Jeremy Bonderman

Jeremy Bonderman

Free Agent – No. --
Starting pitcher
Born: October 28, 1982 (1982-10-28) (age 29)
Kennewick, Washington
Bats: Right Throws: Right 
MLB debut
April 2, 2003 for the Detroit Tigers
Career statistics
(through 2010 season)
Win–loss record     67–77
Earned run average     4.89
Strikeouts     929
Teams

Jeremy Allen Bonderman (born October 28, 1982, in Kennewick, Washington) is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher who currently is a free agent. Bonderman is six feet and two inches tall and weighs 220 pounds. He bats and throws right-handed. He is known for throwing a slider, two-seam fastball and change up.[1]

Contents

High school

Bonderman attended Pasco High School in Pasco, Washington. In his last year of high school baseball, he went 5–2 and recorded a 3.60 ERA. He is the only high school junior ever to be drafted in baseball history.

Professional career

Draft

Bonderman was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in his junior year of high school with the 26th pick in the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft.

Traded from Oakland to Detroit

On July 6, 2002, Bonderman was involved in a three team deal. The Athletics had sent Carlos Peña, a player to be named later (who later became Bonderman), and Franklyn Germán to the Detroit Tigers. The New York Yankees sent Ted Lilly, John-Ford Griffin, and Jason Arnold to the Athletics. The Tigers sent Jeff Weaver to the Yankees and cash to the Athletics.

Detroit Tigers

Bonderman debuted in the major leagues when he was 20 years old. His major league debut came against the Minnesota Twins, who scored six runs in four innings. While many felt this was a bad move by the Tigers, Bonderman seemed ready and the Tigers did not have much to look forward to as they were in a rebuilding stage. Considering how well he worked out in the end, many feel the Tigers should have delayed his arbitration clock, thereby getting more of his prime years at a low price.

In his first season, he had a 6–19 record. He was benched for the final week of Detroit's 2003 season to avoid becoming the first pitcher in 23 years to lose 20 or more games in a single season. However, the feat was accomplished by his teammate Mike Maroth.

The next season, Bonderman went 11–13 with a 4.89 ERA. In 2005, Bonderman had a 14-13 record and a 4.57 ERA.

Bonderman was the Tigers Opening Day starter for the 2005 season. At 22 years old, he was the youngest pitcher to start on Opening Day since Dwight Gooden started for the New York Mets at the age of 20 in the 1986 season.

In 2006 Bonderman finished with a 14-8 record, his career best and posted a 4.08 ERA. He started game four of the 2006 American League Division Series against the Yankees. He pitched five perfect innings before giving up a hit. He then pitched 3⅓ more innings, surrendering only one run. Bonderman was the winning pitcher in the game that gave the Tigers the series. He pitched again in game four of the 2006 American League Championship Series, pitching six innings and giving up three runs. The Tigers would go on to win the game and series for the American League Pennant. In the World Series, he pitched six innings giving up two runs. He left the game with the Tigers in the lead. However, the Tigers would ultimately lose the game, as well as the series the following day.

In 2007, Bonderman had the best start of his career, 10-0, but after the all-star break he struggled only winning 4 games, finishing 11-9 with a 5.01 ERA. He finished second in the 2007 All-Star Game Final vote.[2]

Bonderman missed most of the 2008 season because he had procedures done to remove a blood clot in his axillary vein.

On June 13, 2009, five days after his only start of the season, Bonderman was placed on the disabled list indefinitely because of recurring pain in his pitching shoulder.[3]

Bonderman started 29 games for the Tigers in 2010, going 8-10 with a 5.53 ERA. Following the season, he was granted free agency. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that the Indians had interest in Bonderman, but for only a minor league contract. Bonderman remained unsigned through the 2011 season.

References

External links