User:GhostRiver/oswalt

Early life
Because their television only had three channels and an Atari video game system, the Oswalt siblings spent most of their time outside, with Roy's older sister Tricia often throwing a baseball with him in the backyard or in local parks.

At Weir High School, Oswalt was primarily a safety and wide receiver for the American football team, but helped to build the school's baseball team. During his sophomore year, the inaugural Weir baseball season, Oswalt pitched in 14 out of 16 games and was capable of reaching up to 90 mph.

Draft and minor leagues

 * 1997 GCL Astros
 * 1997 Auburn Doubledays

A strained medial collateral ligament in Oswalt's elbow, suffered on only the second day of spring training, forced him to miss three months of the 1998 season. Once again, he started in the Gulf Coast League before a promotion to Auburn. Although his record was only 4–5, Oswalt's 2.18 ERA in 11 NYPL starts helped the Doubledays reach that year's league playoffs. He was supposed to start Game 3 against the Oneonta Yankees, but a massive Labor Day storm forced the cancellation of the series, with both Auburn and Oneonta declared co-champions.

The following season, Oswalt was promoted to the Class A-Advanced Michigan Battle Cats of the Midwest League. He became an early hero for the team, with seven wins, a 3.76 ERA, and 67 strikeouts through his first 10 starts, and setting a team record with 14 strikeouts in one game. He did not lose a game for the Battle Cats between June 18 and August 22, when he allowed eight runs on nine hits during a 13–1 rout from the Burlington Bees. He finished the regular season with a 13–4 record, a 4.46 ERA, and 143 strikeouts in 22 starts and $151 1/3$ innings. Although Oswalt pitched a complete game in the Midwest League playoffs, poor run support from his teammates caused the Battle Cats to be eliminated 5-0 by the Lansing Lugnuts. His arm, which had been diagnosed with tendinitis, continued to bother him even after the 1999 season until, as he claims, Oswalt was electrocuted by the spark plug wire on his truck. After the incident, he was no longer in pain. Oswalt's trainers speculated that the electrocution had loosened scar tissue in his arm that had been causing him pain.

Oswalt and Tim Redding were both promoted to the Class A-Advanced Kissimmee Cobras of the Florida State League for the 2000 season. After eight starts there, during which he posted 4–3 record and 2.98 ERA, Oswalt received a promotion to the Double-A Round Rock Express at the end of May. He struck out 15 batters in his Round Rock debut, a 6–0 shutout of the San Antonio Missions. What was meant to be a cup of coffee stint in Double-A before returning to Kissimmee turned into a permanent promotion for Oswalt, whose calm and controlled demeanor on the mound impressed Express manager Jackie Moore and convinced assistant general manager Tim Purpura to let the pitcher stay. With an 11–4 record and 1.94 ERA in 19 Double-A appearances, as well as 141 strikeouts in $129 2/3$ innings, Oswalt was named a Texas League postseason all-star at the end of the year.


 * 2001 New Orleans Zephyrs

Houston Astros (2001–2010)
Oswalt made the Astros' Opening Day roster in 2002, joining Wade Miller, Carlos Hernandez, Shane Reynolds, and Dave Mlicki in the starting rotation.
 * 2001
 * 2002

On August 12, Oswalt intentionally hit Alex Gonzalez of the Chicago Cubs with a pitch even after an umpire's warning, and he received a five-game suspension for the incident on the 24th. He returned for his start on September 4, defeating the San Diego Padres 6-2 for his eighth consecutive win.

Facing Jason Jennings of the Colorado Rockies for the first game of the season, Oswalt not only received his first Opening Day start in 2003, but was the first to throw a pitch at Minute Maid Park, which had been renamed from Enron Field during the offseason. He pitched in seven innings of the Astros' 10–4 victory, holding Colorado to two runs (only one earned) on four hits. Oswalt's season was marked by frequent injury. He first suffered a right groin strain while running the bases on May 15, and he was activated on June 1 for a pitchers' duel against Carlos Zambrano of the Chicago Cubs, which Houston lost 1–0 in 16 innings. He suffered a recurrence of the injury during the second inning of a game against the New York Yankees on June 12. In his stead, five relievers – Pete Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel, and Billy Wagner – combined for the first no-hitter against the Yankees since Hoyt Wilhelm did so in 1958, as well as the first combined no-hitter to involve more than four pitchers. Oswalt was activated again on July 7 to remain unbeaten against Cincinnati, allowing only one run in six innings of a 7–1 victory before he was pulled on a pitch limit. He was placed on the disabled list for the third time that season on July 30 after aggravating the groin again during a 6–3 loss to the Atlanta Braves. He came off of the disabled list on September 8 and proceeded to win his next four starts as the Astros battled the Chicago Cubs for the NL Central title. The Astros missed the postseason by one game after splitting the final series of the year with the Cubs, while Oswalt went 10–5 with a 2.97 ERA in 21 starts, striking out 108 batters in $127 1/3$ innings.


