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Aaron James Small (born November 23, 1971 in Oxnard, California) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.
Career[]
High School[]
Jason Giambi, his former Yankee teammate, and Small were teammates during their high school years at South Hills High School on a team called The South Hills Huskies. Also on this team was the late Cory Lidle, who, while with the Yankees in 2006, crashed a small plane into a building in New York City, and died.
Small was a 1st-team all-conference selection in baseball, and lettered in basketball. He graduated in 1989.
New York Yankees[]
Late in the 2005 regular season, he appeared to settle down on the Yankees pitching staff due to injuries suffered by other pitchers, and he recorded 10 major league victories without a loss. Small recorded his first major league complete game shutout, which came against the Oakland Athletics on September 3, 2005. His pitch count during the game was just over 110 and he struck out the last batter he faced, Dan Johnson, and Small received the baseball from catcher Jorge Posada as a remembrance.
Small was the first Yankees pitcher to win his first 9 decisions since Tommy John in 1979, and became just the fourth pitcher in history to win at least 10 games without a loss, joining Tom Zachary, Dennis Lamp, and Howie Krist. He finished the 2005 season at 10-0, with a 3.20 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 76 innings. He was re-signed to a one-year, $1.2 million contract during the off-season.
During the 2006 spring training, Small injured his right hamstring. He missed the start of the season, but returned to the team on April 30, 2006.
On June 17, 2006, Small was designated for assignment by the Yankees and was outrighted to Triple-A Columbus.
Seattle Mariners[]
On January 23, 2007, Small signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners.
On May 18, 2007, he announced his retirement after being released by the Mariners.[1]
Retirement[]
On August 2, 2008, Small took part in the 62nd Annual Old Timers Day at Yankee Stadium