Vital Statistics:
Born: June 15, 1972 in Baton Rouge, La.
Teams: New York Yankees (1995-2003, 2007-2010), Houston Astros (2004-06)
Eligible for Hall of Fame: 2016
Height: 6-5
Weight: 225
Batted: Left
Threw: Left
Family: Wife, Laura; sons Joshua Blake (born 1994), Lexy Grace (born 2001) and Luke Jackson (born 2005)
Position: Starting pitcher
Career Highlights:
- Went 240-138 with a 3.88 ERA in 16 seasons, and as of 2011 he is the all-time leader in postseason victories with 19. He won five World Series as a member of the Yankees (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2009).
- Three-time American League All-Star (1996, 2001 and 2010)
- Was the winning pitcher in six playoff series-clinching games, and was the MVP of the American League Championship Series in 2001, when he won Games 1 and 5 over Seattle.
- Led the AL in wins (21) in his second season in 1996 and finished second in Cy Young voting that year. Also won 21 games in 2003
- Never had a losing record in any season - the closest he came was in 2008, when he went 14-14.
- Helped lead the Houston Astros to their only World Series in 2005, when he went 17-9 with a 2.39 ERA.
- One major lowlight: He admitted to using human growth hormone, considered a performance-enhancing drug, in 2002 and 2004 to recover from an elbow injury. He admitted to it when the Mitchell Report was released in 2007. He was never suspended.
