Joey Eischen is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for several teams during his career. He was born on May 25, 1970, in West Covina, California, and attended West Covina High School. Eischen was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 4th round of the 1989 MLB draft but did not sign with the team. Instead, he attended Pasadena City College and later transferred to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Eischen was eventually drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 16th round of the 1990 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut with the Expos in 1994 and spent the next six seasons with the team. During his time with the Expos, Eischen was primarily used as a relief pitcher and had a career-best season in 1999 when he posted a 2.34 ERA in 56 games.
In 2001, Eischen was traded to the Texas Rangers but only appeared in 12 games for the team before being released. He then signed with the Milwaukee Brewers and spent the remainder of the 2001 season with the team. Eischen signed with the Washington Nationals in 2002 and spent the next four seasons with the team. During his time with the Nationals, Eischen was again primarily used as a relief pitcher and had a career-best season in 2003 when he posted a 1.98 ERA in 47 games.
Eischen's career was plagued by injuries, and he missed significant time in 2004 and 2005 due to various ailments. He returned to the Nationals in 2006 but struggled with his performance, posting a 7.20 ERA in 15 games before being released by the team in June.
Overall, Eischen played in 358 MLB games over 12 seasons, posting a 3.67 ERA and 14-21 record. He was known for his aggressive pitching style and willingness to pitch inside to batters. After his playing career, Eischen worked as a pitching coach for several minor league teams and also served as a scout for the Nationals.
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