Tampa Bay Rays Fan Blog» Jeff Niemann

Rookie trio brightens future for Rays

GameSetMatch — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:10:03 +0000

Because he was pitching against the Blue Jays that day, David Price needed to find someone else to complete his new pregame routine. Price, Tampa Bay’s rookie left-hander and recently appointed lineup card attendee, had to designate someone else to bring the card to the umpires before the day’s first pitch.

Price decided on Wade Davis, his quiet, sharp-eyed, square-jawed fellow rookie starter.

After Davis returned to the dugout, home-plate umpire Mike Estabrook walked to Rays manager Joe Maddon and whispered that he’d never seen anything like it.

“[Davis] didn’t say one word,” Maddon said, laughing in his office after the game.

Such is the deadpan reality of Davis. There are few aspects in baseball he doesn’t take seriously.

As the 24-year-old right-hander has emerged over the course of the past two weeks for Tampa Bay, the seriousness of his pitching ability has also rounded into focus. The fierceness of his breaking ball only matches the looks he gives when squinting over his glove on the mound.

Click here to read the full article – By Zach Schonbrun of MLB.com

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Rays’ rookie starters will finish out year

GameSetMatch — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:53:48 +0000

With an off-day on the horizon Monday, the Rays have not set their rotation past Sunday. But don’t expect a lot of change, particularly where the rookie pitchers are concerned.

Currently, the rotation includes rookies Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis and David Price, but Rays manager Joe Maddon doesn’t believe any of them will be shut down before the end of the season.

“We’re OK with all three right now,” Maddon said. “They’re all on the border, on the top side of the borderline, so we can, but we’re not overtly concerned right now.”

Davis has thrown a total of 168 1/3 innings, Niemann 165 2/3, and Price 144.

Click here to read the full article – By Bill Chastain of MLB.com

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Niemann’s come long way since debut

GameSetMatch — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:24:48 +0000

On one hand, Jeff Niemann’s first trip to Baltimore this season wasn’t a precursor for things to come, while on the other, it personified why the 6-foot-9, 280-pound right-hander is a leading candidate for American League Rookie of the Year.

Niemann had just won a Spring Training battle with Jason Hammell to be the fifth starter in the Rays’ rotation and he wanted to go out and make a strong impression in his first start to validate the Rays’ faith in him. Instead he got off to the worst of all possible starts. The first seven Orioles hitters reached base safely as Niemann surrendered five first-inning runs, including a grand slam to Melvin Mora.

Click here to read the full article – By Bill Chastain of MLB.com

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Below are links to memorabilia available for Jeff Niemann.


Jeff Niemann Autographed Memorabilia