Graeme_Lloyd

Graeme Lloyd

Graeme Lloyd

Australian baseball player (born 1967)

Not to be confused with Graham Lloyd.

Graeme John Lloyd (born 9 April 1967) is an Australian former professional baseball pitcher, who appeared with the Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Montreal Expos, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, and Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Quick Facts MLB debut, Last MLB appearance ...

Playing career

Lloyd played with the Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, and Kansas City Royals of the American League and the Montreal Expos, Florida Marlins, and New York Mets of the National League. He was the third native Australian to have pitched in Major League Baseball. Lloyd was used exclusively as a relief pitcher during his ten years in the major leagues, ending his career with 30 wins against 36 losses, 17 saves, and 97 holds.

At his peak, Lloyd threw a sinking fastball that reached 90 miles (140 km) per hour and a slider. Later in his career, he added a palmball to his repertoire.[1] For much of his career, he was used as a left-handed specialist.[1] This type of pitcher is used against an opposing team's star left-handed hitter(s) late in a game.

In August 1996, the Brewers traded Lloyd and Pat Listach to the New York Yankees for Gerald Williams and Bob Wickman.[2] Lloyd became the first Australian-born baseball player to win a World Series in 1996. Lloyd was awarded the win for Game 4 of the series, replacing Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning and inducing the left-handed batsman Fred McGriff to hit into an inning-ending double play.[3] After the Yankees took the lead in the tenth, Lloyd returned to the mound and struck out Ryan Klesko before being replaced by closer John Wetteland.

Lloyd became a two-time World Series champion for the Yankees in 1998, defeating the San Diego Padres. Lloyd is still the only Australian-born baseball player to have won a World Series.[4]

The Toronto Blue Jays demanded Lloyd be included in a package anchored by starting pitcher David Wells when the Yankees traded for Toronto starting pitcher Roger Clemens in February 1999.[5]

Lloyd missed the entire 2000 season while recovering from arthroscopic surgery. In 2001, he received the Tony Conigliaro Award, a national recognition instituted in 1990 by the Boston Red Sox to honour the memory of the late Tony Conigliaro, given annually to a Major League Baseball (MLB) player who best "overcomes an obstacle and adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination, and courage that were trademarks of Conigliaro."[6]

International career

Lloyd represented his native Australia at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.[7]

Personal

Lloyd's wife Cindy suffered from Crohn's disease. She died in 2000 at the age of 26.[8] In 2000 and 2001, Graeme acted as the spokesman for the Graeme Lloyd and Jon Mechanic Field of Dreams, a charity which was dedicated in the name of Cindy Lloyd.

He is currently the pitching coach for the Melbourne Aces of the Australian Baseball League.

See also

References

  1. [1]
    mlbblogger on (26 November 2011). "Former NYY World Series reliever Graeme Lloyd coaches Australian Baseball League's Best: HEAT « mlbblogger". Mlbforlife.com.
  2. [2]
    Yanks seeking relief trade The New York Times August 24, 1996 [dead link]
  3. [3]
    "1996 World Series Game 4 - New York Yankees vs. Atlanta Braves". MLB.com.
  4. [4]
    "1998 World Series". Baseball-Reference.com.
  5. [5]
    "BASEBALL; Yankees Have Talked to Key – New York Times". The New York Times. 21 February 1999.
  6. [6]
    "Tony Conigliaro Award". Nndb.com.
  7. [7]
    "London 2012 Olympic Games – ABC Grandstand Sport (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". Abc.net.au.
  8. [8]
    "Storm adds to trouble". Sptimes.com. 20 August 2000.
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