Kris Keller
Encyclopedia
Kristopher Shane Keller (born March 1, 1978) is a former Major League Baseball
pitcher
who played for the majority of his career in the Detroit Tigers
organization.
, Keller attended Duncan U. Fletcher High School
in Neptune Beach, Florida
. At the end of his senior year ) Keller was considered a top prospect. During the regular season Keller struck out
101 in 70 2/3 innings of work and was selected to the Florida Athletic Coaches Association All-Star game. In the post-season Keller threw a no-hitter
against rival Allen D. Nease Senior High School
, striking
out nine. USA Today
named him an honorable mention on their All-USA High School Baseball team. Following graduation Keller planned to enter the major league draft, but indicated a willingness to postpone a professional career and enter college if he did not receive a good enough offer.
. Keller was pleased, remarking that "Coming from where I was supposed to be drafted, anywhere in the top five rounds was fine." Keller finished out the year in the Gulf Coast League
, going 1-1 with a 2.38 ERA in six starts. Keller spent the next two years with the Low-A Jamestown Jammers
and underwent a conversion from a starting pitcher to a closer
. In he saved eight games and lowered his ERA to 3.27. The next the Tigers rewarded Keller with a promotion to the Single-A West Michigan Whitecaps
where he went 5-3 as a relief pitcher with an additional eight saves and a 2.92 ERA. In moved up to the Double-A Jacksonville Suns
. For Keller, it was an opportunity to pitch for a team which he had watched as a child: "It's been an awesome experience, playing again in front of my parents and buddies." Although Keller exhibited some control problems he saved 28 games with a 2.91 ERA. At the end of the year Keller was considered a "top-flight closer."
The Tigers moved Keller up to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens
for where his ERA ballooned to 4.48, his highest since 1997. Returning to Toledo for , Keller lowered his ERA to 2.08 and commanded a fastball in the high 90s. On May 24 Keller received the call and headed for Detroit in place of Oscar Salazar
. Keller made his major league debut that same evening in a game against the Chicago White Sox
. Keller entered in the bottom of the 8th inning with Chicago already up 9-1 and gave up a three-run home run to Magglio Ordóñez
. His one inning pitched that day proved to be the only inning he would pitch in the Major Leagues.
The next day the Tigers placed Keller on the disabled list
with a "strained right triceps" and on June 20 traded him to the Atlanta Braves
for outfielder George Lombard
.
, their Triple-A affiliate. John Schuerholz
, Atlanta's general manager
, was optimistic about Keller: "We've got good reports on the guy and we think he's got the chance to give us another real power arm." Keller finished out the season with Richmond, going 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA. At the end of the year the Braves took Keller off the 40-man roster; without a contract and concerned by the strength of Atlanta's bullpen, was granted free agency
and signed with the San Diego Padres
, who sent him to the Triple-A Portland Beavers
. The Padres released him in May after a rough start; in 18 appearances Keller was 1-1 with a 5.63 ERA. The Cincinnati Reds
signed Keller to a minor league contract, and he spent the majority of the season with the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts
, minus a short stint with the Triple-A Louisville Bats
.
The Reds granted Keller free agency at the end of the year and he signed with the Chicago White Sox
, who assigned him to the Double-A Birmingham Barons
. At the end of May Chicago released Keller; in fifteen appearances he was 0-3 with an 8.25 ERA. The Texas Rangers
picked up Keller and sent him to the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders
, but after Keller posted a 7.94 ERA in fourteen appearances Texas released him as well, marking the end of his professional career.
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...
who played for the majority of his career in the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
organization.
High school
Although born in Williamsport, PennsylvaniaWilliamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. In 2009, the population was estimated at 29,304...
, Keller attended Duncan U. Fletcher High School
Duncan U. Fletcher High School
Duncan U. Fletcher High School is a public high school in the Duval County School District, located in Neptune Beach, Florida.-History:Former Jacksonville Mayor and U.S. Senator Duncan U. Fletcher obtained a federal grant to build the school which bears his name. It opened September 20, 1937 for...
in Neptune Beach, Florida
Neptune Beach, Florida
Neptune Beach is a beachfront city in Duval County, Florida, United States, located to the east of Jacksonville. When the majority of communities in Duval County consolidated with the city of Jacksonville in 1968, Neptune Beach, along with Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, and Baldwin, remained...
. At the end of his senior year ) Keller was considered a top prospect. During the regular season Keller struck out
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....
101 in 70 2/3 innings of work and was selected to the Florida Athletic Coaches Association All-Star game. In the post-season Keller threw a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
against rival Allen D. Nease Senior High School
Allen D. Nease Senior High School
Allen D. Nease High School is a public high school in the St. Johns County School District, located in Ponte Vedra, Florida that was established in 1981. The school is a member of the International Baccalaureate program. The principal is Mr...
, striking
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....
out nine. USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
named him an honorable mention on their All-USA High School Baseball team. Following graduation Keller planned to enter the major league draft, but indicated a willingness to postpone a professional career and enter college if he did not receive a good enough offer.
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers took Keller in the fourth round, and he reported to the Gulf Coast TigersGulf Coast Tigers
The Gulf Coast Tigers are the Rookie Level minor league affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. The team plays in Lakeland, Florida, at Joker Marchant Stadium. The team is composed mainly of players who are in their first year of professional baseball either as draftees or non-drafted free agents from...
