1. Overview
Anthony Allen Lerew (born October 28, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and coach. His playing career spanned Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Atlanta Braves and Kansas City Royals, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, the KBO League with the Kia Tigers, and various independent leagues, notably the York Revolution. After retiring as a player, Lerew transitioned into coaching, serving as a pitching coach for the Kia Tigers. He is notable for being a left-handed individual who throws right-handed.
2. Early Life and Amateur Career
Born on October 28, 1982, Lerew is a native of Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He attended Northern York High School in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania. Following his high school career, Lerew was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 11th round of the 2001 Major League Baseball draft, being the 345th overall pick. He officially signed with the Braves on June 6, 2001, marking the beginning of his professional baseball journey.
3. Professional Playing Career
Anthony Lerew's professional baseball career was extensive, encompassing time in Major League Baseball (MLB), overseas leagues in Japan and South Korea, and independent leagues in the United States. His career included significant milestones such as his MLB debut, a no-hitter in a Venezuelan winter league, and diverse roles as a starter and closer.
3.1. Major League Baseball
Lerew's journey in Major League Baseball primarily involved stints with the Atlanta Braves and the Kansas City Royals, alongside affiliations with their respective minor league systems.
3.1.1. Atlanta Braves
Lerew was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 11th round of the 2001 MLB Draft. He spent four seasons progressing through the Braves' minor league system before making his Major League debut on September 4, 2005, in a home game against the Cincinnati Reds. During the 2005 season, Lerew appeared in seven games, all as a relief pitcher, recording no wins or losses, five strikeouts, and an earned run average (ERA) of 5.62.
On February 23, 2006, the Braves signed Lerew to a one-year deal. A month later, he was optioned to the Triple-A Richmond Braves. With Richmond, Lerew compiled a 3-5 record with a 7.48 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 16 games, 15 of which he started. The Braves recalled Lerew from Richmond on September 1, 2006, and he made his 2006 MLB debut the following day in a relief appearance, pitching two innings, allowing five runs, and striking out one batter. He was then sent back to Richmond on September 4, having made only one Major League appearance that season.
On May 8, 2007, Lerew made his first Major League start for Atlanta, being called up from Richmond to replace Mark Redman in a game against the San Diego Padres. He pitched six innings, allowing two hits and two runs, striking out seven, and recorded his personal fastest pitch at 96 mph, though he received no decision. He was subsequently sent back down to Richmond. On June 20, 2007, Lerew underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery and was placed on the 60-day disabled list. He recovered from the surgery in Southern Florida at the Braves' extended spring training site. After his recovery, he spent the remainder of 2008 pitching for the Gulf Coast Braves and Triple-A Richmond, returning to play on June 20, 2008. On March 5, 2009, Lerew was outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett to clear a roster spot for Tom Glavine, and he was released five days later on March 10.
3.1.2. Kansas City Royals
On March 18, 2009, Lerew signed a minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals. He spent the 2009 minor league season with the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals. He was called up in September and made his Royals debut on September 24, 2009, against the Boston Red Sox. He re-signed with the Royals in February 2010.
On June 16, 2010, Lerew was promoted from the Triple-A Omaha Royals to the Major League roster to replace Luke Hochevar, who went on the disabled list with a sprained elbow. He made a start on June 17 against the Houston Astros, pitching six innings, allowing three hits and two runs while striking out seven, but received no decision. He earned his first career Major League win on June 28, 2010, over the Chicago White Sox, pitching six innings, allowing three hits and one run, and striking out four. However, after recording three consecutive losses, he was demoted back to Triple-A Omaha.
3.1.3. Los Angeles Angels
Lerew signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Angels on May 20, 2014, but became a free agent after the 2014 season.
3.2. Overseas Professional Leagues
Lerew's career included significant tenures in both Japanese and South Korean professional baseball leagues.
3.2.1. Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (NPB)
Lerew signed with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) on December 25, 2010, for the 2011 season, despite having signed a minor league deal with the Oakland Athletics on November 16, 2010. During the 2011 season, Lerew had limited appearances, making only four first team appearances, primarily spending his time in the minor league system. His NPB debut was on May 5, 2011, against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, where he pitched one inning in relief without allowing a run. His first NPB strikeout occurred on June 6, 2011, against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, striking out Akihiro Higashide. He was released by the Hawks on December 2, 2011.
