Joe Messman

Joseph John Messman

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 175 lb.

• School Oregon State University

• Born July 29, 1975 in Parkdale, OR USA

BR Minors page

Joe Messman peaked at AA.

Messman was taken by the Houston Astros in the 6th round of the 1997 amateur draft, their third college pick after first-rounder Lance Berkman and fourth-rounder Eric Byrnes. Assigned to the Auburn Doubledays, he went 1-2 with a save and a 3.21 ERA, walking 21 in 28 innings and fanning 31. In '98, he went 6-3 with five saves and a 3.08 ERA in 63 games for the Quad City River Bandits. He led Astros farmhands as well as the Midwest League in pitching appearances. He started 1999 with the Kissimmee Cobras and began 3-4 with 15 saves and a 2.43 ERA, holding opponents to 38 hits in 59 1/3 IP. He was then dealt to the San Francisco Giants for Stan Javier.

San Francisco assigned him to the San Jose Giants, where he pitched two games and imploded for five walks, six hits and five runs in 1 2/3 IP. In 2000, he had a 5-2, 3.41 record and one save for the Shreveport Captains, rediscovering his form. He split 2001 between San Jose (3-1, 2 Sv, 3.86) and Shreveport (1-1, 4.10) to end his career. Overall, he was 19-13 with 24 saves and a 3.36 ERA in 208 minor league games.