Douglas Wildes Fister (born February 4, 1984) 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 leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professional ...

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 ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the

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) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...

, Detroit Tigers,

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 ...

, Houston Astros,

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 eigh ...

, and Texas Rangers from 2009 through 2018. Fister batted left-handed, and threw right-handed. He was born in

Merced, California Merced (; Spanish for "Mercy") is a city in, and the county seat of, Merced County, California, United States, in the San Joaquin Valley. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 86,333, up from 78,958 in 2010. Incorporated on April 1 ...

and attended Golden Valley High School. He then attended

Merced College Merced College is a public community college in Merced, California. History In 1961, the Merced High and Le Grand High School Districts petitioned the State Board of Education for permission to set an election to approve the establishment of a ...

, and later

Fresno State University California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) is a public university in Fresno, California. It is one of 23 campuses in the California State University system. The university had a fall 2020 enrollment of 25,341 students. It offers bache ...

. He spent four seasons (2006–2009) in the

minor league organization before being promoted to their Major League roster in 2009.

Early life

Fister was born February 4, 1984, to Larry and Jan Fister. Larry Fister is a

fire captain Captain is a rank in various fire services. In most American and Canadian fire services, a captain ranks above a lieutenant and below a battalion chief, and therefore two grades above a regular firefighter. This varies, though, between department ...

who played football at Fresno State University from 1976 to 1977. Jan is a

homemaker Homemaking is mainly an American and Canadian term for the management of a home, otherwise known as housework, housekeeping, housewifery or household management. It is the act of overseeing the organizational, day-to-day operations of a hous ...

. Fister has three siblings; a brother, Jacob and two sisters, Casey and Wendy. He grew up in Merced, California where he began playing baseball at age six. He was a fan of both the Oakland Athletics and

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 Y ...

as a child. His favorite player was

Cal Ripken Jr. Calvin Edwin Ripken Jr. (born August 24, 1960), nicknamed " The Iron Man", is an American former baseball shortstop and third baseman who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles (1981–2001). One of his posit ...

Fister also played soccer, football and

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

as a child. He shares a middle name (Wildes) with both his brother, father and grandfather.

Amateur career

High school

Fister attended Golden Valley High School where he pitched and was the team's utility player. He was a two-year letterman and a first-team All-Central California Conference selection in his senior season, batting .456 with a home run and 12

runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the ba ...

(RBIs). He was also named a first team all-conference selection in basketball, averaging over 30 points per game as a senior. He and former MLB catcher Dusty Ryan graduated in the same class.

College

Fister attended

from 2003 to 2004. At Merced, he was a two-year letterman and participated in the 2003 Junior College All-Star Game. In 2003, he was a preseason All-American. Fister was drafted by the

in the 49th round of the 2004 Major League Baseball draft but chose to transfer to Division I

, where he played for the

Bulldogs The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose.2005, Fister led Fresno State with wins (7) and was second on the team in innings pitched (93) and strikeouts (77). He also appeared in 26 games at first base in 2005. That season, he was drafted by the

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

in the sixth round but chose to stay at Fresno State for his senior season. In 2006, Fister had an 8–6 record and a 4.10

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 ...

in 20 games. Following the season, Fister was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the seventh round of the 2006 Major League Baseball draft.

Professional career

Seattle Mariners

2006–2007

Fister was selected by the

in the seventh round of the 2006 Major League Baseball draft, and signed on June 10, 2006. He began his professional career that season with the Class-A Short-Season

Everett AquaSox The Everett AquaSox are a Minor League Baseball team in Everett, Washington. The team is a member of the Northwest League and is affiliated with the Seattle Mariners. The AquaSox play their home games at Funko Field, which has a seating capacity ...

of the

Northwest League The Northwest League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Northwestern United States and Western Canada. A Class A Short Season league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Basebal ...

. Fister went 3–5 with a 2.25 ERA, four saves, and 35

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 20 games; four starts. He was first on the AquaSox in

games finished In baseball statistics, a relief pitcher is credited with a game finished (denoted by GF) if he is the last pitcher to pitch for his team in a game. A starting pitcher is not credited with a GF for pitching a complete game. Mariano Rivera is th ...

