TTM Stats
- Sent: 1/7/2020 | Received: 2/3/2020 | 26 Days
- ’00 Topps
- Address: Home (address from Sports Card Forum)
The Story of the Autograph
Steve Trachsel is a former major league pitcher. He played from 1993 to 2008 with the Chicago Cubs (twice), Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, and Baltimore Orioles (twice).
Trachsel was born and raised in California and went to Fullerton College (in the place he grew up) and Long Beach State. He helped Long Beach to the College World Series in 1991. The Cubs drafted him later that year in the eighth round of the 1991 MLB Draft. He made his debut with them just two years later on September 19, 1993.
His first full season in the majors was 1995 and in 1996 he earned his one-and-only All-Star bid on his way to a 13-9 record and 3.03 ERA. But the next few years with the cubs would be defined by a few things for me. First, he led the league in giving up homers in 1997 with 32. Second, he gave up Mark McGwire’s record-breaking 62nd homer in 1998. And third, he led the majors in losses in 1999 with 18 (but he did put up a 15-8 record the year prior).
Trachsel found a way to stay in the league for 16 years despite being a guy that could give up some homers and having a 4.39 career ERA. Part of that was because he found some success with the Mets from 2001 to 2006. It’s the only place where he put up a winning record for the time he was there and it didn’t start off too great. In that first year of 2001 he became the only Mets pitcher to give up four homers in one inning and was sent to the minors. But he bounced back after that.
Trachsel could eat some innings, but also some time. He’s famous with the Mets (and their broadcast team will bring it up from time to time) for taking so long to deliver a pitch. Hence the nickname, “The Human Rain Delay.”
The Score on Steve Trachsel – 7.0
Steve has a few different styles within one signature. He’s got some big, open parts and some small, loopy parts. It all comes together and he uses it to fill up the card really well. This one is a bit better than the one I have from before I started blogging, but the other that I have was from him on the Mets, so I have a different attachment to it.
Thanks Mr. Trachsel! I’m giving this return a 7.
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Information gathered using Wikipedia and Baseball Reference.