David Aardsma
From BR Bullpen
David Allan Aardsma
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 5", Weight 200 lb.
- School Pennsylvania State University, Rice University
- High School Cherry Creek High School
- Debut April 6, 2004
- Born December 27, 1981 in Denver, CO USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Pitcher David Aardsma attended Penn State in his freshman year of college but transfered to Rice University in 2001, where he remained for the rest of his college tenure. At Rice, he became a dominant closer, where he set school single-season and career saves records. In the 2003 College World Series, Aardsma earned two wins and a save while striking out 15 of the 16 batters he faced, as the Owls won their first national championship.
Aardsma was drafted in the 1st round (22nd overall) of the 2003 amateur draft by the San Francisco Giants. He went to the San Jose Giants (Class A) and played brilliantly, posting a 1.96 ERA while striking out 28 in about 18 innings and notching 8 saves.
Earning an invitation to Spring Training with the Giants in 2004, he again pitched well, posting a 2.08 ERA and a striking out 6 in 8.2 innings. His talent earned him a spot on the Giants' opening day roster - in the 10 months since he was drafted he had skipped AA and AAA and went straight to the MLB. He made his debut one day after the season opener, pitching two innings, allowing three hits, and walking one. He was booed in his major league debut slightly; for at the same time, he became the first on the alphabetical list of all-time Major League Baseball players, replacing Hall of Famer Hank Aaron. In his first 6 appearances, he had a 1.80 ERA, but this success did not last. After giving up 2 runs in an inning on April 20, he was sent down to the AAA Fresno Grizzlies the next day. He split the remainder of the year between San Francisco, where he posted a 6.75 ERA in 11 games, and Fresno, where he was 6-4 with a 3.09 ERA and 11 saves.
The Giants decided to try to convert Aardsma to a starter in 2005, and he began the year with the AA Norwich Navigators, with whom he went 6-2 with a 2.93 ERA. On May 28, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs along with Jerome Williams for LaTroy Hawkins. Aardsma spent the remainder of the season with the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx, going 4-1 with a 3.91 ERA and 2 saves in 33 games.
Aardsma earned a spot in the Cubs bullpen the next year, going 3-0 with a 4.08 ERA in 45 games. After the season, he was traded again, this this time across town to the Chicago White Sox along with Carlos Vasquez for Neal Cotts. He split his first season between the big leagues, where he posted a 6.40 ERA in 25 games, and the AAA Charlotte Knights, with whom he notched 15 saves.
Aardsma currently wears number 54 for the Sox and currently resides in The Woodlands, TX.
