Jesse Jefferson
| Jesse Jefferson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: March 3, 1949 Midlothian, Virginia, U.S. | |
| Died: September 8, 2011 (aged 62) Midlothian, Virginia, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| June 23, 1973, for the Baltimore Orioles | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 30, 1981, for the California Angels | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 39–81 |
| Earned run average | 4.81 |
| Strikeouts | 522 |
| Teams | |
| |
Jesse Harrison Jefferson (March 3, 1949 – September 8, 2011) was an American professional baseball
Career
Baltimore Orioles
Jefferson was drafted by the
Jefferson's rookie season was his only winning season, as he went 6–5 with a 4.11 ERA as a spot starter and middle inning relief pitcher. The Orioles captured the American League East crown, and manager Earl Weaver had Jefferson slated to be his long reliever in the post season,[2] but he did not make an appearance in the 1973 American League Championship Series with the Oakland Athletics. Jefferson moved into the bullpen in 1974, making just two spot starts, both against the Red Sox.
Chicago White Sox
After going 0–2 in four games during the first 2+1⁄2 months of the campaign, Jefferson was traded from the Orioles to the White Sox for Tony Muser in one of two transactions made by Chicago at the non-waiver trade deadline on June 15, 1975.[3] With the Chisox, Jefferson was moved back into the starting rotation, compiling a 5–9 record with a 5.10 ERA. He split the 1976 between starts and the bullpen before he was lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1976 Major League Baseball expansion draft.
Toronto Blue Jays
Jefferson set many career highs with the Blue Jays in 1977. His 33 starts and 217 innings pitched were by far his best. Despite setting a Blue Jay franchise record with nine walks in a game against Baltimore on June 18,[4] Jefferson's strikeout-to-walk ratio was also a career best 1.37 as he struck out 114 batters versus 83 walks.
Perhaps the most memorable outing of Jefferson's career came on May 16, 1980, against eventual 22–game winner Mike Norris and the Oakland A's. Jefferson held the A's to just four hits over 11 innings while striking out ten. Norris was equally brilliant, but the Jays managed to squeak out a run in the bottom of the 11th to earn Jefferson the win.[5]
After that performance, Jefferson lost his next five decisions. He made his final appearance for Toronto on September 1, facing five batters and retiring just one while giving up three
He was selected off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 11,[6] and made just one appearance for the club, beating the Chicago Cubs.[7]
Following the season, he signed as a free agent with the
Death
In 2011, Jefferson died of prostate cancer.[8]
References
- ^ "Baltimore Orioles 2, Boston Red Sox 1". Baseball-Reference.com. June 23, 1973.
- ^ Tom Loomis (September 23, 1973). "Weaver Back on Top". Toledo Blade.
- ^ "White Sox Acquire Left-Handed Pitchers". The Press-Courier. June 15, 1975.
- ^ "Baltimore Orioles 4, Toronto Blue Jays 2". Baseball-Reference.com. June 18, 1977.
- ^ "Toronto Blue Jays 1, Oakland A's 0". Baseball-Reference.com. May 16, 1980.
- ^ "Pirates Acquire Jefferson". Sarasota Herald. September 12, 1980.
- ^ "Pittsburgh Pirates 3, Chicago Cubs 1". Baseball-Reference.com. October 3, 1980.
- ^ Pete Kerzel (September 10, 2011). "Ex-Oriole Jesse Jefferson dead at 62". MASN.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Jesse Jefferson - Baseballbiography.com, or Retrosheet