 * 2004
 * 2005

Oswalt was the Astros' Opening Day starter for the fourth year in a row in, combining with Brad Lidge to shut out the Florida Marlins 1-0. Although Oswalt seemed poised for another hot streak, winning his first four decisions, poor run support and relief from the Astros bullpen, as well as a brief stint on the disabled list with a strained back, dropped him to 6–6 with a 3.15 ERA through the first half of the season. At first, he was not named to the 2006 All-Star Game roster, with Lance Berkman the only Astro in attendance, but he ultimately joined the AL team as a replacement for an injured Pedro Martinez. By the trading deadline, Houston was in talks to send Oswalt to the Baltimore Orioles, but ultimately did not strike a deal. That his name was mentioned in trade discussions upset Oswalt, who hoped to remain with the club. On August 9, in addition to limiting the Pittsburgh Pirates to one run over six innings, Oswalt hit a two-run home run of his own off of Shawn Chacon. At the end of the month, on Oswalt's 29th birthday, the Astros extended his contract by five years and $73 million, the largest multi-season deal ever offered to a Houston pitcher. Oswalt recorded his 1,000th strikeout on September 18, 2006, sending down Kyle Lohse of the Cincinnati Reds in the third inning of a 5–3 win. With a 15–8 record and a 2.98 ERA in 2006, Oswalt came in fourth place during Cy Young voting, the title ultimately going to Brandon Webb of the Arizona Diamondbacks.


 * 2007
 * 2008
 * 2009

Prior to the 2010 season, Oswalt received a cortisone injection in his lower back to ensure that he would be healthy in time for Opening Day, where he would be making his club-record eighth consecutive appearance. His plans for the year were to make 35 starts and to throw about 100 pitches in his first start. Pitching against Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants, Oswalt allowed three runs on seven hits of a 5–2 loss. Although Oswalt was personally stellar through the first two months of the season, making 10 consecutive quality starts while holding to a 2.35 ERA, the Astros as a whole were less successful, and Oswalt, who had the worst run support in all of MLB, only had a 3–6 record. By May, he was starting to consider a trade from the team that drafted him as a way of helping to replenish Houston's depleted farm system. By July, he was cooperating with the Houston front office to restructure his contract in a way that would allow for a mutually beneficial trade: Oswalt wanted to join a team with serious hopes of playoff contention while leaving the Astros in a place where they could be successful in the future. Before his midseason trade, Oswalt had a 3.24 ERA despite a 6–12 record in 20 starts; his own team was shut out in a quarter of those starts.

Philadelphia Phillies (2010–2011)
On July 29, 2010, partially at the request of his friend and former teammate Brad Lidge, Oswalt agreed to forgo the no-trade clause in his contract and join the Philadelphia Phillies, who claimed him from the Astros in exchange for pitcher J. A. Happ and prospects Anthony Gose and Jonathan Villar. He joined a rotation that also included Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, and Kyle Kendrick in Philadelphia's push for a third consecutive World Series appearance. On August 24, after Ryan Howard was ejected in the 14th inning of a 16-inning game against the Astros, Raúl Ibañez took over Howard's position, while Oswalt entered in left field against his fellow team. In doing so, he became the first Phillies pitcher to play a position in a game since Bill Wilson in 1971. Although the Phillies lost the game 4–2, Oswalt's catch of a Jason Castro fly ball resulted in a standing ovation from fans at Citizens Bank Park. Phillies fans, still disgruntled that Cliff Lee had been traded away that offseason, warmed to Oswalt when he won six consecutive starts, including a complete game shutout against the New York Mets on September 12. He made 13 appearances for the Phillies during the regular season, 12 of which were starts, and went 7–1 with a 1.74 ERA and 73 strikeouts in the process.

On September 27, the Phillies clinched their fourth consecutive NL East title and a spot in that year's MLB playoffs. They swept the Cincinnati Reds in the NLDS, with Oswalt starting Game 2. He struggled in the game, allowing four runs in five innings before Jose Contreras took the win in a 7–4 comeback. He apologized for the outing, saying that he was "a little rusty" from a 10-day break between starts, and promised to "stay fresh" and "stay in rhythm" for his NLCS start against the San Francisco Giants. After Halladay lost Game 1, Oswalt pitched eight innings in Game 2, allowing only three hits and striking out nine en route to a 6–1 victory to tie the series. Blanton started in Game 4 but lasted only $4 2/3$ innings, and after using most of his bullpen, manager Charlie Manuel asked Oswalt to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning. Oswalt proceeded to allow the sacrifice fly from Juan Uribe that helped the Giants win 6–5 and push the Phillies towards elimination. The Giants defeated the Phillies two games later, keeping them from another World Series appearance.

Lee rejoined the Phillies before the 2011 season, and the rotation made up of him, Halladay, Hamels, and Oswalt became known as the "Four Aces". Oswalt's time on the team that season, however, was limited. On April 27, shortly after one of the worst starts of his career, during which he lasted only 57 pitches and did not record any strikeout, Oswalt temporarily left the Phillies to be with his family in Mississippi, who were suffering from the effects of a deadly tornado outbreak. He also suffered a recurring back injury that resulted in two stints on the disabled list, increased recovery time needed between starts, and shorter pitching outings. He made only 23 starts for the Phillies, going 9–10 with a 3.69 ERA when he did start, and Oswalt's 139 regular season innings were the lowest since 2003. The Phillies made the postseason once more, and Oswalt faced his former Houston teammate and longtime friend Lance Berkman, now with the St. Louis Cardinals, in Game 4 of the NLDS. Oswalt took the loss in the 5–3 defeat, claiming in part that he had been distracted by the Rally Squirrel, forcing a winner-takes-all game that the Phillies lost 1–0. After the season, the Phillies declined Oswalt's 2012 contract option, giving him a $2 million buyout and releasing him into free agency. He made 35 starts for Philadelphia in 2010 and 2011, going 16–11 with a 2.96 ERA in that time.

