Steven Edward Delabar (born July 17, 1983) is an American former
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
. A native of Kentucky, Delabar attended
Central Hardin High School
Central Hardin High School is a school located in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, United States. On this map, the area within the city limits of Elizabethtown has a pink background. Although the school is within the city limits, it is served by the post ...
and
Volunteer State Community College
Volunteer State Community College (Vol State) is a public community college in Gallatin, Tennessee. It is part of the Tennessee Board of Regents.
Vol State serves the suburban Nashville community. The main campus of the college is 30 miles (48&n ...
. He was selected late in the 2003 MLB draft by 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 ...
and began his minor league career in 2004. He played in the low minor leagues for several seasons until he sustained a severe elbow injury in 2009.
In 2010, Delabar worked as a substitute teacher and then became an assistant high school baseball coach. Delabar helped to implement an arm conditioning program for pitchers at the high school and found that his own pitching velocity improved significantly. After a tryout 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 ...
in early 2011, Delabar was assigned to the team's Class-A affiliate. He progressed to Advanced-A, Double-A, and Triple-A, then to the major leagues. His MLB debut came late in 2011 at the age of 28. He was traded to 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 ...
in 2012, and played with them through the 2015 season.
Early career
Steve Delabar went to
Central Hardin High School
Central Hardin High School is a school located in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, United States. On this map, the area within the city limits of Elizabethtown has a pink background. Although the school is within the city limits, it is served by the post ...
in
Cecilia, Kentucky
Cecilia is a census-designated place (CDP) and unincorporated community in Hardin County, Kentucky, United States. It is located west of Elizabethtown, the county seat. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 572.
The town was formerly c ...
.
[ where he was drafted by 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 ha ...
in the 43rd round of the 2002 MLB draft
The 2002 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 4 and 5.
It is featured in Michael Lewis' 2003 book '' Moneyball''.
First round selections
Supplemental first round compensation selections
* ...
, but elected to go to college. He attended Volunteer State Community College
Volunteer State Community College (Vol State) is a public community college in Gallatin, Tennessee. It is part of the Tennessee Board of Regents.
Vol State serves the suburban Nashville community. The main campus of the college is 30 miles (48&n ...
.[ After one year there, he was drafted in the 29th round, 851st overall, in the 2003 Major League Baseball draft by 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 ...
.
Professional career
Minor league career
Delabar did not play professionally in 2003. He started the 2004 season with the Arizona League Padres
The Arizona Complex League Padres are a Rookie-level affiliate of the San Diego Padres, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Arizona, which is also ...
, going 3–4 with a 4.37 ERA before earning a promotion to the Single-A Short-Season Eugene Emeralds
The Eugene Emeralds (nicknamed the Ems) are a Minor League Baseball team in the northwest United States, based in Eugene, Oregon. The Emeralds are members of the Northwest League and are affiliated with the San Francisco Giants. Eugene plays their ...
. He played all of 2005 with Eugene, going 4–6 in 16 starts with a 4.76 ERA. He played 2006 with the Single-A Fort Wayne TinCaps
The Fort Wayne TinCaps are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. They are located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and play their home games at Parkview Field. They won their lone Midwest Le ...
, then the Wizards, earning an 8–9 record with a 3.41 ERA in 27 starts with 118 strikeouts. He started 2007 with Single-A Advanced Lake Elsinore Storm
The Lake Elsinore Storm are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The Storm plays their home games at Lake Elsinore Diamond (Pete Lehr Field), which opened in 1994; the park se ...
, but was demoted back to Fort Wayne after registering a 5.59 ERA out of the bullpen. He started 2008 with Fort Wayne, but was cut after a 5.27 ERA as a relief pitcher.
On June 7, he signed a deal with the independent Florence Freedom
The Florence Y'alls are a professional baseball team based within the Greater Cincinnati region in the city of Florence, Kentucky. The Y'alls are a member of the West Division of the Frontier League, an independent baseball league. Since 2004, t ...
of the Frontier League
The Frontier League is a professional independent baseball league with teams in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Eastern Canada. Formed in 1993, it is the oldest currently running independent league in the United States. The le ...
, where he played four games before signing with the independent Brockton Rox
The Brockton Rox are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Brockton, Massachusetts, United States. Formerly a professional baseball franchise, the Rox were a member of the independent Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball, fr ...
of the Canadian-American Association
The Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, commonly known as the Can-Am League, was a professional, independent baseball league with teams in the Northeast United States and Eastern Canada, founded in 2005 as a reorganization of ...
