Scott Erickson

Scott Gavin Erickson

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 4", Weight 224 lb.
• School San Jose City College, University of Arizona
• High School Homestead High School (Cupertino)
• Debut June 25, 1990
• Final Game June 8, 2006
• Born February 2, 1968 in Long Beach, CA USA

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Biographical Information

Pitcher Scott Erickson was a workhorse starter throughout the 1990s for the Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles, concluding a 15-year major league career in 2006 with 142 wins and 136 losses. He led the league in innings pitched (251 1/3) and complete games (11) in 1998. A sinkerballer, Erickson accumulated a ground out/fly out ratio of 1.34 in his career (against a league average of 0.78 during that time frame).

Erickson burst on the scene as a rookie in 1990, going 8-4 in half a season after his call-up by the Twins. He followed up that performance with an even better one in 1991: Erickson captured an American League-leading 20 wins for the Twins, helping Minnesota take home the World Series title. He was being considered to start the All-Star Game, but was injured and kept off the roster. Teammate Jack Morris started the game in his stead, and wore his baseball socks like Erickson ordinarily did as a nod to Erickson.

Erickson's pitching declined over the next few years with the Twins, though a highlight came on April 27, 1994 when he twirled a no-hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers. In 1995 he was shipped mid-season to the Baltimore Orioles, just as the Orioles started to become a playoff contender again. Erickson bounced back the next few years, reaching double digits in wins for Baltimore from 1996 to 1999 while each year pitching over 200 innings. The pitching wear and tear started to catch up with Erickson in 2000 - he was rarely effective during the remainder of his career.

On April 28, 2002, still pitching for the Baltimore Orioles, Erickson pitched a shutout against the Kansas City Royals without recording a single strikeout; it would be more than ten years until another pitcher matched that feat. On May 15, 2012, Derek Lowe of the Cleveland Indians shut out the Minnesota Twins in similar fashion.

Erickson was pitching coach of the Carolina Mudcats in 2012 and the Mahoning Valley Scrappers in 2013. On September 29, 2020 he was a allegedly involved in a street race in Westlake Village, CA, in which the other driver struck and killed two boys at a crosswalk. He was charged with reckless driving and the other driver with two counts of vehicular manslaughter as well as hit and run driving.

He was originally signed by scout Clair Rierson.

Notable Achievements

• AL All-Star (1991)
• AL Wins Leader (1991)
• AL Innings Pitched Leader (1998)
• AL Complete Games Leader (1998)
• AL Shutouts Leader (1999)
• 15 Wins Seasons: 4 (1991 & 1997-1999)
• 20 Wins Seasons: 1 (1991)
• 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 7 (1991-1993 & 1996-1999)
• Won a World Series with the Minnesota Twins in 1991