Eric O'Flaherty
Eric George O'Flaherty (born February 5, 1985) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Atlanta Braves, Oakland Athletics, and New York Mets. O'Flaherty was the first reliever in MLB history to record an earned run average below 1.00 with at least 70 appearances in a season, and was the first pitcher in Mariners franchise history to begin his MLB career with seven consecutive wins. Early career O'Flaherty graduated from Walla Walla High School in Walla Walla, Washington. As a senior at Walla Walla High School, he had a 5–2 win–loss record, an earned run average (ERA) of 1.99, and 83 strikeouts. He earned Pitcher of the Year honors in the Big Nine Conference. The Seattle Mariners selected O'Flaherty in the sixth round of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft. He was the 176th pick overall. He was the first player since Drew Bledsoe was drafted that went to Walla Walla High School. As of 2022 he is currently an assistant baseball coach at Walla Walla High School Professional career Minor leagues O'Flaherty quickly made his way through the Mariners' minor league affiliate teams. He started 2006 with the Single-A