Joel Hanrahan
From BR Bullpen
Joel Ryan Hanrahan
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 3", Weight 215 lb.
- School Norwalk (Iowa) Community High School
- Debut July 28, 2007
- Born October 6, 1981 in Des Moines, IA USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Pitcher Joel Hanrahan made his Major League debut as a starting pitcher for the Washington Nationals against the New York Mets on July 28, 2007. He pitched six innings without figuring in the decision, but the day's highlight was the triple he hit in his first at bat. Not since Doug Rau in 1972 had a pitcher accomplished that feat.
A second round choice of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2000 amateur draft out of high school, Hanrahan played for seven seasons in the Dodgers' organization without reaching the majors. He was 10-6, 4.20 for the Florida State League's Vero Beach Dodgers in 2002 and followed that with his best season in 2003, when he went 10-4, 2.43 in 23 starts for the Jacksonville Suns of the AA Southern League. He was named the league's outstanding pitcher and made the AA All-Star team, as well as earning a 5-game callup to the AAA Las Vegas 51's of the Pacific Coast League. However, he was roughed up in those games, ending up with a 10.08 ERA, and did not fare much better the following season in the hitter-friendly PCL: he went 7-7, 5.05 in 25 games, with 75 walks and 128 hits in 119 innings. He was sent back down to AA in 2005, but his 9-8, 4.92 record was not much better, and he went down one other rung of the minor league ladder, back to Vero Beach, to try to right himself. Back in AA in 2006, he found his groove again, with a 7-2, 2.60 record in 12 starts and earned another promotion to Las Vegas. There he went 4-3, 4.48 in 14 starts, and as the Dodgers left him off their major league roster after the season, he became a minor league free agent, signing with Washington on November 6, 2006.
Starting 2007 with the Columbus Clippers of the International League, Hanrahan had a 5-5 record with a solid 3.70 ERA in 14 starts to earn his promotion to the Majors with the Nationals at the end of July. He had struck out 71 batters in 75 innings in AAA. In the National League, he put up a record of 5-3 in 12 games (11 starts) but with a poor ERA of 6.00.
Hanrahan spent all of 2008 with the Nationals, appearing in 69 games, all in relief. He took over as the team's closer in the season's second half, after Jon Rauch was traded to Arizona. He went 6-3, 3.95 with 9 saves, but impressed most with his 93 strikeouts in 84⅓ innings of work, making him one of the team's few bright spots in what was a wretched season. His work also caught the attention of Team USA, who made him a late addition to its roster for the 2009 World Baseball Classic, after relievers B.J. Ryan, Joe Nathan and Brian Fuentes had pulled out from the competition.
After a fairly disastrous start to his 2009 season with the Nationals, Joel was traded along with Lastings Milledge to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Sean Burnett and Nyjer Morgan. He regained his touch with the help of pitching coach Joe Kerrigan and has resumed a productive major league career.
