Don Carman

Don Carman
Don Carman
	Pitcher
	Born: August 14, 1959 (age 65); Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
	Batted: Left Threw: Left
MLB debut
	October 1, 1983, for the Philadelphia Phillies
Last MLB appearance
	July 18, 1992, for the Texas Rangers
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	53–54
Earned run average	4.11
Strikeouts	598
Teams
	Philadelphia Phillies (1983–1990); Cincinnati Reds (1991); Texas Rangers (1992);

Donald Wayne Carman (born August 14, 1959), is an American former professional baseball left-handed pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and Texas Rangers. He is currently a sports psychologist for the Boras Corporation.^[1]

Career

Signed by the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent in 1978 after attending Leedey High School in Leedey, Oklahoma, Carman would make his Major League Baseball debut with the Philadelphia Phillies on October 1, 1983, and appear in his final game on July 18, 1992.

During his ten-season career he appeared in 342 games, 102 as a starter. National League "top ten" achievements include:

1985 - games pitched - 4th (71)
1986 - winning percentage - 8th (.667)
1987 - wins - 9th (13)
1987 - games started - 4th (35)
1987 - innings pitched - 10th (211)

Other career highlights include:

a one-hit, complete game shutout vs. the New York Mets in front of 30,799 fans at Veterans Stadium (September 29, 1987)
a three-hit, complete game shutout vs. the San Diego Padres (May 16, 1987)
a four-hit, complete game shutout vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates (September 15, 1986)
held All-Stars Craig Biggio, Ken Griffey, Jr., Jeffrey Leonard, Pete Rose, Larry Walker, and Matt Williams to a .025 collective batting average (1-for-40)
All Stars Tony Gwynn, Tony Pena, Darryl Strawberry, Gary Carter, and Tim Raines hit a collective .364 (67 for 184)

On August 20, 1986, Carman took a perfect game into the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park. Giants catcher Bob Brenly hit a long drive into the gap in left-center field. Phillies center fielder Milt Thompson was positioned to make a running catch but the ball hit the base of his glove and was ruled a hit.^[2] Carman pitched nine innings, gave up one hit, and was the winner when the Phillies scored in the top of the tenth on a Juan Samuel solo homer to win the game 1 to 0.^[3]

Carman's career totals include a record of 53–54, 598 strikeouts, 11 saves, 83 games finished, and an ERA of 4.11.

In a 2011 article, Carman was listed as the second-worst-hitting pitcher of all time, behind only Ron Herbel, a pitcher for the Giants in the 1960s. In 239 career plate appearances, Carman had 12 hits (all singles), two walks and 75 strikeouts.^[4]

Carman was also known for his sense of humor; tired of repetitive postgame questions from sports reporters, in the 1990 season he posted a handwritten list of 37 standard responses on his locker and invited reporters to take their pick. The list, including clichés like "I'd rather be lucky than good" and "We're going to take the season one game at a time," was eventually published in several newspapers in its entirety.^[5]

After his retirement, Carman settled with his family in Naples, Florida. He earned a degree in sports psychology from Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Florida. The December 6, 2006 issue of the Tampa Bay Times revealed in its sports column that Carman recently wrote replies to all the fan letters he had received (he had kept the letters but did not respond to them at the time).

References

^ Hruby, Patrick (May 12, 2014). "Baseball's Best Lobbyist". Washingtonian. Washingtonian Magazine, Inc. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
^ Robbins, Michael (2004). Ninety Feet from Fame: Close Calls with Baseball Immortality. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers. p. 244. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
^ "August 20, 1986 Philadelphia Phillies at San Francisco Giants Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. 1986-08-20. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
^ "The Ten Worst Hitting Pitchers Of All Time - Baseball Nation". Mlb.sbnation.com. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
^ "Lists of Note". Lists of Note. 2011-12-07. Retrieved 2013-10-14.

External links

Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
Article about Carman responding to fan letters fifteen years late
Don Carman's list of 37 stock responses to reporters' postgame questions

[1] Hruby, Patrick (May 12, 2014). "Baseball's Best Lobbyist". Washingtonian. Washingtonian Magazine, Inc. Retrieved April 21, 2019.

[2] Robbins, Michael (2004). Ninety Feet from Fame: Close Calls with Baseball Immortality. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers. p. 244. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

[3] "August 20, 1986 Philadelphia Phillies at San Francisco Giants Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. 1986-08-20. Retrieved 2013-10-14.

[4] "The Ten Worst Hitting Pitchers Of All Time - Baseball Nation". Mlb.sbnation.com. Retrieved 2013-10-14.

[5] "Lists of Note". Lists of Note. 2011-12-07. Retrieved 2013-10-14.

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