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Karstens flirts with ‘perfecto’
© East County Sports.com
PHOENIX (8-7-08) – Apparently JEFF
KARSTENS is comfortable in his new major league
home.
In two starts since his trade from the Yankees to
the Pittsburgh Pirates, the 25-year-old right-hander
has logged 15 shutout innings while posting victories
over the Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks. Karstens
has allowed only 7 hits over that span.
Karstens, who toiled locally at Mount Miguel High
and Grossmont College, fell four outs shy of becoming
only the 18th pitcher in Major League Baseball history
of pitching a perfect game Wednesday (Aug. 6) afternoon
at Chase Field.
Pitching what the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s
Rob Biertempfel suggested could be one of the greatest
pitching performances in the Pittsburgh Baseball Club's
122-year history, Karstens retired the first 23 batters
in succession before Chris Young broke the spell with
a double into the left field corner.
Rather than falling apart after Young’s spoiler,
Karstens continued on to pitch the Pirates to a 2-0
victory over the NL West-leading D-backs. He allowed
only two hits, walked one and struck out four.
“Unbelievable,” Pirates center fielder
Jason Michaels told Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh
Gazette. “From where I was watching, there
might have been no more than five times where he threw
right over the middle of the plate.”
Michaels made two clutch running catches in the 1st
inning to jumpstart Karstens’ prize-winning performance.
“After the first inning, I thought it was going
to be a long day," Karstens told the Gazette.
"I was lucky it's a big park, and I had J-Mike
out there running them down.”
Not known to be a hard thrower, Karstens crossed
up the D-backs with uncommon velocity. He continually
served pitches up to the 91 miles per hour zone. That
was a major change from the “soft toss”
he used baffle the Cubs.
Of his 113 pitches against Arizona, 72 were strikes.
“The big thing was the control,” Cubs’
catcher Raul Chavez told the Gazette. “I
knew (Karstens) had all the offspeed stuff that he
showed the Cubs, but I didn't know he could locate
his fastball like that.”
With two outs in the bottom of the 8th inning, Young
lined a 1-1 pitch down the third base line for a double
to deny Karstens his place in baseball history.
Karstens told the post-game media that pivotal pitch
was “a slider, but was more of a cement mixer,
really.”
Karstens also got his first two hits in the majors,
both coming against future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson,
ironically the last pitcher to twirl a perfect game
in 2004. The former East County standout also scored
the Pirates’ second run in the 8th inning.
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Jeff Karstens
Courtesy, Christopher Horner, Pittsburgh
Tribune-Review
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Ex-Griff Karstens dealt to Pittsburgh
© East County Sports.com
PITTSBURGH (7-28-08) – Leaving the New York Yankees
in a weekend trade that sent him to the Pittsburgh
Pirates could be the jumpstart former Mount Miguel
High-Grossmont College pitcher JEFF
KARSTENS needs.
The 6-foot-3, 185-pound right-hander, who was part
of the deal that sent Pirates slugger Xavier Nady
to the Yankees, Karstens has a chance to be a bigger
fish in a smaller pond in Pittsburgh.
Karstens, 25, is expected to make his Pirates debut
either Friday (Aug. 1) or Saturday (Aug. 2) in Wrigley
Field against the Chicago Cubs.
“There's always pressure going to a new team,”
Karstens told the Pittsburgh Gazette. “You want
to do well, but I don't need to add any (pressure).
I just need to go out there and pitch. I’m excited
about this opportunity. It's a clean slate. I've got
to make the most of it.”
Pirates manager John Russell said he'll wait a few
days before deciding when Karstens will make his initial
National League start.
“We've got to see where he's at and let him
get a little comfortable before we make those decisions,”
Russell told the Tribune on Monday. "He's obviously
a viable option for us."
As for major league experience, Karstens appeared
in 15 games (nine starts) for the Yankees in 2006
and 2007. He has a 3-5 record and an ERA of 5.65.
In 2007 Karstens was hit with a career-threatening
injury. He suffered a fractured right fibula on his
first pitch against the World Champion Boston Red
Sox April 28 in a nationally televised game in Yankee
Stadium. Karstens was struck by a line drive off the
bat of Julio Lugo and never seemed to be the same
after that. Spending much of the season on the DL
and in the minor leagues, Karstens’ major league
stats were unimpressive.
Karstens is quick to admit that being a starting
pitcher in the Yankees minor league system where talent
is at a premium is challenging. Even without the aforementioned
injury, Karstens has faced several roadblocks in his
bid to become a regular Major League starter.
"You felt like you were in a logjam there when
you're [at] Triple-A, as a Yankee," he said.
In the offseason, Karstens was Team USA 's ace in
the IBAF World Cup in Taiwan . He went 2-0 with a
0.69 ERA, including a strong, seven-inning effort
in a 3-1 victory against South Korea in the quarterfinals.
"That was big," Karstens said. "I
didn't pitch that well to end the season. So, to go
there and do what we did got my confidence back up."
Apparently, the Pirates think so.
Karstens was 6-4 with a 3.80 ERA in 12 starts with
the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate Scranton Wilkes-Barre
this season.
