Brandon McCarthy

Brandon McCarthy entered professional baseball with great promise. His minor-league performances fast-tracked him to the major leagues, but that promise was undermined by a series of injuries that often paused his career. In spite of injuries, McCarthy had a big-league career spanning 13 seasons in which he played a significant role on several contending teams and even took the mound in a World Series game.

Brandon Patrick McCarthy was born in Glendale, California, on July 7, 1983. He grew to become a 6-foot-8, 225-pound right-hander, graduating from Cheyenne Mountain High School in Colorado Springs. He would become the second major-league product from Cheyenne Mountain, joining 1990s journeyman pitcher Dave Mlicki with that distinction.

After a season at Lamar Community College in Lamar, Colorado, McCarthy had the choice of either upgrading his experience to college baseball powerhouse Louisiana State University or the Chicago White Sox organization. The White Sox drafted McCarthy in the 17th round of the June 2002 amateur draft, following a season in which he set the wins record (12-0) for national junior college semifinalist Lamar. McCarthy opted to turn pro. McCarthy later said, “I was all set to go to LSU. But certain things happened and I decided to give pro ball a shot.”1 The White Sox assigned McCarthy to their Arizona Rookie team and he went 4-4 with a 2.76 ERA over 14 starts through the remainder of the 2002 season.

Pioneer League baseball awaited McCarthy in 2003 with the White Sox’ Rookie-level farm team in Great Falls, Montana. Manager Chris Cron said of McCarthy, “He’s gonna be a good kid for us. The bottom line is that at this level we want guys to throw strikes, and it looks like he’s going to be able to do that.”2 McCarthy described his pitching style: “I’ll throw fastball, curveball, changeup. I won’t really dominate anyone with my fastball – I’d rather place it around you than throw it by you.”3 He won the Jim Brewer Award as Great Falls’ best pitcher, with a 9-4 record, a 3.65 ERA, and 125 strikeouts in 101 innings.

Cron served as McCarthy’s manager when both were promoted to Kannapolis of the Low-A South Atlantic League for the 2004 season. After going 8-5 with a 3.64 ERA over the first half, McCarthy was named to the Northern Division staff for the Sally All-Star Game and was also rewarded with a promotion to Winston-Salem of the High-A Carolina League. Manager Nick Leyva observed, “I think he’s one of the top young pitchers in our organization.”4 On July 31, McCarthy struck out 16 Myrtle Beach batters. Over eight starts at High-A, he sported a 6-0 record, a 2.08 ERA, and an astonishing 60/3 strikeout/walk ratio. On August 12, the White Sox promoted McCarthy again, to Birmingham of the Double-A Southern League.

McCarthy was clearly marked for the fast track. Chicago Tribune sportswriter Phil Rogers labeled him a starter candidate for 2006 and a workhorse in the mold of Jack McDowell.5 McCarthy’s tall, lean frame alone begged the comparison. Rogers noted, “McCarthy isn’t a fireballer. He has command of a low-90s fastball, a hard curveball and an improved change-up. … He looks like the real thing.”6 Pitching for three teams in three leagues in 2004, McCarthy compiled a 17-6 record with a 3.14 ERA in 27 starts and led the minors in strikeouts (202 in 172 innings).

McCarthy continued his upward trajectory at the White Sox’ 2005 spring training. Chicago manager Ozzie Guillén dubbed him “the best pitcher we have in camp –no doubt about it.”7 The issue was finding a place for McCarthy given the already stacked White Sox rotation. The White Sox assigned McCarthy to Charlotte of the Triple-A International League, and he opened the season with a 10-strikeout performance against Columbus. Throughout the opening weeks, there was ample speculation about the timing of McCarthy’s promotion. On May 21, the call arrived.

The day after his recall, McCarthy was thrown into the deep end, starting in his first big-league game against the crosstown Cubs at Wrigley Field while facing Mark Prior. He enjoyed a successful debut by striking out six in 5⅓ innings and giving up four hits and two runs in a no-decision. Afterward, McCarthy said, “I felt a little more comfortable than I thought I would as far as nerves and jitters.”8 McCarthy had arrived just in time for some rookie hazing as the White Sox departed for a road trip, with an orange blouse and blue culottes his prescribed attire.9

After his next start, in which McCarthy allowed four home runs in a loss to Texas, he was returned to Charlotte so the White Sox could activate Frank Thomas from a rehabilitation stint. The Sox recalled McCarthy weeks later when pitcher Orlando Hernández was placed on the disabled list. McCarthy struggled upon his return, seeing his ERA balloon over 8.00 before being optioned to Charlotte in July. By late August, he was back in Chicago to provide rotation relief for the White Sox stretch run. On August 30 he earned his first major-league win with 7⅔ shutout innings in an 8-0 victory against Texas, and followed up that performance with a seven-inning, seven-strikeout winning performance opposite Boston’s Curt Schilling.

