Jered David Weaver (born October 4, 1982) 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 ...
starting pitcher
In baseball (hardball or softball), a starting pitcher or starter is the first pitcher in the game for each team. A pitcher is credited with a game started if they throw the first pitch to the opponent's first batter of a game. Starting pit ...
. He played 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
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 ...
and
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 ...
. Weaver was drafted in the first round (12th overall) in the
2004 Major League Baseball draft by the Angels out of
Long Beach State. He was a three-time All Star, and twice led the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
in wins. He is the younger brother of former pitcher
Jeff Weaver
Jeffrey Charles Weaver (born August 22, 1976) is a former right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher. During his career, he pitched for the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, St. Louis Cardinal ...
.
Early years
Weaver grew up in
Simi Valley, California
Simi Valley (; Chumash: ''Shimiyi'') is a city in the valley of the same name in the southeast region of Ventura County, California, United States. Simi Valley is from Downtown Los Angeles, making it part of the Greater Los Angeles Area. The ...
, and attended
Simi Valley High School
Simi Valley High School (SVHS) is a public high school in Simi Valley, California. The school is part of the Simi Valley Unified School District and is located on the east side of the city.
History
Simi Valley High School was established in 1920 ...
.
College career
Weaver attended college at
California State University, Long Beach
California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) is a public research university in Long Beach, California. The 322-acre campus is the second largest of the 23-school California State University system (CSU) and one of the largest universities i ...
. Weaver went 37–9 during his baseball career at Long Beach State. In his final season of 2004, he became the top pro pitching prospect in the country, going 15–1, with a 1.62
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(ERA), 213
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 just 21
walks in 144 innings. After the 2004 season, he won the
Golden Spikes Award
The Golden Spikes Award is bestowed annually to the best amateur baseball player in the United States. The award, created by USA Baseball and sponsored by the Major League Baseball Players Association, was first presented in 1978. It is given to ...
as the top amateur baseball player in America, the
Dick Howser Trophy
The Dick Howser Trophy is bestowed annually to the national college baseball player of the year. The award is named after former collegiate and Major League Baseball (MLB) player and manager Dick Howser, who died of brain cancer in 1987 at the a ...
as the national collegiate baseball player of the year, the
Roger Clemens Award
The Roger Clemens Award was an award that honored the top NCAA Division I college baseball pitcher of the year. The award was created prior to the 2004 season and succeeded the Rotary Smith Award.
:''"Roger Clemens has become synonymous with exce ...
as college baseball's top pitcher, and was named starting pitcher on the All-American first team by
Baseball America
''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...
. A 2004 ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' called him dominating, describing his pitching as overwhelming "batters with a fastball between 89 and 94 mph, a sharp slider and an improving curveball all thrown with the same three-quarter arm delivery. He also has a fiery streak that is revealed with a fist pump or yell after a strikeout that ends an inning or a long at-bat." The article compared him to 2001 college pitching sensation
Mark Prior
Mark William Prior (born September 7, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and current coach. A onetime top prospect of the Chicago Cubs, he pitched for the team from 2002 to 2006 in a career that was marred by injuries. In ...
.
Professional career
2004 draft and minor leagues
Weaver was originally speculated to be one of the top three overall draft picks in 2004; however, the bonus demands of his agent,
Scott Boras
Scott may refer to:
Places Canada
* Scott, Quebec, municipality in the Nouvelle-Beauce regional municipality in Quebec
* Scott, Saskatchewan, a town in the Rural Municipality of Tramping Lake No. 380
* Rural Municipality of Scott No. 98, Saska ...
, turned off several teams. On draft day,
Baseball America
''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...
asked "Where In The World Is Jered Weaver Going? That is the $10.5 million question. No team is claiming him as a possible first-round pick, and there's no sense that a club is lying in the weeds on him. He and adviser Scott Boras don't seem to be backing down from a reported desire for Mark Prior money, and he could slide through the entire first round altogether." Weaver was drafted in the 1st round (12th pick overall) by the Angels in the
2004 Major League Baseball Draft. The Angels scouting director
Eddie Bane said he did not know until two minutes before the draft that he'd definitely get the opportunity to choose Weaver. Bane told
Baseball America
''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...
about their scouting, "We did our homework. We started when Jered first got to Long Beach. I watched him in intrasquad games back in January. All our guys had seen him. We didn't back off because of reports in the paper. We do our stuff privately. We were prepared if he was there at 12 to take him." However, negotiations did not proceed smoothly. Talks broke down multiple times. Boras and client Weaver held out until the last minutes before the May 2005 deadline, becoming the longest holdout in draft history. Weaver received a $4 million signing bonus, less than the $10.5 million originally sought and also less than a $7–8 million range mentioned in the media just months before signing.
