Donovan Alan Osborne (born June 21, 1969 in Roseville, California) is a former Major League Baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1992-2004. After declining to sign with the Montreal Expos in 1987, Osborne was chosen by the St. Louis Cardinals in the first round (13th overall) of the 1990 amateur draft. The left-handed prospect backed his high draft selection with a strong major league debut season in which he ranked fifth in rookie of the year voting.

Osborne's first four seasons offered glimpses of his potential, he was the Cardinals' Opening Day starter in 1999, and he consistently produced season ERAs below four despite recurring battles with injury. Osborne's career peaked in 1996, when he won 13 games for the Cardinals, made 30 starts for the only time in his career, pitched 198.2 innings, and posted a superb 3.53 era. He ranked among the National League top-10 in walks per nine innings, shutouts, ERA+, and strike-to-walk ratio. Osborne also showcased his range of athletic talents by batting .220, a notable achievement by a pitcher.

At his peak, Osborne's arsenal included a low 90's fastball with late life, a plus changeup, and an average slider. His control was regarded as excellent, and he was known to throw his fastball to all four quadrants of the strikezone.

Ultimately, Osborne's career was derailed by a series of severe shoulder injuries. He was limited to 225 innings between 1997 and 2004, inclusive of both seasons, and he spent the entire 2003 season rehabbing his left shoulder.

Osborne signed with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League for the 2005 season, played for the Bridgeport Bluefish in 2006, and back with the Ducks in 2007 until his retirement on July 4, 2008.

[edit] Trivia

• Osborne is named after Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan.^{[citation needed]}
• When Osborne started for the New York Yankees in 2004, he became the first Yankee pitcher since Babe Ruth to start for the team after not having started a game for over five years.

[edit] External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
• Retirement

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