Jeremy Affeldt
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Jeremy David Affeldt (; born June 6, 1979) is an American former professional
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
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 ...
. He threw and batted left-handed and played in
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) for the
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
,
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...
,
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
and
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
. Affeldt was a third-round draft pick by the
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
in 1997 MLB draft. He made the team in 2002, and started part of the year for them. In five seasons with the Royals, Affeldt bounced back and forth between the starting rotation and the bullpen. In 2006, he was traded to the
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...
at the trade deadline, and was a member of the Rockies
2007 World Series The 2007 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2007 season. The 103rd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion Colorado Rockies and the American Le ...
team. After one season with the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
, he signed with the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
in 2009, where he was a member of the
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
,
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
, and
2014 World Series The 2014 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2014 season. The 110th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion San Francisco Giants and the Ameri ...
championship teams.


Early life

Affeldt was born in
Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...
, to David and Charlotte Affeldt. His father was a member of the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
, and Affeldt lived in
Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
,
Merced, California Merced (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Mercy") is a city in, and the county seat of, Merced County, California, Merced County, California, United States, in the San Joaquin Valley. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 86,333, up ...
, and
Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Canada ...
, growing up. While in Merced, Affeldt and his father would frequently attend
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
games, and Affeldt enjoyed watching
Mark McGwire Mark David McGwire (born October 1, 1963), nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 to 2001 for the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardi ...
,
Jose Canseco José Canseco Capas Jr. (born July 2, 1964), nicknamed Parkway Jose, Mr. 40-40 and El Cañonero Cubano (The Cuban Cannon), is a Cuban-American former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder and designated hitter. During his time with the Oaklan ...
, and Dave Stewart. Affeldt attended Northwest Christian High School, a Division 2-B school in
Colbert, Washington Colbert () is an unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Spokane County, Washington, Spokane County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. The town is on U.S. Route 2 in Washington, U.S. Route 2, north of the city of Spokane, Wash ...
. He participated in three sports while there, but it was baseball that drove several major league scouts to the school to see him pitch. He graduated in 1997.


Professional career


Draft and minor leagues

Affeldt was drafted by the
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
in the third round of the 1997 MLB draft. Affeldt ultimately decided not to accept a scholarship offer to play
college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
for his hometown
Gonzaga University Gonzaga University (GU) () is a private Jesuit university in Spokane, Washington. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Founded in 1887 by Joseph Cataldo, an Italian-born priest and Jesuit missionary, the univ ...
. He spent 1997 pitching for the rookie–league
Gulf Coast League Royals The Gulf Coast League (GCL) Royals were a minor league baseball franchise in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League from 1971–1978, 1982–1983 and 1985–2002. The club was owned and operated by the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball. Th ...
. While with them, he went 2–0 with a 4.50 ERA in ten games (nine starts). Affeldt improved with the GCL Royals the next year, going 4–3 with a 2.89 ERA in twelve games (nine starts). His performance even earned him a promotion to the
single-A Class A, also known as Single-A and sometimes as Low-A, is the fourth-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States, below Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A, Double-A (baseball), Double-A, and High-A. There are 30 teams classif ...
Lansing Lugnuts The Lansing Lugnuts are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. They are located in Lansing, Michigan, and play their home games at Jackson Field (Lansing), Jackson Field. The Midwe ...
. Affeldt did not do well in his time with them, though, as he went 0–3 with a 9.53 ERA in six games (three starts). In 1999, Affeldt spent the entire season with the Royals' single-A affiliate, which had changed to the
Charleston Alley Cats Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...
during the offseason. Although he only went 7–7, he had a 3.83 ERA in twenty–seven games (twenty–four starts). Affeldt pitched with the
Wilmington Blue Rocks The Wilmington Blue Rocks are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Wilmington, Delaware, and play their home games at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium. ...
of the single-A advanced
Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...
in 2000. While with Wilmington, he led the entire Kansas City Royals' organization (and the Carolina League) with fifteen losses (to go with only five wins). He also threw seventeen wild pitches. However, his ERA was 4.09, and the Blue Rocks were only a half–game ahead of the worst team in the league (the
Potomac Cannons The Potomac Nationals were a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League. They were located in Woodbridge, Virginia, and played their home games at Northwest Federal Field at Pfitzner Stadium. After the 2019 season, the team relocated to F ...
). 2001 was a better season for Affeldt, as he went 10–6 with a 3.90 ERA in twenty–five starts for the double-A
Wichita Wranglers The Wichita Wranglers were a minor league baseball team based in Wichita, Kansas. The team, which played in the Texas League, was the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres from 1987 to 1994 and the Kansas City Royals fro ...
. He was selected to pitch in the
Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
All-Star Game, and he was named to the postseason All–Star team.


