Huston Street
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Huston Lowell Street ( ; born August 2, 1983) 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 13 seasons in
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
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
,
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...
,
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
and
Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
. After a standout
college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
career for the
Texas Longhorns The Texas Longhorns are the athletic teams representing the University of Texas at Austin. The teams are sometimes referred to as the Horns and take their name from Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and a ...
, the Athletics drafted Street in the first round of the 2004 MLB draft. He won the
MLB Rookie of the Year Award In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given annually to two outstanding rookie players, one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL), as voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). The aw ...
in 2005, and was named an All-Star in 2012 and 2014.


Early career


High school and college

Street attended Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, from 1997 to 2001, where he lettered in both football and baseball, winning all-state and all-district honors in both sports. He then attended the
University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
from 2001–2004, where he pitched for the school's
baseball team Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding te ...
. Statistically one of the best collegiate closers of all time, Street is in the top 20 for career saves (41) and fewest hits allowed per nine innings (5.46). Street received
All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
n honors at Texas every season he was there, and helped his team win the
College World Series The College World Series (CWS), officially the NCAA Men's College World Series (MCWS), is an annual baseball tournament held in June in Omaha, Nebraska. The MCWS is the culmination of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Divisi ...
of collegiate baseball in 2002. In that season, he set a CWS record for the most saves and was named Most Outstanding Player. He won the
USA Baseball USA Baseball is the national governing body for organized baseball in the United States, and is a member of the United States Olympic Committee and the World Baseball Softball Confederation. The organization selects and trains the World Basebal ...
Richard W. "Dick" Case Award in 2003. A year later, Street led the Longhorns to the Series semifinals, and in 2004, he helped his team to the finals, only to lose in two games to
Cal State Fullerton California State University, Fullerton (CSUF or Cal State Fullerton) is a public university in Fullerton, California. With a total enrollment of more than 41,000, it has the largest student body of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) ...
. In 2010, Street was named to the NCAA College World Series Legends Team.


Professional career


Oakland Athletics

Drafted by the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
in the first round, 40th overall, of the 2004 MLB draft, Street spent a few months in the minor leagues, spending no more than a month at each level. He then was invited to the
Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fill ...
where his team took the championship. Street was called up to the MLB at the start of the 2005 season. He became Oakland's closer when incumbent
Octavio Dotel Octavio Eduardo Dotel Diaz (born November 25, 1973) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. Dotel played for 13 major league teams, the second most teams played for by any player in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB), setti ...
went down in May with an elbow injury that required
Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's bo ...
. Street saved 23 games in 27 chances to go along with a 5–1 record, 72
strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...
s, and a 1.72
ERA An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth. Comp ...
. Only
Mariano Rivera Mariano Rivera (born November 29, 1969) is a Panamanian-American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, from 1995 to 2013. Nicknamed "Mo" and "Sandman", he spent most ...
's 1.38 ERA for the
Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
was better among American League relievers. Street had 72 strikeouts in 78
innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one innin ...
, and opposing hitters batted only .194 against him. He was rewarded for his effort by being named Rookie of the Year, as the third player in a row who had spent some time in the Athletics organization (after
Ángel Berroa Ángel Maria Berroa Selmo (born January 27, 1977) is a Dominican professional baseball coach and former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees ...
in 2003, and
Bobby Crosby Robert Edward Crosby (born January 12, 1980) is an American former professional baseball infielder and current coach. He played in Major League Baseball for the Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Arizona Diamondbacks. The son of former ...
in 2004). Street continued to serve as the closer for the A's in 2006. He finished the season with a 4-4 record, 37 saves, 67 strikeouts, a 3.31 ERA in 70.2 innings pitched, and 11 blown saves. On October 14, Street gave up a walk-off three-run home run to
Magglio Ordóñez Magglio José Ordóñez Delgado (; born January 28, 1974) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball right fielder. He played for the Chicago White Sox (1997–2004) and Detroit Tigers (2005–2011). Ordóñez is tall and weighs . Having p ...
of 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 ...
in Game 4 of the
2006 ALCS The 2006 American League Championship Series (ALCS), the second round of the 2006 American League playoffs, began on October 10 and ended on October 14. The wild card Detroit Tigers swept the West Division champion Oakland Athletics 4 games ...
that ended the A's postseason. Street had a solid season in 2007, despite missing time with an injury. He went 5–2 with a 2.88 ERA, with 16 saves and 62 strikeouts in 50 innings. Street struggled somewhat with a nagging injury in 2008. After a rough stretch in July and August, he lost his closer position to rookie
Brad Ziegler Brad Gregory Ziegler (born October 10, 1979) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston Red Sox, and Miami Marlins. Ziegler was one of th ...
. Street's health and pitching improved, although Ziegler continued to close.


