Kevin J. Whelan (born January 8, 1984) is an American former

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB)

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

who played for the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

in 2011 and for the Detroit Tigers in 2014.

Amateur career

Whelan attended

Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...

, where he played for the

Texas A&M Aggies baseball The Texas A&M Aggie baseball team represents Texas A&M University in NCAA Division I college baseball. The Aggies have competed in the Southeastern Conference since 2013. The Aggies play home games at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park. The team is ...

team. In 2004, he played collegiate summer baseball with the

Wareham Gatemen The Wareham Gatemen are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Wareham, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's West Division. The Gatemen play their home games at Clem Spillane Fie ...

of the Cape Cod Baseball League, where he was named a league all-star and received the league's Outstanding Relief Pitcher award.

Professional career

Detroit Tigers

Whelan was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the fourth round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft.

New York Yankees

On November 14, 2006, Whelan was traded to the

, along with

Humberto Sánchez Humberto A. Sánchez (born May 28, 1983) is a Dominican minor league pitching coach and former professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). He threw a fastball in the low to m ...

and

Anthony Claggett Anthony Paul Claggett (born July 15, 1984) is an American college baseball coach and former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is the pitching coach at Washington State University. He played college baseball at University of California, Riverside. ...

, for

Gary Sheffield Gary Antonian Sheffield (born November 18, 1968) is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played in Major League Baseball for eight teams from 1988 to 2009. He is a sports agent. For most of his career, Sheffield played right ...

. He was called up by the Yankees on June 10, 2011 after recording a 1–1 won–loss record with a 1.67

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

and 18 saves as the closer for the Triple-A

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (often abbreviated to SWB RailRiders) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pennsylvania, in the ...

. He allowed four consecutive walks after recording two outs in his first ever appearance that same evening. On January 26, 2012 he was designated for assignment to make room for

Hiroki Kuroda is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for Hiroshima Toyo Carp from 1997 to 2007 before playing in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2008 to 2011 and ...

Cincinnati Reds

On January 3, 2013, the Cincinnati Reds signed Whelan to a minor league deal.

Return to Detroit

On February 22, 2014, the Tigers signed Whelan to a minor league deal. On August 11, the Tigers purchased his contract from the Triple-A

Toledo Mud Hens The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A Mud Hens team has played in ...

, and he was added to the 25-man active roster. Prior to being called up, Whelan had 20 saves for the Toledo Mud Hens, having allowed eight runs on 26 hits over 39 innings with 48 strikeouts. In Whelan's debut with the Tigers, he pitched 1 innings, allowing three hits, and two earned runs on back-to-back home runs. On August 16, Whelan was designated for assignment by the Tigers. The next day on August 17, the Tigers outrighted Whelan to Triple-A. He elected free agency in October 2014.

Oakland Athletics

On November 1, 2014, the Oakland Athletics signed Whelan to a minor league contract. He played for the Triple-A Nashville Sounds in 2015 before electing to become a free agent after the season.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whelan, Kevin 1984 births Living people Baseball pitchers Baseball players from Texas Detroit Tigers players Lakeland Tigers players Louisville Bats players New York Yankees players Oneonta Tigers players People from Kerrville, Texas Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees players Tampa Yankees players Texas A&M Aggies baseball players Toledo Mud Hens players Trenton Thunder players West Michigan Whitecaps players Peoria Javelinas players Nashville Sounds players Wareham Gatemen players