Weaver's ascent to the major leagues was quick. He made his MLB debut on May 27, 2006, a total of just 361 days after signing with the club.
He spent just over one month in Single-A before being promoted to Double-A where he would finish 2005 3–3 with a 3.98 ERA. In 2006, Weaver moved up to Triple-A Salt Lake where he dominated hitters. MiLB wrote of Weaver's success, "It's fairly common for prospects to struggle in their first exposure to Triple-A ball, but the 23-year-old Weaver dominated the Pacific Coast League almost immediately, posting a 6–1 record with a 2.10 ERA in 12 games for the Bees."
Angels management were impressed enough to call Weaver up when ace
Bartolo Colón
Bartolo Colón (born May 24, 1973), nicknamed "Big Sexy," is a Dominican-American professional baseball pitcher. He has played for 11 different Major League Baseball (MLB) teams: the Cleveland Indians (1997–2002), Montreal Expos (2002), Chicago ...
was on the disabled list.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
2006–2007
He made his MLB debut on May 27, 2006, starting against the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
. He pitched seven
shutout
In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball.
Shutouts are usuall ...
innings, striking out five, and earned the victory. This was followed with three more consecutive victories. Despite his success, when
Bartolo Colón
Bartolo Colón (born May 24, 1973), nicknamed "Big Sexy," is a Dominican-American professional baseball pitcher. He has played for 11 different Major League Baseball (MLB) teams: the Cleveland Indians (1997–2002), Montreal Expos (2002), Chicago ...
returned from the
disabled list
In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL).
General guidelines
...
, Weaver was bumped out of the rotation and sent back down to the minors. He was recalled to the majors on June 30, 2006, when the Angels
designated Weaver's brother Jeff for assignment.
Weaver continued his impressive performance, at one point lowering his ERA to 1.12 after six starts. He won his first nine decisions at the start of his major league career, tying the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
record set by
Whitey Ford
Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford (October 21, 1928 – October 8, 2020), nicknamed "the Chairman of the Board", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played his entire 16-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees ...
in 1950. Weaver recorded his first
loss
Loss may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* ''Loss'' (Bass Communion album) (2006)
* ''Loss'' (Mull Historical Society album) (2001)
*"Loss", a song by God Is an Astronaut from their self-titled album (2008)
* Losses "(Lil Tjay son ...
on August 24, 2006, when he lost to the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
, despite allowing only one
earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run that was fully enabled by the offensive team's production in the face of competent play from the defensive team. Conversely, an unearned run is a run that would not have been scored without the aid of an err ...
in seven innings pitched, a
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
to
David Ortiz. He finished the season with an 11–2 record and a 2.56 ERA and placed fifth in the American League
Rookie of the Year Award
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year).
In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...
voting.
2008
On June 28, 2008, he and
José Arredondo
José Juan Arredondo (born March 12, 1984) is a Dominican Republic, Dominican former professional baseball relief pitcher. He also played for the Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Cincinnati Reds of the Major League Baseba ...
combined to
no-hit
In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...
the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
over eight innings, but still lost the game 1–0. This was only the fourth time in major league history that a no-hit bid was unable to go nine innings because of the home team winning the game, and the first as a combined effort. Because they did not pitch nine innings, it is not officially considered a no-hitter.
Weaver made his first career relief appearance against the Boston Red Sox at
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Base ...
in Game 3 of the
2008 ALDS. He recorded the win in the bottom of the 12th inning in order to keep the Angels, who previously were down 2–0 in the series, hopes of winning the series alive.
2009
On June 14, 2009, Weaver had his first complete game shutout against 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 ...
.
On June 20, 2009, Weaver started for the Angels against the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
. The opposing starter was his older brother
Jeff Weaver
Jeffrey Charles Weaver (born August 22, 1976) is a former right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher. During his career, he pitched for the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, St. Louis Cardinal ...