McCarthy’s September performances created a dilemma for Guillén relative to the playoff roster. Hernández struggled down the stretch as McCarthy excelled. Guillén observed, “I don’t think anybody has any doubts this kid can pitch.”10 Despite McCarthy’s winning the final regular season game at Cleveland, Guillén opted for the veteran Hernández over the rookie. McCarthy seemed to take the news in stride: “It sounds cheesy but it’s an honor to be passed up for El Duque.”11 Although he joined the team as part of their traveling party, McCarthy did not pitch during Chicago’s 2005 postseason run.

McCarthy became a fixture on the White Sox pitching staff in 2006 as a late-inning reliever with the possibility of starting should a spot open up. Remaining a big leaguer was his objective. “This year I just want to be part of the team,” he said. “I think I can learn more by staying at this level.”12 The season started well enough as McCarthy threw three scoreless innings and earned the win against Cleveland in the season opener. By early May, McCarthy was struggling in the new role. He suggested his mechanics were off, saying, “I’m still trying to learn how to keep my mechanics from day to day.”13 After a run of clean appearances in June, Guillén declared McCarthy the primary set-up man. For McCarthy, the new role had its challenges. He said, “I’ve been taken out of that comfort level where you have to learn a different way to pitch.”14 His season numbers reflected those challenges: In 84⅔ innings over 53 appearances, McCarthy had a 4.68 ERA.

When White Sox general manager Ken Williams traded Freddy García to Philadelphia on December 6, 2006, it seemed that a rotation spot might open. Two weeks later, however, the White Sox packaged McCarthy with minor leaguer David Paisano to obtain pitchers John Danks and Nick Masset and minor leaguer Jake Rasner, from Texas. For the Rangers, there was no question about McCarthy’s pitching role as he projected as their number-three starter for the 2007 season. McCarthy’s eagerness impressed the Rangers brass. GM Jon Daniels observed, “We’ve almost had to slow him down a little bit … because he wants to come out and prove himself.”15

McCarthy’s Texas career got off to a rough start. At the end of April, his record stood at 1-4 with a 9.90 ERA. He recovered to win three of his next four starts before blisters and control problems prematurely ended a May 25 outing against Boston. Rangers manager Ron Washington observed, “I think he was just trying to prove the trade was worth it. His back was against the wall, and he came back fighting.”16

The blisters sent McCarthy to the disabled list, where he mostly remained until early July. McCarthy had a promising summer return but earned only a single win in eight starts. He expected better results, saying, “I don’t want to be the guy who tries real hard, gives a bulldog effort and loses. I want to be the bulldog who wins.”17 On August 16 McCarthy returned to the DL because of a stress fracture in his right shoulder blade – something that would become a recurring source of DL stints. He returned on September 11, but forearm tenderness ended his season after his second start back. McCarthy’s 2007 record was 5-10 with a 4.87 ERA in 101⅔ innings.

Despite the challenges of 2007, McCarthy expressed optimism about the new season, but his season never got off the ground. As spring training wrapped up, a right forearm inflammation sent him to the 60-day DL. His layoff was extended when he aggravated the same muscle. After rehab assignments in Arizona and with Triple-A Oklahoma, McCarthy finally appeared on a big-league mound on August 23 against Cleveland. He pitched a creditable four innings, leaving with a 7-1 lead that the bullpen turned into an 8-7 loss. On September 15 his day and season ended early when a strained flexor tendon in his right middle finger sent him to the showers after five pitches. McCarthy’s 2008 account closed with only five starts with a 1-1 record and a 4.09 ERA.

