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Committee Chairman

Committee Chairman

Kirk Buchner, "The Committee Chairman", is the owner and operator of the site.  Kirk can be contacted at [email protected] .

Jake Arrieta

Jake Arrieta played for four different teams during his career in Major League Baseball, but he is most famously known for his time with the Chicago Cubs. Arrieta started his career with the Baltimore Orioles but struggled to perform consistently, moving back and forth between the minor and major leagues. Over the course of 69 games with the Orioles, Arrieta had an unimpressive 5.46 ERA and 1.472 WHIP.

In 2013, Baltimore traded Arrieta to the Cubs, where he initially played in the minor leagues but finished the year with a 4-2 record and a 3.66 ERA. This was just the start of Arrieta's success with the Cubs.

Arrieta's best year came in 2015, where he led the National League in Wins (22), Games Started (33), Complete Games (4), Shutouts (3), and H/9 (5.9). He also boasted a 1.77 ERA, a 0.865 WHIP, and 236 Strikeouts. Arrieta won the Cy Young award that year and even finished sixth in MVP voting.

 In 2016, Arrieta had another solid season, going 18-8 with a 3.10 ERA and 190 strikeouts. He was also an All-Star for the first and only time. Arrieta won the Silver Slugger award that year and helped lead the Cubs to their first World Series victory in 108 years.

Arrieta played one more season with the Cubs before signing with the Philadelphia Phillies. However, injuries began to take their toll, and his performances declined quickly. He played again for the Cubs and then the Padres before retiring after the 2021 season. Overall, he had a record of 115-93 with 1,433 strikeouts.

J. A. Happ

J.A. Happ had a career that could be described as that of a journeyman, as he played for eight different teams, including one twice. But despite this, he had some accomplishments that other pitchers would have been proud of.

Happ was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2004 and first appeared for them in 2007. However, he was still considered a rookie in 2009, when he was the narrow runner-up for the National League Rookie of the Year award. He had a record of 12-4 and an ERA of 2.93, losing out to Chris Coghlan of the Marlins. Happ played a small role in the Phillies' World Series win, earning himself a championship title.

Despite this, Happ was traded to the Houston Astros in a deal that brought Roy Oswalt to the Phillies. This was the start of Happ's journeyman period. Over the next few seasons, he played for the Toronto Blue Jays, the Seattle Mariners, the Philadelphia Phillies again, and then back to Toronto where he had his best season. He had a record of 20-4, 163 strikeouts, and finished sixth in the Cy Young voting, his only such finish. While still with Toronto, he also played in his first and only All-Star Game, but was later traded to the New York Yankees.

Happ continued playing for the Minnesota Twins and the St. Louis Cardinals before retiring with a record of 133 wins and 100 losses.

Gerald McCoy

Gerald McCoy was a highly sought-after player in the 2010 NFL Draft after his impressive college career at the University of Oklahoma, where he was a two-time All-American. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him as the third overall pick, joining a long list of defensive stars in their team.

From day one, McCoy won the starting position as the Left Defensive Tackle. Although his statistics don't fully showcase his value, McCoy was a consistent disruptor, overpowering most of his opponents, and blocking lanes to make way for his teammates to rush the quarterback. In his third season, he began a six-year streak of Pro Bowls, including a First Team All-Pro in 2013. He remained with Tampa until 2018, when he was released due to salary constraints.

McCoy then played for Carolina for one year before signing a three-year contract with Dallas. Unfortunately, he never played a single game for them as he suffered a ruptured quad and was subsequently released. He sat out the entire 2020 season and signed with Las Vegas, but his time with them was cut short after he sustained a knee injury in his first game. That was his last time playing.

Throughout his career, McCoy achieved 59.5 sacks and 334 combined tackles.

Everson Griffen

Everson Griffen joined the Minnesota Vikings in 2010 as the 100th overall draft pick. It took him some time to establish himself in the NFL. Initially, he was mostly utilized on special teams. However, he eventually became a pass-rushing specialist and then the starting defensive end in 2014. Griffen's career with the Vikings lasted for ten years, during which he was selected for four Pro Bowls over a five-year period. He also recorded three seasons with 10+ sacks.

After leaving the Vikings as a free agent, he signed with the Dallas Cowboys before returning to Minnesota in 2021 for one more season, after which he retired. Griffen finished his career with 85.5 sacks.