Biography:
10-year ML veteran owns 111-77 career ledger (.590) with 3.79 ERA in 270 games (239 starts)...1997 Sporting News Rookie Pitcher of Year has won more than 10 games 7 times in his 9-year career, while reaching 30-start plateau 6 times...has also cracked 200-inning barrier 5 times in his career (1997, 2001, '02, '04 and '06)...his clubs have posted .577 winning pct. (138- 101) in 239 career starts...workhorse has pitched at least 6.0 innings in 186 of his 239 opening assignments (77.8%)...has yielded 3-or-less earned runs in 159 career efforts (66.5%)...originally taken by Cardinals as 12th player selected overall in 1995 Draft, became 12th pitcher in St. Louis history to reach 100-win plateau and still owns 3rd-best winning pct. in club annals and 4th-most strikeouts (986)...2-time All-Star has compiled 3rd-most wins in NL since 2001, going 89-60 with 4.02 ERA over 189 starts...with 22-win effort in 2001, became 1st ML pitcher since Wilbur Wood in 1971 to post 20 wins after not making single start during prior season...control artist has never walked more than 69 batters in single season, while he has averaged just 2.5 free passes per 9.0 innings throughout career (441bb, 1585.0ip)...owns 4th-highest winning pct. during Interleague action, logging .737 mark (14-5).
Graduated from Valley Central (NY) High School in 1992, where he played soccer, baseball and basketball...attended Seton Hall (NY) University, where he was named 1st Team All-American...posted 21 wins in 3 seasons (1993-95) for Pirates, and was inducted into Seton Hall Athletic Hall of Fame in March 2004...was tabbed top prospect among collegiate pitchers by Baseball America...played for Team USA in 1994...son (Brendan Matthew, Jan. 17, 2000)...married (Heather, Jan. 7, 2002).
Postseason:
Pitched in 5 Division Series (2000-02, '04-05), quartet of League Championship Series (2000, '02, '04-05) and 2004 World Series while with St. Louis...has made 15 career post season appearances (11 starts), logging 4.05 ERA...has deceiving 2-6 October record, as he has suffered trio of 1-run losses in which Cards plated total of 2 runs...has fashioned 2.19 ERA (9er, 37.0ip) in 7 career LDS outings (5 starts).
A Giant in the Community:
Was active in San Francisco community in 2006, as he was during his 9-year stay in St. Louis...he and his wife, Heather, delivered teddy bears to young children at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University, tradition started during many visits to St. Louis' Children's Hospital...also made trek to Shriners Hospital for Children in Sacramento...has appeared twice at KNBR/Giants Winter FanFest...filmed PSA for FSN Bay Area to promote Strike Out Cancer Program, in which Genentech Foundation donated $200 to Wellness Community for every Giants' strikeout pitched during 2006 season...is member of San Francisco Action Team, national youth volunteer initiative administered by Major League Baseball Players Trust and Volunteers of America that is actively recruiting next generation of volunteers...while with Cardinals, also taped PSAs for such causes as National Night Out Against Crime (on behalf of St. Louis Police Department) and American Red Cross Blood Drive