, going 3–3 in 11 starts with a 3.01 ERA. He played all of 2009 with Brockton, where he had a 3.36 ERA in 12 appearances. His 2009 season ended when he suffered a fractured right elbow. The injury was so serious that a steel plate and nine screws were embedded to stabilize the elbow during the surgery.
He did not play professionally in 2010, working as a substitute teacher in his hometown of Elizabethtown, Kentucky
Elizabethtown is a home rule-class city and the county seat of Hardin County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 28,531 at the 2010 census, and was estimated at 30,289 by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2019, making it the 11th-largest city ...
at John Hardin High School. He also played slow pitch softball, where he won the 2010 Louisville Invitational Tournament Miken Homerun Derby. He began working as an assistant baseball coach at the high school. While introducing an arm conditioning program to his high school players, Delabar's own fastball returned to the 92-97 mph range. Delabar signed a minor league deal with the Mariners for 2011. He was assigned to Single-A Advanced High Desert Mavericks
The High Desert Mavericks were an American Minor League Baseball team in Adelanto, California, that played their home games at Heritage Field at Stater Bros. Stadium. They played in the Class A-Advanced California League. The franchise had eight ...
before being promoted to the Double-A Jackson Generals
The Jackson Generals were a professional baseball team located in Jackson, Tennessee. From 1998 to 2020, they were a part of Minor League Baseball's Southern League (1964–2020), Southern League (SL) as the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliat ...
and the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers
The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, which opened in 1960. ...
.
Major league career
Seattle Mariners (2011–2012)
Delabar was called up by 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 ...
from the 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 Nor ...
on September 6, . He made his MLB debut on September 11 against the 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 ...
. Delabar recorded his first major league win on September 14, 2011 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 ...
.
Toronto Blue Jays (2012–2015)
Delabar was traded to 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 ...
on July 30, 2012, for outfielder Eric Thames
Eric Allyn Thames ( ; born November 10, 1986) is an American professional baseball first baseman and outfielder who is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, Milwaukee B ...
. On August 13, he struck out 4 men in the 10th inning, and recorded the win in a 3-2 victory over 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 ...
. In doing so, Delabar became the first pitcher in major league history to record four strikeouts in an extra inning
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 ...
.
Delabar was named a Final Vote candidate for the 2013 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. He posted a 5–1 record with a 1.58 ERA and an American League reliever-leading 57 strikeouts in 40 innings over 35 games played prior to the All-Star Game roster announcement. Delabar earned his first career save on July 10, 2013, in a game 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 ...
. On July 11, it was announced that he had been elected to the All-Star game in the Final Vote contest, receiving 9.6 million votes. Delabar pitched of an inning and struck out Buster Posey
Gerald Dempsey "Buster" Posey III (born March 27, 1987) is an American former professional baseball catcher. Posey spent his entire twelve-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the San Francisco Giants, from 2009 until his retirement at ...
on five pitches in the 2013 MLB All-Star Game
The 2013 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 84th edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. It was held on Tuesday, July 16, 2013 at Citi Field in Queens, New York City, the home of the New York Mets. This was the first time tha ...
.
On July 30, 2013, while facing the Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
, Delabar struck out all three batters in the eighth inning on nine total pitches to become the 48th major-league pitcher to accomplish an immaculate inning
In baseball, a strikeout occurs when a pitcher throws three strike zone, strikes to a Batting (baseball), batter during his time at bat. An immaculate inning occurs when a pitcher strikes out all three batters he faces in one inning, using the mi ...
. Delabar also became only the fourth pitcher in major-league history to both strike out four batters in one inning and throw an immaculate inning, joining Bob Gibson
Robert Gibson (born Pack Robert Gibson; November 9, 1935October 2, 2020) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals (1959–1975). Nicknamed "Gibby" and "Hoot" ( ...
, 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 ...
, and 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 ...
. On August 4, Delabar was placed on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation. In total for 2013, he posted a 5–5 record, 3.22 ERA, and 82 strikeouts in 58 innings.[
After opening the 2014 season with a 4.68 ERA and 16 walks through 25 innings of work, Delabar was optioned to the Triple-A ]Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...
on June 17, 2014, to make room for Munenori Kawasaki
is a Japanese professional baseball shortstop and second baseman for the Tochigi Golden Braves of Baseball Challenge League in Japan. He has played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, and in Major League Baseb ...
