Joshua Patrick Beckett (born May 15, 1980) 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 ...

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). A three-time

MLB All-Star The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual professional baseball game sanctioned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and contested between the all-stars from the American League (AL) and National ...

, he played for 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 ...

, 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 ...

, and 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 ...

. After a stellar high school career in which he was regarded as one of the top baseball prospects in the U.S., Beckett was drafted by the Marlins with the second overall pick in the 1999 MLB draft. He won the 2003 World Series with the Marlins and the 2007 World Series with the Red Sox, receiving the 2003 World Series MVP award and the 2007 American League Championship Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. Beckett was traded from the Marlins to the Red Sox in 2006 and from the Red Sox to the Dodgers in 2012, both as part of multi-player transactions. Beckett recovered from a serious injury that caused him to miss most of the 2013 season. He pitched a

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 ...

for the Dodgers against the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

on May 25, 2014, becoming the 19th man in Dodgers history to pitch a no-hitter. However, his season was again cut short due to an injury, and he announced his retirement on October 7, 2014.

Early life

Beckett grew up idolizing fellow Texans

Nolan Ryan Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr. (born January 31, 1947), nicknamed "the Ryan Express", is an American former professional baseball pitcher and sports executive. Over a record 27-year playing career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanning four decades, Ryan ...

and

Roger Clemens William Roger Clemens (born August 4, 1962), nicknamed "Rocket", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the Boston Red Sox. Clemens was one of the most dominant pi ...

. As a youth, he starred on

Little League Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization He later attended

Spring High School Spring High School is a public high school located in the Spring census-designated place in unincorporated Harris County, Texas, United States. Spring High School, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Spring Independent School Dis ...

Spring, Texas Spring is a census-designated place (CDP) within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Houston in Harris County, Texas, United States, part of the metropolitan area. The population was 62,559 at the 2020 census. While the name "Spring" is popul ...

. He had trouble with grades and with paying attention to his coach during his freshman year, so his coach in frustration threw Beckett off the team. He experienced a growth spurt before his sophomore year and added speed to his

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 ...

. He also raised his

GPA Grading in education is the process of applying standardized measurements for varying levels of achievements in a course. Grades can be assigned as letters (usually A through F), as a range (for example, 1 to 6), as a percentage, or as a numbe ...

and was able to get back on the team, where he had a 9–3 record with a 1.18

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) as a sophomore, tossing three

no-hitters 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 ...

. As a high school junior, Beckett was ranked 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 ...

'' as the top high school prospect in the nation, and his team as the top high school baseball team. He compiled a 13–2 record and

struck out 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 denote ...

2.1

batters Batter or batters may refer to: Common meanings * Batter (cooking), thin dough that can be easily poured into a pan * Batter (baseball), person whose turn it is to face the pitcher * Batter (cricket), a player who is currently batting * Batter ...

per inning while

walking Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults o ...

only 20 batters all season. His high school coach said "I’ve never seen a pitcher with his ability—ever." In his senior season, Beckett, by this point nicknamed "Kid Heat," was named the High School player of the year by

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

. Beckett signed a letter of intent to pitch for

Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...

, but he and

Josh Hamilton Joshua Holt Hamilton (born May 21, 1981) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from to , most prominently as a member of the Texas Rangers teams that won two consecutive Americ ...

were seen as the top two players available in the 1999 Major League Baseball draft. Concerned about Beckett's perceived arrogance, the

Tampa Bay Devil Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home ve ...

chose Hamilton with the first pick. Beckett, meanwhile, was chosen with the second pick by the

. Marlins scouting director

Al Avila Al Avila (born August 2, 1958) is a Cuban baseball executive. He was the executive vice president of baseball operations and general manager of the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Early life Avila was born in Cuba. His family def ...

said at the time, "Beckett has good size and has an overpowering fastball. He's a bulldog on the mound." Showing his confidence, Beckett predicted that he would make it to the major leagues within two years and play in an All-Star game by 2001.

Baseball career

Florida Marlins (1999–2005)

Minor leagues

Beckett engaged in protracted negotiations with the Marlins, during which he briefly enrolled at

Blinn Junior College Blinn College is a public junior college in Brenham, Texas, with additional campuses in Bryan, Schulenburg, and Sealy. Brenham is Blinn's main campus, with dormitories and apartments. History Blinn was established as Mission Institute in 1884 ...

