Kenley Jansen gets promoted
It's been a whirlwind 14 months for Kenley Jansen.
In March of 2009, the native of the Netherlands Antilles was the starting catcher for the Netherlands team in the World Baseball Classic. He began the 2009 regular season with the 66ers and quickly became known as a catcher with a strong throwing arm, but no offense.
By midseason, Jansen had been converted to a hard-throwing pitcher and showed a lot of promise. He returned to the 66ers for 2010 and quickly proved he had outgrown the California League. He was 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 18 innings this season, showing a mid-90s fastball.
After the Sixers' 10th straight loss on Friday, Jansen was promoted to Double-A Chattanooga.
It was well-deserved. I would not be surprised to see Jansen in the big leagues by September.
About Pete
Pete Marshall Pete Marshall has been covering sports in the Inland Empire, including the California League, since 1991. Since 2005, he has served as the beat reporter for both the Inland Empire 66ers and Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.
Email Pete here
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