Clay Daniel Buchholz was born on August 14, 1984 in Nederland, Texas.

Clay, a starting pitcher, is 6'3", weighs 190 pounds, bats left and throws right.

High School
Clay grew up in Lumberton, Texas, and played baseball for the local youth baseball leagues until high school. He attended Lumberton High School.

College
Clay attended McNeese State University, very briefly, before transferring to Angelina College. In 2005, at Angelina College, he pitched in 15 games, with a 12-1 record.

Minor Leagues
Clay was drafted by the Red Sox in the supplemental first round of the 2005 draft, the 42nd overall (as compensation for losing free agent Pedro Martí®¥z to the New York Mets.)

Clay pitched 41 1/3 innings for the Lowell Spinners of the New York-Penn League. He then pitched for the Wilmington Blue Rocks (Single A) and the Greenville Drive (Single A-Advanced). Between the two teams, Buchholz struck out 140 and walked 33 in 119 innings while going 11-4.

While playing for the Portland Sea Dogs in 2007, Buchholz started 15 games, and had a 7-2 record.

Clay was promoted to the Pawtucket Red Sox on July 8, 2007. He finished the AAA season with a 1-3 W-L record, recording 55 strikeouts, 13 walks, and a 3.96 era over 8 starts in 38.2 innings.

Major Leagues
Clay made his debut with the Red Sox against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on August 17, 2007 at Fenway Park. The Sox won the game 8-4 and he picked up the win going 6 innings and giving up 4 runs (3 earned).

After the game, however, he was sent back down to Pawtucket.

Clay was recalled in September, made his second major league start on September 1, 2007, and became the first Boston Red Sox rookie to throw a no-hitter when he blanked the Baltimore Orioles 10-0.

Clay's 2008 season did not begin well, and on May 15, he was placed on the 15 disabled list as the result of a torn fingernail. He had been pitching in Pawtucket, ready to be brought back after the All-Star break.

Unfortunately, Clay has continued to struggle, and after a loss on August 21, 2008, he was optioned to AA Portland.

Career highlight
Clay is the first Red Sox rookie, and 17th Red Sox pitcher, to throw a no-hitter. He threw this no-hitter in only his second Major League start, tying him with Wilson Alvarez for the second quickest no-hitter by an MLB pitcher.

Personal
Clay would probably have been drafted higher, but other teams passed on him because he had been arrested for stealing 29 laptops from his high school and selling them. The Red Sox looked upon this as an isolated incident, and decided he'd learned his lesson.