, but he eventually signed on August 28, 1999, to a four-year $7 million contract that included a $3.625 million signing bonus. His signing bonus was larger than what the Marlins were paying everyone on the Major League roster, except pitcher Alex Fernandez. Beckett impressed the Marlins in his first

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 ...

with the team in March 2000, with a fastball clocked at and a good

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 ...

. He also showed his commitment to the team by donating $100,000 to the team's charitable foundation, more than any other player had donated. He was assigned to the

Kane County Cougars The Kane County Cougars are an independent professional baseball team located in Geneva, Illinois and are members of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball (MLB). They play their ho ...

of the Class A

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

to make his professional debut. As the

Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent years ...

starter for the Cougars, he pitched four innings and allowed only one run, on a double by Albert Pujols. Beckett suffered from injuries that season, including shoulder

tendinitis Tendinopathy, a type of tendon disorder that results in pain, swelling, and impaired function. The pain is typically worse with movement. It most commonly occurs around the shoulder (rotator cuff tendinitis, biceps tendinitis), elbow (tennis elbo ...

and a frayed

rotator cuff The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the human shoulder and allow for its extensive range of motion. Of the seven scapulohumeral muscles, four make up the rotator cuff. The four muscles are the supraspi ...

, injuries which took longer to heal because he did too much weight lifting while on the disabled list. He would later say, "I tried to get too strong too quick and ended up making things worse." He pitched in 13 games for the Cougars and finished with a record of 2–3 with a 2.12 ERA and 61 strikeouts. He was selected by

as the Marlins best prospect and the 19th best in the entire

minor leagues 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 No ...

as well as having the best fastball in the Midwest League. He was also selected to play in the

All-Star Futures Game The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in conjunction with the mid-summer MLB All-Star Game. A team of American League-affiliated prospects competes against a team of National League ...

, a showcase for the best prospects. The Marlins assigned Beckett to the

Brevard County Manatees The Brevard County Manatees were a minor league baseball team of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League from 1994 to 2016. They were based in Viera, Florida, and played their home games at Space Coast Stadium. The team left Brevard County af ...

of the

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

at the start of the 2001 season. He didn't allow an

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 erro ...

in his first innings and went 6–0 with a 1.23 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 13 games. Marlins

General Manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...

Dave Dombrowski David Dombrowski (born July 27, 1956) is an American baseball executive who serves as the President of Baseball Operations for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). Dombrowski also previously served as the general manager of ...

remarked on his progress, "He pitched as well in the Florida State League as any prospect I've ever been associated with", leading to a promotion to the Double A

Portland Sea Dogs The Portland Sea Dogs are a Minor League Baseball team based in Portland, Maine, playing in the Eastern League (1938–present), Eastern League. Established in 1994, the Sea Dogs are the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red ...

of the Eastern League. Beckett struck out eight of the first nine batters he faced in his Sea Dogs debut on June 16, 2001. On August 13, 2001, he combined with two other Sea Dogs pitchers to throw a no-hitter against the

Binghamton Mets The Binghamton Rumble Ponies are an American Minor League Baseball team based in Binghamton, New York. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club. The Rumble Ponies play in Mirab ...

. In 13 starts for the team, he had an 8–1 record, a 1.82 ERA and struck out 102 batters. He was selected as Minor League Player of the Year by ''Baseball America'', ''The Sporting News'', and ''USA Today''. ''

'' also ranked him as the Marlins' best prospect and the third best in all of baseball, while the Marlins named him as their organizational minor league player of the year.

Major leagues

Beckett's MLB debut was on September 4, 2001, against the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

, in which he gave up one hit over six

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 to pick up his first MLB win. He also doubled and scored in the game. Beckett was quoted afterwards as saying, "It was fun. I'm ready for my next one." He did not allow a run in his first 10 innings before giving up a two-run homer to

Vladimir Guerrero Vladimir Alvino Guerrero Sr. (born February 9, 1975), nicknamed "Vlad the Impaler", is a Dominican former professional baseball player who spent 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right fielder and designated hitter. He played for ...

on September 19 against the

Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...