. He was called back on June 19 after Brett Cecil
Brett Aarion Cecil (born July 2, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays and St. Louis Cardinals. Cecil was drafted as the 38th overall pick in the 2007 MLB dra ...
was placed on the disabled list, without appearing for the Bisons. He was then optioned back to the Bisons on June 20. When the major league rosters expanded on September 1, Delabar was not among the names announced to be called up. On September 2 the organization announced that he had been sent home for the remainder of the season to rest in preparation for the 2015 season. In 2014, Delabar posted a 3–0 record, 4.91 ERA, 21 strikeouts, and a 1.48 WHIP in 30 appearances (25 innings).[
Despite a strong showing during 2015 spring training, Delabar was optioned to minor league camp on March 26. He was recalled from Buffalo on May 3. He was optioned back to Buffalo on July 25 when Aaron Sanchez was activated from the disabled list. Delabar was recalled in September, but was not added to the Blue Jays postseason roster. He finished the 2015 campaign with a 2–0 record, 5.22 ERA, and 30 strikeouts in 29 innings.][
On January 15, 2016, Delabar and the Blue Jays avoided ]salary arbitration Free agency in Major League Baseball (MLB) concerns players whose contracts with a team have expired and who are therefore eligible to sign with another team. Free agents may be eligible for pendulum arbitration, also called "salary arbitration" or ...
by agreeing to a one-year, $835,000 contract. On March 29, the Blue Jays released Delabar.
Cincinnati Reds (2016)
On April 2, 2016, Delabar signed a minor league deal with 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 ...
. On May 7, his contract was purchased by the Reds. On May 17, in a game against the Cleveland Indians, Delabar walked four consecutive batters with the bases loaded thus allowing four runs to score. Delabar was designated for assignment by the Reds on May 21, and sent outright to the Triple-A Louisville Bats
The Louisville Bats are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky, and are named in dual reference to the bat, win ...
on May 24. On June 24, Delabar was released by the Reds.
Hiroshima Toyo Carp (2016)
On June 25, 2016, Delabar signed with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp
The is a professional baseball team based in Hiroshima, Japan. They compete in the Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball. The team is primarily owned by the Matsuda family, led by , who is a descendant of Mazda founder Jujiro Matsuda ...
of Nippon Professional Baseball
or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''.
Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...
.
Cleveland Indians
Delabar signed a minor league contract with 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 ...
on January 13, 2017. The deal included an invitation to the Indians' 2017 spring training camp. On April 24, Delabar was suspended for 80 games after testing positive for ostarine
Enobosarm, also known as ostarine or MK-2866, is an investigational selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) developed by GTx, Inc. for the treatment of conditions such as muscle wasting and osteoporosis, formerly under development by Merc ...
. Delabar was released by the Indians on July 5, 2017.
Texas Rangers
On January 4, 2018, Delabar signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers with an invitation to spring training. He was released on April 20.
Retirement
On February 4, 2019, Delabar announced that he will no longer pursue playing opportunities on the Outta Park show with Barry Davis.
Pitching style
Delabar throws three pitches: a hard 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 ca ...
at an average of 95 mph, 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
* ...
from 85–88 mph that he throws occasionally to right-handed hitters, and a split-finger fastball
A split-finger fastball or splitter is an off-speed pitch in baseball that looks to the batter like a fastball until it drops suddenly. Derived from the forkball, it is so named because the pitcher puts the index and middle finger on different ...
that registers speeds in the mid-to-upper 80s. All three pitches are excellent 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 ...
pitches, with well above-average whiff rates of 25% on the fastball, 33% on the slider, and 48% on the splitter. The high whiff rates contribute to a K/9 rate of over 11 for Delabar's career.
See also
* List of Major League Baseball single-inning strikeout leaders
In baseball, a strikeout occurs when a pitcher throws three strikes to a batter during his time at bat. Under Rules 6.05 and 6.09 of the Official Rules of Major League Baseball, a batter becomes a runner when a third strike is not caught by ...
* List of Toronto Blue Jays team records
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Delabar, Steve
1983 births
Living people
American sportspeople in doping cases
American expatriate baseball players in Canada
American expatriate baseball players in Japan
American League All-Stars
Arizona League Padres players
Baseball players from Kentucky
Brockton Rox players
Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players
Cincinnati Reds players
Eugene Emeralds players
Florence Freedom players
Fort Wayne Wizards players
Gulf Coast Blue Jays players
High Desert Mavericks players
Hiroshima Toyo Carp players
Jackson Generals (Southern League) players
Lake Elsinore Storm players
Louisville Bats players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers
Seattle Mariners players
Tacoma Rainiers players
Toronto Blue Jays players
Volunteer State Pioneers baseball players