Charlie Furbush

 

Charlie Furbush was an American League pitcher, mostly in relief and mostly for the Mariners, from 2011 to 2015.

Charles Roderick Furbush was born April 11, 1986, in South Portland, Maine, where he graduated from high school in 2004. He was a star pitcher for two seasons at St. Joseph’s College in Standish, Maine; over the two years he had a 17-2 record with a 2.38 ERA and 185 strikeouts in 133 innings, and in his sophomore year he was named North Atlantic Conference Player of the Year and NCAA Division III New England Pitcher of the Year. He attracted the attention of Division I schools as well as pro scouts while playing in the amateur Cape Cod League in the summers, and transferred to Louisiana State University for the fall of 2006.

Before the 2007 season Charlie was named to the third team of Baseball America’s preseason All-America team, and was named the number one starter by LSU. From the Baton Rouge Advocate, February 4, 2007:

“Charlie Furbush is an extremely high competitor,” [LSU pitching coach Terry] Rooney said. “He’s a gamer. As soon as he picks up the ball—every single day, whether it’s in practice or getting ready for one of our intrasquad games—he becomes a different person.

“You want a guy that’s going to give you a chance very single night.”

…LSU coaches said Furbush has made big strides. Once a pitcher with a fastball, curveball and a changeup mainly for show, he’s now close to being a complete three-pitch artist with a fastball touching the low 90-mph range, Rooney said…

Rooney said Furbush improved command of his pitches and the strike zone by refining his mechanics, most notably slowing down his body for a more deliberate motion.

The effort produced a solid changeup and two-seam fastball.

“He’s going to be forcing the action,” Rooney said. “Guys are going to be swinging early in the count.”

In Charlie’s opening day start, February 9, he struck out the first five batters and pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings. His season went downhill after that, though, and he wound up with a 4.95 ERA and a 3-9 record, 0-8 in the SEC, which was not helped by poor run support from a disappointing LSU team. He did strike out 88 batters in 87 1/3 innings.

Heading into the June 7 free agent draft, Charlie was ranked as the #130 pick by Baseball America, and he was chosen as the 151^st pick, late in the fourth round, by Detroit. Two weeks later he signed a contract, and he was sent to the Tigers’ team in the Rookie class Gulf Coast League. He had a 2.81 ERA in 16 innings, with 23 strikeouts and three walks, before being moved up to the West Michigan Whitecaps of the Class A Midwest League. For the Whitecaps he had a 2.17 ERA in 45 2/3 innings, but he then missed the entire 2008 season after having Tommy John surgery on his elbow.

Charlie spent 2009 with the Lakeland Flying Tigers of the “Advanced A” class Florida State League. He appeared in 24 games, 23 of them starts, and had a 3.96 ERA in 111 1/3 innings, with 93 strikeouts and 32 walks. In 2010 he started back with Lakeland, pitched very well, moved up to the Erie SeaWolves of the Class AA Eastern League and pitched very well, then moved up again, to the AAA Toledo Mud Hens of the International League, where he didn’t do as well, though he kept up his excellent strikeout-to-walk ratio. Between the three teams he had a 4.25 ERA in 159 innings, with 183 strikeouts and 40 walks. After the season the Tigers moved him up to the major league roster to protect him from the minor league draft.

In February 2011 the Tigers signed Charlie to a one-year major league contract, but they optioned him to Toledo late in spring training. On May 21 Charlie, who was leading the IL with 55 strikeouts in 46 1/3 innings, was called up to Detroit when reliever Brad Thomas was put on the disabled list. Two days later, at home against Tampa Bay, he made his major league debut, coming in with one out and two baserunners when starter Phil Coke injured his ankle in the fourth inning; he walked the first batter but struck out the next two, and went 3 2/3 scoreless innings, earning the victory. From the AP account of the game:

“He didn’t have time to think about it, he just pitched,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. “I didn’t say anything to him. I just gave him the ball.”…

“He showed some great poise in that situation,” [Rays manager Joe] Maddon said. “I’m not saying we should have pounded him, but you have to at least get the ball moving and give yourself a chance.”

Four days later Charlie pitched five scoreless relief innings, and four days after that he came in to face one batter, Jim Thome, and struck him out. By the end of June he had made twelve appearances and had a 2.49 ERA; at that point it was announced that he would be moved into the starting rotation in place of struggling Phil Coke, who would take his spot in the bullpen. He made two starts, giving up twelve runs, seven of them earned, in a total of 7 1/3 innings, then was sent back to Toledo. On the 20^th he was called back up, and he made three scoreless relief appearances before, on the 30^th, he was traded to the Mariners—Charlie, Casper Wells, minor leaguer Francisco Martinez, and a player to be named later for pitchers Doug Fister and David Pauley. The Tigers were giving up prospects in order to have reliever Pauley and, especially, starter Fister for the pennant race, and it seemed to pay off as they went 39-16 the rest of the way and won their division easily.

