Major leagues
Minnesota Twins
Erickson finished 1990 with a combined record of 16–7 between Double-A and the majors;he went 5–0 in September and tied Dave Stewart for American League Pitcher of the Month. In 1991,Erickson posted a record of 12–2 with a 1.39 ERA in the first half season and was awarded the American League Pitcher of the Month for May and June. [5] The Twins went on to win the World Series,and Erickson finished second to Roger Clemens for the American League Cy Young Award [6] and received votes for the American League Most Valuable Player Award. [7]
The following season,Erickson started 32 games,going 13–12 with 5 complete games. He regressed the following year,however,leading the majors with 19 losses. On April 27,1994,Erickson no-hit the Milwaukee Brewers 6–0 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome,the first no-hitter ever pitched in that stadium. He became the third Twins pitcher,after Jack Kralick in 1962 and Dean Chance in 1967,to pitch a no-hitter;the former's had been the last no-hitter in a Twins home game,that game having taken place at the Metrodome's predecessor,Metropolitan Stadium. [8]
Baltimore Orioles
In 1995,he started with a 4-6 record and 5.95 ERA with the Twins. His last start with the team was a 6–3 away win over the Baltimore Orioles on 4 July in which he and Scott Klingenbeck were the pitchers of record,three days before they were traded for each other on 7 July in a fire sale transaction which was completed two months later on 19 September when Kimera Bartee was sent to Minnesota. [9] [10] More effective after the trade,Erickson turned in 9 wins in 16 starts for Baltimore. Between both teams,he finished 13–10 with 7 complete games. In 1996,Erickson won 13 games for the second straight year,with 6 complete games and 100 strikeouts for the 6th straight year. In 1997,Erickson turned in his best season since 1992,winning 16 games with a 3.69 ERA in 33 starts. He later signed a five-year,$32 million contract with Baltimore through 2003. [11] In 1998,Erickson once again won 16 games for the Orioles,while leading the league in complete games (11) and innings pitched (251.1).
In 1999,Erickson went 15–12 with a 4.81 ERA while leading the league in shutouts (3). He also led the majors in ground balls induced with 454.
On March 3,2000,Erickson had bone chips removed from his elbow,and was out of action eight weeks. [12] [13] Erickson made 16 starts for the Orioles in 2000. He was hampered by the nagging elbow issue and visited the disabled list twice,the second one being a season ending elbow injury. [14] After over 2000 innings pitched,the elbow injury caused him to miss the entire 2001 season. Erickson returned in 2002,becoming the first pitcher to start Opening Day after missing an entire season. That season,he made 28 starts,pitching 160.2 innings. In 2003,Erickson suffered a torn labrum and missed the entire 2003 season. [15] [16]
Later career
In 2004,Erickson signed a minor league deal with the New York Mets. [17] Set back by injury,he made his Mets' debut in July,then was traded to the Texas Rangers at the July 31 deadline. [18]
He was in the starting rotation for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2005. [19]
Erickson signed a deal with the New York Yankees on February 16,2006. He was released by the Yankees on June 19,and officially retired from baseball at the beginning of the 2007 season.
