Casey Janssen
Robert Casey Janssen (born September 17, 1981) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched for two seasons in various levels of the Toronto Blue Jays' minor league organization before his debut in 2006 as a starting pitcher. Janssen was moved to the bullpen as a middle reliever and spot starter from 2007 to 2011, and in 2012 he was put in the closing role. Janssen also played for the Washington Nationals. High school career Janssen was born in Orange, California, and raised in Huntington Beach, California, graduating from Fountain Valley High School in Fountain Valley, California. At Fountain Valley, Janssen was a three-year letter winner, and set single-season records at the school for home runs (12), RBIs (44), and triples (5). In his senior season, Janssen also pitched 40 innings with a 2.12 ERA and had 56 strikeouts. College career Janssen attended University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he played college baseball for the UCLA Bruins baseball team. In his first season, Janssen pitched as a fourth starter and long reliever, and held a record of 2–3 with a 5.57 ERA, but excelled in relief appearances, and also went 2–9 with a home run as a pinch hitter. In his second season, Janssen played first base and was a starter, finishing the season with a 4.06 ERA and a strikeout-walk ratio of 2.0 before an injury prematurely ended his season. During his junior season, Janssen went 6–6 with a 5.88 ERA and 73 strikeouts, while also making appearances at first base and as a designated hitter. Janssen was the number one starter for his senior season, and went 10-4 with a 3.16 ERA. Professional career Toronto Blue Jays 2006–2010 The Toronto Blue Jays selected Janssen out of UCLA in the fourth round of the 2004 draft. He made his professional debut for the Low-A Auburn Doubledays, posting a 3-1 record and 3.48 ERA in 10 games. He split the 2005 season between the Single-A Lansing Lugnuts, the High-A Dunedin Blue Jays, and the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, recording a cumulative 13-4 record and 2.18 ERA with 136 strikeouts in 148.2 innings of work. He began the 2006 season with the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs. When an injury to A. J. Burnett created an opening in the Blue Jays' rotation, Janssen was promoted from Syracuse and made his major-league debut against the Baltimore Orioles on April 27, 2006. Janssen won his first two games against the Los Angeles Angels, both times posting solid outings, allowing fewer than three hits over seven innings each. In , with multiple injuries to the Blue Jays rotation and bullpen, Janssen made a move to the bullpen and performed very well as the set-up man for interim closer Jeremy Accardo. He led the bullpen in innings pitched, and was second in team saves with six. Janssen established himself as one of the best in the Toronto Blue Jays bullpen as well as in the American League. Janssen missed the entire 2008 season with