. Keller was pleased, remarking that "Coming from where I was supposed to be drafted, anywhere in the top five rounds was fine." Keller finished out the year in the Gulf Coast League
Gulf Coast League
The Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
, going 1-1 with a 2.38 ERA in six starts. Keller spent the next two years with the Low-A Jamestown Jammers
Jamestown Jammers
The Jamestown Jammers are a minor league baseball team in Jamestown, New York, United States. The team is the Short-Season A classification affiliate of the Miami Marlins and plays in the New York - Penn League...
and underwent a conversion from a starting pitcher to a closer
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
. In he saved eight games and lowered his ERA to 3.27. The next the Tigers rewarded Keller with a promotion to the Single-A West Michigan Whitecaps
West Michigan Whitecaps
The West Michigan Whitecaps are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Detroit Tigers, that plays in the Midwest League. Their home games are played in Comstock Park, Michigan, a suburb of Grand Rapids.-Franchise history:...
where he went 5-3 as a relief pitcher with an additional eight saves and a 2.92 ERA. In moved up to the Double-A Jacksonville Suns
Jacksonville Suns
The Jacksonville Suns are a minor league baseball team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The team is currently a member of the Southern League and is the class Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins Major League Baseball team...
. For Keller, it was an opportunity to pitch for a team which he had watched as a child: "It's been an awesome experience, playing again in front of my parents and buddies." Although Keller exhibited some control problems he saved 28 games with a 2.91 ERA. At the end of the year Keller was considered a "top-flight closer."
The Tigers moved Keller up to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens
Toledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a minor league baseball team located in Toledo, Ohio. The Mud Hens play in the International League, and are affiliated with the major league baseball team the Detroit Tigers, based approximately 50 miles to the north of Toledo. The current team is one of several...
for where his ERA ballooned to 4.48, his highest since 1997. Returning to Toledo for , Keller lowered his ERA to 2.08 and commanded a fastball in the high 90s. On May 24 Keller received the call and headed for Detroit in place of Oscar Salazar
Oscar Salazar (baseball)
Oscar Enrique Salazar is a Major League Baseball infielder.-Biography:Signed by Oakland as an amateur free agent in 1994, Salazar was selected off waivers by the Detroit Tigers in 2002, making his debut in that season.In one season as a backup with the Tigers, Salazar batted .190 with one home run...
. Keller made his major league debut that same evening in a game against the Chicago White Sox
Chicago 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...
. Keller entered in the bottom of the 8th inning with Chicago already up 9-1 and gave up a three-run home run to Magglio Ordóñez
Magglio Ordóñez
Magglio José Ordóñez Delgado is a Venezuelan Major League Baseball right fielder. He has played for the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers . Ordóñez is six feet, one inch tall and weighs .-Professional career:...
. His one inning pitched that day proved to be the only inning he would pitch in the Major Leagues.
The next day the Tigers placed Keller on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
with a "strained right triceps" and on June 20 traded him to the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
for outfielder George Lombard
George Lombard
George Paul Lombard is a former Major League Baseball outfielder.Lombard was drafted in the second round by the Atlanta Braves in the 1994 Major League Baseball Draft, the same year that he graduated from The Lovett School in Atlanta...
.
Around the minors
Atlanta assigned Keller to the Richmond BravesRichmond Braves
The Richmond Braves were the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and played in the International League. Colloquially referred to as the R-Braves, they were based in Richmond, Virginia, where they played from 1966, when the Milwaukee Braves moved to Atlanta where their AAA team, the Crackers,...
, their Triple-A affiliate. John Schuerholz
John Schuerholz
John Schuerholz is the President of the Atlanta Braves of the National League. Before joining Atlanta, he spent twenty-two years with the Kansas City Royals organization, including nine as the club's General Manager. Among the teams he has built are the 1985 Royals and 1995 Braves, both world...
, Atlanta's general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
, was optimistic about Keller: "We've got good reports on the guy and we think he's got the chance to give us another real power arm." Keller finished out the season with Richmond, going 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA. At the end of the year the Braves took Keller off the 40-man roster; without a contract and concerned by the strength of Atlanta's bullpen, was granted free agency
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
and signed with the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
, who sent him to the Triple-A Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
. The Padres released him in May after a rough start; in 18 appearances Keller was 1-1 with a 5.63 ERA. The Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
signed Keller to a minor league contract, and he spent the majority of the season with the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts
Chattanooga Lookouts
The Chattanooga Lookouts are a minor league baseball team based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. They are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team, which plays in the Southern League, has been a Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club since the 2009 season. The Lookouts...
, minus a short stint with the Triple-A Louisville Bats
Louisville Bats
The Louisville Bats, which play in Louisville, Kentucky, are the AAA minor league baseball affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. The team, formerly known as the Louisville RiverBats, plays in the International League...
.
The Reds granted Keller free agency at the end of the year and he signed with the Chicago White Sox
Chicago 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...
, who assigned him to the Double-A Birmingham Barons
Birmingham Barons
The Birmingham Barons are a minor league baseball team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox major-league club....
. At the end of May Chicago released Keller; in fifteen appearances he was 0-3 with an 8.25 ERA. The Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
picked up Keller and sent him to the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders
Frisco RoughRiders
The Frisco RoughRiders are currently the Class AA affiliate of the Texas Rangers major league baseball club. The team plays in the Texas League, assigned to the South Division. Prior to 2003, the franchise was based in Shreveport, Louisiana, and were known as the Shreveport Captains...
, but after Keller posted a 7.94 ERA in fourteen appearances Texas released him as well, marking the end of his professional career.