(13), and ERA; tied for second in saves, and wins; and was third among pitchers in games played (20). The next season, 2007, Fister played with the Double-A

West Tenn Diamond Jaxx 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 (SL) as the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs (1998–2006), Seattle Mari ...

of the Southern League. That season, he went 7–8 with a 4.60 ERA, one complete game, and 85 strikeouts in 24 games, all starts. Fister led the Diamond Jaxx pitching staff in wins, and

home runs allowed In baseball statistics, home runs allowed (HRA) signifies the total number of home runs a pitcher allowed. The Major League Baseball record for the most home runs allowed by any pitcher belongs to Jamie Moyer (522 in his career). He gave up home r ...

(14); was tied for first in complete games; was second in

hits allowed In Baseball statistics, hits allowed (HA) signifies the total number of hits allowed by a pitcher. See also *Baseball statistics Baseball statistics play an important role in evaluating the progress of a player or team. Since the flow of a bas ...

(156); and was third in losses, games started, innings pitched (131),

runs allowed Run(s) or RUN may refer to: Places * Run (island), one of the Banda Islands in Indonesia * Run (stream), a stream in the Dutch province of North Brabant People * Run (rapper), Joseph Simmons, now known as "Reverend Run", from the hip-hop group ...

(78), and earned runs allowed (67).

2008 season

Fister continued to play for the Double-A West Tenn Diamond Jaxx in 2008. On April 23, Fister was named the Southern League Pitcher of the Week. Fister became the Southern League's first 10-game loser on July 10. On the season, Fister went 6–14 with a 5.43 ERA, and 104 strikeouts in 31 games; 23 starts. Fister was first among Diamond Jaxx pitchers in losses, games started, innings pitched (134), hits allowed (155), runs allowed (95), earned runs allowed (81), home runs allowed (12); and was second in wins, bases on balls (walks) allowed (45), and strikeouts. He was also first in the Southern League in runs allowed; and was second in losses, and earned runs allowed. At the end of the 2008 regular season, Fister played in the

Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fille ...

(AFL) with the

Peoria Javelinas The Peoria Javelinas are a baseball team that plays in the West Division of the Arizona Fall League. The Javelinas play their home games in the Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Arizona. The ballpark is also the spring training facility for the S ...

. In the AFL, Fister was involved in no decisions with a 3.32 ERA, and 22 strikeouts in 11 games, all in relief. Doug Fister Aug 16, 2009

2009 season

In 2009, Fister began the season with the Double-A West Tenn Diamond Jaxx for the third time in his career. However, he was later promoted to 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 ...

, and eventually the Seattle Mariners. In just two games with the Diamond Jaxx, Fister went 1–0 and gave-up no earned runs. With the Rainiers, Fister went 6–4 with a 3.81 ERA, and 79 strikeouts in 22 games, 17 starts. On August 7, Fister was promoted to the majors. As a result, pitcher

Jason Vargas Jason Matthew Vargas (born February 2, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels, Kansas City Royals, New York Mets and Ph ...

was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma to make room for Fister on the Mariners' 25-man roster. In his major league debut 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) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...

on August 8, Fister pitched one inning, struck out one, gave up one

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 ...

, and gave up one walk. He made his first start on August 11 against 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 ...

and picked up the loss. Fister's first win came on August 16 against the New York Yankees. Fister finished the season with a major league record of 3–4 with a 4.13 ERA, and 36 strikeouts in 11 games, 10 starts.

2010 season

In 2010, Fister started the first game for the Mariners in spring training. Going into the season, Fister, and fellow starting pitchers

Garrett Olson Garrett Andrew Olson (born October 18, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Mets and in the KBO League for ...

, Luke French and Jason Vargas competed for the Mariners' fifth spot in the

starting rotation R rabbit ears :Indicates a participant in the game who hears things perhaps too well for their own good. A player who becomes nervous or chokes when opposing players or fans yell at or razz them is said to have rabbit ears. Also, an umpire ...

. Fister ended up getting a job in the rotation (as did Vargas). On April 19, Fister took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...

until it was broken up by

Nick Markakis Nicholas William Markakis ( ) (born November 17, 1983) is a Greek-American former professional baseball right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 15 seasons for the Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves. Markakis was the Orioles ...

' leadoff single. Although the Mariners suffered early season woes, the ''

Seattle Post-Intelligencer The ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'' (popularly known as the ''Seattle P-I'', the ''Post-Intelligencer'', or simply the ''P-I'') is an online newspaper and former print newspaper based in Seattle, Washington, United States. The newspaper was f ...

