Aaron Shawn Estes (born February 18, 1973) is a former
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), ...
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 ...
.
High school
Estes attended
Douglas High School in
Minden, Nevada
Minden is a census-designated place (CDP) in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. The population was 3,001 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Douglas County and is adjacent to the town of Gardnerville. The Douglas campus of the Wes ...
. As a senior in 1991, he was named
Gatorade
Gatorade is an American brand of sports-themed beverage and food products, built around its signature line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo and is distributed in over 80 countries. The beverage was first develop ...
's Nevada State Baseball Player of the Year and finished with a 0.79
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 ...
and 141
strikeouts
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 ...
in 61.2 innings pitched. At the plate, he
hit
Hit means to strike someone or something.
Hit or HIT may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities
* Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super''
* Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...
.488 with eight home runs. He would go on to be enshrined in the
Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association
The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) is the governing body of athletic programs for high schools in the state of Nevada. In addition, five schools in the state of California (Coleville, Needles, North Tahoe, South Tahoe, and Tru ...
Hall of Fame in 2016.
Estes initially committed to play
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 ...
at
Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
but instead signed with the
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
after being selected in the first round of the
1991 MLB Draft
First round selections
The following are the first round picks in the 1991 Major League Baseball draft.
Supplemental first round selections
Compensation picks
Other notable players
*Kevin Stocker, 2nd round, 54th overall by the Philadel ...
.
Minor leagues
Estes began his professional career with the
Bellingham Mariners
The Bellingham Mariners were a Minor League Baseball team in the Class A-Short Season Northwest League, based in Bellingham, Washington. The club served as the Seattle Mariners' short-season affiliate from 1977 to 1994.
History
Major League B ...
in "A" ball in 1991. He then played with the
Appleton Foxes
Appleton may refer to:
People
*Appleton (surname)
Places Australia
* Appleton Dock
Canada
* Appleton, Newfoundland and Labrador
* Appleton, Ontario
United Kingdom
* Appleton, a deserted medieval village site in the parish of Flitcham wi ...
,
Arizona League Mariners
The Arizona Complex League Mariners are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Arizona. The team is com ...
and
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Grand Chute, Wisconsin, a town on the outskirts of Appleton, Wisconsin, Appleton in the Fox ...
from 1992-1995. The Mariners traded Estes to 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 ...
on May 21, 1995 for
Salomón Torres
Salomón Torres Ramirez (born March 11, 1972) is a Dominican former professional baseball player. He began his career in with the San Francisco Giants, and also played for the Seattle Mariners, Montreal Expos, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Milwaukee Br ...
.
The Giants moved Estes through their farm system rapidly during the 1995 season, sending him to the
Burlington Bees
The Burlington Bees are a collegiate summer baseball team of the Prospect League. They are located in Burlington, Iowa, and have played their home games at Community Field since 1947. Founded in 1889, the Bees played in Minor League Basebal ...
,
San Jose Giants
The San Jose Giants are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Located in San Jose, California, the Giants play their home games at Excite Ballpark.
Games
San Jose Giants ga ...
and
Shreveport Captains
The Shreveport Captains (1971–2000) and Shreveport Swamp Dragons (2001–02) were a professional minor-league baseball team based in Shreveport, Louisiana. They were affiliated with the California Angels (1971–72), Milwaukee Brewers (1973–74 ...
.
Major league career
San Francisco Giants
Estes made his Major League debut with the Giants on September 16, 1995, working 5.1 innings as a starter against the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
. He allowed five earned runs and collected the loss. He was 0-3 in three starts for the Giants that September.
Estes returned to the minors to start the 1996 season with the
Phoenix Firebirds
The Phoenix Firebirds were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Phoenix, Arizona, from 1958 to 1959, and from 1966 to 1997. Before 1986, the team was known as the Phoenix Giants.
The franchise was a member of the Triple-A Pacific Coast Le ...
, but was recalled to the Majors to start a game against the rival
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 ...
on July 13. Estes worked seven shutout innings to record his first career victory.
Estes had his best season as a professional in , when he went 19-5 with a 3.18
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 ...
for the Giants. He was selected to the NL All-Star team during this season. He also had four career home runs and 28
RBIs, including a
grand slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
in .
On May 24, 2000, Estes became the first pitcher in Giants' franchise history to hit a grand slam since
Monte Kennedy
Montia Calvin Kennedy (May 11, 1922 – March 1, 1997) was an American professional baseball player, a left-handed pitcher who appeared in the Major Leagues from 1946 to 1953 for the New York Giants. A native of Amelia, Virginia, Kennedy stood ...
in 1949.
New York Mets
The Giants traded Estes to the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
on December 16, 2001 for
Desi Relaford
Desmond Lamont "Desi" Relaford (born September 16, 1973) is an American former professional baseball infielder and current manager of the Danville Otterbots. He played in Major League Baseball for the Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, Kansas Ci ...
and
Tsuyoshi Shinjo
, also known as , is a former Japanese professional baseball outfielder and current manager for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Born on January 28, 1972, Shinjo is the second Japanese-born position player ...
. The Mets signed him to a $6.2 million contract, avoiding arbitration. On June 15, 2002, Estes found himself at the center of a controversy when he started against 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 ...
against
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 ...
. In 2000, Clemens had beaned Mets catcher
Mike Piazza
Michael Joseph Piazza ( ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former professional baseball catcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1992 to 2007. He currently serves as the manager of the Italian national baseball tea ...