Kansas City Royals (2002–2006)


2002

Affeldt was not expected to make the
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
' roster in 2002, but he was added to the bullpen after he had an 0.64 ERA and fourteen strikeouts (to go with just two walks) in fourteen innings in
Spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...
. His major league debut came on April 6 against the
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
. He pitched two innings, giving up three hits and a run in a 14–0 loss. On April 24, Affeldt picked up his first major league win by pitching 3.2 innings of relief in an 8–2 win over the
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
. Affeldt's time in the bullpen did not last long. On May 3, he replaced
Bryan Rekar Bryan Robert Rekar (born June 3, 1972) is a former American professional baseball pitcher who played for the Colorado Rockies, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB) during an 8-year career. Career Colorado Ro ...
in the Royals' starting rotation. In his first start, he pitched four innings, gave up one run, and earned a no–decision in a 4–3 loss to the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
. Affeldt's time as a starter garnered so-so results, as he was 0–4 with a 5.45 ERA in seven starts. In his last start, on June 8, Affeldt picked up the loss as the Royals fell 11–3 to the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
. After getting pulled in the fourth inning due to an injury, Affeldt was placed on the
disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...
with fingernail and blister problems. After making three rehab starts in Wichita, Affeldt returned to the Royals on August 2 and threw a perfect inning against the
Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
. He remained in the bullpen for the remainder of the 2002 season. After the season, he pitched in a winter league in the
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...
.


2003

In 2003, Affeldt found himself competing with
Runelvys Hernández Runelvys Antonio Hernandez (; born April 27, 1978) is a former right-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher. Career Hernandez made his major league debut July 15, , with Kansas City Royals. His encouraging rookie campaign manifested itse ...
for the first spot in the Royals' starting rotation during Spring training. Because
Tony Peña Antonio Francisco Peña Padilla (; born June 4, 1957) is a Dominican former professional baseball player, manager and coach. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Pirates, Cardinals, Red Sox, Indians, White Sox, and Astros. ...
, the Royals' manager, was unable to decide which one would be the ace, he flipped a coin to determine who would be number one. Hernández won the toss. Affeldt was placed on the disabled list after only four games with blister problems again. His time on the DL was brief and he returned to the Royals on May 6. On May 28, he struck out a career high eight batters in a win against the
Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
. Later, on June 6, he notched his first hit. Affeldt's final start of the year came on July 23, in a game he won against Minnesota. After the start, the Royals moved him to the bullpen to try to fix his blister problems. The move was originally thought to be temporary. While in the bullpen, on August 3, he got his career first save in a 2–0 win over the
Tampa Bay Devil Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home venu ...
. On August 21, the Royals announced that Affeldt would spend the rest of the year in the bullpen. Two days later, he got another save against Minnesota. He picked up two more saves before the end of the year and finished with a 7–6 record and a 3.93 ERA. After the season, to try to help with his blister problems, he had part of a fingernail on the middle finger of his left hand removed. Also, the Royals announced that if he developed blister problems again, he would be sent to the bullpen for good.


2004

In 2004, Affeldt was named the Royals' third starter out of Spring training. He went 0–3 with a 5.24 ERA in eight starts. His final start of came on May 18 against the Texas Rangers. Affeldt gave up five runs in four innings and received a no–decision in a 7–6 victory by the Royals. Afterwards, although his blister problems had not resurfaced, manager
Tony Peña Antonio Francisco Peña Padilla (; born June 4, 1957) is a Dominican former professional baseball player, manager and coach. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Pirates, Cardinals, Red Sox, Indians, White Sox, and Astros. ...
named him the Royals closer on May 21 due to poor pitching and injury problems with the other Royals closers. Affeldt blew his first save opportunity of 2004 against the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
on May 22, but he converted in his next outing on May 25 against the
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
. He converted eight of ten save opportunities before he was placed on the disabled list on June 27 with a partially torn rib–cage muscle. He was out for almost eight weeks. After making four rehab appearances for AAA Omaha, Affeldt returned to the Royals on August 21. He made his first appearance since returning from the DL on August 22, but he did not get another save until September 1 in a 1–0 victory over the Tigers. He picked up four more saves to finish the year with a career–high 13 saves and a 4.95 ERA.