. He finished 2001 with four games started, a 2–2 record, and an ERA of 1.50. Hampered by blister problems in 2002, Beckett's highlight was on July 21, when he struck out 12 Expos in one game, combining with a couple of relief pitchers on a Marlins record 17 strikeouts in a nine-inning game. In 23 appearances for the Marlins in 2002, which included two

relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...

appearances, he was 6–7 with a 4.10 ERA and 113 strikeouts. Beckett was named the Marlins opening day starting pitcher in 2003, and at 22 years old, he was the youngest opening day starter in the team's history. However, he lasted just innings in the game as the

scored five unearned runs in the third as a result of two errors and a

passed ball In baseball, a catcher is charged with a passed ball when he fails to hold or control a legally pitched ball that, with ordinary effort, should have been maintained under his control, and, as a result of this loss of control, the batter or a ru ...

. He subsequently went on the disabled list (DL) with a sprained right elbow in mid-May, part of a string of team injuries that contributed to the firing of

Manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities ...

Jeff Torborg Jeffrey Allen Torborg (born November 26, 1941) is an American former catcher and manager in Major League Baseball. Torborg was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent in 1963. On September 9, 1965, Torborg caught Sandy Koufax' ...

. He returned from his injury on July 1 and finished the season with a 9–8 record, a 3.04 ERA and 152 strikeouts. Beckett made his postseason debut in the opening game of the 2003 National League (NL) Division Series, where he allowed only one run in seven innings 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 ...

but picked up the loss as

Jason Schmidt Jason David Schmidt (born January 29, 1973), is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. In his career, he has played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2007–2009), San Francisco Giants (2001–06), Pittsburgh Pirates (1996–2001) and Atla ...

pitched a complete game

. However, the Marlins came back to win the series in four games. His next start, in game one of the 2003 NL Championship Series against the

, did not go well as he allowed four runs in the first inning, two of them on 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 ...

Moisés Alou Moisés Rojas-Alou Beltré (; ; born July 3, 1966) is a Dominican-American former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for 17 seasons in the National League. In 1,942 career games, Alou had a batting average of .303 with 2,134 hits, ...

, and six runs in his innings. The Marlins battled back and won the game in

extra innings Extra innings is the extension of a baseball or softball game in order to break a tie. Ordinarily, a baseball game consists of nine regulation innings (in softball and high school baseball games there are typically seven innings; in Little Lea ...

. The Cubs took the next three games and only needed one more win to take the series when Beckett returned to the mound in game five. He allowed only three Cubs to reach base in the game, on two singles and a walk, in the complete game shutout to keep his team alive. The Marlins took game six also, thanks partly to the infamous Steve Bartman incident. In game seven, on two days rest, Beckett came in out of the

bullpen In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if t ...

to pitch four innings and the Marlins won 9–6 to clinch the

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...

championship. Beckett won the 2003

World Series MVP Award The Willie Mays World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award is given to the Major League Baseball (MLB) player deemed to have the most impact on his team's performance in the World Series, which is the final round of the MLB postseason. The aw ...

with two strong performances on three days' rest as the Marlins defeated the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

. In game three, he struck out 10 and allowed only two runs in innings. Then in game six at

Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx, New York City. It is the home field of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. Opened in April 2009, the stadium replaced the origi ...

, he shut out the Yankees in a complete game, striking out nine batters and clinching the series by making the tag for the final out. Beckett made the opening day start for the Marlins again in 2004, allowing one run in seven innings against the Expos. He made three trips to the DL during the season, but still pitched a career-high 26 starts and innings. He was 9–9 with a 3.79 ERA and had 152 strikeouts for the second year in a row but the Marlins faltered down the stretch and did not make the postseason. In 2005, he was 15–8 with a 3.38 ERA and 166 strikeouts in 29 games. In his five seasons with the Marlins, Beckett had a 41–34 record, a 3.46 ERA and struck out a total of 607 batters in 106 games. In his final start as a Marlin, on September 23, 2005, against the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

, he struck out six in seven shutout innings but earned a no decision in a game the Marlins eventually lost.

Boston Red Sox (2006–2012)

In a deal that was made official on

Thanksgiving Day Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden a ...

2005, Beckett was traded to the

along with

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...

