Pat's Story

Pat Hentgen first came on to the scene in 1991.  He did not see a whole lot of action that year, in fact he only appeared in three games.  However, he pitched relatively well and had got his feet wet in the Big Leagues.

The 1992 season was again a learning experience.  Pat was not a major part of the pitching staff, making only two starts.  He did manage to get in some relief appearances though.  The most beneficial part of Pat's year was probably away from the mound.  A Blue Jay hero was on the mend and was struggling to find his old form.  Dave Stieb spent some time in the bullpen in 1992 trying to find his groove again.  During that time, he took Pat under his wing and taught him some of the keys to being a major league pitcher.  Not only did Pat learn a lot from Dave Stieb, but he also got a World Series ring.

It was 1993 when Pat finally established himself as a Blue Jay.  The team was trying to repeat as World Champions, but it wouldn't be easy.  There were many new faces and going into the season, things didn't necessarily look overly promising for Pat.  Dave Stewart was supposed to be the hired gun and Jack Morris was expected to repeat his 20 win performance from 1992.  With Stewart, Morris, Guzman, and Stottlemyre the rotation was almost set.  There were a few other's competing for the 5th starters spot.  But once the season started, there were major problems.  Dave Stewart would be on the disabled list until May.  Jack Morris was ineffective and no one seemed to want to solidify the rotation.  That's when Hentgen stepped in.  He was finally given a shot and he put together an impressive season.  He ended up going 19-9 with a very respectable ERA.  He was even taken to the All Star game although he did not pitch.  Pat won game three of the World Series against the Phillies and was scheduled to start game seven.  Of course Joe Carter ensured there would be no seventh game, but I'm sure Pat was perfectly happy with the outcome, as he got his second World Series ring.

The 1994 season would be shortened by the strike, but it was still a great season for Pat.  This year he was going to be a major factor in the Jays pitching rotation.  He got off to a great start and set a team record in May when he struck out 14 Kansas City Royals in a game.  Pat's great start earned him another spot on the All Star team, and this year he got to pitch in the game, which was held in Pittsburgh.  Unfortunately the strike wiped out the end of the baseball season.  Pat would have to wait another year before getting another ring....Or would it be longer?

1995 Was supposed to be a great year for Pat and the Jays.  They were still technically the defending champs.  They had lost a few players, but the reacquisition of David Cone was sure to help the team.  Unfortunately the team got off to a slow start and so did Pat.  They never really regrouped, and by August the Jays were in a rebuilding mode.  Pat would finish with a losing record and an ERA over 5.

Pat, being such a true competitor could not have enjoyed the 1995 season and as 1996 started, he was determined to get back on track.  He got off to a decent start and it appeared that he would put up decent numbers.  The team was still in rebuilding mode though, and they fell out of playoff contention early in the summer.  After the All Star Break, Pat really found his groove, he was becoming the ace of the staff.  Erik Hanson had been a disappointment all year long, but Pat kept coming up big.  Suddenly people were starting to whisper about a possible Cy Young award.  September arrived and Pat kept winning, he met up against Andy Pettite in a Cy young match-up and won.  Now Pat had to be considered a serious contender for the award.  The true test would be if he could win 20 games and it would come down to the final game of the season.  After a rocky start to the game, Pat settled in and got his 20th win of the year.  It ended up being enough to bring Toronto it's first Cy Young Award winner.

The off season brought the Blue Jays another Cy Young winner in Roger Clemens, and Pat was given a big contract extension.  He wanted to retire as a Blue Jay.  This was supposed to be Toronto's year.  With Hentgen, Clemens and Juan Guzman the Jays  were supposed to be a playoff contender.  Both Pat and Roger did their parts.  Roger won the Cy Young award, and Pat had a good season too, being selected for his 3rd All Star game.  Unfortunately the offense struggled and Cito Gaston apparently felt in July that his time as manager was up.  He would be fired in late September and the Jays missed the playoffs again.
 

Once again the 1998 season was supposed to be the Jays year.  Tim Johnson was the new Manager and he had some great ideas.  There were significant free agent signings and Shawn Green would finally be given the chance to play every day.  The Jays struggled in April and got off to a tough start.  They stayed close to contention but just couldn't win the big games.  Pat was struggling too and things blew up in Boston when Roger Clemens didn't want to pitch at Fenway.  Pat was hurt that the Jays were thinking of skipping his start in a big game and rightly so.  He had given everything he had to this team and he just wasn't being treated with respect.  This was also one of the key incident's in the Tim Johnson war scandal.  By the end of July the Jays unloaded and went with the kids.  Once the pressure was off, the team started winning again and by mid September the Jays were just 4 games out of the Wild Card.  Unfortunately, they ran out of time, but finished with 88 wins.  Late in the season Pat would finally end his string of consecutive starts and undergo surgery.

