Jim Deshaies

Former Astros pitcher and current Cubs color commentator.

James Joseph Deshaies (born June 23, 1960) is an American former professional baseball left-handed starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for six teams over the course of 12 big league seasons. He is currently a color commentator for broadcasts of Chicago Cubs games.

Quick Facts

Position: Pitcher
Bats: Left
Born: 23 June 1960
Birthplace: Massena, New York, U.S.
Debut league: MLB
Debut date: August 7
Debut year: 1984
Debut team: New York Yankees

Lore & Background

Deshaies pitched at Le Moyne College before making his MLB debut with the New York Yankees on August 7, 1984. He was the 1,000th person to play an official game for the Yankees. Deshaies was the losing pitcher that day, after giving up four earned runs in four innings pitched in a 6–3 loss to the Chicago White Sox. Six days later, he lasted three innings in a no decision start against the Cleveland Indians. Those were Deshaies' only appearances for the Yankees, who traded him to the Houston Astros on September 15, 1985, for Joe Niekro.

Reader's Guide

Deshaies' first full season was with the Astros in 1986, during which he posted 12 wins, an Astros' rookie record, later broken by Roy Oswalt in 2001. In a September 23, 1986, game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Deshaies set a Major League record by striking out the first eight batters of the game. This feat was equaled by Jacob deGrom on September 14, 2014, and Germán Márquez on September 26, 2018. The record was later broken by Pablo López of the Miami Marlins on July 11, 2021.

Cristian Javier matched a variation of Deshaies' club record on April 22, 2021, by securing the first eight outs of a game via strikeout, while Justin Verlander tied Deshaies' club record for consecutive strikeouts at any point in a game on October 4, 2022. Deshaies was a mainstay on the Astros' rotation from 1986 to 1991, pitching in 25 or more starts in each of those seasons. His best season was 1989, when he posted a 15–10 record, with a 2.91 earned run average (ERA), and 153 strikeouts.

On May 2 that year, Mike Schmidt hit his 548th and final home run off Deshaies. Deshaies holds the major league record for most at-bats without an extra base hit, with 373. In 1992, Deshaies joined the San Diego Padres, and later played for the Minnesota Twins (twice), San Francisco Giants, and Philadelphia Phillies. Deshaies retired following his release by the Phillies, on July 31, 1995.