Bill Pulsipher

William Thomas Pulsipher (born October 9, 1973) is an American former professional baseball player.

Pulsipher, a left-handed pitcher, played in Major League Baseball for the New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals over six seasons from to.

Once considered a top prospect and a member of the Mets' heralded "Generation K", his career was derailed by injuries, including a torn ulnar collateral ligament requiring Tommy John surgery, major depression and anxiety.

Pulsipher was a military brat who was born in Fort Benning, Georgia.

His family frequently relocated, including to Germany, before settling in Clifton, Virginia.

His parents divorced, and he lived with his father and stepmother.

While a senior at Fairfax High School, Pulsipher was named the All-Metropolitan D.C. Player of the Year as a pitcher and center fielder.

The team finished the season with a 17–4 record.

He also excelled at basketball, but baseball was his main focus, and at age 17 he was offered a full scholarship to Old Dominion University.

The day before he was to leave, he decided to forego college and sign with the New York Mets after being chosen in the second round of the 1991 Major League Baseball Draft.

In the Mets' minor league system, Pulsipher posted a 2.84 earned run average (ERA) in 1992 and ERAs of 2.08 with the Capital City Bombers and 2.24 with the St. Lucie Mets, both in 1993.

Fairfax teammate Brian Buchanan also made it to the Major Leagues after being drafted out of the University of Virginia by the New York Yankees in the first round of the 1994 MLB Draft.

In 1994, Pulsipher was selected to be a AA-level Eastern League all-star.

He led the Binghamton Mets to the playoffs, where he threw a no-hitter on September 12 and was named the New York Mets Minor League Player of the Year.

At age 20, Pulsipher was considered one of the top prospects in baseball.

Pulsipher, along with fellow Mets minor league pitchers Jason Isringhausen and Paul Wilson, were dubbed "Generation K" by sportswriters and fans.

In 1995, Pulsipher began the season with the Triple-A Norfolk Tides and continued pitching well against minor league hitting, with an ERA of 3.14.

He was called up to the majors and made his big-league debut on June 17, 1995.

Pulsipher finished the season with a 5–7 record and 3.98 ERA before a sore elbow ended his season three weeks early.

Towards the end of spring training in 1996, Pulsipher was still experiencing elbow pain when an MRI showed torn ligaments; subsequent Tommy John surgery wiped out his entire season.

In 1997, Pulsipher started the season with Norfolk, but walked 38 batters in only 27⅔ innings.

He was sent down to the A-level St. Lucie Mets, but continued walking nearly a batter per inning.

Pulsipher later recounted that he was diagnosed with depression around that time.

He was prescribed Prozac and his pitching improved, including a 1.42 ERA out of the bullpen at AA Binghamton.

After beginning 1998 in Norfolk, Pulsipher was called back up to the majors for the first time in 2½ seasons.

Although his control problems did not resurface, he pitched poorly for New York, mostly in relief.

At the July 31 trading deadline, Pulsipher was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for Mike Kinkade.

Pulsipher started for the Brewers for the rest of 1998, but needed back surgery after the season.

He started 1999 in the majors, but was soon on the disabled list when back problems recurred.

After spending the second half in the majors and finishing with a 5.98 ERA, the Brewers traded him back to the Mets for infielder Luis López.

On February 23, 2000, Pulsipher's pregnant wife found him unconscious and barely breathing on their bathroom floor.

Pulsipher was rushed to the hospital with paramedics assisting his breathing and doctors restoring his weak heartbeat.

Pulsipher attributes the attack to a dietary supplement which contained ephedra.

Three years later, Pulsipher was nearby when his Baltimore Orioles teammate Steve Bechler collapsed and died, also from ephedra.

Pulsipher pitched poorly for Norfolk and New York in 2000 before being traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Lenny Harris.

He spent the rest of the season in the minors, mostly with the Triple-A Tucson Sidewinders.

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays signed him for 2001, but sent him to the minors during spring training and released him soon after.

He was signed by the Boston Red Sox, pitched well for the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox, and was brought up to the majors in late June.

After pitching very well in relief for a month, Pulsipher was awful through August with an ERA near 10.00 and was placed on waivers.

Ephedra was banned by the Food and Drug Administration in 2004.