Andrew Bailey
Sport: Baseball
Born: May 31, 1984
Town: Haddon Heights
Andrew Scott Bailey was born on May 31, 1984 in Haddon Heights. Big, tall and athletic, he first turned heads on the baseball diamond at Paul VI High School in Haddonfield, where he was a Second-Team All-South Jersey selection as a senior. After graduation, Andrew went on to Wagner College, amassing a school record of 237 strikeouts and leading the team to three straight NEC Tournament appearances.
After graduating in 2006, Andrew was drafted by the Oakland A’s in the 6th round. He began his pro career as a starter and moved up the organization ladder quickly. Andrew had three pitches in his repertoire: a fastball, a curveball, and a cutter. His fastball was consistent and came in at 93-97 mph, and his cutter was also effective, coming in at 89-92 mph. Andrew used the fastball and cutter as out pitches, and would use his curveball to get ahead in the count early.
In 2008, the A’s moved him to the bullpen while he was with Class-AA Midland. After impressing in the 2008 Arizona Fall League, Andrew Andrew was invited to camp and made the A's Opening Day roster in 2009. He pitched in middle relief and mop-up roles until late May, when manager Bob Geren. moved him into the closer’s role in late May. Andrew saved 8 games heading into the All-Star break and was picked to represent the A’s in the Midsummer Classic. He watched from the bullpen as the AL won a tight 4–3 game.
Later that season, on September 12, Andrew broke the team's rookie record with his 24th save. he notched two more before season’s end. to go along with his 1.84 ERA. He edged Elvis Andrus and Rick Porcello for Rookie of the Year honors.
Andrew led the team in saves again in 2010 with 25 and had a sparkling 1.47 ERA. He did not allow more than one earned run in any of his 47 appearances.
He had 17 saves heading into the break and was again to pitch for the AL All-Stars. This time he saw action, striking out two batters to wriggle out of a bases-loaded jam. Andrew’s season was briefly derailed in late July with an elbow injury, but he returned to the mound by the end of August and resumed his fine pitching. He converted all 5 of his save opportunities in September until the elbow became too bothersome. The A’s shut him down on the 18th and he underwent surgery. Andrew’s elbow wasn’t quite ready to go by Opening Day in 2011. The A’s eased him back into the closer’s role in early June, and he earned saves in 7 straight appearances. He was lights-out all summer, and notched 24 saves on the year.
After the season, the A's traded Andrew to the Red Sox in a deal that brought Josh Reddick to Oakland in return. A thumb issue eventually required surgery, and Andrew barely played at all in 2012. He regained the closer's role during the 2013 season, but was sidelined after 8 saves with a shoulder injury. He underwent surgery and was released by the Red Sox after the season.
Andrew signed with the Yankees but was unable to pitch for them in 2014. He made it back to the big leagues late in the 2015 season with the Yankees, appearing in 10 games. He was released after the season and signed a minor league deal with the Phillies, with whom he made it back to the majors in 2016. After the team released him in August, Andrew caught on with the Angels and saved 6 games late in the season. He pitched briefly for the club in 2017 before retiring as a player. He became the team's bullpen coach in 2018 and in 2020 moved north to become the pitching coach for the San Francisco Giants.
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