Chris Jakubauskas
Encyclopedia
Christopher James "Chris" Jakubauskas (born December 22, 1978 in Upland, California
) is an American
professional baseball
pitcher
for the Arizona Diamondbacks
of Major League Baseball
.
, Jakubauskas played first base
at Oklahoma
. After college, he was an assistant coach for the Los Osos High School
varsity baseball team during the 2004-2005 season while his arm was recovering from Tommy John surgery
. A little known fact about Christopher is that he was a lead shoe salesperson in the women's department at Nordstroms department store in Montclair, Ca. He was also a Wells Fargo teller for a short time.
of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, the Florence Freedom
, of the Frontier League
, and the Fullerton Flyers of the Golden Baseball League
.
. He struck out eight batters on August 31 against the Chattanooga Lookouts
. In 16 games, three starts, Jakubauskas went 0-4 with 39 strikeouts and a 4.94 ERA
in 51 innings pitched
.
In Jakubauskas played for three different levels in the Mariners organization, the Short-Season Everett AquaSox
, the Double-A Diamond Jaxx and the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers
. He started the season in West Tennessee but was soon promoted to Tacoma on May 6. He allowed three earned run or less in all of his nine starts, while tossing at least five innings in seven games. Jakubauskas struck out a season-high eight batters twice, the first on May 31 against the Salt Lake City Bees and the other on September 1 against the Portland Beavers
. He limited opponents to a .243 average, including a .196 clip against lefties. He made two stints on the disabled list
, the first was from June 13 to July 2 with a strained right shoulder and the second time was July 7 from August 27 with a strained left oblique muscle. In his rehab assignment with Everett from August 22 to the 27 Jakubauskas allowed one hit and striking out seven in 2 scoreless inning on August 22 against the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
. Jakubauskas also pitched for Lara in the Venezuelan Winter League where he went 4-5 with a 5.16.
On April 4, it was announced that he made the Mariners final roster. Jakubauskas won his first Major League game, coming into the game in the 4th inning replacing Ryan Rowland-Smith
on April 10. Jakubauskas pitched two innings giving up two runs, but maintaining a 5-4 lead as he exited the game. The win also resulted in the first save for fellow Mariner reliever David Aardsma
. On August 22, the Mariners purchased the contract of right-hander Randy Messenger
from the minors and optioned Jakubauskas to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers
. Jakubauskas soon made a return to Seattle and finished the season on the major league roster was 6-7 with a 5.28 ERA for the club, seeing time both as starter
and reliever
.
on November 20, 2009. After beginning the 2010 season
as a starting pitcher
with the Indianapolis Indians
, he was recalled by the Pirates on April 23, and made his debut with the ball club the following night in a 5–2 defeat to the Houston Astros
at Minute Maid Park
. With a runner at first base and two out
s in the bottom half of the first inning
of that game, he was hit on the back of the head
, just above the right ear
, by a line drive batted by Lance Berkman
. Even though he never lost consciousness, Jakubauskas suffered both a concussion and a head contusion
.
He was released by the team on November 4, 2010.
contract
with the Baltimore Orioles
on February 1, 2011. He began the 2011 season
with the Norfolk Tides
after not making the major league roster out of spring training
. He replaced the optioned Brad Bergesen after the Orioles selected his contract from the Tides on April 9. He made three relief
appearances before a strained right groin
sent him to the 15-day disabled list
on April 18. Once activated off the disabled list, he was optioned back to the Tides on May 2. After another shuttle between Baltimore and Norfolk within a two-day span later that month, he finally began an extended stay with the Orioles when he was recalled on May 30.
He earned his first win with the Orioles after pitching five shutout innings in a 4–0 victory over the Oakland Athletics
at Camden Yards on June 7. It was his first start since the on-field accident in Houston the previous season. He has earned a spot on Baltimore's five-man starting rotation during the season. On October 30, he declared for free agency.
Upland, California
Upland is a city in San Bernardino County, California, located at an elevation of 1,242 feet . As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 73,732, up from 68,393 at the 2000 census. It was incorporated on May 15, 1906, after previously being named North Ontario.-History and culture:Upland...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
.
College career
A Lithuanian-AmericanLithuanian-American
Lithuanian Americans are citizens of the United States who are of Lithuanian ancestry. According to the United States Census, there are 712,165 Americans of full or partial Lithuanian descent....
