Jon Lieber is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for several teams during his career. He was born on April 2, 1970, in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and attended the University of South Alabama, where he played college baseball.
Lieber was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the second round of the 1992 MLB draft and made his major league debut with the team in 1994. He spent three seasons with the Royals before being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1998.
During his time with the Pirates, Lieber established himself as a reliable starting pitcher, earning a reputation for his control and ability to pitch deep into games. He had his best season in 2001, when he went 20-6 with a 3.80 ERA and finished fourth in the National League Cy Young Award voting.
After six seasons with the Pirates, Lieber became a free agent and signed with the Chicago Cubs in 2002. He spent two seasons with the Cubs, earning an All-Star selection in 2001, before being traded to the New York Yankees in 2004.
Lieber had a solid season with the Yankees in 2004, going 14-8 with a 4.33 ERA, but struggled in the postseason, allowing 10 runs in 8.2 innings across two starts. He became a free agent after the season and signed with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Lieber spent four seasons with the Phillies, serving as a reliable innings-eater in their rotation. He had his best season with the team in 2005, going 17-13 with a 4.20 ERA and finishing fifth in the National League Cy Young Award voting.
After the 2008 season, Lieber became a free agent again and signed with the Chicago Cubs for a second stint. However, he struggled in his return to the team, going 2-3 with a 6.82 ERA in 14 appearances before being released in August.
Lieber retired from baseball after the 2008 season, finishing his career with a 131-124 record, a 4.27 ERA, and 1,553 strikeouts in 2,171.2 innings pitched. He was known for his durability and consistency, pitching at least 200 innings in six seasons and finishing with a winning record in eight of his 14 seasons.
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