Tim Byrdak Career Tracker

Sorry to see Tim go to the Astros, but maybe they can find out what is wrong, our pitching staff sure could not!

Beats working at Target!

05/13/2008 1:00 PM ET
Tim Byrdak: Wife is mom, motivator
Astros pitcher's wife has been ballast throughout career
MLBPLAYERS.com



My wife, Heather, deserved a special Mother's Day. Not only does she look after our four children, but she's also been a motivating voice in my career.

Heather is anything but ordinary. She's the driving force behind our family. She's made personal sacrifices just to give me the ability to pursue a career in baseball. She worked two jobs while she was pregnant with our second child and I was playing independent ball. She does such a great job with our four kids. Sometimes I wonder how she does it.

Heather always tells me she would never let me use her or our kids as an excuse to quit baseball and that I can quit on my own terms once my career is over. She's an amazing woman.

It hasn't been easy, either. I made by big league debut with the Royals in 1998 and played parts of three seasons with Kansas City, but a few years later, following an arm injury, I found myself working the night shift at a local Target.

I applied for the job when we went to the store to pick up some things and noticed the job opening sign. We thought the hours would fit well with the kids' schedule. Noticing the big league service on my application, my future boss didn't think I was serious at first. But I told him we had bills to pay. I grinded it out for 6-8 months, and I worked with people who work really hard.

To get back to the Majors I've had to scratch and claw. In 1997, Dr. Frank Jobe told me I needed ligament replacement surgery in my elbow. I hadn't blown my arm out or anything but there was so much in the joint that wasn't structurally sound that I needed the surgery.

Unfortunately, I decided to scope it instead. But without the stability in the joint, I couldn't be the consistent pitcher I needed to succeed at this level. During this time, I watched guys at the Minor League level make it to the big leagues and I was still scuffling. A large part of that was because the joint wasn't strong. Finally, in 2001, I blew out the elbow completely and had the surgery.

That was a point in my life when Heather and I really had to talk. We knew that 85 percent of pitchers come back from ligament replacement surgery and pitch normally, but I didn't want to be part of that other 15 percent. We decided I wouldn't end my career on a failing note, which meant working at Target to keep the bills paid while trying a comeback in independent ball.

The most satisfying phone call I ever got came in 2005 when the Orioles called me up. Even though I had pitched in the Majors before, this meant more because of all the turmoil we'd gone through. It gave me goose bumps to say to Heather, "We did it. We're going to the big leagues." It still gives me goose bumps when I think about it. She cried and she's not ordinarily an emotional person.

It remains a battle to stay here. I've worked through some more injuries since then. But I'm that guy who always keeps fighting and fighting to stick around and stay. I'm fortunate to have had four chances at this level, but I also know that it wouldn't have happened without Heather's support and sacrifice.

Left-handed reliever Tim Byrdak is 1-0 and hasn't allowed a run in eight appearances since being recalled from Triple-A Round Rock on April 20. He pitched parts of the past three seasons with Baltimore and Detroit. He got his first win in 2006 -- eight years after his Major League debut.

GO HEATHER!!!!!

I still wish he was back in Detroit.
We coulda used him instead of wasting our time with Cruceta, even though I liked him too. I dont know, I think our pen from last year with Cruceta, plus a combo of our rotation from this year and last: Verlander, Rogers, Jurrjens, Bondo, and Gala!

Backe, Byrdak ink contracts with Astros
Righty gets one year at $1.55M, plus incentives; lefty gets $1M

HOUSTON -- The Astros signed right-hander Brandon Backe to a one-year deal worth $1.55 million plus performance bonuses, general manager Ed Wade confirmed on Tuesday.

The Astros also signed lefty reliever Tim Byrdak to a one-year deal worth $1 million.

Backe, who struggled down the stretch in 2008, his first full season after undergoing Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery, can earn up to $825,000 in bonuses as a starter. The contract also calls for an incentive package as a reliever, but only as a backup plan. Backe will compete for the fifth-starter job during Spring Training.

The incentive breakdown is based on innings pitched. He'll earn an extra $50,000 for reaching 160 innings, $100,000 for 170 innings, $150,000 for 180 innings and $175,000 for 190, 200 and 220 innings.

Tuesday was the deadline for teams and players to file salary figures for 2009. The Astros are still negotiating with right-hander Geoff Geary and left-hander Wandy Rodriguez, the club's two remaining arbitration-eligible players.

Geary submitted a proposed salary figure of $2.1 million; the Astros countered with $1.425 million. Rodriguez is asking for $3 million against Astros' proposed $2.25 million.

Arbitration hearings begin Feb. 1 and run through Feb. 21.

• Full Name: Timothy Christopher Byrdak
  
• Born: October 31, 1973 in Oak Lawn, IL
  
• Height: 5' 11''
  
• Weight: 195
  
• Bats: Left
  
• Throws: Left
  
• College: Rice
  
• MLB Debut: August 7, 1998
  

Houston enters the regular season with a projected rotation of Roy Oswalt, Wandy Rodriguez, Brian Moehler, Mike Hampton and Russ Ortiz and a bullpen that includes closer Jose Valverde, setup men LaTroy Hawkins and Doug Brocail and middle relievers Geoff Geary, Doug Brocail, Chris Sampson and Tim Byrdak.

Astros link to Tim Byrdak

Tim looks different with facial hair and no glasses!

Video:

Byrdak's nice double play - Added: 05/09/08

Tim Byrdak catches Hairston stealing in the sixth - Added: 04/24/2008

No more working at WalMart, at least for awhile!

Byrdak, Astros agree on one-year deal
Wandy remains last arbitration-eligible player on club

By Brian McTaggart / MLB.com

01/24/10 8:52 PM EST

HOUSTON -- The Astros have just one arbitration-eligible player remaining after reaching a one-year deal Sunday with left-hander Tim Byrdak for $1.6 million plus bonuses, which was the midpoint between the club's offer and the player's number.

"We got him done tonight," said Astros assistant general manager Ricky Bennett, who was handling the negotiations. "We were working hard to get it done, and I feel much better."

Byrdak, 36, appeared in a club-high 76 games last season for the Astros and was the only member of the Opening Day bullpen to spend the entire season on Houston's active roster. He was 1-2 with a 3.23 ERA and pitched in 65 percent of the Astros' games from Aug. 1 until the end of the season.

"He really did a nice job for us last year," Bennett said. "He pitched in a number of different roles. Obviously, we brought him in at times to face lefties. He was versatile and able to pitch up and down the lineup. He was a valuable guy in the bullpen."

Byrdak joined the Astros in 2008 and appeared in 59 games. Last season was the only year of his career he didn't appear in a Minor League game. The $1.6 million he will receive this year is a $600,000 raise over his $1 million salary from a year ago.

Byrdak is 7-8 with a 4.50 ERA in 279 career Major League games.

"He wants to focus on the season and not on other things," said Mike Mosa, Byrdak's agent. "This is something that has to be done, and once you get it out of the way, the biggest thing is he wants to win ballgames."

The Astros' lone remaining arbitration-eligible player is starter Wandy Rodriguez, who led the club in wins (14), starts (33), innings pitched (205 2/3) and strikeouts (193). He is asking for $7 million, and the club is offering $5 million.

Astros general manager Ed Wade has set a deadline of end of business Monday to get a deal done with Rodriguez or both sides will proceed to an arbitration hearing, which would be early next month.

Brian McTaggart is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.