2005

In 2005, Affeldt was again expected to be the Royals' closer. However, he did not get a save opportunity until April 16 against Detroit, and he was unable to finish that game because of a groin injury that landed him on the disabled list again. After rehabbing in Omaha, Affeldt returned to the Royals on June 4. He was no longer the closer, however, because
Mike MacDougal Robert Meiklejohn MacDougal (born March 5, 1977) is a former relief pitcher in professional baseball. He is a switch hitter and throws right-handed. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, Washing ...
had been closing well in his absence. Affeldt was not healthy for long, as he returned to the disabled list on June 20 after reaggravating the groin injury. Affeldt returned to the Royals on July 7. Through July 27, he had a 2.18 ERA. He did not give up more than one earned run until August 5, when he got his first loss of the year against the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
. However, Affeldt had a 12.71 ERA in his next eighteen appearances, which raised his ERA to 6.93. He held opposing batters scoreless for the final nine games of the season to bring it down to a season–ending 5.26.


2006

Affeldt returned to Kansas City's starting rotation in 2006 when he was named the fourth starter during Spring training. However, he was moved up to the third spot before the season began when
Runelvys Hernández Runelvys Antonio Hernandez (; born April 27, 1978) is a former right-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher. Career Hernandez made his major league debut July 15, , with Kansas City Royals. His encouraging rookie campaign manifested itse ...
was demoted to the fifth spot. Affeldt struggled as a starter, going 2–5 with a 7.80 ERA in nine starts. His final major league start came on May 27 against the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
. He gave up ten runs on eleven hits in a 15–4 loss. After the start, he was sent to the bullpen, and Bobby Keppel filled his place in the starting rotation. Affeldt improved in the bullpen, posting a 2.91 ERA there through July 31. Years later, reflecting on his tenure with the Royals, Affeldt said, "I was pretty frustrated. I wanted to quit. I didn't want to go to the ballpark. I was just failing a lot. I was getting hurt. I didn't understand my role. I bounced around and I just didn't enjoy the game." At the trade deadline on July 31, Affeldt was traded along with
Denny Bautista Denny M. Bautista Germán (born August 23, 1980) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. Bautista is tall and weighs . He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, Colorado Rockies, De ...
to the
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...
for Ryan Shealy and
Scott Dohmann Christopher Scott Dohmann (born February 13, 1978) is an American former baseball pitcher. Dohmann graduated from St. Thomas More High School (LA) where he was a member of two district champion teams. He attended the University of Louisiana at La ...
. Affeldt recalled, "When oyals General Manager Dayton Mooretraded me, he said, 'I feel like I need to give you a fresh start. You can learn to enjoy the game again.' I have a lot of respect for him now because he saw that. It was a move that had to be made for me to be able to continue playing baseball. I'm very thankful for it."


Colorado Rockies (2006–2007)

With the Rockies, Affeldt was used exclusively out of the bullpen. He got his only save of the season on September 19 in a 12–4 win over the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
. Affeldt finished the 2006 season with a 6.20 ERA in fifty–nine games. Affeldt spent the entire 2007 season in the bullpen, where he was used as a lefty specialist. Affeldt had a 2.51 ERA through his first fifty–six games of the year. He did not give up a home run until Pete Laforest hit one off of him in an 11–9 loss to the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
on August 16. He struggled at the end of the year, with a 7.30 ERA in his final nineteen games. He still finished the year 4–3, with a 3.51
ERA An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth. Comp ...
in seventy-five games, and the Rockies made the playoffs as the NL Wild Card. He made his postseason debut on October 4 in the Division Series against the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
and gave up one run (on a home run by Ryan Howard) in one inning in a 10–5 win by Colorado. The Rockies swept the series to advance to the Championship Series against the
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...
. In the first game, Affeldt entered with two outs and the bases loaded with the Rockies leading 5–1. He retired
Stephen Drew Stephen Oris Drew (born March 16, 1983) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Washington Na ...
to help the Rockies win 5–1. The Rockies swept the Diamondbacks to meet the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
in the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
. Affeldt pitched in all four games of the World Series without giving up a run, but the Rockies were swept by the Red Sox. Affeldt became a free agent after the season.


