Jesse Jefferson
Encyclopedia
Jesse Harrison Jefferson (March 3, 1949 – September 8, 2011) was a Major League Baseball
pitcher
best remembered as an inaugural member of the expansion
Toronto Blue Jays
.
in the 1968 Major League Baseball Draft
out of Carver High School in Midlothian, Virginia
. He went 40-50 with a 3.71 earned run average
over six seasons in the Orioles' farm system when he debuted with the club in . He pitched a ten inning complete game
in his major league debut on June 23. In the second game of a doubleheader
with the Boston Red Sox
at Fenway Park
, he was pitching a five hit
shutout
until the ninth inning with two outs when Rico Petrocelli
hit a solo home run
to tie the score. The Orioles responded with a run
in the top of the tenth to earn Jefferson the win
.
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, but he did not make an appearance in the 1973 American League Championship Series
with the Oakland Athletics
. Jefferson moved into the bullpen
in , making just two spot starts, both against the Red Sox.
made a flurry of deals. They acquired left hander Dave Hamilton
and minor league prospect Chet Lemon
from the Oakland A's for Stan Bahnsen
and Skip Pitlock
, and acquired Jefferson from the Orioles for Tony Muser
. With the Chisox, Jefferson was moved back into the starting rotation, compiling a 5-9 record with a 5.10 ERA. He split the between starts and the bullpen before he was lost to the Toronto Blue Jays
in the 1976 Major League Baseball expansion draft.
were by far his best. Despite setting a Blue Jay franchise record with nine walks
in a game against Baltimore on June 18, 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, against eventual 22-game winner Mike Norris and the Oakland A's. Jefferson held the A's to just four hits over eleven innings while striking out ten. Norris was equally brilliant, but the Jays managed to squeak out a run in the bottom of the eleventh to earn Jefferson the win.
Things went south quickly for Jefferson after that performance as he 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 earned runs, allowing an inherited runner to score and committing an error. He was placed on waivers with a 4-13 record and 5.47 ERA.
He was selected off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates
on September 11, and made just one appearance for the club, beating the Chicago Cubs
.
Following the season, he signed as a free agent with the California Angels.He started the season in the Angels' starting rotation, but after going 0-4 with a 4.68 ERA in his first five starts, was moved into the bullpen. He pitched far better in relief, going 2-0 with a 1.04 ERA in 21 appearances. He spent Spring training
with the Orioles, but did not make the club.
s allowed twice, and second in the league in home runs allowed in 1978. He led the league in errors
committed by a pitcher with eight in 1977.
In 2011, Jefferson died of prostate cancer
.
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...
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...
best remembered as an inaugural member of the expansion
Expansion team
An expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...
Toronto Blue Jays
1977 Toronto Blue Jays season
The 1977 Toronto Blue Jays season was the first year of Major League Baseball played by the Toronto-based expansion franchise. The Blue Jays finished 7th in the American League East with a record of 54 wins and 107 losses.- Offseason :...
.
Baltimore Orioles
Jefferson was drafted by the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
in the 1968 Major League Baseball Draft
1968 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1968 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The Los Angeles Dodgers laid the groundwork for their championship clubs of the 1970s with an outstanding draft...
out of Carver High School in Midlothian, Virginia
Midlothian, Virginia
Midlothian is an unincorporated community in Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. Founded over 300 years ago as a coal mining village, it is now a suburban community located in the Southside of Richmond well beyond the city limits of Richmond in the Richmond–Petersburg region.It was named...
. He went 40-50 with a 3.71 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...
over six seasons in the Orioles' farm system when he debuted with the club in . He pitched a ten inning complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
in his major league debut on June 23. In the second game of a doubleheader
Doubleheader (baseball)
A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
with the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
at Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
, he was pitching a five hit
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
until the ninth inning with two outs when Rico Petrocelli
Rico Petrocelli
Americo Peter "Rico" Petrocelli is an American retired baseball shortstop and third baseman who played his entire career in the American League with the Boston Red Sox...
hit a solo home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
to tie the score. The Orioles responded with a run
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
in the top of the tenth to earn Jefferson the win
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
.
