Justin Speier

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Justin James Speier (born November 6, 1973) is a former American MLB relief pitcher who played from 1998 to 2009 for seven teams: Chicago Cubs, Florida Marlins, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Toronto Blue Jays, and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. A right-hander, Speier appeared in many relief matches and finished his career with a 35–33 record, a 4.11 ERA, and 588 strikeouts.

Speier grew up in Walnut Creek, California, and attended Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix. He played college baseball at the University of San Francisco (where he was a catcher) and also attended Nicholls State University. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. He is the son of former MLB player and coach Chris Speier, and his cousin Gabe Speier is also a pitcher.

Known for a fast, sometimes unorthodox delivery, Speier threw a four-seam fastball that ranged around 89–94 mph, plus a deceptive forkball that was his best off-speed pitch. He also threw a two-seamer and a slider. Drafted by the Cubs in the 55th round of the 1995 MLB draft, he made his big league debut on May 27, 1998.

After his time with the Cubs, he moved through several teams, with notable stints including the Rockies and the Blue Jays. In 2006, Speier signed a four-year, $18 million contract with the Angels, where he played until 2009. He was released in 2009, signed a minor league deal with the Rockies in 2010, but did not make the team and retired from baseball at age 36.