Cincinnati Reds (2008)

Affeldt was signed to a one–year deal by the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
on January 23, 2008, to compete for a spot in the starting rotation. He said of signing and competing to start, "My heart skipped a beat when they offered that deal. I went with my heart there." However, he was placed in the bullpen, where he stayed for the entire year. He won his first game as a Red when the Reds beat the
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...
6–5 on April 2. He made the three hundredth appearance of his career on May 2 in a 2–0 loss to the
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
. His only other decision of the year came on September 3 when he was the losing pitcher in a 6–5 loss to the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
. Affeldt finished the 2008 season with a 3.33 ERA in seventy–four games. He was also one of only five NL relievers to pitch seventy-five innings and average one strikeout per inning, along with
Joel Hanrahan Joel Ryan Hanrahan (born October 6, 1981) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. Hanrahan was originally a starting pitcher for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB) before moving to the closer role for the ...
,
Aaron Heilman Aaron Michael Heilman (born November 12, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Heilman was drafted by the New York Mets out of Notre Dame in 2001. He came up through the Mets system as a starting pitcher, but was converted to ...
,
Hong-Chih Kuo Hong-Chih Kuo (; born July 23, 1981 in Tainan, Taiwan) is a Taiwanese retired professional baseball pitcher who last pitched for the Fubon Guardians of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). He had previously played in Major League ...
, and Carlos Mármol. Following the season, Affeldt again became a free agent.


San Francisco Giants (2009–2015)


2009

On November 17, 2008, Affeldt signed a two–year deal with the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
. He said of signing with them, "With that starting rotation, the bullpen won't get burned out." Affeldt immediately began having a career year with the Giants. He was used on Opening Day against the
Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
, and he pitched a scoreless inning in the Giants' 10–6 win. On April 12, he entered a game against the Padres with one out and the bases loaded in the sixth inning. Affeldt got
Brian Giles Brian Stephen Giles (; born January 20, 1971) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. During his career he played for the Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres. The left-handed Giles was a two-time All-Star and had a ...
to ground into a double play to end the inning, but he gave up two runs (one earned) in the seventh as the Padres won 6–1. From May 8 through July 24, Affeldt had a twenty–eight inning scoreless streak. During the streak, on May 15, he struck out a season–high four batters in an 8–6 loss to the Mets. On May 31, he entered a game against St. Louis with runners on first and third and Albert Pujols on deck in the eighth, and he struck out
Joe Thurston Joseph William Thurston (born September 29, 1979) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and second baseman. He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, and Florida Marlins ...
to end the inning and help the Giants win 5–3. The streak did not end until July 28, when
Brandon Medders Brandon Edward Medders (born January 26, 1980) is a former professional relief pitcher. He played for the Arizona Diamondbacks (2005–2008) and San Francisco Giants (2009–2010) of Major League Baseball (MLB). Medders threw a four-seam fastball ...
allowed one of Affeldt's runners to score in a game against Pittsburgh. On August 2, with runners on first and second with one out in the eighth inning against the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
, he retired
Chase Utley Chase Cameron Utley (born December 17, 1978), nicknamed "The Man" and "Silver Fox", is an American former professional baseball second baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 16 seasons, primarily for the Philadelphia Phillies. He ...
and Ryan Howard to help the Giants win 7–3. He won the final game of the season against San Diego by pitching two scoreless innings as the Giants won 4–3 in ten innings. Affeldt finished the season with a career best 1.73 ERA in seventy–four games. He was named tenth on one writer's ballot for MVP voting, placing him in a tie for twenty–eighth on the list. On December 17, he won the This Year in Baseball Setup Man of the Year Award.


