| Jermaine Van Buren | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Relief pitcher | |
| Born: (1980-07-02)July 2, 1980 (age 44) Laurel, Mississippi | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 31, 2005, for the Chicago Cubs | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 19, 2006, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 1-2 |
| Earned run average | 9.00 |
| Strikeouts | 11 |
| CPBL statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 6–4 |
| Earned run average | 2.06 |
| Strikeouts | 97 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Jermaine Russell Van Buren (born July 2, 1980) is a formerpitcher inMajor League Baseball. He played for theChicago Cubs in 2005 and theBoston Red Sox in 2006.
Van Buren graduated from Hattiesburg High School, where he earnedMississippi Player of the Year honors in 1998 as a senior.
He was named to the 1998ABCA/Rawlings High School All-America Third Team.[1]
He was drafted in the 2nd round of the1998 Major League Baseball draft by theColorado Rockies.
Van Buren spent four years playing Single-A baseball for the Rockies before being released in2003 and signing with theFort Worth Cats of the independentCentral Baseball League.
He would get a second shot at the major leagues when theChicago Cubs signed him as afree agent in2004. He would quickly go from being a low-ranked prospect to becoming part of the Cubs Triple-A team inIowa.
In2005, he finished second in thePacific Coast League with 25saves and posted up a 1.98ERA with 65strikeouts in 542⁄3innings pitched before receive a late call-up to the majors. He appeared in six games for the Cubs, ending with a 0-2 record, a 3.00 ERA, ninewalks, and six strikeouts in 6.0 innings. At the end of the season, he was dealt by Chicago to theBoston Red Sox in exchange for minor leagueoutfielder Matt Ciaramella.
In2006, Van Buren was called up whenDavid Wells went on thedisabled list and made his Red Sox debut against theToronto Blue Jays on April 21. He was optioned to Triple-APawtucket a day later, and was recalled by Boston on May 24. Van Buren was optioned to Pawtucket June 19, but would return once again on July 28.
He was signed by theWashington Nationals to a minor league deal on November 7, 2006.
On December 3, 2006, he debuted with theCriollos de Caguas (Caguas Creoles)[usurped] in the Puerto Rico Winter Professional baseball, as aclosing pitcher.
On June 26,2007, theOakland Athletics acquired Van Buren from the Nationals for a player to be named later. In2008, he joinedCPBL'sLa New Bears in Taiwan.
While playing for the Red Sox in 2006 he married the love of his life, Tiffany Suther. In the off-season, he teaches baseball at Amarillo Baseball Academy.