Jeff Niemann
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Tampa Bay Devil Rays — No. 34 | |
| Starting pitcher | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Selected minor league statistics (through 2006) | |
|---|---|
| Win-loss | 5-7 |
| Strikeouts | 126 |
| Earned run average | 3.08 |
Contents |
[edit] Personal
Jeffrey Warren Niemann (born February 28, 1983 in Houston, Texas) is a pitcher in the minor league system of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He is currently on the Rays' 40 man roster. Niemann was the Devil Rays' first-round draft pick out of Rice University in 2004 as the fourth overall pick. He signed a major-league contract in January 2005 worth $5.2 million.
[edit] College
Niemann, who stands 6-foot-9, was the fourth starter for Rice in his freshman season of 2002, usually starting midweek non-conference games. He finished 5-1 with a 3.11 ERA, including a victory over Washington in the decisive seventh game of the 2003 NCAA regional at Rice's Reckling Park. In 2003, Niemann stepped into Rice's weekend rotation and quickly became the nation's most dominant pitcher. He finished the season 17-0 with a 1.70 ERA and 156 strikeouts. He was named Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year, a consensus first-team all-American, and a finalist for the Rotary Smith Award in helping Rice to its first national championship. Niemann battled injuries as a junior in 2004 but still went 6-3 with a 3.02 ERA in 11 starts, including a complete-game victory over Texas A&M in the NCAA regional. The entire Rice weekend rotation, including Philip Humber, Niemann and Wade Townsend, were all selected in the first eight picks of the 2004 draft - the first time three teammates had ever gone so early in the same draft.
[edit] Professional
He opened the 2005 season at Class High-A Visalia, where he went 0-1 with a 3.98 ERA in five starts. After a promotion to Class AA Montgomery, he went 0-1 with a 4.35 ERA in six appearances, including three starts. He had offseason surgery in 2005 to shave the joint between his collarbone and shoulder and debuted with the Devil Rays AA affiliate, the Montgomery Biscuits, in the 2006 season. Flanked in the rotation by starting pitchers Andy Sonnanstine and Mitch Talbot during the AA Southern League playoffs, Niemann helped lead the Biscuits to victory as the 2006 champions.
Niemann will start the 2007 season with the AAA Durham Bulls. However, there is a very good possibilty he will be in the majors by mid-season.
[edit] External links
 |
This biographical article relating to a 2000s baseball pitcher is a stub. You can help WikiProject Baseball by expanding it. |
