Scott Alan Eyre (born May 30, 1972) is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball.
Career
Chicago White Sox
Scott Eyre attended the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls, Idaho and was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 9th round of the 1991 Major League Baseball Draft. He was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1994 and made his major league debut in Chicago on August 1, 1997. He would finish the 1997 season making 11 starts, going 4-4 in 60.2 innings. The following season, Eyre would split the season between the rotation and the bullpen, appearing in 33 games while making 17 starts. Eyre had the worst season of his young career, going 3-8 while walking 64 batters in 107 innings of work for the White Sox.
In 1999, Eyre had a 7.56 ERA in 21 games while in 2000 he only appeared in 13 games, going 1-1 for the second straight season.
Toronto Blue Jays
Eyre was traded in 2000 to the Toronto Blue Jays for Gary Glover. In his first season with Toronto, Eyre saved 2 games in 15 games. In 2002, Eyre made 3 spot starts while also making 46 relief appearances for the Blue Jays, going 2-4 with a 4.97 ERA.
San Francisco Giants
Eyre was selected off waivers from the Blue Jays by the San Francisco Giants in 2002. He made the transition to the National League impressively as he had a 1.59 ERA in 21 games for the Giants.
In 2003, Eyre appeared in 74 games with a 3.32 ERA. He was rewarded with a 2-year contract extension after the season. In 2004 Eyre appeared in 83 games while in 2005 he led the Majors in appearances, pitching in 86 games.
Chicago Cubs
On November 18, 2005, Eyre signed a three-year contract with the Chicago Cubs and pitched his way to an ERA of 3.38. He was one of the more consistently used relievers on a pitching staff that often struggled. He was used mainly in 7th and 8th inning situations in tandem with Bob Howry with Eyre being used more often in lefty vs. lefty situations.
Eyre has noted that Lou Piniella could not remember his name for the longest time and called him "Stevie" for a while, jokingly, even after he learned Scott's real name. According to Cubs play-by-play broadcaster Len Kasper, Piniella has since begun intentionally pronouncing his name "Stevie Aye-er."
During a game against the Houston Astros on September 12, 2007, Eyre left the Cubs’ bullpen, and wandered around Minute Maid Park. WGN’s cameras eventually spotted him watching the game through an opening in the stadium’s score board.
On June 15, 2008, in a game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Eyre allowed a 1-out sac fly run, ending his streak of 33 consecutive appearances without allowing a run, a Cubs franchise record.
Philadelphia Phillies
On August 5, 2008, Eyre was designated for assignment to make room for Kerry Wood, who was coming off the disabled list. He was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies two days later for Brian Schlitter. However, the move allowed Eyre to win his first World Series ring when the Phillies won the 2008 World Series.
In November, 2008, following the World Series, Scott re-signed with the Phillies as a free-agent, and was signed through the 2009 season. On November 12, 2009, Eyre was granted free agency.
On January 7, 2010, Scott Eyre retired from the MLB.
Personal
Eyre's brother, Willie, is also a Former pitcher in the major leagues. They also have another, younger brother, Robert Grace, who is playing in the minor league system of the San Francisco Giants. All three are pitchers.
Eyre was one of the victims of the $8 billion fraud perpetrated by wealth manager Allen Stanford. In February 2009 Eyre admitted that he was broke and had to receive an advance on his salary from the Phillies.
Eyre publicly acknowledged that he has adult attention-deficit disorder.