“He's got very good command in the zone,”
Russell told MLB.com. “I've seen him be very,
very effective. From watching him the past few years
in the Minor Leagues and a little bit in the big leagues,
the way he goes about it. . . he's got a good idea
of what he's doing."
Karstens does not have an overpowering fastball.
Instead, he relies on guile and a variety of off-speed
pitches.
“When he hits his spots, he can be a very effective
major-league pitcher," Pirates general manager
Neal Huntington said.
2007 SEASON
|
Team
USA -- 2007 IBAF World Cup Champions
(Jeff Karstens is front row, dead
center in front of flag, with No. 1 finger) |
UPDATE
(11-18-07) -- Karstens pitched 7 innings to gain the victory over Korea, 3-1,
in the quarterfinals. The USA then defeated The Netherlands, 5-0, and Cuba,
6-3, to claim the IBAF world championship. It was the first USA victory in
this event in 33 years. MORE
HERE. |
|
IBAF
World Cup, Nov. 6-18, 2007
Official Website HERE
-- WATCH LIVE |
From
USA Baseball.com
TAIPEI, China (11-13-07) -- New York Yankees pitcher CHIEN-MING
WANG played host to his Yankees teammate JEFF KARSTENS on the off day yesterday
(Nov.12). Wang, along with his wife and bodyguard, took Karstens to the BEYONCE
concert in Taipei. The group was followed by a few carloads of fans the entire
2-hour trip from Taichung to Taipei. Wang's wife also gave Karstens a box of Sun
Cakes, a delicious Taiwan pastry for the entire team to share. |
Karstens
spins shutout for Team USA
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| Jeff Karstens
Game
1 starter
for Team USA |
© East County
Sports.com
TAICHUNG, China (10-8-07) -- Former Grossmont College standout
and Mount Miguel alum JEFF KARSTENS, a property of the New York Yankees, tossed
six innings of shutout ball Wednesday (Nov. 7), leading Team USA to a 3-0 blanking
of Mexico in the opening game of the IBAF World Cup of Baseball.
Karstens
struck out five batters, yielding just five singles and a walk to gain the pitching
victory. Three relievers followed to complete the blanking in the 7-hitter, moving
the USA to the top of Pool A of the two-week competition.
Team USA
scored all of its runs in the 5th inning, highlighted by a two-run single by Jayson
Nix. The first run scored on a passed ball.
On Thursday (Nov. 8) (Wednesday
night in San Diego), also at Intercontinental Stadium, Team USA moved its record
to 2-0 following a 7-0 blanking of Panama. The other teams in the group include
Chinese Taipei, Japan, Italy, Spain and South Africa.
Karstens
will pitch for Team USA
Will start in opener
against Mexico
© East County
Sports.com
NEW YORK (11-1-07) -- Former Grossmont College star and current
pitcher for the New York Yankees JEFF KARSTENS will represent the United States
at the 2007 International Baseball Federation (IBAF) World Cup, to be held in
Taiwan, Nov. 6-18. And he'll get the baseball as the starting pitcher in Team
USA's opener against Mexico on Wednesday (Nov. 8).
The
Team USA roster, of which the 25-year-old Karstens is a member, is comprised of
professional, non-25-man roster players from the 30 Major League organizations.
Karstens, who was a catcher known more for his bat at Mount Miguel High,
posted a 2-1 record with a 3.80 ERA in eight games (six starts) with the Yankees
in 2006.
In 2007, the 6-foot-3, 185-pound Karstens suffered a fractured
right fibula on his first pitch against the World Champion Boston Red Sox April
28 in a nationally televised game in Yankee Stadium. Karstens was struck by a
line drive off the bat of Julio Lugo and never seemed to be the same after that.
Spending much of the season on the DL and in the minor leagues, Karstens major
league stats were unimpressive.
He hopes this international competition
will help prove to the Yankees that he is back on his game.
Karstens
garners first MLB triumph
East County
Sports.com
ANAHIEM (8-27-06) -- Receiving just a bit more assistance from
the bullpen then in his Major League debut earlier in the week, New York Yankees
rookie right-hander JEFF
KARSTENS (Mount Miguel High/Grossmont College) earned his initial Major League
victory Sunday (Aug.26), helping the Yankees outlast the Los Angeles Angels, 11-8,
avoiding a sweep of the three-game series,
Pitching before more than 50
relatives and friends as part of a sellout crowd at Angel Stadium, Karstens allowed
just three runs and six hits over six innings, leaving the ballgame with an 11-3
lead. In his debut, Karstens left with a 5-3 lead over Seattle, but the Mariners
burned New York releivers for 6-5 triumph.
"I'm just trying to soak
it all in right now," Karstens said to the media following his winning effort.
"I wasn't too nervous. I was kind of relaxed and was just trying to be myself
and not try to do too much because that's when I usually get in trouble."
The Angels hit Karstens for two runs in the third and one in the fourth,
but the rookie got a double play to end the fourth, then set down the next six
Angels hitters he faced before turning the game over to the bullpen.
