Mike Adams (pitcher)

Mike Adams
Texas Rangers — No. 37
Relief pitcher
Born: July 29, 1978 (1978-07-29) (age 33)
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
MLB debut
May 18, 2004 for the Milwaukee Brewers
Career statistics (through 2011)
Win-Loss	13–12
Earned run average	2.11
Strikeouts	320
Teams
Milwaukee Brewers (2004–2006) San Diego Padres (2008–2011) Texas Rangers (2011–present)

Jon Michael Adams (born July 29, 1978, in Corpus Christi, Texas) is a right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Texas Rangers. Adams throws hard, his fastball routinely reaching the mid-90s.

Early years

Adams grew up in Sinton, Texas, population of less than 6,000,^[1] and graduated from Sinton High School where he was an All-State selection in baseball and basketball. He attended Texas A&M University–Kingsville where he continued to play both sports. The Milwaukee Brewers signed Adams as an undrafted free agent in 2001.

Professional career

Adams made his Major League debut on May 18, 2004, in a 3–2 loss to the Montreal Expos. In his first two Major League seasons, he compiled an earned run average of 3.26 in 59 games. On May 26, 2006, he was traded to the New York Mets for pitcher Geremi Gonzalez. Soon after, he was claimed by the Cleveland Indians. On July 18, 2006, the Indians traded Adams to the Padres for right-handed pitcher Brian Sikorski. Adams played for four minor league teams in 2006: Nashville Sounds, Norfolk Tides, Buffalo Bisons, and Portland Beavers.

Adams battled injuries, missing the 2007 season after undergoing three knee surgeries. He missed the first two months of 2009 after shoulder surgery. Afterward through 2010, he was on the 15-day disabled list twice, once for a fatigued shoulder and another time for a strained oblique.^[1]

He pitched extraordinarily well from 2009–10, throwing 107 innings and allowing 62 hits with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 118/31 and an earned run average (ERA) of 1.35. As the eighth-inning specialist, he appeared in a career-high 70 games in 2010, including eight of the final 11 games which consisted of a stretch of five consecutive games. Adams signed a one-year, $2,535,000 contract for 2011, avoiding salary arbitration. The earliest he could become a free agent is after the 2012 season.^[1]

Texas Rangers (2011–present)

At the non-waiver trade deadline on July 31, 2011, Adams was traded from the San Diego Padres to the Texas Rangers for Double-A pitchers Robbie Erlin and Joe Wieland.^[2]

In 2011, he was a combined 5–4, with a 1.47 ERA, in 73.2 innings.^[3]

Player profile

Adams throws hard with a fastball in the mid-90s mph. He is not afraid to pitch inside. He is effective against both right and left-handed batters. "He’s got the fastball inside. He’s got the cutter/slider inside. And he commands the outside of the plate (against right-handed and left-handed batters). The command is good, the stuff is good and the head’s good," said Padres manager Bud Black.^[1] Padres pitching coach Darren Balsley attributed Adams’ success against lefties to a hard, inside slider. "It neutralizes them a little bit," Balsley said. "They’re not able to dive out over the plate."^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} Norcross, Don (March 3, 2011). "Padres' Adams longs for closing time". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on March 5, 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5wwwUs9Wa. 
2. ^ Center, Bill (July 31, 2011). "Padres trade Adams, Ludwick; keep Bell, Harang". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on August 1, 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/60bbZvdni. 
3. ^ "Mike Adams Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/adamsmi03.shtml. Retrieved October 4, 2011. 

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Minor League Splits and Situational Stats

Persondata
Name	Adams, Mike
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	July 29, 1978
Place of birth	Corpus Christi, Texas
Date of death
Place of death