Mike Lowell Michael Averett Lowell (born February 24, 1974) is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 13-year career, Lowell played for the New York Yankees (1998), Florida Marlins (1999–2005), and the Boston Red Sox (2006&ndas ...

and

relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue (medical), fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection (sports), ejection, or for other strategic ...

Guillermo Mota Guillermo Reynoso Mota (born July 25, 1973) is a Dominican former professional baseball relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. In his career, he pitched for the Montreal Expos, Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins, Cleveland Indians, New Yor ...

for minor league

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...

Hanley Ramírez Hanley Ramírez (born December 23, 1983) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball shortstop. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Florida / Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Cleveland Indians. Ram� ...

(the top prospect in the Red Sox system at the time) and pitchers

Aníbal Sánchez Aníbal Alejandro Sánchez Jr. (; born February 27, 1984) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut in 2006 with the Florida Marlins and has also played for the Detroit Tig ...

, Jesús Delgado and

Harvey García Harvey Anderson García Ibarras (born March 16, 1984) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Professional career Florida Marlins Garcia was signed as an amateur free agent by the Florida Marlins in 2000 and after pitching for their Dominican ...

. Beckett and Lowell were among a prominent list of veterans the Marlins traded in an effort to shed salary. This was organizationally termed a ''

market correction A market correction is a rapid change in the nominal price of a commodity, after a barrier to free trade has been removed and the free market establishes a new equilibrium price. It may also refer to several of these single-commodity corrections ...

''. In his first start with the Red Sox, Beckett allowed only one run in seven innings to pick up the win against the Texas Rangers on April 5, 2006. JoshBeckett

Beckett was the first Red Sox pitcher to hit a home run in 35 years — since the advent of the

designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by th ...

rule — when he took

Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has been Citize ...

' pitcher

Brett Myers Brett Allen Myers (born August 17, 1980) is an American singer and former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros, Chicago White Sox, and Cleveland Indians. Born and rai ...

deep during an

interleague Interleague play in Major League Baseball refers to regular-season baseball games played between an American League (AL) team and a National League (NL) team. Interleague play was first introduced during the 1997 Major League Baseball season. Pri ...

game on May 20, 2006. On July 18, he signed a three-year, $30 million contract extension with a $10 million club option for 2010. Beckett completed his first season with the Red Sox with a record of 16–11 and a 5.01 ERA. In innings, he gave up 191 hits and struck out 158 batters while

74. He also allowed 36 home runs, tied for second most in the majors. At the start of the 2007 season, Beckett adjusted to throwing more breaking pitches and fewer fastballs. At the same time, he learned to locate his pitches rather than simply get strikes by power. He reduced his walks and home runs allowed by nearly half, contributing to his success in 2007. Beckett became one of six Red Sox pitchers in history to win their first seven starts. George Winter and

Mickey Harris Maurice Charles "Mickey" Harris (January 30, 1917 – April 15, 1971) was an American professional baseball player. He was a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for nine seasons with the Boston Red Sox, Washington Senators (1901–60), Washing ...

both won their first seven starts in a season, and

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...

Dave Ferriss David Meadow Ferriss (December 5, 1921 – November 24, 2016) was an American Major League Baseball player who pitched for the Boston Red Sox from 1945 through 1950. Ferriss was given the nickname 'Boo' as the result of a childhood inability to p ...

and

Roger Moret Roger is a given name, usually masculine, and a surname. The given name is derived from the Old French personal names ' and '. These names are of Germanic origin, derived from the elements ', ''χrōþi'' ("fame", "renown", "honour") and ', ' ( ...

all won their first eight starts in a season. After a strong first half, posting a 12–2 record with a 3.44 ERA, he was selected to 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 ...

team in the 2007 MLB All-Star Game. Beckett earned the victory in the game after pitching two innings, giving up only one hit, and striking out two. Beckett became the first pitcher to win 20 games in a season since 2005, finishing the season with a record of 20–7, a 3.27 ERA, 194 strikeouts, a 1.14 WHIP, and only 40 walks and 17 home runs allowed. He finished second 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, behind

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 ...

