Jair Jurrjens
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Jurrjens (right) walks with catcher Corky Miller Photo by Chris Nelson |
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Atlanta Braves — No. 49 | |
Starting pitcher | |
Born: January 29, 1986 Willemstad, Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles |
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Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
Major League Baseball debut | |
August 15, 2007 for the Detroit Tigers | |
Selected MLB statistics (through June 6, 2008) |
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Win-Loss | 9-4 |
Earned run average | 4.04 |
Strikeouts | 68 |
Teams | |
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Jair Francoise Jurrjens (born January 29, 1986 in Willemstad, Curaçao, in the Netherlands Antilles) is a Dutch starting pitcher for the Atlanta Braves. His name is pronounced JEYE-air JER-jens.[1]
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[edit] Professional career
[edit] Detroit Tigers organization
Jurrjens was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Detroit Tigers in 2003. In seven games during his 2003 campaign with the GCL Tigers, Jurrjens accumulated a 2-1 record with 20 strikeouts and just three walks. However, Jurrjens really broke out during his 2005 season with the West Michigan Whitecaps, the Tigers' single-A affiliate. In 26 games started, Jurrjens went 12-6 with 108 strikeouts and 36 walks. He continued to improve during the 2006 season, as a 5-0, 2.08 ERA start with the Whitecaps earned Jurrjens a promotion to the Erie SeaWolves, the Tigers' AA affiliate. In 12 games with the SeaWolves, Jurrjens went 4-3 with a 3.36 ERA.
Jurrjens began the 2007 season pitching for the SeaWolves. On August 15, the Tigers purchased Jurrjens' contract from the SeaWolves, adding him to their 40-man roster. Jurrjens made his major league debut on August 15, 2007, as a starting pitcher against the Cleveland Indians, making him the first pitcher from Curaçao to reach the major leagues. In that game, he gave up four earned runs in seven innings, taking the loss. He recorded his first major league win in his next start, also against the Indians, allowing only one run on one hit in 6.2 innings pitched.
[edit] Atlanta Braves
On October 29, 2007, Jurrjens and outfielder Gorkys Hernandez were traded to the Atlanta Braves for shortstop Edgar Rentería.[2] Jurrjens was listed by Baseball America as the Braves' 3rd-best prospect entering the 2008 season.[3]
By the end of April 2008, Jurrjens was 3-2 with a 3.05 ERA and 28 strikeouts. Jurrjens was asked prior to the game on April 20 about how he felt facing his fellow countryman Andruw Jones. Jurrjens said, "It's going to be fun to face him", then said "It's going to be even more fun to strike him out."[citation needed] Jurrjens then went on to strike Jones out all three times he faced him.
As of May 29, 2008, Jair Jurrjens, who wears #49 for the Atlanta Braves, is 5-3 with a 2.86 ERA and 49 strikeouts.
[edit] 2006 World Baseball Classic
Jurrjens joined fellow Curaçao native Andruw Jones on the Netherlands national baseball team for the 2006 World Baseball Classic. Jurrjens pitched one inning against Puerto Rico in the WBC, giving up three runs and earning him a loss.
[edit] External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube