Born: (1961-03-25) March 25, 1961 (age 63) West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
July 23, 1984, for the Texas Rangers
Last MLB appearance
September 14, 1992, for the Chicago Cubs
MLB statistics
Batting average
.221
Home runs
18
Runs batted in
73
Teams
Texas Rangers (1984–1991)
Chicago Cubs (1992)
Jeffrey William Kunkel (born March 25, 1961[1]) is an American former shortstop in Major League Baseball with the Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs.
The son of the late American League pitcher and umpire Bill Kunkel,[2] after receiving All-American honors as a shortstop, he was chosen in the first round (3rd overall) of the 1983 Major League Baseball Draft[2] out of Rider University.
Growing up in the Leonardo section of Middletown Township, New Jersey,[3] Kunkel was an all-around athlete who participated in soccer, basketball and baseball during his high school years at Middletown High School South in New Jersey.[4] He was selected as #74 of the top 100 Jersey Shore athletes of the millennium by the Asbury Park Press in 1999.
Kunkel reached the big leagues quickly, but never developed into a full-time player. The Rangers gave him the opportunity to win the starting shortstop position, but he was always thwarted by his hitting stats and obstacles such as Curtis Wilkerson, Scott Fletcher, Fred Manrique, Gary Green, and Jeff Huson.
Plagued with numerous potential career-ending injuries, Kunkel worked hard to rehabilitate himself to finish an 11-year professional baseball career with 5½ years in the major leagues.
A versatile player with the ability to play 8 of the 9 positions on the field, he actually pitched three times in mop-up stints.[1]
^ ab"Jeff Kunkel". www.retrosheet.org.
^ abCharlton, James; Shatzkin, Mike; Holtje, Stephen (1990). The Ballplayers: baseball's ultimate biographical reference. New York: Arbor House/William Morrow. pp. 592. ISBN 0-87795-984-6.
^Alfano, Peter. "Players; Enduring Triple A And A Painful Loss", The New York Times, June 11, 1985. Accessed February 3, 2008. "He joked about the bonus that Jeff would sign, comparing it to his own miserly wages as a ballplayer. He enjoyed answering the telephone at the family's home in Leonardo, N.J., where scouts would call regularly."
^Jeff Kunkel, The Baseball Cube. Accessed February 3, 2008.
Fletcher, Fred Manrique, Gary Green, and Jeff Huson. Plagued with numerous potential career-ending injuries, Kunkel worked hard to rehabilitate himself to...
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Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts Julio Franco, Silver Slugger Award, 1989 Jeff Russell, Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award 1989 Nolan Ryan, American League...
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Buechele 42 Scott Coolbaugh 14 Julio Franco 57 Gary Green 9 Jeff Huson 20 JeffKunkel 25 Rafael Palmeiro Outfielders 3 Harold Baines 18 Kevin Belcher...
2005, Kansas City Royals, 11th Kyle Bohm, 2005, Toronto Blue Jays, 16th JeffKunkel, 2005, Detroit Tigers, 37th Derek Feldkamp, 2004, Toronto Blue Jays,...
named later. The Blue Jays completed the deal by sending Matt Williams and Jeff Mays (minors) to the Rangers on August 29, and Greg Ferlenda (minors) to...
Comeback Player of the Year 1965 LF Danny Napoleon New York Mets 1984 SS JeffKunkel Texas Rangers Drafted 3rd overall in 1983, Rider's highest draft pick...
was originally a jug band featuring guitarist and vocalist Jeff Hanna, guitarists Bruce Kunkel, Ralph Barr and Dave Hanna, bassist and guitarist Les Thompson...
Jim Anderson 2 Alan Bannister 25 Buddy Bell 12 Dave Hostetler 20,46 JeffKunkel 9 Pete O'Brien 2 Mike Richardt 1 Bill Stein 3 Wayne Tolleson 19 Curtis...
Calderón March 20 – Kuo Tai-yuan March 24 – Ron Robinson March 25 – JeffKunkel March 26 – Kevin Seitzer March 29 – Billy Beane April 1 – Rich Amaral...
Stanley Infielders 8 Jerry Browne 22 Steve Buechele 1 Scott Fletcher 20 JeffKunkel 9 Pete O'Brien 41 Tom O'Malley 44 Tom Paciorek 15 Larry Parrish 3 Greg...
Sundberg Infielders 8 Jerry Browne 22 Steve Buechele 1 Scott Fletcher 20 JeffKunkel 9 Pete O'Brien 19 Curtis Wilkerson Outfielders 33 Bob Brower 6 Cecil...
1986: Randy Kramer was traded by the Rangers to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Jeff Zaske. Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg...
MLB first baseman (Siena) Miguel Jimenez, former MLB pitcher (Fordham) JeffKunkel, former MLB player; 3rd overall pick of the 1983 MLB Draft by the Texas...
California, United States, by singer-guitarist Jeff Hanna and singer-songwriter-guitarist Bruce Kunkel, who had performed as the New Coast Two and later...
bio The Orioles' Minor League Coordination staff consists of: Field: JeffKunkel Infield: Tim DeJohn Complex Instruction: Matt Packer Upper-Level Hitting:...
producer best known for his work on Cobra Kai and Hot Tub Time Machine. JeffKunkel (born 1962), former MLB shortstop who played for the Texas Rangers and...
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