John Lannan

John Edward Lannan (born September 27, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who currently serves as the Major League mental performance coach for the Toronto Blue Jays.

He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies.

In his debut, behind 3–2 with one out in the fifth inning, Lannan hit Chase Utley with a fastball (breaking Utley's hand) and then hit Ryan Howard on the next pitch, whereupon umpire Hunter Wendelstedt immediately ejected Lannan from the game; Lannan was the first Major Leaguer since Aaron Boone in 1997 to be tossed from his debut.

He was selected by the Washington Nationals in the 11th round (324th overall) of the 2005 Major League Baseball draft.

He pitched for the low Single-A Vermont Expos in 2005 and the Single-A Savannah Sand Gnats in 2006, compiling earned run averages of 5.26 and 4.76 respectively.

Lannan made his MLB debut with the Washington Nationals in 2007 against the Philadelphia Phillies; he was ejected from his first MLB game.

In 2007, however, he blazed through the minors.

He began the year for the high-A Potomac Nationals going 6–0 with an earned run average of 2.13 and was promoted to the Double-A Harrisburg.

He went 3–2 with a 3.25 earned run average and got promoted to Triple-A Columbus, where he started six games, and went 3–1 with a 1.75 earned run average.

In July 2007, he was called up to the MLB team following his impressive numbers.

The Nationals, decimated by injuries to their starting pitchers, purchased his contract on July 26, 2007, for Lannan to start against the Philadelphia Phillies.

On August 6, 2007, in just his third major league start, found himself on the national stage as he faced the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park in Barry Bonds's first start after tying Hank Aaron's Major League Baseball's home run record.

The 22-year-old Lannan held Bonds to no hits; in four plate appearances Bonds fouled out to third, walked, grounded into a double play, and, as Lannan's last batter, struck out on a 3–2 curveball with two out and one on in the seventh.

Lannan finished with seven innings of one-run ball pitched, although the Nats went on to lose 3–2 in 11 innings.

He ended the year with a 2–2 record and an earned run average of 4.15 in six starts, becoming one of the Nationals best starters.

Over the next two years, he pitched more than 385 total innings with an earned run average under 3.90.

Only 22 other pitchers did that, earning him the starter position for opening day in 2009 and 2010.

Lannan threw his first complete game on June 6, 2009, a 7–1 win over the New York Mets, and a month and a half later threw his first complete game shutout on July 21, 2009, a 4–0 shutout of the Mets.

The 2009 season saw Lannan pitch to a 3.88 earned run average with a 9–13 record and 89 strikeouts through 206.1 innings.

His 2010 season started off poorly, allowing seven hits, three walks, and five runs in only 32⁄3 innings against the Philadelphia Phillies on Opening Day.

After a stretch of two weeks in June, where in three games, he compiled a 10.38 earned run average while allowing 38 base runners in 13 innings, on June 21, 2010, Lannan was optioned to the class AA Harrisburg Senators.

He was sent to AA rather than AAA because he had previously worked well with Harrisburg pitching coach Randy Tomlin.

He had gone 2–5 with a 5.76 earned run average in 14 start before being sent down.

In the minors, he compiled a 4.20 earned run average in 7 games started with 28 strikeouts and a 1–4 record.

The Nationals later recalled Lannan in August to take the place of the injured Stephen Strasburg (who later had Tommy John surgery).

He finished the season with a total of 143.1 IP, an 8–8 record, a 4.65 earned run average, and 71 strikeouts in 25 games started.

The next would be former Astros pitcher Kyle Weiland who was ejected in his debut with the Boston Red Sox in 2011.

Lannan picked up his first Major League win, in his second start, six days later, in which he held the Cincinnati Reds hitless through three and scoreless through five inning before allowing two runs in the sixth.

On July 22, 2011, Lannan hit his first career home run off Hiroki Kuroda of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

It was a two-run home run, giving the Nationals a 3–0 lead, en route to a 7–2 win at Dodger Stadium.

The southpaw pitched to a 3.70 earned run average in 33 starts (184 2⁄3 innings pitched) plus 106 strikeouts, and a 10–13 record.

He pitched with the Nationals for six seasons through 2012 and was the opening day starter in 2009 and 2010.

He was relegated out of the rotation in 2012, and was eventually non-tendered making him a free agent.

In December 2012, he signed with the division rival Phillies, with whom he was the fifth starter during the 2013 season.

Lannan failed to earn a spot in the Nationals' 2012 starting rotation, losing the competition for the fifth slot to Ross Detwiler, and was optioned to AAA Syracuse to start the season.

Lannan requested a trade to depart from the Washington Nationals.

He was called up to the Nationals on July 21 to start against the Atlanta Braves.

He played with the New York Mets in 2014.

Lannan was born in Long Beach, New York.

Following his time as captain of the baseball team at Chaminade High School in Mineola, New York, Lannan pitched for the Siena Saints of Siena College.