Charlie made a relief appearance for the Mariners on July 31 and then was part of the starting rotation for the rest of the season. His ERA for Seattle was 6.62 in 53 innings; combined with his Tigers numbers he was 4-10, 5.48, in 85 1/3 innings in 28 games, twelve of them starts.

Going into 2012 Charlie was expected to be back in the rotation, but at the end of spring training he was optioned to the AAA Tacoma Rainiers. He pitched ten innings in seven games, all in relief, then on April 13 he was recalled to Seattle when George Sherrill was placed on the DL. He was now a reliever, and would be for the rest of his major league career. On June 8 in Seattle, against the Dodgers, Mariners starter Kevin Millwood was removed after six innings with a groin injury, despite having allowed no hits; Charlie relieved him and got two outs, then four more pitchers succeeded him in what became the second-ever six-pitcher no-hitter. 

On July 17 Charlie retired the only batter he faced, then was removed with a strained triceps and placed on the DL. He was activated on August 17. For the year he had a 2.72 ERA in 46 1/3 innings in 48 games, with 53 strikeouts and 16 walks.

In January 2013 it was reported that Charlie was one of five players who were to go to Arizona in a trade for Justin Upton, but Upton vetoed the deal. He had a 3.74 ERA that season, with 80 strikeouts and 29 walks in 65 innings in 71 appearances; opposing hitters had a .199 batting average against him. By now he was the Mariners’ union representative; he was also active in the community and made numerous appearances in the team’s humorous promotional videos.

In 2014 Charlie had a 3.61 ERA, making 67 appearances, including his only major league save, but only totaling 42 1/3 innings as a LOOGY (left-handed one out guy); he struck out 51 and walked just nine.

2015 was Charlie’s best season; through his appearance of July 7 he had a 2.08 ERA in 21 2/3 innings in 33 games. But after that game he was placed on the 15-day DL with what was called biceps tendinitis. On July 20 he started throwing long toss, then some flat-ground bullpen sessions, but had some setbacks that began to worry the Mariners. On August 23 the Walla Walla Union Bulletin reported, from the Tacoma News-Tribune:

Lefty reliever diagnosed with slight tear in rotator cuff

The Seattle manager says it’s “highly unlikely” Charlie Furbush will pitch again this season.

By Bob Dutton

of The News Tribune

At least now, Mariners lefty reliever Charlie Furbush has the peace of mind of knowing why his arm wasn’t responding as expected to rest and treatment.

He has a slight tear in his rotator cuff, the collection of muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint.

“Honestly, when I heard the news,” Furbush said, “it doesn’t feel that bad. It’s a little peace of mind for me, and the training staff as well, just to know what’s going on there.”

Manager Lloyd McClendon said it’s “highly unlikely” that Furbush, 29, will pitch again this season…

“It wasn’t a big tear,” Furbush said. “It wasn’t a full tear. He just said a slight tear in the rotator cuff. For me, it was like, ‘All right, that’s what I’ve got to deal with.’”

In September the Mariners made Charlie their nominee for the Roberto Clemente award, “bestowed annually to the player who best represents the game of Baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field,” and in January 2016 they signed him to a new contract. In spring training he was still suffering shoulder tightness, and on April 4 he was put on the 15-day DL, retroactive to March 25. On May 18 it was reported that Charlie, still on the DL, would pitch batting practice for Tacoma the next day and then go to the team’s minor-league facility in Arizona for extended spring training. On June 22 he was transferred to the 60-day DL, and on July 15, with things looking up, he was sent back to Tacoma for a rehab assignment. On July 21 it was reported that the Mariners expected him back with the team soon; however, that did not happen. He pitched well in six appearances for Tacoma, allowing one run in five innings, but he also made two starts with Class A Everett and allowed four runs in a total of 1 1/3 innings, and further tests led to surgery. After another year of rehab he had another surgery, then more rehab. In the winter of 2018-19 he tried pitching sidearm, but that caused more pain. On March 7, 2019, he announced his retirement via Twitter.

From the March 13 Portland Press-Herald:

…And so, a little more than a month shy of his 33^rd birthday, Furbush announced his retirement. Although the past three years have had their ups and downs emotionally, Furbush on Tuesday expressed no hint of sadness or melancholy. Instead, he sounded almost giddy, eager to explore his next chapter of life.

“I can’t be any happier,” he said, “because I got to do what I love for so long. Man, it’s been an incredible journey.”

…Now what?

“I’m trying to figure that out day by day,” he said. “I’m really eager to see where I go, what direction I take. It’s likely I’ll be back in baseball in some capacity, but who knows what the world is going to throw at me.”

In September 2020 Charlie got married.

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