Desmond Jennings
Encyclopedia
Desmond Delane Jennings (born October 30, 1986, in Birmingham, Alabama
) is an outfielder
for the Tampa Bay Rays
.
in the 18th round of the 2005 amateur draft out of high school but did not sign. He decided to go to Itawamba Community College
to play baseball and football, he led all junior college wide receivers with 54 receptions while scoring 6 touchdowns and netting 848 yards in 8 games. On the diamond, he hit .378 with 29 steals. Desmond was picked by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 10th round of the 2006 amateur draft and signed.
He was the Rays fifth-best prospect heading into the 2009 season according to Baseball America
, and the 18th-best prospect overall in their midseason top 25.
Jennings entered 2010 ranked among the top 20 prospects in baseball. He was named to the 2010 All-Star Futures Game
.
In 2010, he batted .278 for the season in AAA Durham, and .190 in 21 at bats with Tampa Bay.
Jennings was called up from AAA-Durham on July 23, 2011, as the Rays optioned Reid Brignac
to Durham. At the time of his call-up, Jennings was batting .275 and leading the International League in runs scored, with 68.
On July 28, 2011, Jennings blasted his first career home run, a two-run shot against the Oakland Athletics.
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
) is an outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
for the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
.
Baseball career
Jennings was taken by the Cleveland IndiansCleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
in the 18th round of the 2005 amateur draft out of high school but did not sign. He decided to go to Itawamba Community College
Itawamba Community College
Itawamba Community College, formerly known as Itawamba Junior College, is a community college in Mississippi, United States, with two campuses; the main campus is located in Fulton, and a branch campus in Tupelo that mainly handles technical education programs. It serves Chickasaw, Itawamba, Lee,...
to play baseball and football, he led all junior college wide receivers with 54 receptions while scoring 6 touchdowns and netting 848 yards in 8 games. On the diamond, he hit .378 with 29 steals. Desmond was picked by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 10th round of the 2006 amateur draft and signed.
He was the Rays fifth-best prospect heading into the 2009 season according to Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
, and the 18th-best prospect overall in their midseason top 25.
Jennings entered 2010 ranked among the top 20 prospects in baseball. He was named to the 2010 All-Star Futures Game
All-Star Futures Game
The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game between a team of top minor league prospects from the United States and a team of prospects from other parts of the World...
.
In 2010, he batted .278 for the season in AAA Durham, and .190 in 21 at bats with Tampa Bay.
Jennings was called up from AAA-Durham on July 23, 2011, as the Rays optioned Reid Brignac
Reid Brignac
Reid Michael Brignac is a Major League Baseball shortstop for the Tampa Bay Rays.-Professional career:Brignac was drafted by Tampa Bay Rays in the second round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft out of St. Amant High School as a shortstop...
to Durham. At the time of his call-up, Jennings was batting .275 and leading the International League in runs scored, with 68.
On July 28, 2011, Jennings blasted his first career home run, a two-run shot against the Oakland Athletics.