Sean Doolittle

This article is about the baseball player. For the author, see Sean Doolittle (author).
Sean Doolittle

Doolittle with the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics – No. 62
Pitcher
Born: (1986-09-27) September 27, 1986
Rapid City, South Dakota
Bats: Left Throws: Left
MLB debut
June 5, 2012, for the Oakland Athletics
MLB statistics
(through 2015 season)
Win–loss record 10–10
Earned run average 3.04
Strikeouts 224
Saves 29
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Sean Doolittle
Medal record
Men’s baseball
Representing  United States
World University Championship
2006 Havana Team

Sean Robert Doolittle (born September 26, 1986) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was an MLB All-Star in 2014.

Early life

Doolittle grew up in Tabernacle Township, New Jersey, where he played Babe Ruth Baseball, and excelled as a pitcher.

He attended Shawnee High School, in Medford, New Jersey where he was a stand-out pitcher and broke the state record for most strikeouts in a game. Sean was also a great hitter and led Shawnee to a state championship. Doolittle played for the University of Virginia as both a starting pitcher and first baseman. He formerly held the record for wins in a career for a Virginia pitcher — 22 — which has since been passed by Danny Hultzen.[1] In 2005 and 2006, Doolittle was named to the USA National (Collegiate) Baseball Team.[2][3][4]

Minor-league career

The Oakland Athletics selected Doolittle in the first round, with the 41st overall selection, in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft, as a first baseman/outfielder. He made his professional debut on June 18, 2007 and was expected to make his major league debut in 2009. His brother, Ryan Doolittle is also a part of the Athletics' farm system.[5]

His teammates during his college days were Ryan Zimmerman and Michael Schwimer.[4]

Despite being injured for most of the 2009 season, Doolittle was ranked tenth in Oakland's farm system according to Baseball America.[6] Doolittle missed the entire 2010 season while rehabbing from 2 knee surgeries. In the 2011 offseason, he was placed on Oakland's 40-man roster to be protected from the Rule 5 draft. After missing more than two years, Doolittle converted back to pitching,[7] making his professional pitching debut in the instructional league in Arizona in 2011.

Major-league career

After just 26 professional innings, 25 of those at three minor league stops in 2012, Doolittle was called up to the majors on June 5, 2012 against the Texas Rangers pitching 1 and a third inning while striking out three with all fastballs and none going below 94 mph. He quickly became a key bullpen piece as the top lefty specialist earning his first career save on July 21 against the New York Yankees. He served as a set-up man for A's closer Grant Balfour the rest of the way as Oakland went on to win the AL West on the final day of the season.

Doolittle signed a five-year, $10.5 million[8] extension with the Athletics on April 18, 2014.[9]

Doolittle and righty Luke Gregerson entered the regular season as late-inning setup pitchers for new closer Jim Johnson. However, after an abysmal April, Johnson was removed from the exclusive closing role. Doolittle, Gregerson and Johnson spent the next 3 weeks pitching under closer by committee. Doolittle was ultimately named A's closer on May 20. Doolittle was one of six A's players named to the 2014 American League All-Star Team; he faced three batters late in the game - striking out two.

Doolittle began the 2015 season on the disabled list due to a shoulder injury.[10]

Sean Doolittle Gnome Day was April 30, 2016. The first 15,000 fans received a Doolittle Gnome which plays a brief Metallica sound, Sean's entry music. [11]

Awards

References

  1. ↑ Winston, Lisa (March 27, 2009). "Batting Around with Sean Doolittle: Former pitcher backs up A's decision to have him focus on hitting". mlb.com. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
  2. ↑ "USA Baseball National Team Moves to 10–0 with Two Wins". USA Baseball.com. July 15, 2006. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
  3. ↑ "Five SEC Players Make USA Baseball National Team". SECsports.com. July 2, 2005. Retrieved April 19, 2014.
  4. 1 2 Kimmey, Will (August 8, 2005). "Summer Stock: Doolittle Does A Lot". Baseball America. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
  5. ↑ Caple, Jim (April 6, 2016). "Is A's reliever Sean Doolittle the most interesting man in baseball?". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  6. ↑ Shonerd, Jim (January 19, 2010). "Top 10 Prospects: Oakland Athletics". Baseball America. Retrieved April 19, 2014.
  7. ↑ Lockard, Melissa (October 17, 2011). "A's Doolittle Thrilled With Change In Path". Scout.com. Retrieved April 19, 2014. (subscription required (help)).
  8. ↑ Blum, Ronald (April 21, 2014). "Doolittle's 5-year contract with A's worth $10.5M". Associated Press. ESPN.com. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  9. ↑ "A's lefty reliever Doolittle gets 5-year deal". Associated Press. ESPN.com. April 18, 2014. Retrieved April 19, 2014.
  10. ↑ Kawahara, Matt (May 16, 2015). "A’s unable to capitalize on closer Tyler Clippard’s success". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  11. ↑ http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/the-a-s-made-a-rockin--sean-doolittle-gnome-that-plays-metallica-183049734.html
  12. ↑ "AFL announces Top Prospects Team". MLB.com. December 4, 2008. Retrieved April 19, 2014.

External links

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