So, while he remains open to an immediate opportunity, he believes if his career is going to resume, it probably will not happen until next spring. [65] On August 3, 2011, Kipnis became the first Indians second baseman to hit a home run in four consecutive games, and the only Indian other than former Indians MVP Al Rosen to do so in his rookie year. "[48] Writer John Sickels said Kipnis is "quite strong and has plenty of bat speed. If you ask me if I want to go to the cage or if I want to go play 18, my answer is go play 18. Former Cleveland Guardians second baseman Jason Kipnis has announced his retirement from professional baseball. Kipnis was unable to secure a spot on Atlanta's Opening Day roster after he hit .241 with one home run and three RBI in 12 spring games this year. . [4][40] His big game was voted second in the 2010 Fans Choice "Best Game" Minor League Baseball Yearly Awards. Language. Kipnis is not in the lineup Wednesday against Cleveland. in WAR (4.8) and average, 2nd in hits and 1st in times on base (161)The turning point of the season was moving to the lead-off spot on April 26 as he hit lead-off for virtually the remainder of the yearFor the year in the #1 spot he batted .311 (153-492) with 27 2B, 6 3B, 6 HR, 37 RBI and 81 runs scored (42 BB, .385 OB/.861OPS)From May 9 thru the end of the season he batted .312 (140-449) with 39 2B, 6 3B, 6 HR, 40 RBI and 72 runs in 113 gamesHe had a solid year defensively, compiling a UZR of 4.3 with a .987 fielding pct and 1 defensive run saved in his 124 starts at second base (7E, 521TC, 5th-best fielding pct in A.L. Kipnis will start at second base and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Twins. He spent all season with the Braves Triple-A Gwinnett affiliate, waiting for a callup that never came. He's not someone a contender would want to turn to for everyday at-bats at this stage of his career, but he should be a capable backup and injury fill-in as long as he ages gracefully. It was a forgone conclusion once the Cleveland Indians signed Cesar Hernandez to play second base in . He was only behind Ty Cobb and Al Simmons. The steady, stoic right-hander, who struck out nine in a dominant performance in Game One, improved to 4-1 with a 0.89 ERA in five play-off starts this year. He has two older brothers, Blair and Todd. from July 9-August 5 and August 23-Sept. [47], Baseball Prospectus 2011 reported that Kipnis was "a compact athlete who works the count, and consistently barrels up balls with enough power for 1520 home runs annually in the big leagues. . [74] He was also named the American League Player of the Month for June. The 35-year-old Kipnis last played in 2021, when he was a member of the Atlanta organization. If Kipnis had just stayed healthy, he might have found his way onto the Braves roster last season. The fieldhouse, a place where local youth play basketball and train for baseball, is not the type of building where major leaguers condition themselves to play 162 games. An All-Star selection in 2013 and 2015, Kipnis' OPS declined in three successive years prior to just a slight improvement this year to .715. But Jason Kipnis always felt uniquely Cleveland's. Whether he was doing his annual shoe toss after the season, or flashing a smile after making a diving play at second base, it was clear he. I thought I could have helped the team more than they were. Cleveland did not win the Series at all. First, I asked Kipnis what it meant as a hometown kid to be linked like that with Ruth, and he laughed, saying, Everything. Then, after he talked about the homer, I popped the bigger question: You grew up coming to games here. [37] He hit .311 for the Aeros and won the Aeros Player of the Week Award twice. Youve got all these people, familiar faces and teachers in the crowd, and youre being called a traitor in the on-deck circle, he recalled. Two-time All-Star second baseman Jason Kipnis, who played nine of his 10 seasons in Cleveland, officially announced his retirement Monday. Joe Jackson, 49, 1913)Was also just the 16th player (3rd-ever in May) in MLB history with a month of at least 50 hits, 30 runs and a 1.200 OPSWas just the 11th Indians player since 1914 with at least 51 hits in a month and the first since Roberto Alomar (Sept. [27][72], In the 2013 season Kipnis continued to improve over his 2012 performance, winning the Player of the Week honor twice in the month of June. Thats a good example of him just kind of making fun of a ridiculous situation, something that should have been awesome.. Cleveland Indians placed 2B Jason Kipnis on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to August 14, 2011. Abraham Almonte, a backup with Cleveland while Kipnis was a starter from 2015 to 2017, had a 1.176 OPS when he was promoted from Triple A on May 31. [4][8][9][32], The Cleveland Indians drafted Kipnis in the second round (63rd overall) of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft, and he received a signing bonus of $575,000. Heyward has been one of the better hitters on the Cubs this season while playing solid in right field. [5] He also played football there in 2003 and 2004. Champagne is probably a good way to reward yourself for making a play on the baseball diamond. So, what would it have been like for Kipnis to win the World Series at Wrigley Field? His older sister Amanda played softball at the University of Maryland. Kipnis announced Monday via his personal Twitter account that he has retired from professional baseball. While it's not clear precisely why he's out, it doesn't appear as though he'll be out for too much longer. In 2008, Kipnis batted .371 with 14 home runs and 73 runs batted in. [20], After two years at the University of Kentucky, Kipnis transferred to Arizona State University. [16] In December 2004, the Pioneer Press sports staff selected Kipnis as a member of its "2004 North Stars", the all-star football team for the Central Suburban League's North Division. He finished second in the league with 24 stolen bases in 28 attempts. 6-keys: media/spln/mlb/reg/free/playerprofiles, Kik Hernndez recounts on-field bathroom accident, Phillies top prospect Andrew Painter has tender elbow, Max Scherzer fools hitter with new pitch clock rules, Report: Padres looking to extend Juan Soto, Josh Hader, Four international prospects to watch in the WBC, MLB rumors: Mets add Pillar to outfield for 2021. "To Cleveland, thank you for being you," said Kipnis. July 8, 2009: Collected his first Major League hit on July 25 vs. the LA Angels, a walk-off 9th inning game-winner off Hisanori TakahashiOnly Indian since the RBI became an official statistic to produce his first MLB hit in walk-off fashion (Elias) and just the 5th MLB player since 2002 to do itHit his first Major League home run on July 31 off Kansas City's Danny DuffyHomered in an Indians season-high 4 straight games from July 31-August 3, equaling the club record for HR in consecutive games by a Rookie (Al Rosen, June 1950)Was the first player in major-league history to homer in four consecutive games within two weeks of his debut and first Indians batter with HR in 4 straight since Travis Hafner in August 2006First Indians 2B to HR in 4 straight games in 111-year history of franchiseLast rookie with HR in 4 straight games, PIT OF Garrett Jones 2009Last MLB batter to HR in 4 straight w/in first 10 games of his MLB career was Graig Nettles in 1968 with Minnesota (ELIAS)Went 5 for 5 w/4RS, HR, 2B & 3RBI on August 10 vs. Detroit, becoming the first Indians rookie and 14th overall since 1920 to collect 5hits, 4RS & 3RBI in the same game2nd Indian ever w/6HR in first 16 career games (Luis Medina, 1988)Did not play from August 13-17 with a strained right oblique and was in the lineup of August 18 at Chicago-AL before injuring his right hamstring in pre-game stretching and was placed on the 15-day DL the next dayWas on the 15-day DL from August 13-September 5Upon activation hit .265 (18-68) with 5 2B, 1HR & 8RBI in 18 games the last month of the seasonMade 34 starts (36G) at second base and compiled a fielding % of .963 (164TC, 6E)Hit .294 (33-116) with 8 2B, 7HR & 18RBI in 28 starts when batting 2nd in the order (.901OPS). For Kipnis, the timing for a promotion never was right. [12][14] As a senior in 2004, Kipnis had 49 pass receptions for 956 yards and 10 touchdowns. Right hamstring strain. [8][51] Baseball America initially ranked him as the 54th-best prospect in baseball, the second-best second base prospect and the second-best prospect in the Indians organization. Kipnis is dealing with an undisclosed minor injury, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports. He had rooted his entire life for the Cubs to break the Curse of the Billy Goat. On July 17, 2020, Kipnis was selected to the 40-man roster. Obviously, I saw him away from his time in Cleveland. Kipnis, a two-time All-Star, made a particularly strong impression on Cronenworth, 28, and Hoerner, 25, both of whom are also middle infielders. But he admits to being conflicted during the teams march to the Series title. Cleveland Indians placed 2B Jason Kipnis on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to August 2, 2015. David Bote receives the start at the keystone for the Cubs. A fan pointed out on Twitter how surprising it is to see Kipnis in Cubbie Blue a few years later, and the 33-year-old's reaction was nothing short of genuine. [62][63], Kipnis made his major league debut on July 22, 2011, starting at second base against the Chicago White Sox. Finished T -4th on the team with 61 runs scoredHit his last home run on July 31 and did not homer over his season's final 48 games (186 at bats). Nico Hoerner will start at second base once again. Ive never really come up for air to kind of examine it or give myself any credit, Kipnis said. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs. of .411 (60/146,.911 OPS) against right-handed relievers Hit a combined .230 (14-61) in the Postseason with 3 2B, 4 HR, 8 RBI and 9 runs over all 15 games.His 4 HR were third-most in Indians Postseason history behind Thome (6 1998) and S. Alomar (5 in 1997)Joined Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx in game 4 of WS at Chicago as only players w/3-run WS HR in Wrigley Field. [4][8][27] While Kipnis appeared to be a good prospect as an outfielder, the Indians saw his potential as a second baseman. At the age of 32, Kipnis probably will continue his big-league career next season. On February 18, 2020, Kipnis signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs. Atlanta decided to keep guys who werent producing. [40] At the same time, Kipnis made a successful conversion to second base.[4][41]. He's now batting .273 with an .887 OPS and has provided the Cubs with a boost while the likes of Kris Bryant and Javier Baez have performed below their usual standards. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: mlb | pageType: profiles | Editor's note: This story is part of the Cleveland Baseball Countdown, a series of 30 features on the club's 30 best players of the past 30 years. Jason Kipnis' girlfriend Samantha Korb is a fitness expert. The following year, long story short, I needed a place to play," said Kipnis, was transferred to Arizona State from Kentucky after the 2008 season. [1][9][17] In February of that year, Kipnis was awarded Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week honors. [1] He also established school records for career receptions and receiving yards. . He would be activated on August 6 but would continue to feel discomfort in the hamstring. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 2020 Topps Update #U-158 Jason Kipnis Chicago Cubs at the best online prices at eBay! He last appeared in MLB with the Chicago Cubs in 2020, and has played in the. [4] An All-Conference wide receiver,[1][5][13] Kipnis set single-season school records for receptions, yards, and touchdowns. But his first injury occurred in early April, during extended spring training. I mean, here's this little infielder and they put him in the fifth spot What's that about? Grew up in suburban ChicagoHis favorite team was the Chicago BullsIdolized Michael JordanHis favorite baseball player was Ken Griffey, JrIn 2014, was a charter member of the Taylor Hooton Foundations Advisory Board of active major-league playersThe non-profit is widely acknowledged as the leader in the advocacy against the use of performance- and appearance-enhancing drugs by the youth of AmericaThroughout his career, has been very active in the communityHas hosted military personnel at games and has worked with youth baseball campsWas Clevelands 2012 nominee for the Roberto Clemente AwardPlayed three seasons collegiately for the University of Kentucky and Arizona State University as an outfielderRedshirted with UK in 2006, and played for them in 2007 before transferring to ASUIn 2008, was the Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year, First Team All-Pac-10 and a Third Team All-American by Baseball America Following the season, was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the fourth round, but opted to return to collegeIn his final collegiate season, 2009, was the Pac-10 Player of the Year, hitting .384 with 21 doubles, 16 home runs and 71 RBI in 63 gamesEarned First Team All-America honors by Baseball America and Collegiate BaseballGraduated from Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook, Ill., where he played baseball and footballEarned First Team All-State honors on the diamondStarred as a wide receiver on the football teamSet school records for catches, yards and touchdowns in a season, and received All-Conference honors. Whether it is his shoulder or neck or something else, there are . They won all three, by scores of 3-2, 9-3 and, following a momentum-shifting, 17-minute rain delay in Game 7, 8-7 in 10 innings. Cleveland Indians placed 2B Jason Kipnis on the 10-day disabled list. [Hector Gmez] "David Ortz: The Latino country (Dominican Republic) that produces the most baseball players doesn't have a stadium that can be approved by MLB so they can play games in the Dominican Republic during the regular season, we are embarrassing." My five days of hitting have turned into two, Kipnis said. An undisclosed injury cost Kipnis several games last week, but he's since returned to start two games in a row. He attended the University of Kentucky, but transferred to Arizona State University after two years. On February 15, 2021, Kipnis signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves organization that included an invitation to Spring Training. He continues to work out with Shane Wallen, the Cubs former strength and conditioning coach who is still in Chicago. [3][9][31] Rivals.com rated Kipnis the number one outfielder in the nation. Chicago Cubs signed free agent 2B Jason Kipnis to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. 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