MISSOULA, MT - Former Osprey pitcher Clay Zavada made quite the splash when he was promoted to the major leagues this past summer. As his pitching enabled him to stay with the Arizona Diamondbacks for much of the 2009 season, his mustache garnered him even more attention.Zavada, sporting a Rollie Fingers-like handlebar mustache, developed a cult following thanks in part to his facial hair, and now, after winning an online vote against nine other finalists, has been awarded the American Mustache Institute's 2009 Robert Goulet Memorial Mustached American of the Year.
Zavada, who was called up to the D-Backs and won his debut on May 21, made 49 appearances this past season, with a 3-3 record and a 3.45 ERA. He did not allow an earned run in his first 20 appearances, and did not allow a single run in his first 15 trips to the mound.
The 30th-round pick by Arizona in the 2006 MLB Draft, Zavada helped the Osprey win the Pioneer League Championship in 2006, but took time away from baseball after the death of his father. The Diamondbacks re-signed Zavada in the summer of 2008, and he was outstanding in the first step of his comeback, for Class A South Bend, where he posted a 3-1 record with eight saves and a 0.51 ERA, helping the SilverHawks to the Midwest League Championship Series.
Zavada started the 2009 season with Double-A Mobile, where he was 1-0 in 11 relief appearances with a 2.60 ERA, striking out 18 batters in 17 1/3 innings pitched before his May promotion to the D-Backs.
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