Jason Berken

Jason Thomas Berken (born November 27, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago Cubs.

Jason Berken
Berken with the Baltimore Orioles in 2009
Relief pitcher
Born: (1983-11-27) November 27, 1983
Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
May 26, 2009, for the Baltimore Orioles
Last MLB appearance
October 1, 2012, for the Chicago Cubs
MLB statistics
Win–loss record10–20
Earned run average5.36
Strikeouts163
Teams

College

Berken graduated from West De Pere High School. He played college baseball for the Clemson Tigers. While at Clemson, he played for the New England Collegiate Baseball League's Keene Swamp Bats. In 1862⁄3 innings with Clemson, Berken pitched to an 18–6 record, 3.04 ERA, and 156 strikeouts.[1]

Professional career

Baltimore Orioles

Berken was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the sixth round (175th overall) of the 2006 MLB draft. On May 26 2009, after pitching just 252⁄3 innings for Triple-A Norfolk, he was called up to the Orioles' roster to replace injured outfielder Lou Montanez. Berken earned his first major league win that day, giving up two runs in five innings in a 7–2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. However, he finished the year with a 6–12 record, along with a 6.54 ERA in 1192⁄3 innings pitched. This led to Berken being named the "AL Les Sweetland Award winner" by SI writer Joe Posnanski for finishing the year as the worst starting pitcher in the American League.[2]

Chicago Cubs

On September 7 2012, Berken was claimed off waivers by the Cubs.[3] On September 20, Berken recorded four strikeouts in an inning.

Chicago White Sox

On April 2 2013, Berken signed as a minor league free agent with the Chicago White Sox for 2013 season.

San Francisco Giants

On November 15 2013, Berken signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants. On March 31 2014, he was assigned to the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies.

Philadelphia Phillies

On February 24 2015, Berken signed a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. On March 2 2015, he was assigned to the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. He elected free agency on 6 November.[4]

Toronto Blue Jays

On February 17 2016, Berken signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.[5] He became a free agent on 7 November 2016.

See also

References
  1. "Former Tiger Jason Berken to Start for Baltimore Orioles". tigernet.com. May 26, 2009. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
  2. "Joe Posnanski: My Least Valuable Players, '09 'anti-award' winners".
  3. "Cubs claim right-handed pitcher Jason Berken off waivers from Baltimore". MLB.com.
  4. "International League Transactions". milb.com. p. November 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  5. "Toronto Blue Jays Transactions February 2016". MLB.com. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
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