By now a theme was emerging about McCarthy: When he’s healthy, he’s good, but he seemed to spend a lot of time on the DL. Sportswriter Jeff Wilson called McCarthy a “sports medicine marvel and a headache for the Texas Rangers because he can’t avoid freakish baseball injuries,” while observing that McCarthy “showed the form that would have made him as effective as any other Rangers pitcher this season.”18 And with John Danks enjoying success in Chicago, comparisons between their relative fortunes could not be avoided. McCarthy observed, “If I buckle down and show what I’m supposed to and stay healthy, I know I’m good enough.”19

McCarthy arrived at spring training in 2009 with an additional 20 pounds of weight on his frame. Although he missed a spring-training start with shoulder stiffness, he was ready for the start of the season. He won his first start, lasting five innings against Cleveland and striking out seven in the Rangers’ 12-8 win. On May 24 he achieved his first complete game – a shutout – throwing 124 pitches, scattering nine hits, and striking out six in a 5-0 victory at Houston. He lasted only two more starts before an MRI revealed a stress fracture in his right shoulder blade.

After spending most of August rehabbing at Oklahoma City, McCarthy returned to the Rangers for the second game of a doubleheader against Toronto on September 1. He allowed one run in 6⅓ innings for the win. McCarthy said, “I’m going to pitch as much as I can, as many innings as I can eat up in September for everybody. I owe that back to the guys around me.”20 He closed out the season 7-4 with a 4.62 ERA in 17 starts, but his late-season return equated to 2-2 with a 4.05 ERA.

McCarthy entered 2010 spring training as one of several pitchers competing for rotation spots and he worked on his sinker and cutter to claim a starting role.21 Circumstances again conspired against McCarthy. He struggled through the spring and was assigned to Oklahoma City. After a handful of starts, a stress fracture in his troublesome right shoulder blade sent him to the DL once again. He shuttled between the DL and Oklahoma City throughout 2010, never playing a part in what became a pennant-winning campaign for Texas. The year was not a complete bust: On December 10 McCarthy married Amanda Nelson, a model and a Cheyenne Mountain graduate with whom he had reconnected while in Texas.22

A free agent after the 2010 season, McCarthy signed with Oakland. He claimed the fourth spot in the Athletics 2011 rotation and after nine starts, was 1-4 but with a 3.39 ERA that included two complete-game losses. After spending June on the DL, McCarthy managed 6⅔ innings and a no-decision in a 2-1 loss to Seattle on July 4. He seemed to find his groove through the summer. On August 29 he achieved a career-high 10 strikeouts in a 2-1 complete-game loss at Cleveland and equaled that career high in a three-hit shutout against Seattle in his next start, on September 3. McCarthy’s potential seemed to reveal itself, as he ended the season by shattering his prior marks for big-league production with 170⅔ innings pitched in 25 starts, which resulted in a 9-9 record, a 3.32 ERA, and a 123/25 strikeout/walk ratio.

McCarthy received the nod to pitch the Athletics’ 2012 season opener at the Tokyo Dome against Seattle. The Athletics lost 3-1, but McCarthy permitted only one run while scattering six hits over seven innings. In another sign of his increased prominence, he and Amanda featured on the March cover of ESPN: The Magazine. Outside of baseball’s competitive landscape, McCarthy and Amanda were also developing social media followings on Twitter. By mid-May of 2012 he had a 3-3 record and a 2.95 ERA. Shoulder soreness, however, caught up with McCarthy and he spent a couple of weeks on the DL. He returned in early June and won three starts during the month before a recurrence of shoulder soreness put him out of action for several more weeks before an August return.

McCarthy’s September 5 start proved his final appearance of the season, but not because of recurrences of old injuries. Rather, a line drive off the bat of Angels infielder Erick Aybar struck McCarthy in the back of the head just below his right ear. McCarthy collapsed in front of the mound and, while he walked off the field without assistance, the injury was quite severe. A CT scan revealed an epidural hemorrhage, a brain contusion, and a skull fracture. He had emergency surgery and would not step on a ball field again in 2012. His season ended with an 8-6 record and a 3.24 ERA in 111 innings. There appeared some possibility that he might re-sign with Oakland, but it was Arizona that offered a two-year, $15.5 million contract.