. Beckett threw a shutout against the

Anaheim 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 h ...

on 108 pitches, 83 of which were strikes, to start the 2007 American League Division Series. Nine days later, Beckett started the first game of the 2007 American League Championship Series (ALCS) and pitched six innings for the win and in game five he struck out 11 in eight innings. Beckett's 2–0 record and 1.93 ERA against the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

earned him the 2007 ALCS MVP Award. He then started and won the first game of the 2007 World Series against 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 ...

, pitching seven innings, allowing one run on six hits, and striking out nine batters. Boston would go on to sweep the Rockies in the series. On May 8, 2008, Beckett recorded his 1,000th career strikeout, when

Brandon Inge Charles Brandon Inge ( ; born May 19, 1977) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and catcher and currently a volunteer assistant coach for the Michigan Wolverines baseball team. He played 12 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, on ...

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 ...

struck out swinging in the seventh inning. He was 12–10 with a 4.03 ERA in 27 starts. In game three of the

2008 American League Division Series The 2008 American League Division Series (ALDS), the first round of the 2008 American League playoffs, consisted of two best-of-five series. They were: * (1) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (Western Division champions, 100–62) vs. (4) Boston Re ...

against the

he allowed four runs in five innings He then made two starts in the 2008 ALCS against the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...

and was 1–0 but had a high 9.64 ERA. In 2009, during his first Opening Day start with the Red Sox, Beckett struck out 10 through seven innings allowing only one run and two hits in a 5–3 victory over the Rays. On April 14, 2009, MLB fined and suspended him six games for intentionally throwing over the head of Angels

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...

Bobby Abreu Bob Kelly Abreu (; ; born March 11, 1974), nicknamed "El Comedulce" and also "La Leche", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, New York ...

. Beckett later appealed the suspension and got it reduced to five games. On June 20, 2009, he recorded his first complete game shutout in three years against the

in a duel against former Red Sox pitcher Derek Lowe. The shutout was his first in a Red Sox uniform. On July 5, 2009, he was selected to represent Boston in the 2009 MLB All Star Game. Beckett recorded his 100th career win on July 12, 2009, pitching a complete game shutout against the Kansas City Royals 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 ...

. On August 7, 2009, against the

, he engaged in a pitching duel with former Marlins teammate

A. J. Burnett Allan James Burnett (born January 3, 1977), is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Philadelphia ...

that turned into a fifteen-inning, five-hour-and-thirty-three-minute game. He threw seven shutout innings, Burnett threw . The Red Sox eventually lost the game in the bottom of the 15th, when

Alex Rodriguez Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975), nicknamed "A-Rod", is an American former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman, businessman and philanthropist. Rodriguez played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the ...

hit a walk-off two-run home run. He was 17–6 on the season, with a 3.86 ERA and a career-high 199 strikeouts in 32 starts. He lost his one start in the postseason, to the Angels in Game 2 of the 2009 ALDS. On April 5, 2010, the Red Sox and Beckett agreed to a four-year, $68 million contract extension, through 2014. On May 7, he allowed nine runs, struck out eight and also hit two batters. This was the first time a Major League pitcher had that combination of stats in a single game since

Jack Coombs John Wesley Coombs (November 18, 1882 – April 15, 1957), nicknamed "Colby Jack" after his alma mater, was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics (1906–14), Broo ...

of the

Philadelphia Athletics The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oaklan ...

during the 1911 season. He was placed on the disabled list on May 19 with a lower back strain and returned from the injury on July 23. In 21 starts in 2010, he was 6–6 with a 5.78 ERA. In 2011, he posted career bests in ERA (2.89), opponent batting average (.211) 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 ...

(1.03). He was 13–7 in 30 games and was selected to his third

All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or div ...

. On September 16, he recorded his 1,000th strikeout as a member of the Red Sox against Tampa Bay's

Ben Zobrist Benjamin Thomas Zobrist (; born May 26, 1981), is an American former professional baseball second baseman and outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, and Chi ...

in the sixth inning. At the end of the 2011 season, the Red Sox collapsed and failed to make the playoffs. Beckett and two more starting pitchers (

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 ...

and

Jon Lester Jonathan Tyler Lester (born January 7, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals. L ...