2010

In 2010, Affeldt again spent the entire season in the bullpen for the Giants. On March 28, the Giants extended his contract through the 2011 season with an option for 2012. Affeldt picked up his first save with the Giants in a 6–3 victory over the
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
on April 11. He struggled for most of the season and was placed on the disabled list on July 24 with an oblique strain. After rehabbing in the minors, Affeldt returned to the Giants on August 18. He finished the season with four saves and a 4.14 ERA in fifty–three games. Despite his struggles, Affeldt was named to the Giants' playoff roster. Affeldt made his first playoff appearance for the Giants in Game 2 of the
2010 NLCS The 2010 National League Championship Series (NLCS) was a best-of-seven game Major League Baseball playoff series that pitted the winners of the 2010 National League Division Series—the 2010 Philadelphia Phillies season, Philadelphia Phillies a ...
against Philadelphia. He struck out one batter and intentionally walked another one, but
Santiago Casilla Santiago Casilla (born July 25, 1980) is a Dominican former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2004 to 2018 for the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants. Casilla threw four pitches: a fastba ...
allowed him to score as the Giants lost 6–1. Affeldt faced (and retired) one batter in Game 5, but the Phillies won that game 4–2. In Game 6, Affeldt entered the game in the third inning with runners on first and second and nobody out after
starting pitcher In baseball (hardball or softball), a starting pitcher or starter is the first pitcher in the game for each team. A pitcher is credited with a game started if they throw the first pitch to the opponent's first batter of a game. Starting pit ...
Jonathan Sánchez Jonathan Omar Sánchez (born November 19, 1982), nicknamed "The Kid" and "The Comeback Kid", is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball pitcher. He is one of only three Puerto Rican players to throw a no-hitter game in MLB, the others bein ...
was taken out early. He pitched two hitless, scoreless innings, and the Giants won the game 3–2 to advance to the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
. Affeldt pitched in two games in the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
, which the Giants won in five games to give Affeldt his first
World Series ring A World Series ring is an award given to Major League Baseball players who win the World Series. Since only one Commissioner's Trophy is awarded to the team, a World Series ring is an individual award that players and staff of each World Series ...
.


2011

Affeldt returned to the Giants in 2011 and posted a solid season, going 3–2 with a 2.63 ERA in 67 appearances, including 3 saves. In addition, he posted a career best
WHIP A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...
of 1.151. Left-handed batters hit only .144 off of Affeldt in 2011. On September 8, 2011, Affeldt suffered a season-ending injury as he gashed his non-throwing (right) hand trying to separate frozen hamburger patties and underwent surgery to address nerve damage. After the season, the Giants picked up Affeldt's $5 million contract option for the 2012 season.


2012

On May 1, 2012, Affeldt suffered another off-the-field injury, spraining the
MCL The litre (international spelling) or liter (American English spelling) (SI symbols L and l, other symbol used: ℓ) is a metric unit of volume. It is equal to 1 cubic decimetre (dm3), 1000 cubic centimetres (cm3) or 0.001 cubic metre (m3) ...
in his right knee while picking up his four-year-old son. The injury was listed as number two on an ESPN list of strangest injuries, and was named
Jayson Stark Jayson Stark (born July 19, 1951) is an American sportswriter and author who covers baseball for ''The Athletic''. He is most known for his time with ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' and ESPN. Biography Stark grew up in Northeast Philadelphia and ...
's "Strangest But Truest Injury of the Year". Affeldt finished the regular season 1–2 with a 2.70 ERA in 67 appearances in innings. In the 2012 postseason, Affeldt appeared in 10 games, pitching innings, allowing 5 hits and 3 walks against 10 strikeouts and no runs. In Game 4 of the
2012 World Series The 2012 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2012 season. The 108th edition of the World Series, the series was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion San Francisco Giants and th ...
, Affeldt provided key relief, striking out
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
power hitters
Miguel Cabrera José Miguel Cabrera Torres (born April 18, 1983), nicknamed "Miggy", is a Venezuelan professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Since his debut in 2003 he has been a two-t ...
,
Prince Fielder Prince Semien Fielder (born May 9, 1984) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers, and Texas Rangers. He was selected i ...
, and
Delmon Young Delmon Damarcus Young (born September 14, 1985) is an American professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter for the Melbourne Aces of the Australian Baseball League. He played in Major League Baseball for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Ray ...
in the eighth inning to preserve a 3–3 tie. The Giants would go on to win the game in the tenth inning, completing a sweep of the Tigers, earning Affeldt his second World Series ring. On November 13, 2012, Affeldt signed a three-year, $18 million contract to remain with the Giants through the 2015 season.


