league system in 2000. A year later, he pitched in four games with the Marlins. In 2002, he pitched 107.2 innings in 23 games and he finished the season with a 6-7 record and a 4.10 ERA.
Beckett had a strong 2003 season, winning the Babe Ruth award. In 24 games, he pitched 142.0 innings and he had a 9-8 record with a 3.04 ERA. He excelled in the post-season and he won the World Series MVP award. He pitched 42.2 innings in 6 post-season games and he had a 2-2 record with a 2.11 ERA.
The Marlins traded Beckett to the Boston Red Sox in November, 2005. He pitched in 33 games in 2006 and he finished the season with a 16-11 record and a 5.01 ERA. In July, 2006, he signed a three-year, $30 million contract extension with the Red Sox.
Beckett had one of his best seasons in 2007 when he led the American League in wins. That year, he had a 3.27 ERA with a career high 20 wins (to 7 losses) in 30 games. He also had a very strong post-season in 2007 and he won the AL Championship Series MVP award. In 4 post-season games, he had a 4-0 record with 35 strikeouts to 2 walks and a 1.20 ERA.
In 2009, Beckett had career highs in innings pitched (212.1) and strikeouts (199 to 55 walks). The following April, he signed a four-year, $68 million contract extension with the Red Sox. He had a difficult 2010 season, spending time on the DL and finishing the season with a 5.78 ERA in 21 games. He came back strong, however, in 2011, finishing the season with a career low ERA of 2.89 and a 13-7 record.
The Red Sox traded Beckett to the Dodgers in August, 2012. In 21 games with the Red Sox, he had a 5.23 ERA but he did much better in 7 games with the Dodgers, having a 2.93 ERA. In 2013, he had surgery in July that ended his season after just 8 games.
Beckett finished the 2014 season with a 6-6 record, 107 strikeouts to 39 walks, and a 2.88 ERA in 115.2 innings in 20 games. His season ended early due to injuries. On May 25, 2014, Beckett pitched the first no-hitter of his career.
Beckett announced his retirement from major league baseball on October 7, 2014.
Statistics for Beckett in 12 full seasons (2002-2012, 2014) in the major leagues include:
- 4 seasons with 30 or more games, with a high of 33 in 2006
- 3 seasons with over 200 innings pitched, with a high of 212.1 in 2009
- 8 seasons with over 150 strikeouts, with a high of 199 in 2009
Career pitching statistics for Beckett through 2014 include:
- 335 games played
- 2,051.0 innings pitched
- 138-106 win-loss record
- 1,901 strikeouts to 629 walks
- 3.88 ERA
Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Josh Beckett
ESPN - Josh Beckett