Colorado Rockies

On November 12, 2008, Street was traded to the
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...
with outfielder Carlos González and pitcher Greg Smith for outfielder
Matt Holliday Matthew Thomas Holliday (born January 15, 1980) is an American professional baseball coach and former left fielder who is the bench coach for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB from 2004 to 2018 for the ...
. He beat out
Manny Corpas Manuel Corpas (born December 3, 1982) is a Panamanian professional baseball pitcher for the Martinez Sturgeon of the Pecos League. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs. Career Colorado ...
to earn the role of the Rockies'
closing pitcher In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer (abbreviated CL), is a relief pitcher who specializes in getting the final outs in a close game when his team is leading. The role is often assigned to a team's best relieve ...
for the 2009 season. After poor performances by Street, Corpas was renamed the closer on April 17; however, Corpas also pitched poorly, and the closer job was given back to Street on May 1. Since that time, Street excelled in the closer role and was a key cog in the Rockies' mid-season run back into the race (16–1 from June 4 to 22). He finished 2009 with 35 saves in 37 opportunities, a 3.06 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 61.2 innings. After a 2009 season in which he blew only two saves, Street struggled during the playoffs for the Rockies. In Game 4 of the 2009 National League Division Series, Street entered the ninth inning with the Rockies leading 4–2. He was able to record the first two outs before allowing three runs that gave the Phillies a 5–4 win and a series victory. Before the 2010 season, Street and the Rockies agreed on a three-year $22.5 million contract with an option for 2013. Street missed the first months of the season of the 2010 season with shoulder soreness, but on returning to the team he assumed the role of closer. Prior to a game on July 26, 2010, Street was struck in the midsection by a line drive during batting practice. He fainted several times from the pain and needed to be taken off the field in an ambulance, but he avoided the disabled list. Street finished 2010 with 20 saves in 25 opportunities and a 3.61 ERA. Street opened 2011 as the Rockies closer, saving 29 games in 32 opportunities through early August. He suffered a right triceps strain and was sent to the 15-day disabled list on August 12. When he returned, he worked in the role of set-up man while
Rafael Betancourt Rafael Jose Betancourt (born April 29, 1975) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians and Colorado Rockies, as well as in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) ...
remained as closer. Street finished 2011 with a 3.86 ERA and 55 strike-outs versus 9 walks in 58.1 innings.


San Diego Padres

Street was traded by the Rockies to the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
for left hander
Nick Schmidt The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise based in San Diego, California. The Padres currently compete in the National League (NL) West division. Since the institution of MLB's Rule 4 Draft, the Padres have selected 73 playe ...
on December 7, 2011. The Padres picked up all but $500,000 of Street's remaining contract, and he moved immediately into the closer role vacated by
Heath Bell Heath Justin Bell (born September 29, 1977) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. As a closer with the San Diego Padres from 2009 to 2011, Bell was a three-time All-Star and twice won the Rolaids Relief Man Award. He was ...
. Street missed a month with a right shoulder strain, but otherwise had an excellent first half with the Padres. He compiled a 1.13 ERA, was 13 for 13 in converting save opportunities, and did not allow a home run in his 25 games, earning a selection to his first All-Star Game. On July 29, 2012, the Padres and Street agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension with a club option for the 2015 season. On August 10, 2012, Street suffered a strained left calf while fielding the final out of the game and missed the next six weeks. At the time of the injury, he had not allowed a run since June 17. He returned to pitch in three more games at the end of the season, earning his 200th career save in his first game back. His only blown save, loss, and home runs given up for the season (two) all occurred in his final appearance of the year against the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
. Street finished the 2012 season with 23 saves in 24 chances and a 1.85 ERA in 39 innings pitched, striking out 47 against 11 walks. Street had difficulties in the first half of the 2013 season, giving up 10 home runs in 26 innings through June 23. But he followed that with a streak of 20 scoreless innings from June 26 through September 3, earning the National League Player of the Week honor for the week ending September 8. Street appeared in 58 games in 2013, missing only a couple weeks in early June with a calf strain. He converted 33 of 35 save opportunities and posted a 2.70 ERA, striking out 46 and walking 14 in 56 innings.


Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim / Los Angeles Angels

On July 19, 2014, Street was traded to the
Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
with Trevor Gott in exchange for Taylor Lindsey, José Rondón, R. J. Alvarez, and Elliot Morris. After joining the Angels, Street recorded 10 saves in a row without allowing any runs, providing a huge upgrade for the struggling Angels bullpen. In May 2015, Street signed a two-year contract extension with the Angels worth $18 million. On July 22, 2015, Street recorded his 300th career save in a victory over the
Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
, becoming the 27th pitcher all time to reach the 300 saves milestone. After struggling for most of the 2016 season, Street was ruled out for the remainder of the year after undergoing right knee surgery on August 24. Street was activated from the disabled list on June 22, 2017 to play for the first time since 2016. He made his season debut on June 23, pitching a scoreless inning with one strikeout. He went back on the disabled list and was ruled out for the season, only pitching in 4 games. On March 29, 2018, Street announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on Twitter after battling injuries for the previous two seasons.


Pitching style

As opposed to most closers who are power pitchers, Street relied on his pitch control. In his professional career, he mostly threw
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 ...
s and
sliders 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 * ...
, with 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 ...
. His fastball speed is slower than other pitchers, usually hovering around , but his fastball has an unusual breaking movement. Street pitched with and without windup. His windup is unusual in that he makes a large step to the first base side first. He also pitches from a lower angle than a conventional overhand throw, a style Street says he adopted in college.


Personal life

Street's father was former
University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
James Street, and his brother Juston Street was previously a pitcher for the minor league
Vancouver Canadians The Vancouver Canadians are a Minor League Baseball team located in Vancouver, British Columbia. They are members of the Northwest League and are affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays. The Canadians play their home games at Nat Bailey Stadium. ...
. Street and his ex-wife, Lacey, have three sons named Ripken Rae Street, Ryder James Street, and Rafe William Street.


References


External links

* : {{DEFAULTSORT:Street, Huston 1983 births Living people Baseball players at the 2003 Pan American Games College World Series Most Outstanding Player Award winners Colorado Rockies players Colorado Springs Sky Sox players Kane County Cougars players Lake Elsinore Storm players Los Angeles Angels players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award winners Midland RockHounds players National League All-Stars Oakland Athletics players Pan American Games medalists in baseball Phoenix Desert Dogs players Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States Sacramento River Cats players San Diego Padres players Baseball players from Austin, Texas Texas Longhorns athletes Texas Longhorns baseball players Tulsa Drillers players Westlake High School (Texas) alumni World Baseball Classic players of the United States 2006 World Baseball Classic players Medalists at the 2003 Pan American Games