Chad Billingsley

Chad Ryan Billingsley (born July 29, 1984) is an American former professional baseball right-handed starting pitcher.

He pitched three games and went 3–0 with a 2.45 ERA for Team USA, which won the bronze medal in the 2002 World Junior Baseball Championship in Sherbrooke, Quebec.

He committed to attend the University of South Carolina.

As a senior in 2003, Billinglsey posted a 1.21 earned-run average and 138 strikeouts in 69 innings.

He also had a .383 batting average with 93 runs batted in and 24 home runs as a senior.

Billingsley finished high school with a state-record 502 strikeouts.

The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Billingsley in the first round, with the 24th overall selection, in the 2003 Major League Baseball draft.

He signed with the Dodgers, receiving a signing bonus of $1.375 million.

Billingsley pitched in 2003 for the Ogden Raptors of the Rookie-level Pioneer League, compiling a record of 5–4 with a 2.83 ERA.

He went 7–4 with a 2.35 ERA for the Vero Beach Dodgers of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League in 2004, before being promoted to the Jacksonville Suns of the Class AA Southern League, where he pitched through 2005.

He was 13–6 with a 3.51 ERA for Jacksonville in 2005.

He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2006 through 2013 and Philadelphia Phillies in 2015.

He started 2006 with the Las Vegas 51s of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League before being promoted to the Dodgers.

According to Baseball America, Billingsley was the number one prospect in the Dodgers organization prior to being recalled to the major league roster in June 2006.

Billingsley made his Major League Baseball debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 15, 2006, against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego, California.

In his debut, Billingsley started on the mound, and pitched 5 1⁄3 innings and surrendered 6 hits and 2 runs while striking out three.

He even knocked in two runs in his first official at-bat (hit by pitch in his first plate appearance) to help his cause.

His debut was considered a success as the Dodgers went on to defeat the Padres 7–3 (although Billingsley did not get credited with the win).

Billingsley remained in the starting rotation for the rest of the season, but started 2007 in the bullpen.

He pitched well in relief and was returned to the starting rotation on June 21 after season-ending surgery placed Jason Schmidt on the disabled list.

In 2008, Billingsley elevated to one of the top pitchers in the National League while demonstrating his potential as an ace.

Billingsley pitched his first career complete game shutout against the San Francisco Giants on July 30, 2008, allowing five hits and recording eight strikeouts without allowing a walk.

Billingsley also started 3 postseason games for the Dodgers in 2008.

In his first postseason appearance, Billingsley pitched a strong 6 2⁄3 innings, while allowing just one run against the Chicago Cubs.

The Dodgers won the game 10–3.

However, in his next two starts, Billingsley was not nearly as effective.

Lasting only 2 1⁄3 innings, Billingsley was torched for 8 runs (7 earned) in an 8–5 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 2 and 2 2⁄3 innings, while giving up 3 earned runs, in Game 5 of the 2008 NLCS.

He received some criticism for not brushing back (i.e., pitching far inside) to Phillies batters when Dodgers hitters were knocked down several times.

On November 21, 2008, Billingsley slipped on ice outside his South Heidelberg Township home, and suffered a spiral fracture of the fibula in his left leg.

However, the injury was healed by the time spring training began.

He was a National League (NL) All-Star in 2009.

Billingsley attended Defiance High School in Defiance, Ohio, and played for the school's baseball team.

Billingsley was a high school teammate of Major League pitcher Jon Niese.

He was named to the Rawlings All-American first team in his junior year as a utility player and as a pitcher in his senior year.

In 2009, Billingsley started well, winning his first five decisions and posted a 7-inning, 11-strikeout performance against the San Francisco Giants on April 13.

On July 5, 2009, Billingsley hit his first career home run off Josh Banks in a 7–6 Dodgers win against the San Diego Padres.

He was selected to the 2009 National League All-Star Team.

He also played American Legion Baseball in Ohio and was named the organization's Graduate of the Year for 2013.

On September 6, Billingsley faced Arizona ace Brandon Webb and helped to hold him off long enough for a Manny Ramirez homer, and a 7–2 win, his 14th of the season.

He finished the year with a 16–10 record, was 5th in the NL (and 9th in the majors) with 201 strikeouts, and recorded an ERA of 3.14 and a WHIP of 1.34 in 200.2 innings pitched.