MIKE FIERS

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Houston Astros pitcher Mike Fiers pitched a no-hitter for the 1st place Astros on Friday, which was a spectacular achievement, loved by baseball fans all over the country.  Average fans watch a performance like this and marvel over the dominance of an athlete, not realizing the sacrifices behind the scenes, as well as the adversity that was faced...and Fiers is no different.  He had to overcome a near-death car accident several years ago, along with an underdog, blue-collar road to the major leagues...hearing about these types of athletes never get old because of the inspirational nature of their journeys, and it certainly makes their achievements all the more admirable when they occur.  Check out this excerpt on Fiers from a New York Times article by Tyler Kepner (link) from 2012:

The Milwaukee Brewers’ flickering playoff hopes all but ended last week when they lost three in a row in Philadelphia, all by 7-6, all in the eighth inning or later. They traded their top starter, Zack Greinke, a potential free agent, to the Angels on Friday.

But in a season of so much gloom, the Brewers have had at least one pleasant surprise. He is Mike Fiers, a right-hander with a 1.77 earned run average this season through his first 11 major league appearances, including 10 starts.

The Brewers drafted Fiers in the 22nd round in June 2009, the month he turned 24. That is ancient, by draft standards, but Fiers had an unusual background.

In January 2008, as he drove overnight from his home in Florida to the University of the Cumberlands in Kentucky, Fiers fell asleep in his car. He crashed into a guardrail along the Florida Turnpike and was ejected through his windshield. He dislocated his hip and had four fractures in his back.

“I had to use a walker and have a back brace on all day until I went to sleep at night,” Fiers said last week. “The little things like sitting down or using the bathroom, taking a shower, those were so hard to do.”

Of course, Fiers was lucky to be alive, and to have his arm intact, even if it had never thrown hard enough to attract scouts. He missed the 2008 season and transferred to Nova Southeastern University in Florida, closer to his home, where he was finally noticed as a sixth-year senior.

“In South Florida there’s a lot of great talent,” Fiers said. “If you’re not throwing low- to mid-90s, or consistent 90s, you’re going to get overlooked. A righty throwing like 85 to 88, you’re going to get overlooked unless you’re doing something outstanding, or something crazy.”

Fiers’s fastball averages just 88 miles per hour, according to Fangraphs, but he mixes in enough curveballs, cutters and changeups to be effective. His mediocre 4-4 won-lost record, though, reflected the Brewers’ disappointing season. In his last six starts, Fiers has had an E.R.A. of 0.68, but only two wins to show for it.