Jeff Keener
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Bruce Keener is a former Major League Baseball
player, who appeared as a relief pitcher
in two seasons with the National League
's St. Louis Cardinals
.
in the seventh round of the 1981 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, Keener quickly progressed through the Cardinal farm system.
Keener made his Major League debut at the age of 23 on June 8, 1982 at Montreal
's Olympic Stadium
against the Cardinals National League East
rivals, the Montreal Expos
. Keener retired all four batters
, two of them on strikeouts
, en route to a 5-4 Cardinal victory. In a total of 19 appearances during the 1982 season
, he compiled an earned run average
(ERA) of 1.61, with 25 strikeout
s, 22 walks
, and a record of 1 win, 1 loss, 0 saves.
During the 1983 season
, Keener appeared in just four games with the Cardinals, posting an ERA of 8.31. His final appearance, September 27, 1983, marked his final game in the Major Leagues.
Despite his short tenure in the big leagues, Keener is remembered for his unusual "submarine" delivery
, with which he delivered pitches with a sidearm/underarm motion, rather than over the shoulder.
with a Bachelors Degree in Education, and attaining a Masters degree in Education from Southern Illinois University Carbondale
. In 2003, Jeff Keener was the first baseball player inducted into the Southeastern Illinois College Hall of Fame.
After working as baseball coach and Physical Education instructor, Keener in 2008 became Principal of General John A Logan Elementary School in Murphysboro, Illinois
. He is now the assistant principal at Murphysboro High School.
Jeff Keener has three children: Jonathan, Karli and Cameron.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player, who appeared as a relief pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe 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 a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in two seasons with the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
's St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
.
Baseball career
Drafted from the University of KentuckyUniversity of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
in the seventh round of the 1981 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, Keener quickly progressed through the Cardinal farm system.
Keener made his Major League debut at the age of 23 on June 8, 1982 at Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
's Olympic Stadium
Olympic Stadium (Montreal)
The Olympic Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district of Montreal, Quebec, Canada built as the main venue for the 1976 Summer Olympics...
against the Cardinals National League East
National League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
rivals, the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
. Keener retired all four batters
Batting (baseball)
In baseball, batting is the act of facing the opposing pitcher and trying to produce offense for one's team. A batter or hitter is a person whose turn it is to face the pitcher...
, two of them on strikeouts
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
, en route to a 5-4 Cardinal victory. In a total of 19 appearances during the 1982 season
1982 Major League Baseball season
The 1982 Major League Baseball season was held between the American and National Leagues. Making up for their playoff miss of the year before, the St...
, he compiled an earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
(ERA) of 1.61, with 25 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s, 22 walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
, and a record of 1 win, 1 loss, 0 saves.
During the 1983 season
1983 Major League Baseball season
The 1983 Major League Baseball season ended with the Baltimore Orioles defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in the fifth game of the World Series. Rick Dempsey was named MVP of the Series...
, Keener appeared in just four games with the Cardinals, posting an ERA of 8.31. His final appearance, September 27, 1983, marked his final game in the Major Leagues.
Despite his short tenure in the big leagues, Keener is remembered for his unusual "submarine" delivery
Delivery
Delivery may refer to:*Delivery, in childbirth*Delivery , of goods*Delivery *Delivery , in cricket, a single action of bowling a cricket ball towards the batsman*Delivery , of a joke...
, with which he delivered pitches with a sidearm/underarm motion, rather than over the shoulder.
After baseball
After his baseball career ended, Jeff Keener returned to college, graduating from the University of KentuckyUniversity of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
with a Bachelors Degree in Education, and attaining a Masters degree in Education from Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public research university located in Carbondale, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1869, SIUC is the flagship campus of the Southern Illinois University system...
. In 2003, Jeff Keener was the first baseball player inducted into the Southeastern Illinois College Hall of Fame.
After working as baseball coach and Physical Education instructor, Keener in 2008 became Principal of General John A Logan Elementary School in Murphysboro, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. He is now the assistant principal at Murphysboro High School.
Jeff Keener has three children: Jonathan, Karli and Cameron.