, followed by the incident in Game 2 of the
2000 World Series in which Clemens threw a broken bat at Piazza. With the fans standing in anticipation of the showdown, Estes' first pitch was a fastball that was about a foot behind Clemens. Estes would hit a two-run homer off Clemens in the fifth inning of the eventual 8-0 Mets win, setting off a loud roar from the sellout crowd of 54,347 and derisive chants of "Ro-ger! Ro-ger!"
Estes would ultimately start 23 games for the Mets, with a record of 4-9 and a 4.55 ERA, before he was traded again on August 15 to the
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
for
Brady Clark
Brady William Clark (born April 18, 1973) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. Brady is a class of 1991 graduate of Sunset High School in Beaverton, Oregon and 1996 graduate of the University of San Diego, where he played college bas ...
,
Raul González,
Elvin Andújar and
Pedro Feliciano
Pedro Juan Feliciano Molina (August 25, 1976 – November 8, 2021) was a Puerto Rican baseball pitcher who played nine seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed "Perpetual Pedro", he played for the New York Mets from 2002 to 2004, from 2 ...
.
Cincinnati Reds
He pitched in six games for the Reds, finishing 1-3 with a 7.71 ERA.
Chicago Cubs
Estes signed a 1-year deal with the Cubs in 2003. He was moved to the bullpen towards September due to his struggles on the mound. However, on September 24 with the Cubs holding a one-game lead over the Houston Astros, Estes pitched a complete-game shutout en route to an 8-0 Cubs win at Cincinnati. Three days later, the Cubs wrapped up the division. He ultimately finished the season with a record of 8-11, 5.73 ERA in 28 starts.
Colorado Rockies
Estes signed a minor league deal with 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 ...
in 2004. He was named the Opening Day starter. He beat Randy Johnson on Opening Day 6-2, pitching 7 innings while allowing just 2 runs on 2 hits.
He would enjoy his first winning season since the year 2000, finishing the season with a record of 15–8 in 34 starts, despite his 5.84 ERA being the highest among qualified starters.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Estes again signed a 1-year deal with the
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...
in 2005, following his stint the previous season with the Rockies. He was placed on the DL in July with a stress fracture in his left ankle. His season was cut short and he finished the season with a record of (7-8, 4.80 in 21 starts).
San Diego Padres
Estes signed a one-year deal 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 ...
for the 2006 season but made only one start before he was lost for the season due to
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 ...
.
Estes began his comeback with minor league appearances in Single-A, though he was soon promoted to Triple-A
Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
. After his first start in Portland, Estes reaggravated his injured pitching elbow. He was placed on 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
...
retroactive to August 6.
On May 8, , Estes finally returned to the Majors after missing most of the previous two seasons with injuries.
He started eight games for the Padres in 2008, finishing 2-3 with a 4.74 ERA. The Padres chose not to re-sign him after the season.
Los Angeles Dodgers
On January 9, , Estes signed a one-year minor league deal with 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 ...
with an invitation to spring training. He was expected to compete for the fifth starter position but pitched poorly in spring training games and was released on March 22. However, after thinking about his options, he decided to stay with the Dodgers and report to minor league camp to attempt to transition into a situational reliever The Dodgers assigned Estes to the AAA
Albuquerque Isotopes
The Albuquerque Isotopes are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They play home games at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an el ...
to open the season, where he was 3-4 with a 3.08 ERA in 13 starts before announcing his retirement because he did not want to pitch in AAA.
Washington Nationals
On February 6, 2010, Estes signed a minor league contract with the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
. On March 11, 2010, the Nationals released him. After his release from the Nationals, he retired from baseball.
Life after baseball
On July 31, 2010, Estes was honored with a plaque on the Giants Wall of Fame along with former teammate
Rich Aurilia
Richard Santo Aurilia (; born September 2, 1971) is a former Major League Baseball shortstop who played for several teams between 1995 and 2009.
Amateur career
Aurilia was born in Brooklyn, New York. Before being drafted by Texas, Aurilia was a ...
. Estes and Aurilia serve as co-hosts of Giants pregame and postgame shows on
NBC Sports Bay Area
NBC Sports Bay Area (sometimes abbreviated as NBCS Bay Area) is an American regional sports network owned as a joint venture between NBCUniversal and the San Francisco Giants, and operates as an affiliate of NBC Sports Regional Networks. Headquart ...
. He is also an occasional fill-in analyst on Giants road game broadcasts, working alongside
Duane Kuiper
Duane Eugene Kuiper (born June 19, 1950), nicknamed "Kuip", is an American sportscaster and former professional baseball player. As a player, he was a second baseman for the Cleveland Indians and San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball ( ...
.
Estes previously did television color commentary for the
Reno Aces
The Reno Aces are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are located in Reno, Nevada, and play their home games at Greater Nevada Field, which opened in 2009. ...
of the
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
.
Personal life
Estes is married to Nathalie Evashevski Estes. They have four children and live in Arizona.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Estes, Shawn
1973 births
Living people
San Francisco Giants players
New York Mets players
Cincinnati Reds players
Chicago Cubs players
Colorado Rockies players
Arizona Diamondbacks players
San Diego Padres players
Baseball players from California
Major League Baseball pitchers
National League All-Stars
Sportspeople from San Bernardino, California
Bellingham Mariners players
Appleton Foxes players
Arizona League Mariners players
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers players
San Jose Giants players
Shreveport Captains players
Burlington Bees players
Phoenix Firebirds players
Bakersfield Blaze players
Fresno Grizzlies players
Tucson Sidewinders players
Arizona League Padres players
Lake Elsinore Storm players
Portland Beavers players
Albuquerque Isotopes players
Major League Baseball broadcasters
San Francisco Giants announcers
Minor League Baseball broadcasters