The Diamondbacks were excited with their addition. GM Kevin Towers declared, “We’re able to acquire what we feel is a frontline pitcher without having to give up any of our pitching depth.”23 McCarthy did not enjoy instant success in Phoenix, however. He was knocked around throughout April, not achieving a quality start until May 7 at Dodger Stadium. The outing in Los Angeles portended good things, as McCarthy threw eight scoreless innings against Philadelphia before a complete-game shutout at Miami on May 18. After rough early footing, McCarthy’s ERA finally dropped below 5.00.

After the Rangers hammered McCarthy on May 30, chasing him from the game in the third inning, McCarthy suffered another right-shoulder breakdown. After a two-month DL stint, he returned and closed the year with a 5-11 record and a 4.53 ERA in 135 innings pitched.

Before the 2014 season, McCarthy conceded that he spent the prior season dealing with the aftereffects of the brain injury and surgery that ended his 2012 campaign. “I spent last year basically as a shell of myself and what I wanted to be,” he said.24 McCarthy had spent time working with isoBlox and Major League Baseball on pitching headgear intended to prevent injuries like his. McCarthy suggested, “It should be strong enough that literally if I got hit by the same exact ball I would have been able to keep pitching in that game.”25 The resulting product proved too bulky for on-field use, and even McCarthy declined to wear it.

After the Diamondbacks returned from a season-opening series in Australia, McCarthy pitched the home opener against San Francisco. He was not getting the results, however. Arizona lost McCarthy’s first six starts, which included a new career high of 12 strikeouts in a 2-0 loss to Philadelphia on April 27. He was 1-10 with a 5.38 ERA in late June. After he beat San Diego and Pittsburgh in consecutive starts, the Diamondbacks and New York Yankees agreed a deal on July 6 that sent Vidal Nuño III to Arizona in the exchange for McCarthy and $2 million to cover half of his remaining salary.

The deal’s timing worked well for the Yankees. New York placed pitcher Masahiro Tanaka on the DL just as McCarthy arrived, and manager Joe Girardi saw the benefit of McCarthy’s arrival. Girardi commented, “McCarthy is an experienced starter that we expect to pitch well for guys and give us distance.”26 McCarthy found a synergy with the Yankees that was lacking in Arizona. The Yankees’ approach to analytics suited McCarthy, who later said of New York, “They gave me, basically, a dossier of myself.”27 To another sportswriter he said, “It just so happened that the trade happened right when I was feeling that I was right back where I wanted to be.”28 McCarthy wound up with his most complete season yet: 10-15, 4.05 ERA, 200 innings pitched, with 175 strikeouts and only 33 walks. Moreover, his numbers in New York told a better story when separated from his first half with Arizona: 7-5 with a 2.89 ERA.

McCarthy’s tenure with New York set him up to take advantage of free agency. The Los Angeles Dodgers engaged in offseason payroll restructuring to create the flexibility to commit $48 million over four seasons to McCarthy. He was being paid to be a major factor in LA’s 2015 rotation. McCarthy’s first four starts had mixed results, however; he won three and struck out 29, but his ERA was 5.87 and he served up nine homers. Small sample sizes may even out, but McCarthy would not have that opportunity. After he left his April 25 start against San Diego with a tight right elbow, an MRI revealed a torn elbow ligament. On April 30 the Dodgers announced that McCarthy would undergo Tommy John surgery.

McCarthy did not return to the Dodger Stadium mound until July 3, 2016, against Colorado. He lasted five scoreless frames, allowing two hits and fanning eight, in the Dodgers’ 4-1 victory. It seemed vintage McCarthy. He said, “I felt surprisingly normal. … I just sort of settled in out there.”29 After several starts, it became apparent that all was not “normal.” McCarthy struggled with his command, allowing an uncharacteristically high number of walks. By mid-August he was back on the DL, not to return to action until September 25. That game proved to be the NL West Division clincher in Vin Scully’s final home contest as a Dodgers broadcaster. McCarthy lasted into the sixth inning against the Rockies, striking out six, in a 4-3 extra-innings win. He was pitching for a spot on the Dodgers postseason roster, but a disastrous relief outing the following week in San Francisco decided the question. McCarthy proved unable to retire any of the six batters he faced, allowing six earned runs on five hits and a walk.

Despite two years remaining on his contract, McCarthy’s career seemed on the line heading into 2017 spring training. He said, “I’m going to give everything I can.”30 By then, McCarthy had become a resident of Phoenix and, engaging with a sport he played into his teens, he became a minority owner of Phoenix Rising FC. While the foray into soccer ownership may have suggested a post-baseball future, McCarthy beat out Alex Wood for the final spot in the Dodgers rotation.