Pat went into spring training in 1999 wondering how he would recover.  Tim Johnson was fired and Jim Fregosi took over as manager.  Pat Struggled the first half of the season and once again so did the Jays.  By July, the Jays were in the Wild Card race and Pat was starting to pitch better too.  Unfortunately the team collapsed in August and would once again miss the playoffs.  Rumors started to surface that  Pat might be traded in the off season and we started to get a glimpse that maybe he and Fregosi didn't see eye to eye.  In fact there seem to have been a few players who Jim Fregosi just didn't seem to like.  Pat pitched in the Jays final home game of the season and as he left the field he received a standing ovation.  The fans had heard all the rumors and wanted to show their appreciation.  Pat tipped his cap as he left the field and I just sensed that he would not be back in 2000.  Apparently Jim Fregosi sensed... or wanted that too as he gave Pat the lineup card after the game.  Pat would be traded to the Cardinals in the off season and so Toronto lost quite possibly it's classiest player ever.

If there was anything good about the trade, it was that Pat was going to arguably the best baseball city in America.  The Cardinals have some of the greatest fans in the game and the team looked good so maybe things would work out.  Pat got off to a bit of a shaky start, but once he settled into his new home, he started to pitch better again and helped guide the Cardinals to the Central Division title.  Unfortunately, Pat was not given the chance to pitch in the Division Series.  He wouldn't pitch until game 5 of the NLCS, with the Cards facing elimination.  Despite having not pitched in weeks Pat Still brought his usual fire to the mound.  He got roughed up by the Mets and lost.  However, his defense did not play well at all behind him and Mike Hampton pitched his heart out for the Mets.  Pat's has signed with the Orioles for the 2001 and 2002 seasons.  Hopefully he'll have two great years and get a chance at another World Series ring.

As Spring training started, Pat found himself with another new team.  After feeling somewhat unwanted the past two seasons, there was a feeling that this year would be different.  Mike Hargrove, the Orioles manager spoke highly of Pat and later named him opening day starter.  Pat did not pitch very well throughout the spring, but the Orioles were confident he would be ready for the regular season.  Hentgen did not disappoint as he out pitched Pedro Martinez on opening day.  Hentgen left the game with two outs in the ninth and the score tied.  As he left the field to a standing ovation he must have felt optimistic of the year ahead.  As April continued, so did Pat's good pitching.  The only problem was the Orioles were a very young team and they seemed to have trouble scoring runs when Pat pitched.  Being the professional he is, Hentgen never complained of poor run support or bad relief pitching.  He was always there to talk to the media.  It didn't matter if he won or lost.  As the month of May started Pat continued to pitch well and his name started to appear in trade rumors.  It looked like he was the Pat Hentgen of old again and many contending teams could use a player like him.  Unfortunately he started to experience elbow pain and found himself on the disabled list for the first time in his career.  The initial report was that he would just miss a couple of weeks.  Then it looked like a more serious injury and the team was saying he would not be back until the All Star break.  The first part of Pat's rehab seemed to go well, but then he suffered a setback and found himself unable to throw again.  The injury was more serious than people initially thought.  Pat  had elbow ligament damage and would need Tommy John Surgery.  He underwent the surgery in early August and there were no complications.  He will miss the remainder of the 2001 season though and possibly all of 2002.

Pat spent most of 2002 trying to regain his strength.  Many people said he would not pitch during the season, but as always Pat was determined to prove them wrong.  He worked hard in rehab and made it back to the Majors in September.  It was obvious though that he was still not 100%.  He didn't have the same velocity on his fastball and was hit hard.  Despite his struggles, the Orioles showed faith in Hentegen, by signing him for the 2003 season.  I know he will work as hard as he can to be a contributor and leader to the Orioles next season.  

There were many questions surrounding Pat as the 2003 season started.  This would be his first full season since the surgery and many people wondered if he could rebound, or would this be the end of his career?  Spring training was Pat's first test and while he seemed to pitch okay, he wasn't overly consistent and found himself in the bullpen to start the season.  Being such a workhorse over his career, Pat was disappointed by the decision.  He felt he could still be an effective starter; if not for the Orioles then for someone else.  Despite his unhappiness, Hentgen took the ball when he was called on and pitched relatively well.  He even picked up his first big league save!  Finally he would get his chance to start and before long, Pat found himself in the regular 5 man rotation.  Like any pitcher coming off major surgery, there were ups and downs throughout the season but overall Pat was an effective starter who kept his team in the game most nights he pitched.  He finished the season strong and goes into 2004 with an option on his contract.  Weather he pitches for the Orioles or some other team, I'm sure Pat will give it his best and hopefully has a few more good years left on that arm.

There was a great deal of excitement as Pat entered the 2004 season because he was returning to Toronto.  He had signed a one year contract with the Jays and would be anchoring the back end of the starting rotation.  No one really expected him to be the Cy Young winner he was in 1996 but many believed he still had some gas left in the tank and could be a successful pitcher and a great mentor to the young Jays pitchers.  As spring training got underway Pat seemed to struggle a bit but it usually takes a while to recover from the Tommy John surgery he had so there was still cause for optimism as the season started.  Unfortunately it seemed as the season went on that Pat had run out of magic.  He had a great career and was the consummate professional but deep down he knew it was time to leave the game he loved.  So on Saturday July 24 he announced his retirement.  It's not yet clear if Pat will return to the game one day as a coach but I'm sure there are many teams who would give him the opportunity if he wants it.  Thanks for everything you did for the game of baseball Pat.

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