3.2.2. Kia Tigers (KBO)
On January 16, 2012, Lerew signed with the Kia Tigers of the KBO League (Korean Baseball Organization), receiving a bonus of 50.00 K USD. He was registered under the name 'Anthony' in the league. In his first season with the Tigers in 2012, Lerew primarily served as a starting pitcher, recording 11 wins against 13 losses, one save, 94 strikeouts, and an ERA of 3.83. He led the team in wins that season.
Lerew was re-signed by the Kia Tigers for the 2013 season. He was then converted to a closer, where he recorded 20 saves. However, he also frequently suffered from blown saves, including one instance where he relinquished a five-run lead. Due to his performance issues, he was demoted to the Tigers' second team in July. Despite attempts to transition back to a starting role, he continued to struggle in the minor league. Consequently, he was released by the Kia Tigers on July 24, 2013, and was replaced by Duane Below.
3.3. Independent Leagues
After his time in overseas leagues, Lerew returned to play in independent leagues in the United States.
3.3.1. York Revolution
On April 11, 2014, Lerew signed with the York Revolution of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He signed again with the York Revolution for the 2015 season. He became a free agent after the 2015 season, which marked the end of his playing career.
3.4. Notable Achievements
On November 21, 2010, while pitching for the Navegantes del Magallanes in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League, Lerew threw the 16th no-hitter in league history against the Leones del Caracas, which was their biggest rival team. This remains the last no-hitter ever thrown in the Venezuelan league.
4. Pitching Style
Anthony Lerew was known for his powerful fastball, which typically averaged 90 mph and could reach a maximum velocity of 96 mph. His primary pitches included a four-seam fastball and a two-seam fastball. He also featured a changeup that exhibited a splitter-like trajectory, usually thrown in the low 80 mph range. In addition to these, he incorporated a slider and a curveball. A distinctive characteristic of Lerew's pitching was that he was a left-handed individual who threw right-handed. Despite his velocity and varied arsenal, he was noted for being prone to giving up home runs.
5. Post-Playing Career
Following his retirement as a professional baseball player, Anthony Lerew transitioned into coaching. On January 7, 2019, he signed a contract with his former team, the Kia Tigers, to serve as the pitching coach for their third-tier developmental squad. He remained in this coaching role until the end of the 2021 season, after which he departed from the organization.
6. Career Statistics
| Year | Team | G | GS | CG | SHO | No-Walk Games | W | L | SV | HLD | W-L% | Batters Faced | IP | H | HR | BB | IBB | HBP | SO | WP | BK | R | ER | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Atlanta Braves | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | - | 37 | 8.0 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 5.63 | 1.75 |
| 2006 | Atlanta Braves | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 15 | 2.0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 22.50 | 4.00 |
| 2007 | Atlanta Braves | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 57 | 11.2 | 14 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 7.71 | 1.80 |
| 2009 | Kansas City Royals | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 62 | 13.1 | 14 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 4.05 | 1.65 |
| 2010 | Kansas City Royals | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | .200 | 120 | 26.1 | 34 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 25 | 8.54 | 1.63 |
| MLB: 5 years | 20 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 4 | .125 | 291 | 61.1 | 76 | 18 | 32 | 3 | 3 | 40 | 2 | 0 | 53 | 51 | 7.48 | 1.76 | |
| 2011 | Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 20 | 5.0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1.80 | 1.40 |
| NPB: 1 year | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 20 | 5.0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1.80 | 1.40 | |
| 2012 | Kia Tigers | 32 | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 13 | 1 | 0 | .458 | 745 | 171.2 | 174 | 15 | 67 | 0 | 7 | 94 | 0 | 0 | 84 | 73 | 3.83 | 1.40 |
| 2013 | Kia Tigers | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 20 | 0 | .000 | 159 | 36.0 | 42 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 18 | 4.50 | 1.58 |
| KBO: 2 years | 62 | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 16 | 21 | 0 | .407 | 904 | 207.2 | 216 | 16 | 82 | 0 | 10 | 119 | 0 | 0 | 102 | 91 | 3.94 | 1.43 | |