After five starts, McCarthy sported a 3-0 record with a 3.10 ERA but a weight-room mishap that resulted in a dislocated left (nonthrowing) shoulder placed him on the disabled list. He returned to the mound on May 15, enjoying a run of starts that improved his mark to 6-3 with a 2.87 ERA in late June. Facing Colorado on June 25, McCarthy exited after three innings and he knew something was off. He explained, “It certainly wasn’t the usual feeling. Something was going on there with my cutter and four-seamer.”31 He headed to the DL with knee tendinitis, returning July 8 to make three starts before blisters sent him back. McCarthy did not pitch again until September 23, when he made the first of three bullpen appearances to prove his postseason readiness.

The Dodgers did not select McCarthy for the NL Division Series or League Championship Series, but activated him for the team’s first World Series since 1988. McCarthy received the bullpen call against Houston in Game Two, taking the mound in the 11th inning of a 5-5 game. He allowed a single to Cameron Maybin before George Springer blasted the ball into the right-field pavilion to give the Astros a 7-5 lead. McCarthy recovered to retire Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve, and Carlos Correa. The Dodgers clawed back a run in the bottom of the inning, but lost the game as McCarthy took the loss. His first postseason appearance proved to be his last. He did not appear again as the Dodgers lost the Series in seven games.

In December McCarthy was swept into a trade that had more to do with resetting the Dodgers’ luxury-tax threshold than it did with positioning the club for 2018. They sent McCarthy, Charlie Culberson, Adrián González, Scott Kazmir, and cash (partly to cover McCarthy’s salary) to Atlanta in return for Matt Kemp. The Braves were in a rebuilding cycle at the time of the deal, but it was believed that McCarthy’s experience would assist the Braves’ young arms. McCarthy had a record of 4-0 with a 3.09 ERA at the end of April, surviving starting the second-coldest game in major-league history (at 27 degrees) in Denver on April 632 and dodging the DL following a partial shoulder dislocation covering first base in an April 11 game against Washington. McCarthy was hammered in consecutive May outings against San Francisco and Miami, and by June he was missing starts. The Braves, however, were off to a great start and it appeared the rebuild might be ahead of schedule. Atlanta defeated Baltimore, 7-3, on June 24, to take a 2½ game lead over Philadelphia. McCarthy earned that victory with five strikeouts in five innings of work in what was the 69th and final win of his major-league career.

On June 28 right knee tendinitis sent McCarthy to the DL. By August, he announced the 2018 season would be his last. McCarthy said, “I’m done after this. This is it.”33 McCarthy appeared in three games with Triple-A Gwinnett, but never made it back to a major-league mound. Injuries had caught up to him. In announcing after the season that he would join the Texas Rangers as a special assistant to the general manager, McCarthy said, “Everything hurts. Sitting through a four-hour meeting seemed easier than a one-hour workout. I wanted to go out on my own terms rather than being spit out by the baseball washing machine.”34

After three seasons with the Rangers front office, McCarthy’s interest had diverted to soccer. The interest was rewarded when Phoenix Rising FC won the 2023 playoffs for the United Soccer League championship, the second tier of US professional soccer. (As of January 2025, he remains a board member and Sporting Director of the club.)

McCarthy’s career encompassed 13 major-league seasons, with a 69-75 record in 255 appearances (197 of them starts), a 4.20 ERA, and 908 strikeouts.

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted Baseball-Reference.com.

Notes

1 Scott Mansch, “Opening-Day Starter Poses Imposing Figure,” Great Falls (Montana) Tribune, June 14, 2003: 1S.

2 “Opening-Day Starter.”

3 Scott Mansch, “ Opening-Day Starter.”

4 Dan Collins, “Hogs, Indians Split,” Winston-Salem Journal, July 6, 2004: 1C, 5C.

5 Phil Rogers, “Sox Prospect Can Deal,” Chicago Tribune, September 5, 2004: 3-4.

6 “Sox Prospect.”

7 Mark Gonzales, “Podsednik Doesn’t Demand Center Stage,” Chicago Tribune, March 16, 2005: 4-4.

8 David Haugh, “Mr. Unflappable,” Chicago Tribune, May 23, 2005: 3-6.

9 “Mr. Unflappable.”

