Nick Blackburn, baseball player, 2007-2012

Nick Blackburn

Born: 2/24/1982 in Ada, OK, USA

MLB Debut: 2007-09-03 | Final Game: 2012-08-17

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 240 lbs

Full name: Robert Nicholas Blackburn

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Biography

Nick Blackburn was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 2007 to 2012. Born in 1982, he made his debut with the Minnesota Twins, where he established himself as a reliable member of the starting rotation during a transitional period for the franchise. Blackburn's pitching style was characterized by his ability to induce ground balls and manage contact, which was instrumental in the team’s efforts to compete in the American League Central. Throughout his career, Blackburn finished with a record of 43-55 and an earned run average (ERA) of 4.85, striking out a total of 388 batters over his tenure. Despite not recording any saves, his contributions to the Twins were significant as he navigated the challenges of the league, including the increasing emphasis on strikeout rates and advanced analytics in the game. While his win-loss record reflects the struggles of a pitcher in a competitive environment, Blackburn's resilience on the mound and his ability to pitch deep into games were valued aspects of his playing style. After a career that spanned five seasons, he retired in 2012, leaving behind a legacy as a steadfast competitor during a pivotal era for the Twins.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
43 55 145 137 5 0 0 818.7 1003 441 117 202 388 4.85 0

Career ERA 4.85 vs. league average 4.19 across their career seasons — 15.6% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
2007 MIN AL 0 2 6 0 0 0 0 11.7 19 10 2 8 7.71 4.47 (-72%) -40.3
2008 MIN AL 11 11 33 33 0 0 0 193.3 224 87 39 96 4.05 4.32 (+6%) -379.2
2009 MIN AL 11 11 33 33 3 0 0 205.7 240 92 41 98 4.03 4.32 (+7%) -237.8
2010 MIN AL 10 12 28 26 1 0 0 161.0 194 97 40 68 5.42 4.08 (-33%) -4129.4
2011 MIN AL 7 10 26 26 1 0 0 148.3 183 74 54 76 4.49 3.94 (-14%) -3425.8
2012 MIN AL 4 9 19 19 0 0 0 98.7 143 81 26 42 7.39 4.01 (-84%) -5235.1

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
145 12 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.083 0.083 0.083 0.167 0.0

Career AVG .083 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 68.0% below league average.

Career OBP .083 vs. league average .328 across their career seasons — 74.6% below league average.

Career SLG .083 vs. league average .411 across their career seasons — 79.7% below league average.

Career OPS 0.167 vs. league average 0.739 across their career seasons — 77.4% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
2007 MIN AL 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2008 MIN AL 33 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.333 — — — — 0.0
2009 MIN AL 33 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2010 MIN AL 28 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2011 MIN AL 26 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2012 MIN AL 19 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2009 ALDS1 MIN 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 0 1 1 0 5.7 3 1 2 3 1.59

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
2009 ALDS1 MIN 0 0 1 1 0 5.7 3 1 2 3 1.59

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 145 137 70 114 5 14

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
2007 MIN P 6 0 0 0 0 0
2008 MIN P 33 33 14 22 0 4
2009 MIN P 33 33 25 23 1 2
2010 MIN P 28 26 11 25 2 4
2011 MIN P 26 26 10 30 2 2
2012 MIN P 19 19 10 14 0 2

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 145

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2012 MIN AL $4,750,000
2011 MIN AL $3,000,000
2010 MIN AL $750,000
2009 MIN AL $440,000
2008 MIN AL $390,000
Total Career Earnings $9,330,000

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Seminole State College Seminole OK 2001, 2002

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
2008 Rookie of the Year AL 8th 1.0 140 0