Ryan Scott Dempster (born May 3, 1977 in Sechelt,
British Columbia) is a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs
in Major League Baseball.
Dempster bats and throws right-handed. He has a
win-loss record of 56-59 and an earned run average
of 4.83 in 247 games (162 starts). He has played for
the Florida Marlins (1998-2002), the Cincinnati Reds
(2002-2003), and the Chicago Cubs (2004-present). In
August 2003 he underwent Tommy John surgery on his
right elbow and made a miraculous recovery from the
surgery, taking a little under a year to recover
from it, coming back in the last half of 2004 to
pitch for the Chicago Cubs. In 2005, after starting
6 games, Dempster was named the closer for the
Chicago Cubs, replacing LaTroy Hawkins.
He collected 33 saves in 35 opportunities, the best
save percentage in the league; in both blown saves,
he collected the win. He is the only Cub and one of
just three players ever to start a game and collect
30 saves in a single season. On October 1, 2005, the
Cubs signed him through 2008 in a US$15.5 million
contract extension. He emerged as one of the team's
most consistent closers in 2007. At one point, Lou
Pinella, the Cubs' manager, was considering
promoting Dempster to a starting pitcher. However,
the idea was short lived, as a struggling bullpen
forced Dempster to remain as closer. He recorded
sixteen saves in eighteen opportunities before
missing two weeks of playtime on account of an
injured oblique muscle.
Dempster is widely known for his laid-back attitude,
constantly joking with fans and teammates and is
said to be a positive contribution to a team's
clubhouse. Dempster's fun and easy-going personality
was especially evident when in comments to an
Arizona newspaper in March of 2007, Dempster stated
that if his career as a closer began to tumble, he
would pursue ninja training. He is also known for
his Harry Caray impression. Most notably, he
announced the Cubs' starting lineup while speaking
like Caray before a nationally televised baseball
game on Fox Sports.
