BLAINE NEAL

4/6/78; '96 4th (Florida); Pennsauken, NJ (HS)
L/R; 6-5, 250

Level
W-L-Sv
G
GS
IP
H
BB
K
ERA
1996 R (Fla)
1-1-1
7
5
29.1
32
6
15
4.60
1997 R (Fla)
4-1-1
10
0
22.1
24
11
19
3.63
1998 DNP
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1999 A (Fla)
4-2-6
26
0
31.0
21
10
31
2.32
2000 A+ (Fla)
2-2-11
41
0
54.1
40
24
65
2.15
2001 NL (Fla)
0-0-0
4
0
5.1
7
5
3
6.75
2001 AA (Fla)
2-3-21
54
0
53.1
43
21
45
2.36
2002 NL (Fla)
3-0-0
32
0
33.0
32
14
33
2.73
2002 AAA (Fla)
3-1-11
29
0
31.0
27
15
26
2.90
2003 NL (Fla)
0-0-0
18
0
21.0
38
9
10
8.14
2003 AAA (Fla)
4-2-1
27
0
38.2
32
12
38
1.86
2004 NL (SD)
1-1-0
40
0
42.0
49
11
36
4.07
2004 AAA (SD)
4-2-1
27
0
38.2
32
12
38
1.86

Level
W-L-Sv
G
GS
IP
H
BB
K
ERA
OAVG
OOBP
OSLG
2005 AL (Bos)
0-1-0
8
0
8.0
15
3
3
7.15
.429
.462
.629
2005 NL (Col)
1-2-0
11
0
14.2
20
9
8
6.14
.339
.414
.475
2005 AAA (Col)
0-0-0
1
0
1.0
1
0
0
0.00
.250
.250
.250
2005 AA (Col)
0-1-0
4
1
3.0
4
1
2
9.00
 
 
 

Neal's career was curtailed in his first two years by elbow problems, leading the Marlins to try him at 1B.  Removal of some bone spurs eventually got him healthy, and a mid-90s fastball and good curve established him as a possible future closer.  He went downhill after a good 2002 season, however, and missed much of 2005 and, so far, all of 2006 with continued elbow problems.  The Pirates signed him after St. Louis released him.  I don't know what his current status is.  They often sign injured pitchers hoping they'll get healthy, only to have many of those pitchers never appear in a game.

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