'' praised Fister and fellow starter Jason Vargas as reasons for why the Mariners were not doing worse, stating, "If Doug Fister and Jason Vargas hadn't been excellent at the back end of the rotation, God knows where this club would be."

2011 season

In 2011, Fister was the Mariners' number three starter behind

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 ...

and

Detroit Tigers

On July 30, 2011, Fister was traded to the Detroit Tigers along with relief pitcher

David Pauley David Wayne Pauley (born June 17, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Pauley pitched for five Major League Baseball (MLB) teams from 2006 to 2012. He batted and threw right-handed. Career Early life Pauley is a graduate of ...

in exchange for Casper Wells,

Charlie Furbush Charles Roderick Furbush (born April 11, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners. Early life and career Furbush was born in South Portland, M ...

, Francisco Martinez, and a

player to be named later In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...

. On August 17, the Tigers sent former first round pick

Chance Ruffin Chance Kraig Ruffin (born September 8, 1988) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played for the Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball. Professional career Detroit Tigers Ruffin was drafted by the Detroi ...

to the Mariners to complete the trade. Before being dealt to the Detroit Tigers, Fister had a 3–12 record with a 3.33 ERA in 21 starts. After his trade to the Tigers, Fister went 8–1 with a 1.79 ERA in 10 starts. He finished the 2011 regular season 11–13, with an ERA of 2.83 that placed him fourth among American League pitchers. Fister was named the American League

Pitcher of the Month In Major League Baseball (MLB), the Pitcher of the Month Award is given monthly during the regular season to two outstanding pitchers, one each in the National League (NL) and American League (AL). The NL began awarding the honor in , and the A ...

for September after going 5–0 with a 0.53 ERA in five starts. Facing the

in the American League Divisional Series, Fister bounced back from a rough game 1 outing to earn the win in the decisive game 5. Fister limited the Yankees to one run on five hits and two walks over five innings in the Tigers 3–2 victory, which sent them to the American League Championship Series. In Game 3 of the American League Championship Series, he held the Texas Rangers' offense to two runs in 7 innings to get the win in a 5–2 Tigers victory.

2012 season

On April 7 while pitching against the Red Sox, Fister left the game due to an injury. The next day, Fister was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strain of the costochondral muscle in his left side, an injury to the ribcage.

Brayan Villarreal Brayan Rene Villarreal (born May 10, 1987) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox. He is 6'0" tall and weighs 170 pounds. Minor league career V ...

was recalled from Triple-A Toledo to take his place on the roster. On September 22, Fister threw his first career shutout, blanking the Minnesota Twins 8–0 on seven hits. In his next start on September 27, Doug set an American League record by striking out nine batters in a row against the Kansas City Royals. This was just one short of the major league record (10) set by

Tom Seaver George Thomas Seaver (November 17, 1944 – August 31, 2020), nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "the Franchise", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the New York Mets, Cinc ...

in 1970. He finished the 2012 regular season with a 10–10 record and a 3.45 ERA in 26 starts. Fister pitched in the second game of the ALDS against the Oakland A's, picking up a no decision in a 5–4 victory while giving up two runs in seven innings. He also got a no-decision in Game 1 of the

2012 ALCS The 2012 American League Championship Series was a best-of-seven playoff pitting the New York Yankees against the Detroit Tigers for the American League pennant and the right to play in the 2012 World Series. The series, the 43rd in league hi ...

against the New York Yankees, despite surrendering no runs in innings of work. Fister was struck in the head by a line drive off the bat of Giants outfielder

Gregor Blanco Gregor Miguel Blanco Pedraza (born December 24, 1983) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball outfielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, the Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants, Washington Nationals, ...

during the second inning of Game 2 of the 2012 World Series. Fister continued to pitch the game, holding the Giants to one run over six innings before turning it over to the bullpen.

