Érik Bédard

Érik Joseph Bédard (pronounced baydar; born March 5, 1979) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, and Tampa Bay Rays. Bédard was the staff ace with Baltimore in 2007, setting the franchise single-season strikeouts per nine innings record and record for strikeouts since relocating to Baltimore. He was traded after that season to the Mariners for a package that included future All-Stars Adam Jones and George Sherrill. After several injury-filled seasons, Seattle traded him to Boston in 2011.

Early years

Bédard was born on March 5, 1979, in Navan, Ontario, a suburb of Ottawa. A Franco-Ontarian, Bédard began his baseball career in the Orleans Little League and the Ontario Baseball Association. He was a pitcher on the 1992 Orleans Junior Red Sox team which defeated Glace Bay in the 1992 Canadian Championship. Bédard did not play high school baseball, which is common in Canada due to the short playing season.

Although and as a senior, he grew seven inches and gained during the summer between graduating from high school and beginning college. He accompanied a friend to a tryout at Norwalk Community College in Norwalk, Connecticut, and made the baseball team as a walk-on.

While in college, he added 10 miles per hour to his fastball, gained another , took the "lowest level" non-credit English language course to enhance his knowledge of the language, and became a junior college All-American.

Professional career

Baltimore Orioles

As a left-handed starter, Bédard was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the sixth round of the 1999 Major League Baseball draft. He made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast Orioles, where he allowed only one earned run in 20.1 innings for an 0.44 ERA, 4th best among all minor league pitchers that year. He spent the 2000 season with the Delmarva Shorebirds of the South Atlantic League, where he was 9–4 with a 3.57 ERA in 29 games (22 starts). In 2001 with the Frederick Keys of the Carolina League, he led all Orioles farmhands with a 2.15 ERA

Bédard made his MLB debut on April 17, 2002, for the Orioles against the New York Yankees. He entered the game in the bottom of the eighth and allowed a single to the first batter he faced, Jason Giambi, before retiring Jorge Posada on a pop fly and striking out Robin Ventura swinging before he was replaced by another reliever. Bédard next pitched on April 21 against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and allowed an RBI single to the only batter he faced, Ben Grieve. Bédard was optioned to the Double-A Bowie Baysox two days later Working with pitching coach Ray Miller, who rejoined the Orioles during the 2004 season, Bédard improved his changeup, his third pitch to go along with his 91–93 mph fastball and curveball.

240px|thumb|Bédard pitching for the [[2006 Baltimore Orioles season|Baltimore Orioles in 2006]]

In the beginning of 2005, he posted a 2.08 ERA, but after a sprained knee sidelined him for two months, he posted a 5.44 ERA. Then-teammate Kevin Millar stated that Bédard "probably has the best curveball in baseball." Bédard broke the Baltimore single-season strikeout record on August 26, breaking Mussina's record of 218 in 1997.

The results of an MRI on September 4 confirmed that Bédard suffered a strained oblique in his previous start on August 26. Because the Orioles were eliminated from playoff contention later that week, the team decided to shut down Bédard for the remainder of the season on September 9, ending his season by placing him on the 60-day disabled list.

Bédard finished the season with a 13–5 record, posting a 3.16 ERA with 221 strikeouts. He finished fifth in Cy Young voting.

Seattle Mariners

On February 8, 2008, the Orioles traded Bédard to the Seattle Mariners for outfielder Adam Jones and pitchers George Sherrill, Tony Butler, Chris Tillman and Kam Mickolio. On February 13, Mariners manager John McLaren announced that he would be their Opening Day starter. Bédard then signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the Mariners on February 15, avoiding salary arbitration. He was 6–4 with a 3.67 ERA in 15 starts for the Mariners in 2008 He missed the rest of the season and underwent arthroscopic surgery on the shoulder on September 26.

On February 6, 2010, Bédard re-signed with the Mariners to a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2011. At the start of the 2010 season, there was hope he would return to the majors as soon as May or June 2010. However, he suffered multiple setbacks while rehabbing his shoulder and did not pitch in the majors in 2010, though he did appear in three minor league rehab games. He had a 1.39 ERA in May.

Bedard made eight starts for the Red Sox in August and September. He never exceeded six innings and had a 1–2 record and 4.03 ERA.

Pittsburgh Pirates

thumb|left|Bédard with the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]]

On December 7, 2011, the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Bédard to a one-year, $4.5 million contract. He was their 2012 Opening Day Starter.

Bedard went 7–14 with a 5.02 ERA in 24 starts and was released on August 28.

Houston Astros

The Houston Astros signed Bédard to a minor-league deal on January 21, 2013. He recorded his first career save on opening day, March 31, with innings of relief against rival Texas Rangers. On July 21, he pitched innings of a no hitter when he asked to leave his no-hitter after 109 pitches. In 32 appearances (26 starts) for the Astros, he was 4–12 with a 4.59 ERA. He was released by the Rays on March 25 and became a free agent, exercising an "opt-out" clause in his contract after not making the starting rotation at the end of spring training. A few days later, Bédard changed his mind and agreed to report to the Durham Bulls, the Triple-A minor league affiliate of the Rays.

On April 11, the Rays announced that Bédard had been called up from Durham to the majors. He pitched for the Rays until he was designated for assignment on July 28. Bédard was released on August 3. In 17 appearances (15 starts), he was 4–6 with a 4.76 ERA. On March 23, the Dodgers announced that Bédard would miss four to six weeks after he strained his back during a spring training game, ending any chance he had to make the opening day roster. After spending the start of the season in extended spring training rehabilitating his injury Bédard was assigned to the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on May 25. He made three starts for the Quakes with a 1–1 record and 5.02 ERA

International career

Bédard pitched for Canada “In that appearance, he allowed no runs but gave up two walks and two hits while striking out six batters in Canada’s first game, a win over South Africa.”.

Bédard was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025. He did not attend his induction ceremony.

“In that appearance, he allowed no runs but gave up two walks and two hits while striking out six batters in Canada’s first game, a win over South Africa.”