Bret William Saberhagen (/ˈseɪbərheɪɡɪn/; born April 11, 1964) is an American former professional baseball right-handed starting pitcher.
He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, Colorado Rockies, and Boston Red Sox from 1984 through 1999, and a comeback in 2001.
Known for his blazing fastball and pinpoint control,[1] Saberhagen was named a three-time All-Star, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, a Gold Glove Award winner, and the Most Valuable Player of the 1985 World Series as the Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals in 7 games.
In 1982, during his senior year, he pitched a no-hitter and was the winning pitcher in the Los Angeles City Championship game, played at Dodger Stadium.
He was also the subject of much media attention during the Series as his wife gave birth to his first son, Drew William, on the same night of the infamous Don Denkinger call.
He pitched in the 1987 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, but he suffered a shoulder injury that hampered his second-half performance.
The following year, 1989, he returned to his old brilliance by compiling a record of 23–6 with a 2.16 ERA, leading both leagues with 12 complete games, and finishing third in strikeouts.
[6] On December 11, 1991, Saberhagen was traded along with Bill Pecota to the New York Mets in exchange for Kevin McReynolds, Gregg Jefferies, and Keith Miller.
After admitting his role in this incident, Saberhagen donated one day's pay to charity and apologized to fans and the media.
While the Rockies made the playoffs as the National League Wild Card team, Saberhagen had a mostly-lost season, marred by injuries.
He lost his only post-season start, Game 4 of the NLDS, as the Rockies were eliminated by the Braves on their way to a World Series win.
However, a constant set of battles with the Las Virgines Unified School District administration—among other reasons—caused him to resign his coaching duties in October 2007.
In October 2017, Saberhagen was evacuated from a Napa hotel due to the Tubbs Fire after attending a charity golf event.
[9] On February 9, 2019, Saberhagen married Kandace DeAngelo, the president and CEO of a medical group and a Colorado State University graduate.
[12] Saberhagen's son, Drew William, played college baseball for the Western Carolina Catamounts and the Pepperdine Waves.
[17][18] In November 2022, Saberhagen discovered information about his deceased biological parents with the last name Spuhler, and found that he had a half-brother and a half-sister who were still alive.