John Maine

Infobox MLB player

---

width=300px
name=John Maine
position=Starting pitcher
team=New York Mets
number=33
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1981|5|8
birthplace=city-state|Fredericksburg|Virginia
debutdate=July 23
debutyear=2004
debutteam=Baltimore Orioles
statyear=September 24, 2008
stat1label=Win-Loss
stat1value=33-27
stat2label=Earned run average
stat2value=4.18
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=398
teams=
*Baltimore Orioles (by|2004-by|2005)
*New York Mets (by|2006-present)

John Kevin Maine (born May 8, 1981 in Fredericksburg, Virginia) is an American professional baseball player. He currently is a starting pitcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws right-handed.

College

After graduating from North Stafford High School in Stafford, Virginia, Maine played college baseball for the Charlotte 49ers at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte) where he was named the Conference USA Pitcher of the Year in by|2001 and set several single season 49er's records including strikeouts and wins. In by|2000, while still in college, Maine pitched for the Bethesda Big Train, a summer collegiate baseball team located a few miles outside of Washington D.C.

Early career

Maine decided to forgo his senior season at Charlotte and was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the sixth round of the by|2002 baseball amateur draft. Long considered a top prospect after two years in the minor leagues, Maine made his debut with the Orioles on July 23, 2004. After spending the latter half of by|2004 and most of 2005 shuffling between Baltimore and Triple-A Ottawa, Maine recorded his first Major League win on August 13, by|2005, at Camden Yards with a 1-0 shutout victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in which he started and pitched five innings.

Maine was traded to the Mets on January 21, by|2006, along with right-handed reliever Jorge Julio in exchange for starting pitcher Kris Benson.

New York Mets

2006

He was called up from Triple A Norfolk in early May 2006 after rookie Brian Bannister was put on the disabled list with a hamstring injury. Maine started on May 2 against Washington and took the loss after giving up four runs on six hits and two walks in 5.1 innings. He was placed on the disabled list on May 6 with inflammation of his right middle finger, which he says hurt his May 2 start. He was reactivated on June 12 and was optioned back to Triple A Norfolk.

On July 3, he was recalled from the minors and became part of the Mets' starting rotation. After a solid, if mediocre start off the DL, Maine had a start that could be said to have turned around his career. Starting pitcher Orlando Hernandez was originally supposed to start against the Houston Astros, but early rain caused the Mets put in Maine instead. He pitched a complete game shutout. That start continued a scoreless innings streak. Maine pitched a scoreless inning in relief, and then 22 scoreless innings over three starts, recording two wins and a no decision over that span. After his second scoreless outing, Mets manager Willie Randolph designated Maine as the rotation's fifth starter over higher-ranking prospect Mike Pelfrey.

Maine's scoreless-inning streak reached 26 innings before he allowed a run. Against Washington on August 12, Maine retired 11 of the first 12 batters he faced before Nick Johnson hit a solo home run. The streak fell 5 2/3 innings short of Jerry Koosman's Mets franchise record. His streak was the longest ever by a Mets rookie starter, exceeding Dwight Gooden and Anthony Young's 23-inning streaks by two. His 25 scoreless innings by a starter was the longest streak since Al Leiter threw 25 1/3 scoreless in by|1998.

On September 29, 2006, in his final at-bat of the season, Maine recorded his first major league hit, ending a streak of twenty-eight hitless at-bats.

Overall, Maine went 6-5 with a 3.60 ERA in 15 starts in his debut season for the Mets showing flashes of dominance such as his scoreless innings streak. His efforts helped the Mets win the National League Eastern Division. Despite his solid season, he was originally not expected to make a start in the postseason. However, after injuries sidelined both Pedro Martínez and Orlando Hernández, Maine found himself starting Game 1 of the National League Division Series for the Mets. In that game, he pitched 4 1/3 innings and got a no-decision. The Mets went on to win that game to give them a 1-0 lead in the Division series against the Dodgers. In the must win game 6 of the NLCS against the Cardinals Maine went 5 1/3 and defeated defending Cy Young award winner in the National League Chris Carpenter to force a game 7.

Maine went to the 2006 Major League Baseball Japan All-Star Series along with fellow teammates José Reyes and David Wright.

2007

Maine started his by|2007 campaign with a win against the Cardinals, holding St. Louis to one hit and no runs in seven innings. Maine's success against hitters in 2007 continued, and he posted a 15-10 record with a 3.91 ERA with 180 strikeouts in 191.0 innings pitched. Maine's off-season conditioning program has helped him to go deeper into ballgames, and he is starting to become one of the more dominant pitchers in the National League.

On April 18, he had a no-hitter through 7 innings against the Florida Marlins before a single by Thomas Teleisha spoiled the bid. After a solid April in which he went 4-0 with a 1.35 ERA, Maine was named the National League Pitcher of the Month.

At the All-Star break, Maine led Mets starters with a 2.71 ERA, 93 strikeouts and was tied with Brad Penny for the most wins in the NL at 10 each. Despite posting great numbers, he was not in the All-Star game, when asked if he expected to make the game, he said no.

On July 24, 2007, in the bottom of the 4th inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Maine hit a 2-run home run to left field and received a curtain call. This was his first home run of his major league career. The Mets won 8-4, and Maine earned his 11th win of the season. Maine earned his Met-leading 12th victory against the Nationals on July 29, pitching a complete game shutout in a five inning rain-shortened game, giving up only a single hit.

As of September 18, his 7.89 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched puts him the top 10 among all qualified National League starting pitchers.

On September 29, 2007, Maine threw 7.2 hitless and scoreless innings, striking out 14 Florida Marlins, leading the Mets to a 13-0 rout. Maine's 14 strikeouts were the most for a Mets starter in eight years; the Marlins' lone hit came with two outs in the eighth inning, an infield hit to the third base bag by Marlins' back-up catcher Paul Hoover (baseball). The no-hit bid was nearly a mirror image of April 28, by|1992, when David Cone threw 7.1 hitless innings before surrendering an infield hit or that of Dwight Gooden in by|1984 when a similar hit was given up and third baseman Ray Knight could not pick it up in time. John Maine has been heralded by Tom Seaver as something of a protege.

2008

John entered the 2008 season as the Mets' number 3 starter. Maine received a raise by the Mets and earned $450,000Fact|date=October 2008. He ended the season with 25 starts, 140 innings, 10-8 win-loss record, and a 4.18 ERA.

The end of Maine's 2008 season was marred by injury. On August 4, Maine was put on the disabled list with a strained rotater cuff. Her returned, made a three more starts, but was put back on the disabled list. On September 24, he again came off the disabled list but Manager Jerry Manuel did not allow him to pitch for fear of future injury. At season's end, he underwent surgery in which doctors removed a bone spur from his shoulder. The doctors were amazed at the size of the spur; they said it was the biggest they had ever see. They were amazed that he was able to pitch in that condition.cite news|url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/10092008/sports/mets/maine_optimistic_after_surgery_132873.htm|title=Miane Optimistic After Surgery|date=2008-10-10|publisher=New York Post|accessdate=2008-10-10] .

He can begin throwing in December and is expected to be ready for for spring training of 2009.

References

External links

*Baseballstats |mlb=429720 |espn=6041 |br=m/mainejo01 |fangraphs=4773 |cube=m/john-maine