| Jeff Bettendorf | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:December 10, 1960 Lompoc, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 8, 1984, for the Oakland Athletics | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| April 24, 1984, for the Oakland Athletics | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 0–0 |
| Earned run average | 4.66 |
| Strikeouts | 5 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Jeffrey Allen Bettendorf (born December 10,1960) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher.
Bettendorf was primarily a starting pitcher over the course of his nine-season professional baseball career. He was a second-round draft selection in the 1979 Major League Baseball Draft by the New York Mets. After never advancing above Double-A in the Mets system,Bettendorf was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the December 1983 Rule 5 draft. After making the A's major league roster,as is required under Rule 5,he made his first major league appearance on April 8,1984,against the Boston Red Sox at the Oakland Coliseum,earning a save in three no-hit scoreless innings. [1] He would go on to pitch in a total of three games for the A's,giving up 5 runs in 9 innings. [2] On May 9,1984,Bettendorf was traded back to the Mets for a conditional pick and immediately optioned to the Double-A Jackson Mets. He would not return to the majors.
After a severe elbow injury in 1986 while pitching for the Double-A Columbus Astros,Bettendorf returned in 1987 to play with the Double-A Birmingham Barons,where he became a submarine pitcher,going 9–1 in 43 appearances (all in relief). That season he was named to the Southern League All-Star team (despite only 2 saves and a 4.55 ERA) and helped the Barons to the Southern League Championship series win before retiring from professional baseball. [3] Advancing through primarily the Mets strong minor league organization of the late 70's/early 80's,Bettendorf earned five Minor League Championship rings and three Minor League All-Star selections over his career.
