Jeff Karstens

Infobox MLB player


width = 150px
name=Jeff Karstens
position=Starting pitcher
team=Pittsburgh Pirates
number=36
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1982|9|24
birthplace=city-state|San Diego|California
debutdate=August 22
debutyear=2006
debutteam=New York Yankees
statyear=August 6, 2008
stat1label=Win-Loss
stat1value=5-5
stat2label=Earned run average
stat2value=4.48
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=27
teams=
*New York Yankees (by|2006-by|2007)
*Pittsburgh Pirates (by|2008-present)

Jeffrey Wayne Karstens (born September 24, 1982 in San Diego, California) is a right-handed starting pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

High school and college

Karstens attended Mount Miguel High School in Spring Valley, California. In his senior season, he was the team's Most Valuable Player, a First-Team All-Conference Honors selection, and a Second-Team All-San Diego selection. In his senior year, he posted an 8-2 record with a 2.99 ERA. After high school, Karstens attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, where he played for the Red Raiders.

Professional career

Karstens was drafted in the 19th round of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft by the New York Yankees.

He played the by|2005 season with the Yankees' Double-A affiliate, the Trenton Thunder, posting a 12-11 record with a 4.15 ERA and 147 strikeouts. He led his team in wins with 12 (3rd most in the league), in Games started with 27 (2nd in the league), and in innings pitched with 169 (4th in the league). [ [http://minors.baseball-reference.com/players.cgi?pid=22690 Jeff Karstens Statistics (Minor Leagues) - Baseball-Reference.com ] ] .

2006

Karstens started the by|2006 season with the Yankees Triple-A affiliate, the Columbus Clippers. He struggled, posting an 0-5 record with a 9.85 ERA. This resulted in his demotion to Double-A Trenton.

At Trenton, he went 6-0 with a 2.31 ERA. His success was rewarded with a trip back to Columbus, where he compiled a 5-0 record with a 1.85 ERA.

Karstens was called up from Triple-A Columbus on August 19, 2006. Three days later, he made his Major League debut for the Yankees on August 22, against the Seattle Mariners. He went 5⅔ innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits and two walks for a no-decision in a 6-5 loss. He struck out two and gave up two home runs [ [http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=260822112 Yahoo Box Score for the 08/22/2006 Game] ] .

On August 27, 2006, he went 6.0 innings giving up 6 hits and 3 earned runs in an 11-8 win against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In that outing, Karstens walked 2, struck out 1, and earned his first career Major League victory.

2007

In spring training prior to the by|2007 season, Karstens had an outstanding performance. The first nine innings he pitched were the equivalent of a nine inning shutout. Following that he had a poor four run outing yet he was still considered a darkhorse to make the rotation. The most probable situation would be that he start the season as the long reliever with an occasional spot start.

Karstens was shut down due to elbow tendinitis and placed on the 15-day disabled list to start the season, allowing Darrell Rasner to take his spot in the rotation, which he earned after a hamstring injury to staff ace Chien-Ming Wang. After injuries to Yankees starters Mike Mussina and Carl Pavano, he was activated to join the Yankees 25-man roster. [ [http://www.nyjournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070421/SPORTS01/704210405] ]

On April 28, by|2007, in a game against the Boston Red Sox, Karstens was struck in the leg by a line drive off the bat of Boston shortstop Julio Lugo, the first batter of the game.cite news
url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9900E4DD133EF93AA15757C0A9619C8B63
title= BASEBALL; After Losing Karstens to Broken Leg, Yanks Get a Lift From Igawa
publisher=New York Times
author=Tyler Kepner
date=2007-04-29
accessdate=2008-03-04] He faced only one more batter before being taken out. It was later reported that Karstens fractured his fibula and was placed on the 15-day disabled list. He was later moved to the 60-day disabled list, and then activated on August 1.

On August 14, 2007, Karstens gave up 5 earned runs in only 3 innings, raising his season ERA to 11.20. The next day, he was optioned back to the Minor Leagues. He was reactivated on September 9.

Karstens began the by|2008 season on the 15-day disabled list, but was later activated and immediately optioned to the minors.

2008

On July 26, 2008, Karstens was acquired by the Pirates with Jose Tabata, Ross Ohlendorf, and Dan McCutchen from the New York Yankees for outfielder Xavier Nady and pitcher Damaso Marte.cite news|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/07/25/pirates.yanks.trade/index.html|title=Yanks acquire Nady, Marte from Bucs for 4 minor league prospects|date=2008-07-26|publisher=SI.com|accessdate=2008-07-26]

On August 1, 2008, Jeff made his Pirates debut winning against the Chicago Cubs. In Karsten's next start on August 6, he had a perfect game against the Arizona Diamondbacks through 7.2 innings before surrendering a double to Chris Young in the 8th inning. Karstens, and the Pirates, won 2-0 over Randy Johnson; Karstens gave up two hits and a walk.

References

External links

*
* [http://texastech.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/karstens_jeff00.html Bio from Texas Tech]