Jefferson's rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
season was his only winning season, as he went 6-5 with a 4.11 ERA as a spot starter
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
and middle inning relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
. The Orioles captured the American League East
American League East
The American League Eastern Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions . This division was created before the start of the 1969 season along with the Western Division...
crown, and manager Earl Weaver
Earl Weaver
Earl Sidney Weaver is a former Major League Baseball manager. He spent his entire 17-year managerial career with the Baltimore Orioles . Weaver was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.-Playing career:After playing for Beaumont High School in St...
had Jefferson slated to be his long reliever in the post season, but he did not make an appearance in the 1973 American League Championship Series
1973 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 6, 1973 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandIn Game 1, Jim Palmer spent 16 minutes retiring the side in the top of the first inning. He walked the first two batters and struck out the next three. The Orioles went to work against lefty Vida Blue and his...
with the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
. Jefferson moved into the bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
in , making just two spot starts, both against the Red Sox.
Chicago White Sox
On June 15, the last place Chicago White SoxChicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
made a flurry of deals. They acquired left hander Dave Hamilton
Dave Hamilton (baseball)
David Edward Hamilton is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who won three World Series championships as a member of the Oakland Athletics in the early 1970s.-Oakland A's:...
and minor league prospect Chet Lemon
Chet Lemon
Chester Earl Lemon is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. A three time All-Star, he was a member of the World Series champion 1984 Detroit Tigers.-Early years:...
from the Oakland A's for Stan Bahnsen
Stan Bahnsen
Stanley Raymond Bahnsen is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Nicknamed the "Bahnsen Burner," he once made 118 starts over a three year stretch while playing with the Chicago White Sox in the mid 1970s.-New York Yankees:...
and Skip Pitlock
Skip Pitlock
Lee Patrick Thomas Pitlock is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Noted for his unusual wind-up, he had a "herky-jerky" motion which deceived major league batters, and led to 124 career strikeouts in 192.2 innings pitched....
, and acquired Jefferson from the Orioles for Tony Muser
Tony Muser
Anthony Joseph Muser is currently a roving instructor in the San Diego Padres organization. From 1997 until 2002, Muser served as the manager of the Kansas City Royals...
. With the Chisox, Jefferson was moved back into the starting rotation, compiling a 5-9 record with a 5.10 ERA. He split the between starts and the bullpen before he was lost to the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
in the 1976 Major League Baseball expansion draft.
Toronto Blue Jays
Jefferson set many career highs with the Blue Jays in . His 33 starts and 217 innings pitchedInnings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
were by far his best. Despite setting a Blue Jay franchise record with nine 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...
in a game against Baltimore on June 18, 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, against eventual 22-game winner Mike Norris and the Oakland A's. Jefferson held the A's to just four hits over eleven innings while striking out ten. Norris was equally brilliant, but the Jays managed to squeak out a run in the bottom of the eleventh to earn Jefferson the win.
Things went south quickly for Jefferson after that performance as he 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 earned runs, allowing an inherited runner to score and committing an error. He was placed on waivers with a 4-13 record and 5.47 ERA.
He was selected off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
on September 11, and made just one appearance for the club, beating the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
.
Following the season, he signed as a free agent with the California Angels.He started the season in the Angels' starting rotation, but after going 0-4 with a 4.68 ERA in his first five starts, was moved into the bullpen. He pitched far better in relief, going 2-0 with a 1.04 ERA in 21 appearances. He spent Spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
with the Orioles, but did not make the club.
Career stats
Jefferson he was in the top ten in the league in walks allowed three times, top ten in losses twice, top ten in earned runEarned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run...
s allowed twice, and second in the league in home runs allowed in 1978. He led the league in errors
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
committed by a pitcher with eight in 1977.
In 2011, Jefferson died of prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
.