Topic: Paul Byrd

Paul Gregory Byrd (born December 3, 1970 in Louisville, Kentucky) is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox.

Byrd is well-known for his striking resemblance to actor Kelsey Grammer and because of this is called Frasier by his teammates. He is also know as being the "nicest guy in baseball". He is also known for using an "old-fashioned" windup, in which he swings his arms back prior to going into the full windup. He occasionally swings his arms back twice before pitching, which can disrupt the timing of a batter.

Byrd attended Louisiana State University where he pitched as part of the Tigers baseball team that won the 1991 College World Series. He was originally drafted in the fourth round of the 1991 Major League Baseball Draft by the Cleveland Indians. Byrd spent 5 years in the minor leagues before being traded to the New York Mets and making his major league debut on July 28, 1995.