Jeff Stevens

From BR Bullpen

Note: This is the page for major league pitcher Jeff Stevens; for minor league players with similar names, click here

JeffStevens.jpg

Jeffrey Allen Stevens

BR page

Biographical Information[edit]

Jeff Stevens made his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs in 2009.

In 2003, Jeff was 2-3 with a 7.58 ERA for Loyola Marymount University but he improved to 6-0, 3.73 with 4 saves as a sophomore. He was sixth in the West Coast Conference in ERA. In 2005, Stevens went 7-7 with a 4.01 ERA and 2 saves. The Cincinnati Reds chose him in the sixth round of the 2005 amateur draft. He was signed by scout Mike Misuraca and made his pro debut that summer.

Stevens made his professional debut with the Billings Mustangs, going 4-4 with a 2.98 ERA. Opponents hit .210 and he struck out 58 while walking 15 in 54 1/3 IP. Had he qualified (he was 6 2/3 innings short), he would have ranked second in the Pioneer League in ERA behind Brent Leach.

Stevens started 2006 with the Dayton Dragons and was 2-4 with a 4.43 ERA but a strikeout per inning after 14 games when he became the player to be named later in a deal for Brandon Phillips and joined the Cleveland Indians organization as a result. Assigned to the Lake County Captains, his record was 7-3, 4.42 in 16 games in the remainder of 2006.

Stevens was moved to the bullpen to start 2007 with the Kinston Indians. He was 3-0 with a 1.38 ERA after his first 11 games, with 26 strikeouts and only 10 hits allowed in 26 innings. He was 3-2 with a 2.31 ERA for Kinston, with 37 strikeouts and 18 hits allowed in 35 IP over 15 games. Moving up to the Akron Aeros, he was 3-1 with 2 saves and a 3.17 ERA in 34 games, whiffing 65 in 48 1/3 IP. Opponents hit .194 against him for the year.

Jeff threw 4 2/3 scoreless innings for Team USA in the 2007 Baseball World Cup, with saves against the South Korean national team and Cuban national team. The save against Cuba was significant as it came in the Gold Medal game, the first time the US had ever beaten Cuba in the Gold Medal game of a Baseball World Cup. Relieving Jerry Blevins with one out in the 9th and a 6-3 lead, he retired Osmani Urrutia and Ariel Pestano.

Stevens was far less effective in his next tour of duty with Team USA, allowing 7 runs in 4 innings in the 2008 Olympics and going 1-2 for the Bronze Medal winners; he took 2 of their 3 losses. Against the eventual Gold Medal winners, South Korea, he entered with a 7-6 lead in the bottom of the 9th. He allowed a double to Keun-woo Jeong, who scored on a fielder's choice from Taek-keun Lee. Stevens made a throwing error to put Lee on third and Jong-wook Lee hit a sacrifice fly to give Korea the win. Against Cuba, he allowed the game-losing two-run single to Michel Enríquez in the 11th. He pitched well in 2 innings in a win over the Japanese national team. In the semifinals, he entered with a 4-2 lead. Enríquez and Frederich Cepeda singled and Alexei Bell hit a three-run homer to put the game out of reach. The USA finished with Bronze.

Stevens split the rest of 2008 between Akron (5-1, Sv, 2.51 in 17 G) and the Buffalo Bisons (0-3, 5 Sv, 3.94 in 19 G).

Stevens was dealt to the Chicago Cubs by Cleveland with Chris Archer and John Gaub for Mark DeRosa during the winter of 2008.

In 2009, Jeff started off 0-3 with 3 saves and a 2.18 ERA for the Iowa Cubs. He had allowed only 25 hits in 41 1/3 IP. He was then called up to the majors. Stevens had a 1-2-3 MLB debut, getting Joe Thurston, Chris Duncan and Brendan Ryan in order in the 9th inning of a 8-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Sources[edit]

Further Reading[edit]

  • David Briggs: "Stevens Takes Olympic Pick In Stride: Reliever Displays His Usual Cool", The Buffalo News, July 18, 2008. [1]

Related Sites[edit]

Retrieved from "https://www.baseball-reference.com/bpv/index.php?title=Jeff_Stevens&oldid=1062873"