Joe Saunders
From BR Bullpen
Joseph Francis Saunders
- Bats Left, Throws Left
- Height 6' 3", Weight 210 lb.
- School Virginia Tech
- Debut August 16, 2005
- Born June 16, 1981 in Falls Church, VA USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Joe Saunders was drafted by the Anaheim Angels in the 1st round of the 2002 amateur draft. He was signed by scout Chris McAlpin for $1.825 million and made his pro debut that summer.
Saunders made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Angels in 2005. Back in the minors in 2006, he was called up in mid-July to start in place of the injured Kelvim Escobar. He was doing quite well in triple-A, with a record of 10-3 at the time.
He won his first major league start, giving up two earned runs in 7 innings, and was apparently sent back down to the minors afterwards. He came back, though, and started 13 games with a record of 7-3 over the remainder of the season. He won over 15 games in both 2008 and 2009 and was named to the All-Star team in 2008.
In July 2010, Saunders was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks with Rafael Rodriguez, Patrick Corbin and a player to be named later for Dan Haren. In 2011, he went 12-13 in 33 starts for Arizona, pitching a career-high 212 innings with a 3.69 ERA. He started Game 4 of the NLDS but gave up 3 runs 3 innings and was not involved in the decision.
Quote: "... I know I can pitch at this level... A lot of guys at triple A can play at this level, but there's not a spot for them". - Joe Saunders
[edit] Notable Achievements
- AL All-Star (2008)
- 15 Wins Seasons: 2 (2008 & 2009)
- 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 2 (2010 & 2011)