) were in the center of a controversy where the three drank alcohol, ate fried chicken, and played video games during games where they weren't pitching. Beckett was noted as the leader of this and some cited this behavior as part of the reason for the team's poor play down the stretch. Beckett struggled in the 2012 season, he went 5–11 with a 5.23 ERA as a Red Sox. He was also the center of yet another controversy when it was reported that he played several rounds of golf despite having been scratched from his start due to a

lat Lat or LAT may refer to: Places * Lat, Fuman, village in Gilan Province, Iran * Lat, Rasht, village in Gilan Province, Iran * Lat, Mazandaran, village in Iran * Lat-e Disar, village in Mazandaran Province, Iran * Lat, Qazvin, village in I ...

muscle injury. In what would turn out to be his final start with the Red Sox, he allowed four runs in six innings on August 19, 2012, against the Yankees. Over seven seasons, he started 194 regular season games for the Red Sox with an 89–58 record, a 4.17 ERA and 1,108 strikeouts.

Los Angeles Dodgers (2012–2014)

On August 25, 2012, Beckett was traded to the

(along with Adrián González,

Carl Crawford Carl Demonte Crawford (born August 5, 1981), nicknamed "The Perfect Storm", is an American former professional baseball left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. He ba ...

and

Nick Punto Nicholas Paul Punto (born November 8, 1977) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers ...

and $11 million in cash) for

James Loney James Anthony Loney (born May 7, 1984) is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, and New York Mets, and in Korea Baseball Org ...

, Iván DeJesús, Jr., Allen Webster, and two players to be named later (

Jerry Sands Gerald Robert Sands (born September 28, 1987) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 25th round of the 2008 MLB Draft out of Catawba College and made his Major L ...

and

Rubby De La Rosa Rubby Nick De La Rosa Corporan (born March 4, 1989) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red ...

). He started seven games for the Dodgers after the trade and was 2–3 with a 2.93 ERA. Beckett struggled in the early part of the 2013 season, posting an 0–5 record and 5.19 ERA in eight starts. He was placed on the disabled list with a groin strain on May 15. While on the disabled list he began to experience numbness and tingling in his hand so he went to see a nerve specialist and expressed doubt as to whether he would be able to pitch again. The Dodgers shut him down from pitching for a month while he underwent a rigorous rehabilitation program in an effort to avoid season-ending surgery. However, the tingling sensation returned when he attempted to resume his throwing program in late June. He was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, which required him to undergo surgery on July 10, 2013, that ended his 2013 season. Beckett's surgery, which included having a rib removed, made him a question mark for the Dodgers heading into 2014. He returned to the Dodgers on April 9 and made his first start since the previous May, allowing four runs in four innings. On May 13, he picked up his first win since 2012. On May 25, 2014, Beckett pitched a

against the

Citizens Bank Park Citizens Bank Park is a baseball stadium located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the city's South Philadelphia Sports Complex. It is the home playing field of the Philadelphia Phillies, the city's Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise. The ...

, the 21st no-hitter in Dodgers history, and the first since

Hideo Nomo is a Japanese former baseball pitcher who played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and Major League Baseball (MLB). He achieved early success in his native country, where he played with the Kintetsu Buffaloes from to . He then exploited a l ...

did so in the 1996 season. He was also the first pitcher to no-hit the Phillies since

Bob Forsch Robert Herbert Forsch (January 13, 1950 – November 3, 2011) was an American professional baseball player who spent most of his sixteen years in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the St. Louis Cardinals (1974–1988) before finishing his pl ...

in 1978. Beckett threw 128 pitches, struck out six, and walked three en route to the victory. Beckett also became the oldest pitcher (34) to throw a no-hitter since

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 ...

(40) threw a

perfect game Perfect game may refer to: Sports * Perfect game (baseball), a complete-game win by a pitcher allowing no baserunners * Perfect game (bowling), a 300 game, 12 consecutive strikes in the same game * Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, New York ...

in 2004. He was honored as the National League Player of the Week as a result of that game. On July 8, 2014, Beckett landed on the disabled list with a left hip impingement, an injury he said had gotten worse as the season went on. He returned to the rotation on July 22, but struggled when he returned. In a start on August 3, he was only able to pitch four innings against the Cubs. Afterward, Beckett told the team that he had experienced renewed discomfort in his injured hip. An

MRI Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio waves ...

revealed that his hip impingement had resulted in a torn labrum and two cysts, possibly requiring season ending surgery. He was placed back on the 15-day disabled list on August 8. On September 3, 2014, Dodgers manager

Don Mattingly Donald Arthur Mattingly (born April 20, 1961) is an American former professional baseball first baseman, coach, and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is the bench coach for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed ...

told reporters that Beckett's season was likely over due to his injury. A couple of days later, Beckett confirmed that he would not pitch again in 2014 and added that he was also considering retirement. Beckett officially announced his retirement on October 7, 2014.

Pitching style

Beckett threw five pitches regularly: a

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 ...

(), 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 ...

(), a cutter (), a

(), and a

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 ...

(). Beckett used all five of his pitches against left-handed hitters but dropped the changeup against righties. He preferred to use his curveball when ahead in the count, bolstered by its 34% whiff rate. Beckett also began to experiment with 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 * ...

and splitter in 2012.

Personal life

Josh Beckett Kevin Youkilis Barack Obama

Beckett has been linked to such celebrities as model/sportcaster

Leeann Tweeden Leeann Tweeden is an American radio broadcaster, model and sports commentator. She is co-host of ''Dr. Drew Midday Live'' on Radio 790 KABC in Los Angeles. Early life Tweeden was born in Manassas, Virginia, to Bill Tweeden, a retired Air For ...

and country singer

Danielle Peck Danielle Marie Peck (born September 14, 1978) is an American country music artist. Signed to the independent Big Machine Records label in 2005, Peck released her self-titled debut album, which produced the Top 30 country hits "I Don't", " Findin ...

. On October 18, 2007, Peck was invited by the Cleveland Indians to sing the National Anthem prior to Game 5 of the American League Championship Series between the Red Sox and Indians. Beckett was the starting pitcher in that game, and some Red Sox fans theorized that her invitation was an attempt by the Indians organization to distract Beckett. The Indians denied this claim. On January 22, 2011, he married Holly Fisher, an aeronautics engineer and former high school classmate. The couple have three children together. Beckett owns homes in Manhattan Beach, California, and

Boerne, Texas Boerne ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Kendall County, Texas, in the Texas Hill Country. Boerne is known for its German-Texan history, named in honor of German author and satirist Ludwig Börne by the German Founders of the town. The pop ...

. Beckett is an avid

deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...

hunter and has been since childhood. He was the 2002 winner of the Muy Grande Deer Contest for bringing down the largest buck during the Texas deer hunting season. He owns Herradura Ranch, a deer-hunting ranch outside of

Cotulla Cotulla ( ) is a city in and the county seat of La Salle County, Texas, United States. Its population was 3,718 as of the 2020 census. History Immigrant Joseph Cotulla, who was reared in Silesia, then a part of Prussia, migrated to the Unite ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. He was featured in a

Kevin Fowler Kevin Fowler (born May 11, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter. He has released five studio albums, and has charted four singles on the '' Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts, including the top 40 hit "Pound Sign (#?*!)". In addition, he wr ...

music video alongside his teammates

Tim Wakefield Timothy Stephen Wakefield (born August 2, 1966) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Wakefield began his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but is most remembered for his 17-yea ...

and

Clay Buchholz Clay Daniel Buchholz (born August 14, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Toronto Blue Jays. Buchholz made h ...

. On November 11, 2017, Beckett was arrested for public intoxication as a result of charging at a country band at a local bar in Texas. The singer received a torn rotator cuff and dislocated shoulder.

References

External links

: {{DEFAULTSORT:Beckett, Josh 1980 births Living people Florida Marlins players Boston Red Sox players Los Angeles Dodgers players American hunters American League All-Stars American League wins champions Baseball players from San Antonio Major League Baseball pitchers Sportspeople from Harris County, Texas Kane County Cougars players Brevard County Manatees players Portland Sea Dogs players Gulf Coast Marlins players Jupiter Hammerheads players Carolina Mudcats players Pawtucket Red Sox players World Series Most Valuable Player Award winners American League Championship Series MVPs Rancho Cucamonga Quakes players People from Spring, Texas

Early life

Baseball career

Florida Marlins (1999–2005)

Minor leagues

Major leagues

Boston Red Sox (2006–2012)

Los Angeles Dodgers (2012–2014)

Pitching style

Personal life

See also

References

External links