. This was the first pitching matchup between brothers since 2002 when
Andy
Andy may refer to:
People
* Andy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Horace Andy (born 1951), Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer born Horace Hinds
* Katja Andy (1907–2013), German-American pianist and pi ...
and
Alan Benes matched up and only the 15th such game since 1967. The Dodgers won 6–4, with Jeff getting the win and Jered taking the loss.
Weaver was awarded the inaugural
Nick Adenhart
Nicholas James Adenhart (August 24, 1986 – April 9, 2009) was an American right-handed baseball starting pitcher who played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In just four career games, Ad ...
Pitcher of the Year award, named after Jered's teammate, for best pitcher on the Angels roster.
2010
Weaver reached a deal with Angels management for a $4.265 million salary for the
2010 season to avoid going into
arbitration
Arbitration is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) that resolves disputes outside the judiciary courts. The dispute will be decided by one or more persons (the 'arbitrators', 'arbiters' or 'arbitral tribunal'), which renders the ' ...
. During
Spring Training
Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...
, he added a
two-seam fastball
A two-seam fastball is a pitch in baseball and softball. It is a variant of the straight fastball. The pitch has the speed of a fastball and can also include late-breaking action caused by varying the pressure of the index and middle fingers on t ...
to his repertoire after instruction from teammates
Scot Shields
Robert Scot Shields (born July 22, 1975) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played his entire baseball career with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was the last member of the Anaheim ...
and
Joel Piñeiro
Joel Alberto Piñeiro (, ; born September 25, 1978) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim ...
. After the departure of
John Lackey
John Derran Lackey (born October 23, 1978) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 2002 through 2017 for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and ...
to the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
through
free agency
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is ...
, there was some uncertainty over who would assume the role of the club's
ace
An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the c ...
. Many expected that position to be filled by Weaver, who said, "Sure, I'd love to have that role. But I really don't like to think about it. I just try to improve every year, and this year is no exception." Weaver was the Angels' Opening Day starter, beating 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 ...
at
Angel Stadium
Angel Stadium of Anaheim is a baseball stadium located in Anaheim, California. Since its opening in 1966, it has served as the home ballpark of the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB), and was also the home stadium to the Los An ...
on an
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
national broadcast.
On July 6, despite not having been initially selected, Weaver was chosen to replace
CC Sabathia
Carsten Charles Sabathia Jr. (born July 21, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the New York Yankees. He also played for the Cleveland Indians and Milwauk ...
on the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
roster for the
2010 All-Star Game due to the latter's ineligibility to pitch. He joined
Torii Hunter
Torii Kedar Hunter (; born July 18, 1975) is an American former professional baseball center fielder and right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and Detroit Tigers from 1997 ...
as the only Halos representing the host club for Angel Stadium's third Mid-Summer Classic, though he did not pitch in the game. The All-Star selection was well-deserved, as Weaver posted the best season of his short big league tenure thus far. Weaver was the major league strikeout champion with 233, besting
Mariners ace
Félix Hernández
Félix Abraham Hernández García (born April 8, 1986), nicknamed "King Félix", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners from 2005 through 2019.
On August 15, 2 ...
by a single
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 ...
. He also posted career-bests in
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 ...
(with 224.1),
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 ...
(3.01), and
WHIP
A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...
(1.07). Weaver's success was not reflected in his win–loss record, however, as he went 13–12 due in part to poor run support. Despite the uncertainty over the role earlier in the season, Weaver embraced and ably fulfilled his new responsibility as the team's ace in 2010. He finished 5th in
AL Cy Young award
The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL). The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall ...
voting.
2011
Weaver picked up right where he left off the 2010 season, serving as the Angels' ace along with co-ace
Dan Haren
Daniel John Haren (born September 17, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Haren played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland Athletics, Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Wa ...
. Weaver posted a 6-0 record and a 0.99 ERA in his first six starts, setting a major league record for first pitcher to reach 6 wins by April 25. Weaver struck out a career-high 15 batters on April 10, 2011, in a game against the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
. Weaver became the second pitcher in major league history to win his sixth game in just his team's twenty-third game, which tied him with
Randy Johnson
Randall David Johnson (born September 10, 1963), nicknamed "The Big Unit", is an American photographer and former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (1988–2009) for six teams, primarily the Seattle M ...
in 2002.
