RIP, Daniel Webb — Heath baseball star; major leaguer

October 16, 2017 FieldsColumn

Daniel Webb, a standout pitcher at Heath High School in far western Kentucky, played in the majors for the Chicago White Sox. (Chicago Tribune photo)

BY MIKE FIELDS (Oct. 16, 2017)

It was sad to hear that Daniel Webb, a star pitcher at Heath High School who went on to play in the major leagues, died over the weekend from injuries sustained in an ATV accident in Tennessee. He was 28.

Webb pitched in relief for the Chicago White Sox from 2013-16, registering a 7-5 record, appearing in 94 games and posting a 4.50 ERA in 110 innings. He had Tommy John surgery in 2016 and was released after the season.

I remember Webb for his gutsy performance for Heath in the 2007 KHSAA State Tournament at Applebee’s Park (now Whitaker Bank Ballpark) in Lexington.

A hard-throwing right-hander, Webb injured his foot in the first inning of Heath’s quarterfinal game against Apollo. He played through the pain, however, and wound up pitching a complete game, racking up 10 strikeouts. He also drove in Heath’s only run with a sacrifice fly, but Apollo eked out a 2-1 victory.

“Looking back now, I can’t say enough about what a great person Daniel Webb truly was,” White Sox reliever and fellow Kentuckian Nate Jones said in a statement released Monday. (Jones is from Pendleton County.)

“He worked hard to get where he was and enjoyed every minute of it. He kept everyone around him in a good mood no matter what was going on. Over the years we played together, we grew to be close friends. Whether it was the Kentucky connection, or the love we had for the outdoors, he is someone I’m truly going to miss.

“All we can do is pray for peace, healing and comfort over the next few days for his family, especially his wife and two girls. It just goes to show that life can change in a blink of the eye and that we can’t take anything for granted. I’ll always cherish those memories we had.”

Webb was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 18th round of the 2009 draft and traded to the White Sox in 2012.

RIP, Daniel Webb — Heath baseball star; major leaguer

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