Steven R. Cishek () (born June 18, 1986) 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 ...
. Cishek 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
Florida / Miami Marlins,
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
,
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
,
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
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 ...
. He holds the Marlins franchise record for consecutive
saves, with 33 in a row.
Amateur career
Born and raised in
Falmouth, Massachusetts
Falmouth ( ) is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 32,517 at the 2020 census, making Falmouth the second-largest municipality on Cape Cod after Barnstable. The terminal for the Steamship Authority ferri ...
, Cishek attended
Falmouth High School where he starred as a
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 ...
and also played
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 ...
. Not heavily recruited out of high school by Division I schools, Cishek attended Division II
Carson-Newman College in
Jefferson City, Tennessee
Jefferson City (originally named Mossy Creek) is a city in Jefferson County, Tennessee, United States. It is part of the Morristown Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census the population was 8,419.
History
Heading southwest along ...
, and led the team to a conference championship in 2007.
Professional career
Florida / Miami Marlins
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 ...
selected Cishek in the fifth round of the
2007 MLB draft. Cishek was called up to the MLB for the first time on September 20, 2010. He pitched scoreless innings towards the end of the season.
![Steve Cishek in 2013](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Steve_Cishek_in_2013.jpg)
On May 24, 2011, Cishek was called up once again to join the Marlins after
Jay Buente was designated for assignment. In 2012,
Heath Bell
Heath Justin Bell (born September 29, 1977) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. As a closer with the San Diego Padres from 2009 to 2011, Bell was a three-time All-Star and twice won the Rolaids Relief Man Award. He was ...
was demoted as the team's
closer and Cishek assumed the role for about a week. After a few relief appearances by Bell, he regained the closer's role. After about two months as the closer, Bell was demoted to a relief pitcher and Cishek took over the closer role again.
Cishek flourished in 2013, his first full season as Miami's closer, converting 34 of his 36 save opportunities, while posting a 2.33 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. He played with Miami again in 2014 and 2015. On June 1, 2015, Cishek was optioned to Double-A Jacksonville to work on his mechanics. To that point in the season, he had posted a 6.98 ERA with 17 strikeouts and 10 walks.
St. Louis Cardinals
On July 24, 2015, Cishek was traded to the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
for RHP
Kyle Barraclough
Kyle David Barraclough ( born May 23, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He previously played for the Miami Marlins, Washington Nationals, San Francisco Giants, Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Angels ...
. He debuted for the Cardinals on July 26 in a 3–2 loss to 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 ...
, pitching one scoreless inning but being charged with an
error
An error (from the Latin ''error'', meaning "wandering") is an action which is inaccurate or incorrect. In some usages, an error is synonymous with a mistake. The etymology derives from the Latin term 'errare', meaning 'to stray'.
In statistics ...
on a
pickoff attempt. The Cardinals did not tender Cishek a contract for the 2016 season, making him a free agent.
Seattle Mariners
On December 14, 2015, Cishek agreed to a two-year contract worth $10 million 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 going 25 for 31 in save opportunities, the Mariners removed Cishek as closer for a temporary basis. On August 5, he was placed on the disabled list with a hip injury.
Tampa Bay Rays
![Steve Cishek](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Steve_Cishek.jpg)
On July 28, 2017, the Mariners traded Cishek to 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 ...
for
Erasmo Ramírez.
Chicago Cubs
On December 16, 2017, Cishek signed a two-year, $13 million contract with 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 ...
. On August 20, 2019, he was reactivated from the
Triple-A Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in Des Moines, Iowa, and are named for their Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. The ...
.
Chicago White Sox
On January 14, 2020, Cishek signed a one-year deal with the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
. With the
2020 Chicago White Sox, Cishek appeared in 22 games, compiling a 0–0 record with 5.40 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 20.0 innings pitched. Cishek was designated for the assignment by the White Sox on September 24. He was released by the organization on September 28.
Houston Astros
![Steve Cishek 2022 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Steve_Cishek_2022_%28cropped%29.jpg)
On February 9, 2021, Cishek signed a minor league contract with the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
organization that included an invitation to Spring Training. On March 25, 2021, Cishek requested and was granted his release.
Los Angeles Angels
On March 29, 2021, Cishek signed a one-year, $1 million contract with 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 ...
.
Washington Nationals
On March 14, 2022, Cishek signed a one-year 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 ...
.
Player profile
Cishek is primarily a
sinkerballer who, despite utilizing a
sidearm delivery, is able to throw his sinker with above-average velocity ranging from to . His secondary pitch is a
slider
Slider or Sliders may refer to:
Arts
* K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise
* '' The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex
* ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series
* ...
in the range, a pitch he uses more commonly against right-handed hitters. Additionally, he has 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 ...
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 ...
; he uses the changeup exclusively against left-handed hitters, and that pitch ranges from to . Cishek features his slider liberally in two-strike counts, especially 1–2.
Personal life
Cishek married Marissa (Mitchell) Cishek in November 2012. The couple have three daughters together. Cishek is a
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
.
Growing up in Massachusetts, Cishek was a fan of 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 ...
.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cishek, Steve
1986 births
Living people
Arkansas Travelers players
Baseball players from Massachusetts
Carson–Newman Eagles baseball players
Chicago Cubs players
Chicago White Sox players
Everett AquaSox players
Florida Marlins players
Greensboro Grasshoppers players
Jacksonville Suns players
Jamestown Jammers players
Jupiter Hammerheads players
Los Angeles Angels players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Miami Marlins players
New Orleans Zephyrs players
People from Falmouth, Massachusetts
Phoenix Desert Dogs players
Seattle Mariners players
St. Louis Cardinals players
Tacoma Rainiers players
Tampa Bay Rays players
Washington Nationals players
World Baseball Classic players of the United States
2013 World Baseball Classic players
Falmouth High School (Massachusetts) alumni