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Brandon McCarthy
From BR Bullpen
Brandon Patrick McCarthy
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 7", Weight 190 lb.
- School Lamar Community College
- Debut May 22, 2005
- Born July 7, 1983 in Glendale, CA USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Pitcher Brandon McCarthy was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 17th round of the 2002 amateur draft. He was signed by scouts Joe Butler and John Kazanas and made his pro debut that summer for the AZL White Sox, posting a 2.76 ERA and leading the circuit with 79 strikeouts. The next season, he advanced to the Great Falls White Sox in the Pioneer League, where he won 9 games and again had a league-best 125 strikeouts. He split 2004 between A and AA, going 17-4 overall with a minor league-leading 202 K's.
McCarthy began 2005 with the Charlotte Knights and was promoted to the majors in May, making his first start against the Chicago Cubs on May 22nd. He returned to AAA before rejoining the White Sox in August. Overall, he was 7-7 with a 3.85 ERA and 130 strikeouts for Charlotte and 3-2 with a 4.03 ERA for the Sox. McCarthy began 2006 in the White Sox bullpen while waiting for his opportunity to join the club's rotation.
In December 2006, McCarthy was traded to the Texas Rangers, and he spent the next season in their rotation, going 5-10 with a 4.87 ERA.
McCarthy joined the Oakland Athletics for the 2011 season, going 9-9, 3.32. On September 5, 2012, pitching for the Oakland Athletics, McCarthy was hit by a line drive off the bat of Erick Aybar in the 4th inning of a start against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. While he was able to get up and leave the mound under his own power, the hit had caused a skull fracture and he had to undergo two hours of surgery as he was suffering from an epidural hemorrhage, a potentially life-threatening condition, as well as a brain contusion. The immediate question was whether he would survive the operation and regain full motor function, with the resumption of his career a secondary thought. He gave reassurance though when he quickly resumed his tweeting habit while in recovering in hospital, sending out a number of humorous messages commenting on his situation. Until the injury, he had been having another very solid year from the back of the A's rotation, with a record of 8-6, 3.24.
McCarthy made a remarkably quick recovery from the injury, to the point that on December 12th, the Arizona Diamondbacks were ready to commit to him with a two-year contract worth $15 million. He had successfully passed a battery of tests that indicated that he would be ready to resume his career the following spring. He started the 2013 season in the Diamondbacks' rotation, but it took him a while to find the winning track. He lost his first three decisions before finally beating the Miami Marlins by pitching 8 scoreless innings on May 18th, getting credit for the 1-0 win.
[edit] Notable Achievement
- Won a World Series with the Chicago White Sox in 2005 (he did not play in the World Series)