Texas Rangers (2012)
Oswalt opened the 2012 MLB season as a free agent, with his status as an elite but aging pitcher undercut by his requested salary. He hoped to sign with a team close to Mississippi, particularly with the Texas Rangers, but with the Atlanta Braves or St. Louis Cardinals as acceptable alternates. On May 29, he signed a one-year, $4.25 million contract with the Rangers, who were in need of another right-handed starting pitcher to replace the injured Neftalí Feliz. Because he missed spring training as an unsigned free agent, Oswalt first had to make a handful of appearances with his old minor league team, the Round Rock Express, who were now the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate. After four starts there, during which he went 1–1 with a 5.87 ERA, Oswalt was called up to Texas on June 24 for his first major league start of the year. He took the win in his team debut, allowing nine hits but only one run in $6 2/3$ innings of a 4–1 victory over the Colorado Rockies. Despite receiving a standing ovation from the crowd at Rangers Ballpark, Oswalt did not tip his cap as he left the mound, still frustrated with himself for allowing an RBI double to Marco Scutaro.

Oswalt was less successful over the next month, going 3–2 with a 6.49 ERA in six starts, including a game against the Los Angeles Angels where he allowed eight runs on 11 hits. On July 31, with the knowledge that Feliz required Tommy John surgery and would not pitch again until the following summer, the Rangers moved Oswalt to the bullpen and traded for Ryan Dempster of the Chicago Cubs to take his place in the rotation. While making a spot start in place of Matt Harrison on September 9, Oswalt was removed after two innings with elbow soreness, but was optimistic that the problem would resolve itself within days. He was diagnosed with a forearm strain and did not return until September 25, when he was asked to relieve a struggling Derek Holland in the fourth inning of an ultimate 5-4 comeback win over the Oakland Athletics. Oswalt finished the year with a 4–3 record and a 5.80 ERA in 17 major league appearances, nine as a starter and eight in relief. He also struck out 59 batters but allowed 38 earned runs, including 11 home runs, in 59 innings.

Colorado Rockies (2013)
In, Oswalt once again started the season as a free agent before securing a contract in May. This time, he took a minor-league deal with the Colorado Rockies on May 2 with an opportunity to join the major league roster if he did well in extended spring training and with the Double-A Tulsa Drillers. After going 3–2 with a 2.16 ERA in five Double-A starts, Oswalt was called up to the Rockies on June 19 to replace a struggling Jeff Francis, who was optioned to the minor leagues. Although he took the loss in his team debut, a 5–1 defeat at the hands of the Washington Nationals on June 20, Oswalt struck out 11 batters in five innings before he hit his pitch limit. Oswalt was one of a number of Rockies to suffer a major injury during the season. While starting against the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 7, while attempting to cover home plate to prevent a runner from scoring on a wild pitch, he felt a "pop" in his left hamstring and was taken off the field in the second inning. He returned on September 8 as a middle reliever, but allowed five runs over $3 1/3$ against the San Diego Padres and raising him to an 8.57 ERA.. He made nine major league appearances for Colorado in 2013, starting six. In the process, Oswalt went 0–6 with an 8.63 ERA, striking out 34 batters while allowing 31 runs in $32 1/3$ innings.

Retirement
Despite rumors that he intended to play for another season, preferably as a starting pitcher, Oswalt chose to retire from MLB on February 11, 2014 in order to become vice president of baseball operations for RMG Baseball, his former agency. Both Oswalt and his former teammate Lance Berkman signed ceremonial one-day contracts with the Astros on April 8, enabling them to officially retire as members of the team that drafted them. He finished with a career 163–102 record, 3.36 ERA, and 1,852 strikeouts in 365 games and $2,245 1/3$ innings over the course of 13 seasons.

Personal life
After his retirement, Oswalt moved back to Weir, but soon relocated to Starkville, Mississippi, in order for his children to attend Starkville Academy. In 2018, he joined the coaching staff for Starkville's baseball team. In 2021, he opened a steakhouse in Starkville named 44 Prime, a reference to his MLB jersey number.

Statistical highlights

 * NL wins leader (2004)
 * NL ERA leader (2006)

Legacy
Although Oswalt first appeared on the 2019 ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, he appeared on only 0.9 percent of ballots and thus became ineligible for future balloting and potential induction. That same year, Oswalt was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. The following year, he was part of the second class of Astros inducted into the team's Hall of Fame, established in 2019. As the COVID-19 pandemic limited in-person events, particularly professional sports, during Oswalt's induction year, the ceremony was held on August 7, 2021.