10 Dave van Dyck, “Rotation Situation Looming,” Chicago Tribune, September 12, 2005: 3-3.

11 Mike Downey, “Fun Should Factor In,” Chicago Tribune, October 11, 2005: 7-2.

12 Phil Rogers, “McCarthy Will Take Whatever He Can Get,” Chicago Tribune, April 3, 2006: 7-3.

13 Dave van Dyck, “Retooling His Mechanics,” Chicago Tribune, May 4, 2006: 4-4.

14 Mark Gonzales, “McCarthy’s Learning Curve Has Been Steep,” Chicago Tribune, September 20, 2006: 4-3.

15 Jan Hubbard, “Daniels Hoping Rotation Blossoms During Spring,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, February 13, 2007: D1, D5.

16 Gil LeBreton, “Don’t Put McCarthy in the Same Category,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, June 13, 2007: D1.

17 Jennifer Floyd Engel, ”On Second Thought, It Was a Good Deal,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram: July 22, 2007: 2C.

18 Jeff Wilson, “Pitcher Hurt, but Not Broken,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, September 19, 2008: A5.

19 Jeff Wilson, “McCarthy Ready for a Fresh Start and Healthier Results,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, February 28, 2009: 49.

20 Jeff Wilson, “Spotlight: Brandon McCarthy,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, September 8, 2009: 3D.

21 Jeff Wilson, “McCarthy Hoping Refined Mechanics Keep Him off DL,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, March 7, 2010: 1C.

22 Paul Cardoso, “Who Is Brandon McCarthy’s Wife? His Contract, Injury and Other Facts,” Naija News (Nigeria), March 30, 2022, accessed at https://www.naijanews.com/buzz/people/who-is-brandon-mccarthys-wife-his-contract-injury-and-other-facts/.

23 Nick Piecoro, “D-Backs Bolster Staff, Arizona Republic (Phoenix), December 8, 2012: C1.

24 Nick Piecoro, “No Longer Playing Catch-Up, Mccarthy Feels ‘a Lot Stronger,’” Arizona Republic, March 31, 2014: C1.

25 Nick Piecoro, “Grace to Stay in Organization,” Arizona Republic, December 21, 2013: C2.

26 Pat Borzi, “Yankees Make Pitching and Hitting Moves Before Dispatching Twins,” New York Times, July 6, 2014: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/07/sports/baseball/Yankees-Alfonso-Soriano-Brandon-McCarthy-Vidal-Nuno-Diamondbacks.html.

27 Dylan Hernandez, “In Final Analysis, Numbers Added Up to a Turnaround,” Los Angeles Times, March 9, 2015: D5.

28 David Waldstein, “Arsenal Refilled, a New Yankee Throws a Gem,” New York Times, July 19, 2014: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/20/sports/baseball/for-new-yankee-stadium-wasn8217t-a-nice-place-to-visit.html.

29 Mike DiGiovanna, “Back From Long Layoff,” Los Angeles Times, July 4, 2016: D1.

30 Bill Shaikin, “Thrown Off Tracks by ‘yips,’” Los Angeles Times, March 4, 2017: D4.

31 Mike DiGiovanna, “McCarthy Temporarily Loses Control,” Los Angeles Times, June 26, 2017: D3.

32 Danny Summers, “From the Sidelines: Little-Known Facts About Brandon Mccarthy’s Career in the Majors,” Colorado Springs Gazette, July 23, 2019, accessed at https://gazette.com/cheyenneedition/from-the-sidelines-little-known-facts-about-brandon-mccarthys-career-in-the-majors/article_082fe3a2-a980-11e9-b6bf-772df31f2a4f.html.

33 Mark Bowman, “McCarthy to Retire after 2018 Season,” MLB.com, August 14, 2018 https://www.mlb.com/news/brandon-mccarthy-will-retire-after-2018-season-c290323362#:~:text=McCarthy%20to%20retire%20after%202018%20season,-Dealing%20with%20knee&text=%22I’m%20done%20after%20this,the%20rest%20of%20my%20life.

34 T.R. Sullivan, “Texas Lands Wisdom, Deals Robinson to Cards,” December 11, 2018, MLB.com https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/rangers-acquire-patrick-wisdom-from-cardinals-c301726512.