Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Keppinger (born April 21, 1980 in
Miami, FloridaMiami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional
baseballBaseball 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...
infielderAn infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
for the
San Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
of
Major League BaseballMajor 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...
. 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).
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 LeagueThe New England Collegiate Baseball League is a 12-team collegiate summer baseball league founded in 1993 and sanctioned by the NCAA and Major League Baseball. Each NECBL team plays an eight-week, 42-game schedule during June and July, with a playoff in early August...
's
Keene Swamp BatsThe Keene Swamp Bats are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Keene, New Hampshire. The team, a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League , plays their home games at Alumni Field. In the NECBL, they are consistently one of the top teams and have reached the league playoffs in each...
.
Keppinger compiled a .380
batting averageBatting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
at the
University of GeorgiaThe University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
where, in the
College World SeriesThe College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
, he hit a two-run
home runIn baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
off star
pitcherIn 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...
Mark PriorMark William Prior is an American professional baseball pitcher in the New York Yankees organization. He pitched for the Chicago Cubs from 2002-2006. His repertoire of pitches includes a low to mid 90s fastball, a curveball, a slurve, and a changeup.-Amateur career:Prior graduated from the...
. That same year, he was drafted by the
Pittsburgh PiratesThe 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...
in the 4th round of the Major League Baseball Draft. Although Keppinger continued to hit over .300 in the
minor leagueMinor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
s, his power numbers (
home runIn baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and
RBIRuns batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
s) dropped dramatically from his college days.
New York Mets
At the trading deadline, while Keppinger was in double-A ball, he was traded to the Mets as part of the
Kris BensonKristin James Benson is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher. Benson pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates from to , New York Mets from to , Baltimore Orioles in to , Texas Rangers in , and Arizona Diamondbacks in ....
for
Ty WiggintonTy Allen Wigginton is an American professional baseball infielder for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. He is known as a utility player, having platooned as an infielder and an outfielder during his career. He bats and throws right-handed...
trade. His average soared even higher with the double-A
Binghamton MetsThe Binghamton Mets are a U.S. minor league baseball team based in Binghamton, New York. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club...
and stayed above .300 with the triple-A
Norfolk TidesThe 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...
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 playedGames played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
.
In , Keppinger again excelled in Norfolk while hitting .337. He was poised to return to the majors in June when
Kazuo Matsuiis a Japanese second baseman for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball. Matsui is a switch-hitter...
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.
Kansas City Royals
On July 19, 2006, Keppinger was acquired by the Kansas City Royals for middle infielder
Ruben Gotay-Kansas City Royals:Gotay made his major league debut with the Kansas City Royals on August 4, , when they played the Chicago White Sox. He went 1-for-3 and got his first major league hit off José Contreras. Gotay played in 44 games for the Royals in 2004. He hit .270 with one home run and 16 RBI....
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 DelcarmenManuel "Manny" Delcarmen is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has been called "The Pride of Hyde Park".-Early life:...
, 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.
Cincinnati Reds
On January 2, 2007, Keppinger was designated for assignment by the Royals. Eight days later, Keppinger was traded to the
Cincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. 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 MarlinsThe Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
, 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 CabreraJolbert Alexis Cabrera [HOLE-bert kah-BRER-rah] is a Major League Baseball Utility player who is currently playing in the Mexican League. Cabrera played with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in Japan's Pacific League for two years...
. In 2008 he had the lowest strikeout percentage in the majors, at 4.8%, striking out once only every 19.1 at bats.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/2008-ratio-batting.shtmlhttp://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/2008-ratio-batting.shtml
Houston Astros
On March 31, , Keppinger was traded to the
Houston AstrosThe 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...
for Minor League IF Drew Sutton. Keppinger saw a majority of his playing time at third base, filling in for
Geoff BlumGeoffrey Edward Blum is a Major League Baseball infielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks. During his major-league career, he has also played for the Montreal Expos, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox...
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. Keppinger began the 2010 season with the Astros as the primary backup at second base to starter
Kazuo Matsuiis a Japanese second baseman for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball. Matsui is a switch-hitter...
. 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.
San Francisco Giants
On July 19, 2011, Keppinger was traded to the
San Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
for pitchers
Henry SosaHenry Sosa Esther is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball....
and Jason Stoffel. He also hit a walk-off single against his former team the Houston Astros on August 27 and 28, 2011.
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