Gabe Hughes

​Gabe Hughes (born October 7, 1973), is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher and ABA Hall of Famer. He played 16 seasons in the American Baseball Association for the Boston Bandits and Miami Sunbirds. He amassed a 104-65 records in 204 starts with a 3.14 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP and 695 strikeouts over 1480 innings. He is a 7-time ABA Champion and 2-time ABA Pitcher of the Year. He was elected in the ABA Hall of Fame in 2018, the first ever pitcher to be inducted, in the class of 2018.

## Professional Career

### Boston Bandits (2001-2006)

In the 2000 Inaugural Draft, Hughes was drafted in the 8th round with the 44th overall pick by the Boston Bandits. He was regarded as the Bandits' ace and was the Opening Day starter for the first-ever ABA game. He had a decent year, but nothing extravagant. He helped the Bandits win the ABA Championship by butching a 8.1 innings shutout in the Championship Series. Following the 2000 season, he signed a 4-year deal with the Bandits to avoid arbitration for the next couple of years.

Never known to be a strikeout-type of pitcher, Hughes showed great command and walked very few batters. He led the league in WHIP (Walks and hits per innings pitched) in 2002, in addition to leading the league in BABIP (Batting Average on balls in play). He then led the league in innings pitched in 2003 and had an impressive 11 quality starts in 14 starts. Hughes continued his great job in 2004, but he wanted ace money and Boston didn't feel like he deserved it due to his low strikeout rate, so Hughes hit the free agency market to get his payday.

### Miami Sunbirds (2005-2008)

Hughes signed a lucrative 4-year deal with the Miami Sunbirds before the 2005 season. He had a terrific season with a career-low in ERA and WHIP and a career-high in ERA+, which means that's the season where he was better than the average pitcher the most.

However, Miami wasn't as good as Boston, which impacted on his win-loss record. Nevertheless, he achieved the impressive feat to not allow a single home run in 2006 over 88.1 innings and he had a career-high in bases on balls allowed., showcasing his control. He was amongst the favorites to win Pitcher of the Year, but ultimately lost the award to his teammate Billy Martinez. The subsequent seasons were tougher for Hughes, which including a career-high and a league-leading 8 losses in 2008, although he was still an above avergae pitcher.

A combination of his recent struggles and the team lack of success led to Hughes pursuing other possibilities when his Sunbirds contract expired.

### Return to Boston (2009-2015)

Hughes didn't have the numbers to justify a pay raise, so he decided to take a friendly discount to return to Boston, where it all started, signing a 4-year deal with the Bandits. He probably had what was his worst pro year in his first year back with Boston and things weren't much better in 2010, where he was barely an above average pitcher.

He decided to refocus in 2011 after losing his starting spot. He spent all offseason working on his craft and trying to master his control after realising that he didn't have the swing and a miss stuff that his peers do. He's always been on the bottom percentile in strikeout percentage. He led the league in BB/9 and WHIP, which means he's the one who walked the least batters and allowed the less hits + walks in tge league. His terrific work saw him win his first Pitcher of the Year Award at 37 years old. He did it again in 2012 with an impressive 9-2 record, but his Pitcher of the Year award came as a surprise because he didn't lead the league in any category. Some say he didn't deserve it, but he was still very impressive. Following impressive back-to-back years, he signed a 3-year extension with the Bandits.

Perhaps Hughes got tired in 2013, but his down year could be attributed to his style of play. He throws a lot of strikes which means he gives more quality pitches to opposing batters. For the first time in his career, he was a below-average pitcher in the ABA and almost allowed more home runs that bases on balls. He was a bit better in 2014, but nothing compared to what he was used to.

Hughes was still an above-average pitcher at 41 years old and had a good season which prompted Boston to sign him to a 2-year extension during the season that would end when Hughes was 43 years old. He had some back problems late in the season, but didn't miss any games. He noticed he started to lose his control a bit, but nothing dramatic.

## Retirement

After some recurring back problems and noticing a decline in his command, Hughes decided to retire to spend more time with his family after pitching for 16 years in the ABA. He retired holding several Bandits record, including career ERA, wins, pitching WAR, games started and innings pitched, amongst others. It wasn't a surprise when Hughes announced he'd represent the Bandits in the ABA Hall of Fame if he ever gets elected.

### Hall of Fame

Betz was inducted in the ABA Hall of Fame in the 2018 class, in his first year of eligibility. He's the first ever pitcher to be inducted in the Hall of Fame. He is remembered for his leadership qualities and his great composure on the mound.

## Awards

2X ABA Pitcher of the Year (2011, 2012)

7X ABA Champion (2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2012, 2013)