2013 season

Fister was injury-free in 2013, making 32 starts for the Tigers. He set career highs in wins (14), win percentage (14–9, .609) and strikeouts (159), while finishing the regular season with a 3.67 ERA. Doug made a start in Game 4 of the 2013 ALDS against the Oakland Athletics, with the Tigers facing elimination. He gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings of work. The Tigers won the game with a late rally, so Fister did not factor in the decision. In Game 4 of the

2013 ALCS The 2013 American League Championship Series was a best-of-seven playoff pitting the Boston Red Sox against the Detroit Tigers for the American League pennant and the right to play in the 2013 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. The ...

against the

, Fister gave up just one run on eight hits, striking out seven over six innings and earning the win in a 7–3 Tigers victory. Following the 2013 season, Fister was named a finalist for the Gold Glove Award for the pitcher position alongside

Mark Buehrle Mark Alan Buehrle (; born March 23, 1979) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played the majority of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Chicago White Sox, playing twelve seasons for the team and winning the World S ...

and

R. A. Dickey Robert Allen Dickey (born October 29, 1974) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays and Atlanta Bra ...

. Fister finished the season with no errors for a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage. Additionally, he led all American League pitchers in putouts (23) and double plays started (5), and was seventh in assists (29).

Washington Nationals

On December 2, 2013, Doug Fister was traded to the

for utility man Steve Lombardozzi Jr. and left-handed pitchers

Ian Krol Ian A. Krol (born May 9, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Nationals, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angel ...

and

Robbie Ray Robert Glenn Ray (born October 1, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Toronto Blue Jays. Ray was an M ...

. During spring training with the Nationals, Fister developed a strained lat muscle on his right side that put him on the disabled list to start the 2014 season. He returned on May 9 against the Oakland Athletics where he gave up five earned runs on nine hits in innings. He bounced back in his next start, against 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 ...

, Fister gave up one earned run on five hits in seven innings. Fister finished the 2014 season with a 16–6 record over 164 IP, tallying 98 strikeouts, a 1.08 WHIP (5th in the NL among qualified starters), and a 2.41 ERA (4th in the NL). Fister pitched in 25 games for the Nationals in 2015, 15 of which were starts. He posted a 5–7 record, 4.19 ERA, and 63 strikeouts in 103 innings pitched.

Houston Astros

On January 28, 2016, Fister signed a one-year, $7 million contract with the Houston Astros. He became a free agent at the end of the season.

Los Angeles Angels

On May 20, 2017, Fister signed a minor-league 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 h ...

. On June 21, 2017, he opted out of his Angels contract and was placed on waivers.

Boston Red Sox

On June 23, 2017, Fister was claimed off waivers by the

. On June 25, Fister made his first start with the Red Sox, going 6 innings and striking out 6 batters, allowing 3 earned runs and in a 2–4 loss against the

. On an August 22 start in Cleveland, Fister allowed a lead off home run to

Francisco Lindor Francisco Miguel Lindor Serrano (born November 14, 1993), nicknamed "Paquito" and "Mr. Smile", is a Puerto Rican professional baseball shortstop for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Cleveland Indian ...

to briefly tie the score at 1–1, but this would turn out to be the only hit registered by the Indians as Fister would go on to pitch a complete-game 1-hitter and not allow a hit to the final 28 batters faced in the game in an eventual 9–1 Red Sox win.

Texas Rangers

On November 28, 2017, Fister signed a one-year, $4 million, contract with the Texas Rangers that included an option for the following season. He made 12 starts for the Rangers in 2018 before suffering a season-ending right knee strain on June 9, and had his option declined by the Rangers after the season. On February 13, 2019, Fister retired.

Pitching style

Fister threw four pitches, and was mainly a groundball pitcher. His two seam fastball was thrown at . His other pitches were a cutter (), a curveball (), 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 ...

(). The curveball was his best swing-and-miss pitch, with a career whiff rate of over 30%. Fister finished third and fourth in 2010 and 2011, respectively, in lowest walks per nine innings ratio. Fister ran on days he did not pitch. Fister stands and was among the tallest players in the major leagues.Baseball's Tallest Pitchers
''Sports Illustrated''

Personal life

Fister and his wife, Ashley, have two daughters.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fister, Doug 1984 births Living people Baseball players from California People from Merced, California Major League Baseball pitchers Seattle Mariners players Detroit Tigers players Washington Nationals players Houston Astros players Boston Red Sox players Texas Rangers players Merced Blue Devils baseball players Fresno State Bulldogs baseball players Everett AquaSox players West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx players Peoria Javelinas players Tacoma Rainiers players Toledo Mud Hens players Potomac Nationals players Harrisburg Senators players Salt Lake Bees players