2013

Affeldt struggled with injury in 2013, recording a 3.74 ERA in innings pitched. He went on the 15-day disabled list after suffering a right oblique strain on April 14. Given Affeldt's history of unusual injuries, Giants broadcaster
Jon Miller Jon Miller (born October 11, 1951) is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his broadcasts of Major League Baseball. Since 1997 he has been employed as a play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco Giants. He was also a baseball annou ...
joked that Affeldt suffered the injury during a sneezing fit. Affeldt clarified that he suffered the injury while pitching the night before in Chicago. He missed 50 games between July 21 and September 12 with a left groin strain. After returning for one game in September, Affeldt was shut down for the rest of the season.


2014

Affeldt started the 2014 season on the disabled list with a strained
MCL The litre (international spelling) or liter (American English spelling) (SI symbols L and l, other symbol used: ℓ) is a metric unit of volume. It is equal to 1 cubic decimetre (dm3), 1000 cubic centimetres (cm3) or 0.001 cubic metre (m3) ...
in his right knee. Appearing in 62 games, Affeldt recorded a 2.28 ERA with 41 strikeouts and 14 walks. In Game 5 of the 2014 NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals, Affeldt entered the game in the top of the ninth with two outs and the bases loaded, retiring Oscar Taveras (in what would be his final career at bat) on a comebacker to preserve a 3–3 tie. Affeldt was credited with the win when
Travis Ishikawa Travis Takashi Ishikawa (born September 24, 1983) is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played for the San Francisco Giants, Milwaukee Brewers, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates. Ishikawa has also ...
hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth to clinch the pennant for the Giants. Affeldt earned the win in Game 7 of the
2014 World Series The 2014 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2014 season. The 110th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion San Francisco Giants and the Ameri ...
against his first Major League team the Kansas City Royals. Affeldt was brought in from the bullpen in the 2nd inning and pitched innings of scoreless baseball before giving way to series MVP
Madison Bumgarner Madison Kyle Bumgarner (born August 1, 1989), commonly known by his nickname, "MadBum", is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). Previously, he pitched for the San Francisco Giants ...
, who finished the game. In the 2014 postseason, Affeldt pitched in 11 games, allowing just 5 hits and no runs over innings. Affeldt entered games in seven different innings and pitched in nine different innings overall, from the 2nd through the 10th. Through three postseasons with the Giants, Affeldt recorded 22 consecutive scoreless outings, a streak bettered only by
Mariano Rivera Mariano Rivera (born November 29, 1969) is a Panamanian-American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, from 1995 to 2013. Nicknamed "Mo" and "Sandman", he spent most ...
(23). On getting the Game 7 win at
Kauffman Stadium Kauffman Stadium (), often called "The K", is a baseball stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri. It is home to the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). It is part of the Truman Sports Complex together with the adjacent Arrowhe ...
, where he started his career, Affeldt said, "To be able to do it in Kansas City, with my past history, it just means a lot to me. It means my end was better than my beginning."


2015

Affeldt struggled with injury and inconsistency in 2015. By late June, he had a 5.96 ERA and allowed five home runs, more than he allowed from 2012 to 2014 combined. He was placed on the disabled list with a left shoulder strain on June 26. Affeldt returned July 22, but on August 24, he suffered another off-the-field injury, a left knee subluxation, while spending time at a lake with his family on an off-day. On October 1, 2015, Affeldt announced he would retire after the 2015 season.


Post-playing career

After retiring as a player, Affeldt joined
CSN Bay Area NBC Sports Bay Area (sometimes abbreviated as NBCS Bay Area) is an American regional sports network owned as a joint venture between NBCUniversal and the San Francisco Giants, and operates as an affiliate of NBC Sports Regional Networks. Headquart ...
as a studio analyst for ''Giants Pregame Live'' and ''Giants Postgame Live'' for the 2016 season. Affeldt also rejoined the Giants organization as a community ambassador. In mid-September 2016, during game radio broadcasts on
KNBR KNBR may refer to: * KNBR (AM), a radio station (680 AM) licensed to serve San Francisco, California, United States * KNBR-FM KNBR-FM (104.5 MHz) is a commercial radio station licensed to San Francisco, California, serving the greater San ...
, he provided commentary and opinion on-air with alternating Giants broadcasters, as regulars
Jon Miller Jon Miller (born October 11, 1951) is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his broadcasts of Major League Baseball. Since 1997 he has been employed as a play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco Giants. He was also a baseball annou ...
and
Dave Flemming David Braxton Flemming (born May 31, 1976) is an American sportscaster who has been a play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2003. Flemming also calls college football, college basketball, major leag ...
were away 'on assignment'. In February 2017 it was announced that Affeldt, along with Javier López, would be serving as fill-in color analysts on Giants telecasts during the 2017 season, due to regular analyst
Mike Krukow Michael Edward Krukow (born January 21, 1952), nicknamed "Kruk", is an American former professional baseball player and sportscaster. As a starting pitcher, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, and ...
reducing his schedule. Since his retirement, Affeldt has pursued his love of craft beer by opening a brewery in Boerne, TX
Free Roam Brewing
plans to open its doors in September of 2021.


