Jeff Niemann
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Jeff Niemann | |
|---|---|
 Niemann with the Tampa Bay Rays | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: February 28, 1983 Houston, Texas, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 13, 2008, for the Tampa Bay Rays | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 1, 2012, for the Tampa Bay Rays | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 40–26 |
| Earned run average | 4.08 |
| Strikeouts | 409 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Jeffrey Warren Niemann (born February 28, 1983) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2008 to 2012.
Niemann attended Lamar High School.[1]
College
Niemann, who stands 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 m), was the fourth starter for Rice University in his freshman season of 2002, usually starting midweek non-conference games. He posted a 5–1 record with a 3.11 ERA, including a victory over Washington in the decisive seventh game of the 2002 NCAA regional at Rice's Reckling Park. In 2003, he 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, being 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. In 2002 and 2003, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[2][3][4]
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, Wade Townsend, and Niemann, were all selected in the first eight picks of the 2004 Major League Baseball draft – the first time three teammates had ever gone so early in the same draft.
