Evan David Reed (born December 31, 1985) is an American former

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the 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 ...

. He played

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

Early life

Reed attended Quincy High School in

Quincy, California Quincy (formerly, Quinsy) is a census-designated place and the county seat of Plumas County, California. The population was 1,630 during the 2020 Census, down from 1,728 during the 2010 Census, and 1,879 during the 2000 Census. History Quincy ...

, and

California Polytechnic State University California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (California Polytechnic State University, Cal Poly"Cal Poly" may also refer to California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt in Arcata, California or California State Polytechnic Univ ...

San Luis Obispo, California San Luis Obispo (; Spanish for " St. Louis the Bishop", ; Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, in the U.S. state of California. Located on the Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly halfwa ...

. He was drafted in the third round of the

2007 Major League Baseball draft The 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players and was held on June 7, 2007 and June 8, 2007. The first day session of the draft included the f ...

by the Texas Rangers.

Professional career

Texas Rangers, Miami Marlins, and Detroit Tigers

On July 29, 2010, Reed and Omar Poveda were traded to the

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The franc ...

for

Jorge Cantú Jorge Luís Cantú Guzmán (born January 30, 1982) is an American-born Mexican professional baseball infielder for the Diablos Rojos del México of the Mexican League. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Cincin ...

. Reed was designated for assignment by the Marlins in 2013 and subsequently claimed by the Tigers. On May 16, 2013, the Tigers promoted Reed to the major leagues. Reed pitched in two games before being optioned to Toledo on May 19. He was again promoted to the major league roster on June 9, sent to the

minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nor ...

Toledo Mud Hens The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A Mud Hens team has played in ...

, and brought up to the Tigers again on July 7, 2013. He was optioned to Toledo on August 5, and was recalled when the rosters expanded on September 1. In 16 games with Detroit, Reed was 0–1 with a 4.24 ERA, striking out 17 in 23.1 innings. Reed made the Tigers Opening Day roster in 2014 after a strong Spring training. He had a 1.59 ERA in nine appearances, giving up just three hits in 11.1 innings. On June 18, 2014, Reed was designated for assignment to replenish the Tigers taxed bullpen, while

Chad Smith Chad Gaylord Smith (born October 25, 1961) is an American musician who has been the drummer of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers since 1988. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Smith is also the drummer of the h ...

was called up to replace Reed. The previous night, Reed gave up four runs, one earned, without recording an out. In 26 appearances Reed was 0–1 with a 4.88 ERA and four holds, striking out 23 in 25.2 innings. Reed's 4.88 ERA was essentially split between two stretches. He held opponents scoreless in 13 of his first 16 appearances this season, posting a 2.81 ERA, then gave up 19 hits over 11.2 innings in his final 11 appearances. While his strikeout rate rose, so did his damage as he struggled to keep his pitches down. On June 26, Reed cleared waivers and had his contract outrighted to the Toledo Mud Hens. On August 28, it was announced that the Tigers purchased Reed's contract from the Toledo Mud Hens. On November 1, 2014, Reed declined his minor league assignment and became a free agent.

Amarillo Thunderheads

Reed signed with the

Amarillo Thunderheads The Amarillo Thunderheads, formerly known as the Amarillo Sox, were a professional minor league baseball team based in Amarillo, Texas. They were members of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, an independent baseball l ...

of the

American Association of Independent Professional Baseball The American Association of Professional Baseball is an independent professional baseball league founded in 2005. It operates in the central United States and Canada, mostly in cities not served by Major League Baseball teams or their minor lea ...

for the 2015 season. He became a free agent at the end of the season.

Lincoln Saltdogs

On February 19, 2016, Reed signed with the

Lincoln Saltdogs The Lincoln Saltdogs are a professional baseball team based in Lincoln, Nebraska, in the United States. The Saltdogs are in the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball. Since the 2001 sea ...

of the

Sugar Land Skeeters

On April 19, 2017, Reed signed with the

Sugar Land Skeeters The Sugar Land Space Cowboys are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball club. They are located in Sugar Land, Texas, part of the Greater Houston metr ...

of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league based in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic League's ...

Southern Maryland Blue Crabs

He was released by the team but signed with the

Southern Maryland Blue Crabs The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs are an American professional baseball team based in Waldorf, Maryland. They are members of the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent "partner league" of Major League Baseba ...

on September 12. He became a free agent after the 2017 season.

Pitch selection

Reed relies primarily on a hard four-seam

fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. "Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thro ...

in the 95–97 MPH range, and a

slider Slider or Sliders may refer to: Arts * K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise * '' The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex * ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series * ...

in the 81–85 MPH range. He also throws a two-seam fastball around 93–95 MPH, and an occasional

changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...

averaging between 86 and 89 MPH.

Personal life

Reed was accused of sexual assault on March 30, 2014, a day before the Tigers' home opener against the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

. On July 30, 2014, Wayne County Prosecutor

Kym Worthy Kym Loren Worthy (born December 5, 1956) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the prosecutor of Wayne County, Michigan since 2004. A member of the Democratic Party, she is the first African-American woman to serve as a county prosec ...

announced that Reed was charged with two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. The two charges carry a penalty of up to 15 years in prison, if convicted. The charges stem from an alleged incident involving Reed and a 45-year-old woman at the

MotorCity Casino Hotel MotorCity Casino Hotel is a casino and hotel in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It was opened in December 1999 and is one of three casino hotels in the city. There are four hotels in the Detroit–Windsor area, including the Ontario-owned Caes ...

in the early morning hours of March 30, the day before Opening Day. On August 21, Judge Kenneth King dismissed two charges of third-degree criminal sexual conduct against Reed as part of a

plea bargain A plea bargain (also plea agreement or plea deal) is an agreement in criminal law proceedings, whereby the prosecutor provides a concession to the defendant in exchange for a plea of guilt or '' nolo contendere.'' This may mean that the defendan ...

after hearing testimony from the alleged victim, her friend, and an investigator. King said prosecutors failed to meet the burden of

probable cause In United States criminal law, probable cause is the standard by which police authorities have reason to obtain a warrant for the arrest of a suspected criminal or the issuing of a search warrant. There is no universally accepted definition or f ...

on the accusations against Reed. Another judge reinstated the charges in November and ordered the case to trial. On July 17, 2015, Reed pleaded

no contest ' is a legal term that comes from the Latin phrase for "I do not wish to contend". It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense. In criminal trials in certain United States jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neith ...

to a misdemeanor aggravated assault charge, and was sentenced to probation on August 7.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reed, Evan 1985 births Living people Amarillo Thunderheads players Bakersfield Blaze players Baseball players from California Cal Poly Mustangs baseball players Caribes de Anzoátegui players Clinton LumberKings players Detroit Tigers players Frisco RoughRiders players Gulf Coast Marlins players Jacksonville Suns players Jupiter Hammerheads players Lincoln Saltdogs players Major League Baseball pitchers New Orleans Zephyrs players Oklahoma City RedHawks players People from San Luis Obispo, California People from Quincy, California Southern Maryland Blue Crabs players Spokane Indians players Sugar Land Skeeters players Surprise Rafters players Surprise Saguaros players Tigres de Aragua players American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Toledo Mud Hens players Waterloo Bucks players