Through the All-Star break on July 10, Weaver had an 11–4 record and 1.86 ERA in 140.1 innings, complemented by 120 strikeouts, just 31 walks, and a WHIP of 0.91. In July, Weaver's fellow players elected him to his
second All-Star Game. On July 11, manager
Ron Washington
Ronald Louis Washington (born April 29, 1952) is an American former professional baseball shortstop. He played Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, and Houston Astros.
W ...
announced that Weaver would start the
2011 All-Star Game for the American League. In his one scoreless inning of work at the All-Star Game, Weaver had one strikeout (
Carlos Beltrán
Carlos Iván Beltrán (; born April 24, 1977) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder from 1998 to 2017 for the Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros, New York Mets, San Fra ...
), one walk (
Matt Kemp
Matthew Ryan Kemp (born September 23, 1984) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He began his professional career in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization in 2003, and played in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Dodgers fr ...
) and no hits.
On July 31, in a game against 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 ...
, Weaver gave up a solo home-run to
Carlos Guillén
Carlos Alfonso Guillén (born September 30, 1975) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball infielder.
Guillén was signed by the Houston Astros as a non-draft amateur free agent in 1992. He was traded to the Seattle Mariners with pitcher F ...
who watched the home-run and then stared at Weaver as he flipped his bat, upsetting Weaver. Weaver exchanged words with Guillen as he made his trot around the bags, and the home plate umpire issued warnings to both dugouts. The first pitch to the next batter,
Alex Avila, was thrown just over Avila's head. Avila ducked, and Weaver was immediately ejected from the game by home-plate umpire
Hunter Wendelstedt
Harry Hunter Wendelstedt III (born June 22, 1971) is an American baseball umpire who has worked in the National League in 1998–1999 and throughout both major leagues since 2000. His father Harry Hunter Wendelstedt, Jr. was an NL umpire from ...
, along with Angels Manager
Mike Scioscia
Michael Lorri Scioscia (, ; born November 27, 1958), nicknamed "Sosh" and "El Jefe", is an American former Major League Baseball catcher and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He managed the Anaheim / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim / Los Ange ...
. Weaver was suspended for six games because of the incident.
In August 2011, Jered Weaver signed an $85 million contract with the Angels for 5 years. Weaver finished the 2011 season with an 18–8 record and a 2.41 earned run average, which was edged out by
Justin Verlander
Justin Brooks Verlander ( ; born February 20, 1983) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros. From Manakin-Sabot, ...
's 2.40 for the American League lead and was the lowest ERA by an Angel since
Chuck Finley
Charles Edward Finley (born November 26, 1962) is an American retired professional baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1986 to 2002 for three teams in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the California Angels (later renamed the Anaheim Ang ...
's 2.40 in 1990. He finished 2nd in the AL Cy Young Voting.
2012
Starting off the 2012 season, Weaver pitched a four-hit shutout against
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 April 6. Shortly thereafter, he recorded his first official career
no-hitter
In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...
on May 2 against 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 ...
. Weaver allowed only two baserunners –
Chris Parmelee reached on a passed ball after a strikeout in the second inning, and
Josh Willingham
Joshua David Willingham (born February 17, 1979) is a former American professional baseball left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins, Washington Nationals, Oakland Athletics, Minnesota Twins and Kansas Ci ...
walked in the seventh, he struck out nine and walked only the one batter. On May 28, Weaver sustained a lower back injury after following through on a pitch and was subsequently placed on the 15-day disabled list. Nearing the end of the season and with the Angels still in contention for a postseason spot, Weaver for the first time in his career won his twentieth game, on September 28 against the
Texas Rangers.
2013
![Jered Weaver June 2012](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Jered_Weaver_June_2012.jpg)
On April 7, 2013, Weaver suffered a fractured left elbow following a base hit by
Mitch Moreland
Mitchell Austin Moreland (born September 6, 1985), nicknamed "2-Bags", is an American professional baseball first baseman who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres ...
of the
Texas Rangers. Weaver dodged the line drive by Moreland and ended up injuring the elbow as he rolled on the mound. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list the next day after he left the game. He returned on May 29, 2013 against the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
pitching 6 innings with 7 strikeouts.