"Karstens
was terrific," said Yankees manager Joe Torre. "He got the last six
outs, which were huge for us."
A pair of relievers were burned for
four runs, but Mariano Rivera tossed the final two innings to close out the contest.
Karstens
settles downs in Yankees debutEast County
Sports.com
SEATTLE (8-22-06) -- A month shy of his 24th birthday, former Mount
Miguel High/Grossmont College product JEFF KARSTENS was placed in a position rarely
extended to someone of such youth on the New York Yankees.
Instead of Yankees
general manager Brian Cashman completing a deal for a veteran pitcher near the
trade deadline, the Bombers summoned Karstens from their Triple-A affiliate in
Columbus (Ohio) to fill a void in the pitching rotation. And Karstens was on hand
when the Yankees swept a five-game series over Boston at Fenway Park. He warmed
up twice, but never got into a game.
A 19th-round draft pick out of Texas
Tech in 2003, Karstens made his major league debut against the Seattle Mariners
Tuesday night (Aug. 22) at Safeco Park.
The 6-foot-3 right-hander overcame
early nerves to give exactly what Yankees manager Joe Torre needed -- innings
pitched.
With his father in the stands looking on, Karstens got off to a
rocky start. He promptly allowed a two-run homer to Adrian Beltre in the 1st inning
to fall behind 2-0. He later allowed a booming home run to Richie Sexson that
tied the score 3-3 at the time.
Karstens' totals improved as the contest
went on, retiring 10 Mariners in a row following Sexson's 27th home run. After
Jose Lopez's two-out single in the 6th, Karstens' work was finished as Torre went
to the bullpen. Karstens left with a 5-3 lead, but was denied the win when the
weary New York 'pen folded down the stretch.
Beltre eventually hit a walk-off
homer in the 9th off reliever Ron Villone for the game-winner in a 6-5 victory
that snapped Seattle's 11-game losing streak.
Karstens, who gained 12 outs
on fly balls, allowed six hits, walked two and struck out a pair against the Mariners.
The
rookie split time between Double-A Trenton, where he was 6-0 with a 2.31 earned
run average in 11 starts; and Columbus, where he went 5-5 with a 4.28 in 14 appearances.
Demoted to Trenton from May to July after going 0-5 at Columbus at the beginning
of the season, the rising Karstens is slated to start Sunday (Aug. 27) at Anaheim
against the Angels.
Karstens dons Yankee PinstripesEast
County Sports.com
BOSTON (8-20-06) -- JEFF KARSTENS was an excellent hitter
(.341) and talented catcher his senior season at Mount Miguel High in 2000. He
doubled as a pitcher with a 7-3 record that included a save and a 2.91 ERA in
57 2/3 innings for the Matadors.
Now, after less than three seasons in the
minor leagues, the 23-year-old right-hander has donned New York Yankees pinstripes
and finds himself in the middle of a crucial five-game series against the Boston
Red Sox in Fenway Park.
"He's been doing real well; we were very close
to bringing him to start Friday night," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "I
just decided that I'd rather go with the experience rather than someone who had
never been to Fenway."
However, Karstens could get a start here on
the West Coast this week, as the Bronx Bombers continue an 11-game roadtrip in
Seattle (Aug. 22-24) and Anaheim (Aug. 25-27). Karstens earned his shot in the
Majors after splitting his time between Double-A Trenton and Triple A Columbus
this season, posting an 11-5 record with a 3.29 ERA in 147 innings prior to his
call up.
Karstens received word around 1:30 a.m. EDT Saturday (Aug. 19)
that he was being called up, and flew to Boston first thing Saturday morning,
arriving at Fenway Park around 9:30 a.m. Within hours Karstenswas added to the
40-man roster after his contract was purchased from the Clippers.
"I
was kind of shocked," Karstens said. "I didn't know what to think. I
tried to call my family, but the only person who believed me was my best friend."
Karstens'
role with the Yankees is unknown but he could start Monday's (Aug. 21) final game
of a five-game series at Boston.
Few professional scouts paid attention
to Karstens' numbers out of high school, although the Montreal Expos (now the
Washington Nationals) did spend an economical 45th round draft pick on Mount Miguel's
double-threat, who led the county in complete games while posting a 7-3 record
with a save and a 2.91 earned-run average during his senior year in 2000, earning
a first-team berth on the All-East County team.
Nothing came of that overture
as Karstens elected to attend Grossmont College.
The 6-foot-3 right-hander
came into his own at Grossmont College (2001-02) where then head coach ED OLSEN
insisted that Karstens give up his bat to focus his full attention on pitching.
where he was 16-4 with a 2.45 ERA in 2001-02. He later posted an 8-4 record in
his one season (2003) at Texas Tech, the same school which produced current San
Diego Padres catcher JOSH BARD.
Olsen has made similar requests to former
big leaguers JOE KENNEDY, TOM FORDHAM and MATT HENSLEY to name a few. All three
have reached the major leagues.
The Yankees selected Karstens in the 19th
round of the 2003 draft and seem to believe they got a bargain the for the $45,000
signing bonus.