, Jakubauskas played first base
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
at Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners baseball
Oklahoma Sooners baseball is the NCAA Division I collegiate baseball team of the University of Oklahoma based in Norman, Oklahoma.The Oklahoma Baseball tradition is long and storied, with two National Championships in 1951 and 1994, along with numerous All-Americans...
. After college, he was an assistant coach for the Los Osos High School
Los Osos High School
Los Osos High School is one of eight public schools in the Chaffey Joint Union High School District. LOHS is locate in the city of Rancho Cucamonga in Southern California's Inland Empire in the United States.-Academics:...
varsity baseball team during the 2004-2005 season while his arm was recovering from Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery, known in medical practice as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body...
. A little known fact about Christopher is that he was a lead shoe salesperson in the women's department at Nordstroms department store in Montclair, Ca. He was also a Wells Fargo teller for a short time.
Independent leagues
Jakubauskas pitched for several independent league teams, including the Lincoln SaltdogsLincoln Saltdogs
The Lincoln Saltdogs are a professional baseball team based in Lincoln, Nebraska, in the United States. The Saltdogs are a member of the North Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, the Florence Freedom
Florence Freedom
The Florence Freedom are a professional baseball team based in the Northern Kentucky city of Florence, located near the city of Cincinnati. The Freedom are a member of the West Division of the Frontier League, an independent baseball league...
, of the Frontier League
Frontier League
The Frontier League, based in Sauget, Illinois, is a professional, independent baseball organization located in the Midwestern United States, Western Pennsylvania, and Southern Ontario. It operates mostly in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either...
, and the Fullerton Flyers of the Golden Baseball League
Golden Baseball League
The Golden Baseball League, based in San Ramon, California, was an independent baseball league. It later merged with the Northern League and the United Baseball League to form the North American League in the western United States, western Canada and Mexico....
.
Seattle Mariners
Jakubauskas was acquired by Seattle from the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball on June 13, and assigned to the Double-A West Tenn Diamond JaxxWest Tenn Diamond Jaxx
The Jackson Generals are a minor league baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. The team is located in Jackson, Tennessee, and plays their home games at Pringles Park; opened in 1998, the park currently holds 6,000 fans.From their inaugural season...
. He struck out eight batters on August 31 against the Chattanooga Lookouts
Chattanooga Lookouts
The Chattanooga Lookouts are a minor league baseball team based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. They are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team, which plays in the Southern League, has been a Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club since the 2009 season. The Lookouts...
. In 16 games, three starts, Jakubauskas went 0-4 with 39 strikeouts and a 4.94 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in 51 innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
.
In Jakubauskas played for three different levels in the Mariners organization, the Short-Season Everett AquaSox
Everett AquaSox
The Everett AquaSox are a minor league baseball team in Everett, Washington, USA. They are a Short-Season A classification team in the Northwest League, of which they are the current defending champions...
, the Double-A Diamond Jaxx and the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers
Tacoma Rainiers
The Tacoma Rainiers are a minor league baseball team that plays in the Pacific Coast League , and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners...
. He started the season in West Tennessee but was soon promoted to Tacoma on May 6. He allowed three earned run or less in all of his nine starts, while tossing at least five innings in seven games. Jakubauskas struck out a season-high eight batters twice, the first on May 31 against the Salt Lake City Bees and the other on September 1 against the Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
. He limited opponents to a .243 average, including a .196 clip against lefties. He made two stints on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
, the first was from June 13 to July 2 with a strained right shoulder and the second time was July 7 from August 27 with a strained left oblique muscle. In his rehab assignment with Everett from August 22 to the 27 Jakubauskas allowed one hit and striking out seven in 2 scoreless inning on August 22 against the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
The Salem-Keizer Volcanoes are a minor league baseball team in Keizer, Oregon, United States. They are a Short-Season Class A team in the Northwest League, and have been an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants since the Volcanoes' inception in 1997...
. Jakubauskas also pitched for Lara in the Venezuelan Winter League where he went 4-5 with a 5.16.
On April 4, it was announced that he made the Mariners final roster. Jakubauskas won his first Major League game, coming into the game in the 4th inning replacing Ryan Rowland-Smith
Ryan Rowland-Smith
Ryan Benjamin Rowland-Smith , is an Australian Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He is also an Australian Baseball League pitcher for the Sydney Blue Sox. Rowland-Smith pitched for Australia in the 2006 World Baseball Classic and in the 2004 Summer Olympics...
on April 10. Jakubauskas pitched two innings giving up two runs, but maintaining a 5-4 lead as he exited the game. The win also resulted in the first save for fellow Mariner reliever David Aardsma
David Aardsma
David Allan Aardsma is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball. He is the first player alphabetically in the list of all-time Major League Baseball players, having displaced Hank Aaron upon his MLB debut....