2014
Weaver finished the 2014 season with a record of 18-9 while having a 3.59 ERA in 213.1 innings pitched.
2015
The 2015 season was a tough one for Weaver as he suffered his first losing season in his career (7-12 in 26 starts) while also registering a then career-high ERA (4.64). Throughout the season, Weaver suffered continued decrease in velocity, clocking in under 86 mph. He led the major leagues in bunt hits allowed, with seven.
2016
In his final season before free agency, Weaver continued to struggle with velocity and command, ending with the highest ERA of his career (5.06). He narrowly avoided another losing season, however, going 12-12. He had the lowest
ground ball
In the sports of baseball and softball, a batted ball is a pitch that has been contacted by the batter's bat. Batted balls are either fair or foul, and can be characterized as a fly ball, pop-up, line drive, or ground ball. In baseball, a fou ...
percentage among major league pitchers (28.8%).
San Diego Padres
On February 19, 2017, Weaver signed a one-year, $3 million contract with 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 ...
.
2017
Weaver made his debut with the Padres on April 6, giving up four runs in five innings and taking a loss against the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
. He later went on the disabled list with a hip injury. On August 16, Weaver announced his retirement. Weaver made nine starts in his final season, and went 0–5 with a 7.44 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 42 innings.
Pitching style
Weaver began his windup standing on the extreme third base side of the pitcher's plate, and strode slightly toward the third base side. This, combined with his 6'7" height and long arms, created a pitch traveling at a sharp angle to home plate, making pitch detection more difficult, especially for right-handed batters.
Weaver's arsenal consisted of six pitches:
*
Four-seam fastball
A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family of pitches and is usually the hardest (i.e., fastest) ball thrown by a pitcher. It is c ...
(84-88 mph)
*
Two-seam fastball
A two-seam fastball is a pitch in baseball and softball. It is a variant of the straight fastball. The pitch has the speed of a fastball and can also include late-breaking action caused by varying the pressure of the index and middle fingers on t ...
(83-87 mph)
*
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
* ...
(78-81 mph)
*
Curveball
In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...
(67-72 mph)
*
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 ...
(75-80 mph)
*
Cutter (83-87 mph)
His two-seamer was his most-commonly thrown pitch, especially to left-handed hitters. He used the two-seamer, his curveball, and his changeup to get ahead against left-handers. Weaver typically only threw his slider and four-seamer to lefties when there was a 2-strike count. He also used the changeup with two strikes, but not the curveball. Against right-handers, Weaver used the four-seamer and slider most of the time, and rarely used his curveball. His slider was effective in two-strike counts because of its high tendency to get swings and misses (42% of swings through the first two months of the 2012 season).
Personal life
On February 9, 2007, Weaver and his brother had their jerseys retired by Simi Valley High School in a
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
game between
Royal High School and Simi Valley.
Weaver was the cover athlete of
MVP 07: NCAA Baseball, in his college uniform.
Weaver and his girlfriend of nine years, Kristin Travis, got married in November 2011. Both are active supporters of Special Olympics Southern California and Weaver serves as a Sports Ambassador for the organization. On July 5, 2013, Kristin Weaver gave birth to their first child, a son named Aden David Weaver in honor of Jered's late friend and teammate
Nick Adenhart
Nicholas James Adenhart (August 24, 1986 – April 9, 2009) was an American right-handed baseball starting pitcher who played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In just four career games, Ad ...
. Weaver's wife also gave birth to a daughter in 2014.
While playing for the Angels, Weaver would write the letters "NA" on the back of the pitcher's mound in memoriam of Adenhart after his death in 2009.
References
External links
Jered Weaver Interview at Baseball Digest Daily – 2005:
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weaver, Jered
1982 births
Living people
All-American college baseball players
American League All-Stars
American League strikeout champions
American League wins champions
Arkansas Travelers players
Baseball players at the 2003 Pan American Games
Baseball players from California
Golden Spikes Award winners
Long Beach State Dirtbags baseball players
Los Angeles Angels players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Pan American Games medalists in baseball
Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States
People from Simi Valley, California
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes players
Salt Lake Bees players
San Diego Padres players
Sportspeople from Ventura County, California
Surprise Scorpions players
United States national baseball team players
Medalists at the 2003 Pan American Games
Anchorage Bucs players