MLB Player Profile: Ryan Dempster
Ryan Dempster has been a sensation on the mound since his debut in Major League Baseball with the Florida Marlins on May 23, 1998. He currently plays as starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs and acts as the spine of their pitching rotation.
The right-handed pitcher is in his 14th season at the Majors and apart from a couple of seasons in which he was off colour, Dempster has never disappointed at the mound.
Born on May 3, 1977, Dempster was originally drafted by the Texas Rangers but was not able to represent the Rangers in the Majors. After four successful years with the Marlins, Dempster moved to the Cincinnati Reds in the midseason transfer market of 2002
and then finally moved to the Cubs in 2004. The starting pitcher took four seasons to become a regular starter for Chicago.
Unlike many pitchers who make their impact in their debut season, Dempster had a pretty ordinary start to his career. He started 11 of his 14 games in 1998 and bagged just 35 strike-outs at an ERA of 7.08. Dempster could record just a single victory in this
stretch while his losses stood prominent at five.
Desperate to make his name on the big stage, Dempster resurged strongly in his next season with the Marlins where he got a more extensive chance to prove his mettle. The right-hander threw 147 innings in 25 starts to accumulate 126 strike-outs at an ERA
of 4.71. His winning percentage also crept up and he finished the season with a win-loss record of 7-8. The improvement in his numbers showed that the youngster has the capability and the talent to re-emerge strongly after experiencing a dip in form.
The new millennium saw Dempster reach new heights of personal glory. In 33 starts for the season, Dempster crossed the 200 innings mark for the first time in his career to amass 209 strike-outs at an ERA of just 3.66. This tally of strike-outs is, to date,
his career-best. He also pitched his career’s first complete-game shutout in 2000.
Dempster moved to the Reds in the midseason trade market of the 2002 season and in 15 starts for his new team that season, he could manage a decent 5-5 record only. In 2003 as well, when he got 20 starts to display his abilities, Dempster could not make
a significant mark due to an elbow injury which ended his season midway. The starter had to undergo a Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. While the doctors suggested 12 to 18 months for recovery, Dempster showed a quick recovery and was ready to pitch within
a year of surgery.
Dempster came back in the last half of the 2004 season but could pitch just 20.2 innings. He did not get his preferred role of starting the game and instead was used as closer. This trend continued for most of the 2005 season where, in 63 games, Dempster
was allowed just six starts. His performance, however, experienced a massive boom as his ERA came down to as low as 3.13 in 2005. This season also saw him save 33 games for the Cubs and his dependency on the mound increased.
The Cubs finally handed him the responsibility to start the game in 2008 when he ended the season with 33 starts in as many games. He made his importance felt when he registered an ERA of under 3, for the first time in his career and bagged 187 strike-outs
simultaneously. From thereon, he has acted as the backbone of the Cubs’ rotation.
Dempster has won two All-Star selections, the first coming in 2000 followed by another in 2008.
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