Erik Schullstrom
| Erik Schullstrom | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born: March 25, 1969 San Diego, California | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| Professional debut | |
| MLB: July 18, 1994, for the Minnesota Twins | |
| NPB: April 11, 1998, for the Nippon-Ham Fighters | |
| Last appearance | |
| MLB: September 27, 1995, for the Minnesota Twins | |
| NPB: August 4, 2002, for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 0–0 |
| Earned run average | 6.00 |
| Strikeouts | 34 |
| NPB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 9–5 |
| Earned run average | 2.67 |
| Strikeouts | 93 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Erik Paul Schullstrom (born March 25, 1969) is a former professional baseball pitcher who played for the Minnesota Twins in 1994 and 1995. Listed at 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m), 220 pounds, Schullstrom threw and batted right-handed. After ending his playing career, he became an American scout for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.
Early life
Schullstrom was born in San Diego, California and attended Alameda High School[1] where he was voted Oakland Tribune Northern California Pitcher of the year in 1987.[2] He then attended Fresno State University where he was a Freshman All-American by Baseball America in 1988 after going 14–2 with 11 complete games. The Bulldogs were ranked #1 in the nation after winning 32 consecutive games, and eventually finished tied for seventh in the College World Series.[3][4][5] He also was a member of the U.S. Collegiate National Team in 1988.[6]
Career
Schullstrom was drafted out of high school by the Toronto Blue Jays 620th overall in the 24th round of the 1987 Major League Baseball draft. Deciding not to sign and play college baseball, he was selected 51st overall in the second round of the 1990 draft by the Baltimore Orioles.
In the minors, Schullstrom spent time starting and relieving. On July 3, 1991, starting for the Frederick Keys at Class A+ Carolina League, he pitched a 2–0 no-hitter against the Kinston Indians.[7] He started working as a reliever in 1993, converting to a full-time reliever in 1994 before returning to starting in 1996.[3]
Schullstrom was traded twice by the Orioles within a span of a year. He was first dealt to the Padres for Craig Lefferts on August 31, 1992 in a deal which was completed four days later on September 4 when Ricky Gutiérrez joined him in San Diego.[8][9] He was claimed off waivers on April 2, 1993 by the Orioles who sent him to the Twins 41⁄2 months later on August 16 to complete a transaction from the previous day in which Mike Pagliarulo went to Baltimore.[10][11]
On July 18, 1994, Schullstrom made his major league debut as a 25-year-old rookie for the Twins. In nine games that year, he posted an ERA of 2.77 and had 13 strikeouts in 13 innings of work. His success did not carry over to the next season: in 37 games in 1995, he had a 6.89 ERA.[3]
He set an MLB record by pitching 60 innings without being awarded a decision, i.e. a win or a loss.[1][12]
On September 27, 1995, Schullstrom played his final major league game. He then pitched for the Acereros de Monclova and Sultanes de Monterrey of the Mexican League in 1997.[13] He played four seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, two for the Nippon-Ham Fighters in 1998 and 1999, and two for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in 2001 and 2002.
In 2003, Schullstrom began working for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, the last team he pitched for, as a scout in the United States. He replaced the retiring Satoshi Hirayama, who also played at Fresno State and in Japan.[14] By 2008, Schullstrom was the team's U.S. scouting director.[1][15]
Schullstrom resides in Alameda, California.[1][14][16]
References
- ^ a b c d Steward, Carl (January 27, 2012). "'In Our Backyard': Scouting a 'dream gig' for former pitcher Erik Schullstrom". The Mercury News. Archived from the original on May 2, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- ^ "Hall of Fame". AHS Athletic Boosters. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Erik Schullstrom Intl, MLB, Minor League, College Baseball Statistics". The Baseball Cube. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
- ^ Hudson, Maryann (May 6, 1988). "College Baseball : All That's Left Is Second in PCAA for Fullerton, Las Vegas". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
- ^ "2025 Baseball Media Guide" (PDF). Fresno State. pp. 45, 63. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
- ^ "Official Roster for the 1988 Collegiate Harbor Tournament Team" (PDF). USA Baseball.
- ^ Goldberg, Stan (July 3, 2011). "History Lesson: Schullstrom hurled Keys' first no-hitter in 1991". The Frederick News-Post. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
- ^ "Orioles Trade For Lefty Lefferts, Give Padres Minor Leaguer, etc". Greensboro News and Record. September 1, 1992. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
- ^ Henneman, Jim (September 5, 1992). "Infielder Gutierrez goes to Padres, completing trade for Lefferts". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
- ^ "Transactions". The New York Times. April 3, 1993. p. 32. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
- ^ "Transactions". The New York Times. August 17, 1993. p. 8. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
- ^ "MLB Most Career Innings Pitched Without 0 Wins And 0 Losses". StatMuse. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
- ^ "Erik Schullstrom". Stats Crew.
- ^ a b "60 seconds with Erik Schullstrom". The Fresno Bee. June 15, 2008. pp. C2. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
- ^ Newman, Patrick (December 8, 2008). "Interview with Erik Schullstrom". NPB Tracker. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
- ^ McGreehan, Mike (July 31, 2007). "Ex-Hornet star has ties to Japan". East Bay Times. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
External links
- Career statistics from MLB · ESPN · Baseball Reference · Fangraphs · Baseball Reference (Minors) · Retrosheet