Edwin Jackson

This article is about the baseball player. For the basketball player, see Edwin Jackson (basketball).

Edwin Jackson
Jackson pitching for the Detroit Tigers in 2009
Washington Nationals
Starting pitcher
Born: September 9, 1983 (1983-09-09) Neu-Ulm, Bavaria, West Germany
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
MLB debut
September 9, 2003 for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Career statistics (through 2011)
Win-loss record	60–60
Earned run average	4.46
Strikeouts	801
Teams
Los Angeles Dodgers (2003–2005) Tampa Bay Devil Rays / Rays (2006–2008) Detroit Tigers (2009) Arizona Diamondbacks (2010) Chicago White Sox (2010–2011) St. Louis Cardinals (2011) Washington Nationals (2012-present)
Career highlights and awards
All-Star (2009) Pitched a no-hitter on June 25, 2010 against the Tampa Bay Rays. World Series champion (2011)

Edwin Jackson (born September 9, 1983, in Neu-Ulm, Bavaria, West Germany) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals.. During his Major League Baseball (MLB) career, Jackson has played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2003–2005), Tampa Bay Devil Rays / Rays (2006–2008), Detroit Tigers (2009), Arizona Diamondbacks (2010), Chicago White Sox (2010–2011), and St. Louis Cardinals (2011). Jackson was an All-Star in 2009 and threw a no-hitter on June 25, 2010. On February 2, 2012 Jackson was signed to the Washington Nationals pending a physical exam.

Early life

Jackson's father, Edwin Jackson, Sr., a military cook, was stationed in Germany at the time of his birth. Jackson is one of 27 major league players who were born in Germany. He spent the first eight years of his life in Germany until spending the rest of his youth in Columbus, Georgia. Jackson attended Shaw High School in Columbus, Georgia from 1997–2001. While attending Shaw High School, Jackson played outfield for the Raider baseball team. His Senior year, Jackson helped lead the Raiders baseball team to the 2001 GHSA AAAA State Championship title over Columbus High School in Columbus, Georgia.

Baseball career

Los Angeles Dodgers

Jackson was drafted by the Dodgers in the sixth round of the 2001 MLB entry draft. He was originally drafted as an outfielder but the Dodgers converted him into a pitcher. There was a time when Jackson was regarded as one of the premiere pitching prospects in baseball (after posting sub-4.00 ERAs in AA and the majors at age 19 in 2003), but poor showings in AAA and MLB after that season ended his status as a "can't-miss" prospect.^{[citation needed]} He made his major league debut on September 9, 2003, his 20th birthday. In that game, he pitched 6 innings, giving up just one run and out-pitched Cy Young Award winner Randy Johnson to earn his first career major league victory.

Tampa Bay Rays

Jackson pitching for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008.

On January 14, 2006, Jackson and left-handed pitcher Chuck Tiffany were traded to Tampa Bay for pitchers Danys Baez and Lance Carter. In 2006, Jackson pitched in 23 games, mostly in middle relief, and posted a 5.45 ERA in 36⅓ innings.

In 2007, Jackson became a full-time starter for the Rays. He began the season poorly, going 1–9 with a 7.23 ERA in 17 games over 74⅔ innings. Jackson managed to rebound somewhat after the All-Star break, posting a 4–6 record and a 4.48 ERA over 15 games, all of them starts. His season highlight came in a start against the Texas Rangers on August 11, in which he recorded a complete game shutout, allowing only four hits and one walk while striking out eight. Jackson finished the season with a 5–15 record and an ERA of 5.76.

In 2008, Jackson assumed the number four spot in the Rays' starting rotation out of spring training. He finished the season with a 4.42 ERA. Jackson tied with James Shields to lead the Rays with 14 victories, which also tied the record for most wins by a Rays pitcher.

Detroit Tigers

On December 10, 2008, Jackson was traded to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for outfielder Matt Joyce.

Jackson made his Tigers debut on April 7, 2009, against the Toronto Blue Jays. He allowed one run in 7⅓ innings, and received a no decision in Detroit's 5–4 loss. He earned his first victory with Detroit on April 18 against the Seattle Mariners, pitching 7⅔ scoreless innings.

Jackson was selected to represent Detroit in the 2009 All-Star Game along with teammates Curtis Granderson, Justin Verlander, and Brandon Inge. He pitched a scoreless fifth inning for the AL, retiring Yadier Molina, Ryan Zimmerman, and Hanley Ramírez on four pitches.

As of the end of July, opposing batters were hitting .216 against him, which was the lowest batting average in the league; he was followed by Matt Garza (.222), Jarrod Washburn (.224), and Scott Feldman (.228).

Jackson is one of a minority of MLB starting pitchers who relies almost exclusively on two pitches, a mid-90's fastball and an effective power slider.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Jackson batting for the White Sox in 2011 spring training.

On December 9, 2009 Jackson was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of a three team trade that brought Austin Jackson, Phil Coke, Max Scherzer, and Daniel Schlereth to the Tigers. Jackson hit his second Major League home run off Jack Taschner against the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 11, 2010.

On June 25, 2010, Jackson no-hit his former team, the Tampa Bay Rays, 1–0, at Tropicana Field. It was only the second no-hitter in Diamondbacks' history, the other being Randy Johnson's perfect game on May 18, 2004. It was also the fourth of the 2010 season, and the third time the Tampa Bay Rays have been no-hit in less than 12 months. Jackson had a very rough start to the game, walking a total of eight batters as well as hitting B.J. Upton with a pitch. Overall, Jackson allowed nine batters on base and got out of a bases loaded jam in the 3rd inning. Mark Reynolds, Tony Abreu, and Adam LaRoche (whose second-inning home run accounted for the game's only run) helped Jackson as they provided impressive defense. He threw 149 pitches in the entire game. Jackson became the first German-born pitcher to throw a no-hitter, the first African American to do so since Dwight Gooden in 1996, and the first African American to do so for a National League team since Bob Gibson in 1971.

Chicago White Sox

On July 30, 2010, the Diamondbacks traded Jackson to the Chicago White Sox for Daniel Hudson and David Holmberg.

When the Diamondbacks traded Jackson to the White Sox he became the first pitcher in the Majors to be traded away in the same season that he pitched a no-hitter since Cliff Chambers pitched a no-hitter for the Pittsburgh Pirates against the Boston Braves in 1951.

St. Louis Cardinals

Jackson during the 2011 World Series parade

On July 27, 2011, Jackson was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays with Mark Teahen for Jason Frasor and Zach Stewart. The Blue Jays then traded Jackson to the St. Louis Cardinals later that day, along with Octavio Dotel, Marc Rzepczynski and Corey Patterson for Colby Rasmus, P. J. Walters, Trever Miller and Brian Tallet.

On July 29, 2011, Edwin Jackson pitched his first game as a Cardinal and threw 7 strong innings, leading St. Louis to a blowout win over their rivals the Chicago Cubs.

Washington Nationals

On February 2, 2012 Jackson agreed to a 1 year deal with the Nationals. He turned down a 3 year contract from the Baltimore Orioles in order to gain value heading into a weak 2013 free agent pitching market.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball no-hitters

External links

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

Honorary titles
Preceded by Wily Mo Peña	Youngest player in the National League 2003–2004	Succeeded by Matt Cain
Achievements
Preceded by Roy Halladay	No-hitter pitcher June 25, 2010	Succeeded by Matt Garza