Clay Buchholz

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**Clay Buchholz**

Boston Red Sox — No. 61
Starting pitcher
Born: August 14, 1984 (1984-08-14) (age 23) Nederland, Texas
Bats: Left	Throws: Right
Major League Baseball debut
August 17, 2007 for the Boston Red Sox
Selected MLB statistics (through 2007)
Win-Loss	3-1
Earned run average	1.59
Strikeouts	22
Teams
Boston Red Sox (2007-present)

Clay Daniel Buchholz (born August 14, 1984 in Nederland, Texas) is an American baseball starting pitcher with MLB's Boston Red Sox. On September 1, 2007, he threw a no-hitter in his second Major League start, tying him with Wilson Alvarez for the second quickest no-hitter by an MLB pitcher.^[1] He is the first Red Sox rookie and 17th Red Sox pitcher to throw a no-hitter.^[1]

1 Career
2 Scouting report
3 Awards and honors
4 Personal life
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Career

[edit] High School and College

Raised in Lumberton, Texas, Buchholz played baseball for the local youth baseball leagues until high school. After graduating from Lumberton High School, Clay briefly attended McNeese State University before transferring to Angelina College; Buchholz turned down offers to play wide receiver at Texas, Notre Dame, Purdue and Texas A&M.^[2]

In 2005, while competing for Angelina College, Buchholz played in 15 games, winning 12 and losing 1.

Winning %	CG	ERA	Innings Pitched	Hits	Runs	Earned Runs	BB	Strikeouts
92.3%	7	1.05	85.2	44	19	10	29	129

[edit] Minor leagues

Buchholz was drafted by the Red Sox in the supplemental first round of the 2005 draft. The Red Sox obtained their supplemental pick, the 42nd overall, as compensation for losing free agent Pedro Martínez to the New York Mets.^[2] Buchholz would have been drafted higher but other teams passed on him because he had been arrested for stealing 29 laptops from his high school and selling them.^[3] Buchholz pitched 41 1/3 innings for the Lowell Spinners of the New York-Penn League, compiling a record of 0-1 with 45 strikeouts in 15 starts. He then pitched for the Wilmington Blue Rocks (Single A) and the Greenville Drive (Single A-Advanced). Between the two teams, Buchholz struck out 140 and walked 33 in 119 innings while going 11-4.

Buchholz started his first spring training game in 2007 against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He pitched 4.2 innings, gave up 7 hits and 3 runs, and recorded 3 strikeouts. While competing for the Portland Sea Dogs in 2007, Buchholz played in 15 games, winning 7 and losing 2. His success led him to be chosen to play in the All-Star Futures Game at AT&T Park.

Buchholz' AA Portland Sea Dogs Stats:

CG	ERA	Innings Pitched	Hits	Runs	Earned Runs	BB	Strikeouts
1	1.77	86.2	55	18	17	22	116

Buchholz was promoted to the Pawtucket Red Sox, the AAA affiliate of the Red Sox, on July 8, 2007. He finished the AAA season with a 1-3 W-L record, while recording 55 strikeouts, 13 walks, and a 3.96 era over 8 starts in 38.2 AAA innings.

[edit] Major leagues

[edit] 2007 season

Buchholz made his MLB debut with the Boston Red Sox against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on August 17, 2007 at Fenway Park. The Sox won the game 8-4 and he picked up the win going 6 innings and giving up 4 runs (3 earned). After the game, however, Buchholz was sent back down to the Sox' Triple-A team in Pawtucket. "I got my feet wet," he said to a reporter. "I hope I can come back in September and help out."^{[citation needed]} Ironically, before his first Major League start Red Sox manager Terry Francona said: "This kid can come up and pitch a no-hitter, and he's going to go back down... If he throws a no-hitter I may send him back with a present. But he's going back."^{[citation needed]}

[edit] No-hitter

In Buchholz's second major league start on September 1, 2007, he became the first Boston Red Sox rookie to throw a no-hitter when he blanked the Baltimore Orioles 10-0. He threw 115 pitches, struck out nine, walked three, and hit Nick Markakis.^[4] After the game, Buchholz told the media, "It's amazing. That's all I can say ... I'm in a blur right now." According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Buchholz became the third pitcher since 1900 to pitch a no-hitter in his first or second major league start. Bobo Holloman did it in his first start on May 6, 1953, for the St. Louis Browns at home against the Philadelphia Athletics, and Wilson Alvarez did it in his second start on Aug. 11, 1991, for the Chicago White Sox at Baltimore.^[4] Buchholz became the 11th Red Sox to throw a no hitter in Fenway Park history, and the 17th^[5] in Red Sox history. Coincidentally, the previous no hitter thrown by a Red Sox pitcher (Derek Lowe) was also won 10-0.

Following the game, General Manager Theo Epstein and Manager Terry Francona each independently confirmed that they had spoken by phone to each other in the seventh and eighth innings concerning Buchholz's pitch count. He had not thrown more than 98 pitches in a game all year, and was threatening to significantly exceed that total if he finished the game. Epstein reported that in no way would Buchholz be allowed to face a batter after reaching 120 pitches, expressing concern about excessive pitches potentially damaging such a young and inexperienced arm. Buchholz finished the game with 115 pitches, allowing Francona to escape what would have been an unpleasant decision to remove a pitcher from the game in which he was throwing a no-hitter.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] 2008 season

Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell has stated that Buchholz will most likely be in line for 180-190 innings in the 2008 season.^[6] On May 15, Buchholz was placed on the 15 disabled list as the result of a torn fingernail^[7]. It is possible that the reason for the trip to the D.L. was more a result of Boston needing to clear a roster space for outfielder Jonathan Van Every, who was subbing for the injured J.D. Drew and ill Coco Crisp than a reflection of the severity of the injury.

[edit] Scouting report

Four-seam fastball (91-97 mph)
Two-seam fastball (88-91 mph)
Curveball (80-83 mph)
Changeup (78-82 mph)
Slider (85-87 mph)

Buchholz throws a four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, a slider, a curveball, and 78-82 mph straight changeup. His changeup and curveball are considered elite plus-plus pitches. Over the course of the season, Buchholz typically throws his fastball 92-95 mph, although towards the end of the 2006 season, his fastball regularly hit 96 or 97 mph. Buchholz also played outfield at Angelina College. ^[8]