Jeff Juden

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Jeffrey Daniel Juden (born January 19, 1971 in Salem, Massachusetts) is a former Major League Baseball player. He is 6'8" tall and weighs 265 lbs., and he batted and threw with his right hand

Juden was considered a top prospect after a successful amateur career as a pitcher at Salem High School, and the Houston Astros selected him with the 12th overall pick in the first round of the 1989 June draft. He began his professional career that year with Sarasota of the Florida State League, advancing quickly through the minors. Juden made his major league debut on September 15, 1991, becoming the youngest active player in baseball that year when he appeared in relief of Chris Gardner in a game against the Cincinnati Reds.

Despite his early promise and some degree of success as a strikeout artist, Juden struggled to establish himself in the majors. He lacked control, often walking more than four batters per nine innings, he gave up a home runs at a greater-than-average rate, and he experienced a notable lack of success in holding opposing baserunners. His best season was probably 1997, where he pitched 161 1/3 innings for the Montreal Expos and Cleveland Indians, compiling an 11-6 record with 136 strikeouts and a 4.46 ERA. All in all, he would pitch for eight major league teams. He enjoyed one impressive day with the bat, hitting a grand slam on August 25, 1995, helping to set an obscure record as the third National League pitcher to do so that season.

Juden was involved in a large number of notable trades throughout the course of his career. He and closer Doug Jones were sent to the Philadelphia Phillies after the 1993 season in exchange for Mitch Williams; the Phillies had been working hard to trade Williams after he surrendered a World Series-ending home run to Joe Carter that October. In 1995, he and prospect Tommy Eason went to the San Francisco Giants, with infielder Mike Benjamin heading the other way. Two years later, Juden moved from the Montreal Expos to the Indians for reliever Steve Kline at the trading deadline, and after that season ended he and Marquis Grissom went to the Milwaukee Brewers, in a deal for Mike Fetters, Ben McDonald, and Ron Villone. This deal was enveloped in controversy after it became clear that McDonald had suffered a career-ending shoulder injury shortly before it had been completed.

Juden inadvertently ignited a public debate in 1998, when a disparaging reference to his personal character in a column by San Francisco Chronicle writer Tim Keown was misinterpreted as an ethnic slur against Jews. The confusion arose from Juden's surname, which means "Jews" in the German language, touching on an emotionally charged subject due to the Holocaust-related activities of the Nazis.

Juden last pitched in the major leagues with the New York Yankees in 1999. He retired after that season, and an attempt at a comeback in 2004 with the Nashua Pride of the independent Atlantic League proved unsuccessful. He ended his career with a 27-32 record, 441 strikeouts, and a 4.81 ERA in 533 career major league innings.

[edit] External links

• Juden's professional statistics.
• Notes on Juden's career.
• An article about the Juden/Jews controversy.
• A discussion of his difficulties with opposing baserunners.