ÉRIK BÉDARD: A CANADIAN ACE
Érik Bédard, born on March 5, 1979, in Navan, Ontario, is a former professional baseball pitcher who played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball. Known for his dominant left-handed pitching, devastating curveball, and high strikeout rate, Bédard was one of the top Canadian pitchers of his era.
Bédard’s passion for baseball emerged at a young age, and he honed his skills at Norwalk Community College in Connecticut, where he quickly gained recognition as a standout pitcher. The talented left-hander was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the sixth round of the 1999 MLB Draft and rapidly developed into one of the organization’s top pitching prospects. His impressive performances earned him a spot in the MLB Futures Game in both 2001 and 2002, solidifying his status as a rising star in the Orioles’ system.
Bédard made his MLB debut on April 17, 2002, with the Orioles (see artifact 1). In 2006, he enjoyed a breakout season when he set career-highs in wins (15), starts (33) and innings pitched (196 1/3). He followed that up with his finest big-league campaign in 2007, securing 13 wins with a 3.16 ERA and 221 strikeouts over 182 innings. That strikeout total remains the highest in a major-league season by a left-hander born in Canada.
Bédard’s dominance on the mound made him a highly sought-after pitcher, leading to a blockbuster trade to the Seattle Mariners (see artifact 2) in February, 2008. Then at the 2011 trade deadline, he was dealt from Seattle to the Boston Red Sox, where he finished out the season. He went on to cap his major league career with single-season stints with the Pittsburgh Pirates (2012), Houston Astros (2013), and Tampa Bay Rays (2014). In total, Bédard finished his MLB career with 71 wins, a career 3.99 ERA, and 1,246 strikeouts in 241 appearances. He was the 6th Canadian to start in at least 200 games in the MLB (see artifact 3).
Among Canadian pitchers, Bédard remains the all-time leader among lefties in starts (230), innings pitched (1,303 2/3), and strikeouts (1,246). He also ranks among the top 10 Canadian pitchers in multiple categories, sitting third in strikeouts, fourth in starts, sixth in innings pitched, seventh in WAR (17.4), and 10th in wins (71).
Despite battling injuries, Bédard remains one of the most accomplished Canadian pitchers in MLB history. His dominance in 2007 stands as one of the finest seasons ever by a Canadian pitcher, and his journey from a small-town athlete to a big-league ace inspired future generations of Canadian baseball players.
Photographs appear courtesy of the Baltimore Orioles, the Ottawa Sun, and minorleagueball.com.