Pitching style

Affeldt had three different kinds of pitches: a sinking fastball (which is rare for a lefty), a curveball, and a split. His fastball travelled in the low nineties, and while his curveball was not fast, it had late breaking action and got a lot of swing-throughs. Affeldt induced groundballs at a high rate with his sinking fastball and could also get the strikeout when the situation called for it.


Personal life

Affeldt is a devout
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
and a strong advocate for ending child poverty. He writes a weekly blog about his Christian faith and his desire to stir a movement in the cause of helping the suffering and marginalized. In October 2010, during a visit to a Bay Area elementary school alongside former Giants pitcher
Juan Marichal Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez (born October 20, 1937), nicknamed "the Dominican Dandy", is a Dominican former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for three teams from 1960 to 1975, almost entirely the San Francisco Giant ...
, Affeldt told the students, "I try to make sure everybody, all the young people in the world, also have a chance to dream really big." In 2009, Affeldt donated $5,000 to the Not For Sale campaign for opening a medical clinic in
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
for former child slaves. He also became a prominent member of Not For Sale's Free2Play campaign, pledging a $100 donation for every strikeout and recruiting other professional athletes, including his teammate
Matt Cain Matthew Thomas Cain (born October 1, 1984), nicknamed "The Horse", "Big Daddy", "Big Sugar" and "Cainer", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career for the San Francisco Giants ...
and the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
'
Matt Holliday Matthew Thomas Holliday (born January 15, 1980) is an American professional baseball coach and former left fielder who is the bench coach for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB from 2004 to 2018 for the ...
. In addition, Affeldt has lent his support as a spokesperson for Larkin Street Youth Services, a San Francisco non-profit that provides services to young people experiencing homelessness. In 2009, Affeldt was recognized for his anti–slavery efforts by a nomination for the Jefferson Award for Public Service, and in 2010, he was the San Francisco Giants' nominee for the
Roberto Clemente Award The Roberto Clemente Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) player who "best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team", as voted on by baseball fans a ...
. Affeldt also founded an organization known as Generation Alive that exists to develop a generation of young leaders, committed to serving others and responding to the needs in their community. In 2013, Affeldt released a book entitled ''To Stir a Movement: Life, Justice, and Major League Baseball''. In the book, Affeldt recounted a contract situation in 2010 where he voluntarily returned $500,000 to the Giants after discovering a clerical error. In 2015, Affeldt received an honorary degree from
Whitworth University Whitworth University is a private, Christian university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and located in Spokane, Washington. Founded in 1890, Whitworth enrolls nearly 3,000 students and offers more than 100 graduate and undergraduate ...
for his humanitarian efforts. During his playing career, Affeldt, his ex-wife Larisa, and their three sons lived in
Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Canada ...
. As of 2022, Affeldt and his family reside in the town of
Boerne Boerne ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Kendall County, Texas, in the Texas Hill Country. Boerne is known for its German-Texan history, named in honor of German author and satirist Ludwig Börne by the German Founders of the town. The popu ...
,
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, just outside of San Antonio. He is also the CEO and co-founder of a brewery called Free Roam Brewing Company, which opened its doors on March 11, 2022.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Affeldt, Jeremy 1979 births Living people American Christian writers American expatriate baseball players in Canada Baseball players from Phoenix, Arizona Charleston AlleyCats players Christians from Arizona Cincinnati Reds players Colorado Rockies players Fresno Grizzlies players Gulf Coast Royals players Kansas City Royals players Lansing Lugnuts players Major League Baseball pitchers Omaha Royals players San Francisco Giants players San Francisco Giants announcers San Jose Giants players Wichita Wranglers players Wilmington Blue Rocks players World Baseball Classic players of the United States 2013 World Baseball Classic players