Jacob Cauthen "Jake" Westbrook (born September 29,
1977 in Athens, Georgia) is a right-handed starting
pitcher for the Cleveland Indians of Major League
Baseball.
Besides his sinker, Westbrook's repertoire features
a cut fastball, a changeup, and a slider.
Jake was the 21st overall pick in the 1996 Major
League first-year player draft out of Madison County
High School by the Colorado Rockies. He tossed 6
no-hitters in his high school career.
As a minor league pitcher in the Colorado
organization, Jake was part of a trade in 1997 with
the Montreal Expos that sent Mike Lansing to the
Rockies.
In 1999, Jake was traded from the Expos along with
Ted Lilly to the New York Yankees for pitcher Hideki
Irabu. Jake appeared in three games for the Yankees
as a rookie.
Less than a year later, the Yankees parted ways with
Westbrook, Zach Day, and Ricky Ledee in exchange for
David Justice of the Indians.
Westbrook was named to the All-Star team in 2004,
when he won 14 games with an earned run average of
3.38. After becoming a full-time starter in 2004,
the sinkerballer won at least 14 games in three
consecutive seasons.
In April 2007, Westbrook signed a three-year, $33
million contract extension with the Indians, which
will keep him in Cleveland through the 2010 season.
