Kent Mercker
PHOTO: Dig that crazy hair flapping in the breeze!
STAT: Mercker's best career game score was his 1994 no-hitter against the Dodgers. Game #4 on that list was also a no-hitter, of which he pitched the first 6 innings.
CAREER: 5/10
Mercker is still technically active, having pitched last year and hoping to get a call to join a team this season. Given that he's pitched quite well the last several years, that might happen.
Anyway, Mercker has been all over the board as far as his pitching goes. He's had a handful of excellent seasons as well as a few stinkers, and a bunch in between. He's appeared in 16 post-season games but accumulated only 22.1 innings despite making starts in 3 of those games. He struck out 15 in those 22.1 innings but also walked the same number.
He'll be best remembered for being an important part of the Braves' winning seasons as well as the two no-hitters he participated in. He was also the guy the Orioles traded to the Indians to re-acquire Eddie Murray.
He's also the guy that gave my dad a deep mistrust of free agent pitchers from the N.L. But as you said, Cleveland took him off the Orioles' hands so that we could reacquire Eddie in time for his 500th HR. All's well that ends well, I guess.
ReplyDeleteMerck did some games in the booth for the Reds this Spring Training. I think since this last unfortunate injury, he may be hanging up the proverbial cleats. But he was very entertaining on the air, and I for one hope he has a future there!
ReplyDeleteHe also played an important part in setting up one of the best sports moments of my life when he got shelled as a starter in game 4 of the 1999 ALDS.
ReplyDeleteThe Sox lost that game to Cleveland, then game 5 and Pedro's 6 innings of no-hit relief happened.