Jeff Keppinger
| Jeff Keppinger | |
|---|---|
 Keppinger while with the Astros. |
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| Tampa Bay Rays – No. 7 | |
| Infielder | |
| Born: April 21, 1980 Miami, Florida |
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| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| August 20, 2004 for the New York Mets | |
| Career statistics (through 2011 season) |
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| Batting average | .281 |
| Home runs | 32 |
| Runs batted in | 215 |
| Teams | |
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Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Keppinger (born April 21, 1980 in Miami, Florida) is an American professional baseball infielder with the Tampa Bay Rays. He bats and throws right-handed. Known as a contact hitter, Keppinger has one of the lowest strikeout rates in Major League Baseball. He led the league in the "at-bats-to-strikeouts" ratio in 2008 (19.1) and 2010 (14.3).[1] For his career (through 2011), he has only 142 strikeouts in 2,074 at-bats.[2]
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[edit] Early years
In 1994, under the tutelage of Coach Tim Worth, Keppinger played and starred on the Dunwoody Braves summer baseball team of Dunwoody, Ga. Keppinger was named to the AAU All-American team. He also played for the New England Collegiate Baseball League's Keene Swamp Bats.
Keppinger compiled a .380 batting average at the University of Georgia where, in the 2001 College World Series, he hit a two-run home run off star pitcher Mark Prior. That same year, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 4th round of the Major League Baseball Draft. Although Keppinger continued to hit over .300 in the minor leagues, his power numbers (home runs and RBIs) dropped dramatically from his college days.
[edit] Professional career
[edit] New York Mets
At the 2004 trading deadline, while Keppinger was in double-A ball, he was traded to the Mets as part of the Kris Benson for Ty Wigginton trade. His average soared even higher with the double-A Binghamton Mets and stayed above .300 with the triple-A Norfolk Tides earning him a call to the majors on August 20. He responded by hitting .284 with three home runs and nine RBI in 33 games played.
In 2005, Keppinger again excelled in Norfolk while hitting .337. He was poised to return to the majors in June when Kazuo Matsui was injured, but bad luck struck when Keppinger fractured his kneecap around the same time as Matsui. The injury not only prevented his return to the majors but ended his entire 2005 season.
[edit] Kansas City Royals
On July 19, 2006, Keppinger was acquired by the Kansas City Royals for middle infielder Ruben Gotay and Keppinger was sent to AAA Omaha.
Keppinger was called up by the Royals in August 2006. With a season-ending injury to starting 3rd baseman Mark Teahen, Keppinger was expected to see some major league action. A key moment in his career occurred on Saturday, September 9, 2006 at Boston's Fenway Park, when, after entering the game against the Red Sox as a pinch runner, he came to bat in the top of 12th inning in a 4-4 tie game with two runners on. Keppinger, batting against Manny Delcarmen, sliced a ball a few feet to the left of the right field foul pole for a three-run home run, breaking the 4-4 tie. The Royals went on to beat the Red Sox in that game 10-4. It was Keppinger's first major league hit in 2 years.
[edit] Cincinnati Reds
On January 2, 2007, Keppinger was designated for assignment by the Royals. Eight days later, Keppinger was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. In return, the Royals received Minor League pitcher Russ Haltiwanger.
On May 13, 2008, Keppinger fractured his patella in the second inning of a game against the Florida Marlins, placing him on the 15 day disabled list. On June 22, 2008, he returned, much to the joy of the Reds who had just recently lost another shortstop to injury in Jolbert Cabrera. In 2008 he had the lowest strikeout percentage in the majors, at 4.8%, striking out once only every 19.1 at bats.[1][2]
[edit] Houston Astros
On March 31, 2009, Keppinger was traded to the Houston Astros for Minor League IF Drew Sutton. Keppinger saw a majority of his playing time at third base, filling in for Geoff Blum while he was injured and as the backup to Blum. Still versatile, Keppinger also played short, second, and first during the '08 and '09 seasons.[3] Keppinger began the 2010 season with the Astros as the primary backup at second base to starter Kazuo Matsui. However, after Matsui's offense proved inept after 71 at bats, Keppinger was named the starter after Matsui was released by the Astros on May 19, 2010.[4]
[edit] San Francisco Giants
On July 19, 2011, Keppinger was traded to the San Francisco Giants for pitchers Henry Sosa and Jason Stoffel. He also hit a walk-off single against his former team the Houston Astros on August 27 and 28, 2011.[5]
[edit] Tampa Bay Rays
On January 26th, Keppinger was signed to a One Year Major League contract to the Tampa Bay Rays. The deal became official the next day. [6]
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/at_bats_per_strikeout_leagues.shtml
- ^ http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=433898
- ^ Astros Acquire Keppinger from Cincinnati
- ^ http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100520&content_id=10228092&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
- ^ Nicholson-Smith, Ben. "Giants Acquire Jeff Keppinger". MLBTradeRumors.com. http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/07/giants-acquire-jeff-keppinger-.html. Retrieved 20 July 2011.
- ^ "Rays Sign Jeff Keppinger". MLB Trade Rumors. http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/01/keppinger-rays-agree-to-deal.html. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
[edit] External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
- Minor League Splits and Situational Stats
- 1980 births
- Living people
- Major League Baseball second basemen
- Hickory Crawdads players
- Lynchburg Hillcats players
- Altoona Curve players
- Binghamton Mets players
- Norfolk Tides players
- Omaha Royals players
- Sarasota Reds players
- Louisville Bats players
- Corpus Christi Hooks players
- Oklahoma City RedHawks players
- New York Mets players
- Kansas City Royals players
- Cincinnati Reds players
- Houston Astros players
- San Francisco Giants players
- Baseball players from Florida
- Georgia Bulldogs baseball players
- Sportspeople from Miami, Florida
- University of Georgia alumni
- Tampa Bay Rays players
