John Kevin Maine (born May 8, 1981 in
Fredericksburg, Virginia) is a Major League Baseball
pitcher for the New York Mets. He bats and throws
right-handed. Maine has been nicknamed by the New
York media "The Maine Event" and "The Maine Man."
After graduating from North Stafford High School, in
Stafford (not Fredricksburg), Va, Maine played
college baseball at Charlotte where he was named the
Conference USA Pitcher of the Year in 2001 and set
several single season 49er records including k's and
wins. In 2000, while still in college, Maine pitched
for the Bethesda Big Train, a summer collegiate
baseball team located a few miles outside of
Washington D.C.
Maine decided to forego his senior season at
Charlotte and was drafted by Baltimore in the sixth
round of the 2002 baseball amateur draft. Long
considered a top prospect after two years in the
minor leagues, Maine made his debut with the Orioles
on July 23, 2004. After spending the latter half of
2004 and most of 2005 shuffling between Baltimore
and Triple-A Ottawa, Maine recorded his first Major
League win on August 13, 2005, at Camden Yards with
a 1-0 shutout victory over Toronto in which he
started and pitched five innings.
Maine was traded to the Mets on January 21, 2006,
along with righty reliever Jorge Julio to acquire
starting pitcher Kris Benson.