. On August 22, the Mariners purchased the contract of right-hander Randy Messenger
Randy Messenger
Randall Jerome Messenger is a right-handed relief pitcher for the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball. He is tall and weighs , and made his Major League debut on June 22, , for the Florida Marlins. Messenger graduated from Sparks High School in 1999.Messenger is nicknamed Big Mess...
from the minors and optioned Jakubauskas to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers
Tacoma Rainiers
The Tacoma Rainiers are a minor league baseball team that plays in the Pacific Coast League , and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners...
. Jakubauskas soon made a return to Seattle and finished the season on the major league roster was 6-7 with a 5.28 ERA for the club, seeing time both as starter
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
and reliever
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Jakubauskas was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
on November 20, 2009. After beginning the 2010 season
2010 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The 2010 Pittsburgh Pirates season was the 129th season of the Pittsburgh Pirates franchise; the 124th in Major League Baseball . The 2010 season was the Pirates' MLB-record 18th consecutive losing season...
as a starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
with the Indianapolis Indians
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
, he was recalled by the Pirates on April 23, and made his debut with the ball club the following night in a 5–2 defeat to the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
at Minute Maid Park
Minute Maid Park
Minute Maid Park is a ballpark in Downtown Houston, Texas, United States that opened in 2000 to house the Major League Baseball Houston Astros....
. With a runner at first base and two out
Out (baseball)
In baseball, an out occurs when the defensive, or fielding, team effects any of a number of different events, and the umpire rules a batter or baserunner out. When a player is called out, he is said to be retired...
s in the bottom half of the first inning
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
of that game, he was hit on the back of the head
Human head
In human anatomy, the head is the upper portion of the human body. It supports the face and is maintained by the skull, which itself encloses the brain.-Cultural importance:...
, just above the right ear
Ear
The ear is the organ that detects sound. It not only receives sound, but also aids in balance and body position. The ear is part of the auditory system....
, by a line drive batted by Lance Berkman
Lance Berkman
William Lance Berkman is an American professional baseball outfielder and right fielder with the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball....
. Even though he never lost consciousness, Jakubauskas suffered both a concussion and a head contusion
Bruise
A bruise, also called a contusion, is a type of relatively minor hematoma of tissue in which capillaries and sometimes venules are damaged by trauma, allowing blood to seep into the surrounding interstitial tissues. Bruises can involve capillaries at the level of skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle,...
.
He was released by the team on November 4, 2010.
Baltimore Orioles
Jakubauskas signed a minor leagueMinor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
contract
Contract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...
with the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
on February 1, 2011. He began the 2011 season
2011 Baltimore Orioles season
The Baltimore Orioles' 2011 season was the 111th season in franchise history, and the 58th in Baltimore.-Offseason:The 2010-2011 offseason has been notable for the Orioles, featuring a complete makeover of their infield, with only Brian Roberts expected to reprise his starting role...
with the Norfolk Tides
Norfolk Tides
The Norfolk Tides are a minor league baseball team in the Triple-A International League. They play at Harbor Park in Norfolk, Virginia. Since 2007 they have been a farm team of the Baltimore Orioles; prior to that, they had a 38-year affiliation with the New York Mets.-Franchise history:The...
after not making the major league roster out of spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
. He replaced the optioned Brad Bergesen after the Orioles selected his contract from the Tides on April 9. He made three relief
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
appearances before a strained right groin
Groin
In human anatomy, the groin areas are the two creases at the junction of the torso with the legs, on either side of the pubic area. This is also known as the medial compartment of the thigh. A pulled groin muscle usually refers to a painful injury sustained by straining the hip adductor muscles...
sent him to the 15-day disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
on April 18. Once activated off the disabled list, he was optioned back to the Tides on May 2. After another shuttle between Baltimore and Norfolk within a two-day span later that month, he finally began an extended stay with the Orioles when he was recalled on May 30.
He earned his first win with the Orioles after pitching five shutout innings in a 4–0 victory over the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
at Camden Yards on June 7. It was his first start since the on-field accident in Houston the previous season. He has earned a spot on Baltimore's five-man starting rotation during the season. On October 30, he declared for free agency.