Team USA -- 2007 IBAF World Cup Champions (Jeff Karstens is front row, dead center in front of flag, with No. 1 finger)

UPDATE (11-18-07) -- Karstens pitched 7 innings to gain the victory over Korea, 3-1, in the quarterfinals. The USA then defeated The Netherlands, 5-0, and Cuba, 6-3, to claim the IBAF world championship. It was the first USA victory in this event in 33 years. MORE HERE.

IBAF World Cup, Nov. 6-18, 2007 Official Website HERE -- WATCH LIVE

From USA Baseball.com TAIPEI, China (11-13-07) -- New York Yankees pitcher CHIEN-MING WANG played host to his Yankees teammate JEFF KARSTENS on the off day yesterday (Nov.12). Wang, along with his wife and bodyguard, took Karstens to the BEYONCE concert in Taipei. The group was followed by a few carloads of fans the entire 2-hour trip from Taichung to Taipei. Wang's wife also gave Karstens a box of Sun Cakes, a delicious Taiwan pastry for the entire team to share.

Karstens spins shutout for Team USA

Jeff Karstens Game 1 starter for Team USA

© East County Sports.com
TAICHUNG, China (10-8-07) -- Former Grossmont College standout and Mount Miguel alum JEFF KARSTENS, a property of the New York Yankees, tossed six innings of shutout ball Wednesday (Nov. 7), leading Team USA to a 3-0 blanking of Mexico in the opening game of the IBAF World Cup of Baseball.

Karstens struck out five batters, yielding just five singles and a walk to gain the pitching victory. Three relievers followed to complete the blanking in the 7-hitter, moving the USA to the top of Pool A of the two-week competition.

On Thursday (Nov. 8) (Wednesday night in San Diego), also at Intercontinental Stadium, Team USA moved its record to 2-0 following a 7-0 blanking of Panama. The other teams in the group include Chinese Taipei, Japan, Italy, Spain and South Africa.

© East County Sports.com
NEW YORK (11-1-07) -- Former Grossmont College star and current pitcher for the New York Yankees JEFF KARSTENS will represent the United States at the 2007 International Baseball Federation (IBAF) World Cup, to be held in Taiwan, Nov. 6-18. And he'll get the baseball as the starting pitcher in Team USA's opener against Mexico on Wednesday (Nov. 8).

The Team USA roster, of which the 25-year-old Karstens is a member, is comprised of professional, non-25-man roster players from the 30 Major League organizations.

Karstens, who was a catcher known more for his bat at Mount Miguel High, posted a 2-1 record with a 3.80 ERA in eight games (six starts) with the Yankees in 2006.

In 2007, the 6-foot-3, 185-pound Karstens suffered a fractured right fibula on his first pitch against the World Champion Boston Red Sox April 28 in a nationally televised game in Yankee Stadium. Karstens was struck by a line drive off the bat of Julio Lugo and never seemed to be the same after that. Spending much of the season on the DL and in the minor leagues, Karstens major league stats were unimpressive.

He hopes this international competition will help prove to the Yankees that he is back on his game.

East County Sports.com
ANAHIEM (8-27-06) -- Receiving just a bit more assistance from the bullpen then in his Major League debut earlier in the week, New York Yankees rookie right-hander JEFF KARSTENS (Mount Miguel High/Grossmont College) earned his initial Major League victory Sunday (Aug.26), helping the Yankees outlast the Los Angeles Angels, 11-8, avoiding a sweep of the three-game series,

Pitching before more than 50 relatives and friends as part of a sellout crowd at Angel Stadium, Karstens allowed just three runs and six hits over six innings, leaving the ballgame with an 11-3 lead. In his debut, Karstens left with a 5-3 lead over Seattle, but the Mariners burned New York releivers for 6-5 triumph.

"I'm just trying to soak it all in right now," Karstens said to the media following his winning effort. "I wasn't too nervous. I was kind of relaxed and was just trying to be myself and not try to do too much because that's when I usually get in trouble."

The Angels hit Karstens for two runs in the third and one in the fourth, but the rookie got a double play to end the fourth, then set down the next six Angels hitters he faced before turning the game over to the bullpen.

"Karstens was terrific," said Yankees manager Joe Torre. "He got the last six outs, which were huge for us."

A pair of relievers were burned for four runs, but Mariano Rivera tossed the final two innings to close out the contest.

East County Sports.com
SEATTLE (8-22-06) -- A month shy of his 24th birthday, former Mount Miguel High/Grossmont College product JEFF KARSTENS was placed in a position rarely extended to someone of such youth on the New York Yankees.

Instead of Yankees general manager Brian Cashman completing a deal for a veteran pitcher near the trade deadline, the Bombers summoned Karstens from their Triple-A affiliate in Columbus (Ohio) to fill a void in the pitching rotation. And Karstens was on hand when the Yankees swept a five-game series over Boston at Fenway Park. He warmed up twice, but never got into a game.

A 19th-round draft pick out of Texas Tech in 2003, Karstens made his major league debut against the Seattle Mariners Tuesday night (Aug. 22) at Safeco Park.

The 6-foot-3 right-hander overcame early nerves to give exactly what Yankees manager Joe Torre needed -- innings pitched.

With his father in the stands looking on, Karstens got off to a rocky start. He promptly allowed a two-run homer to Adrian Beltre in the 1st inning to fall behind 2-0. He later allowed a booming home run to Richie Sexson that tied the score 3-3 at the time.

Karstens' totals improved as the contest went on, retiring 10 Mariners in a row following Sexson's 27th home run. After Jose Lopez's two-out single in the 6th, Karstens' work was finished as Torre went to the bullpen. Karstens left with a 5-3 lead, but was denied the win when the weary New York 'pen folded down the stretch.

Beltre eventually hit a walk-off homer in the 9th off reliever Ron Villone for the game-winner in a 6-5 victory that snapped Seattle's 11-game losing streak.

Karstens, who gained 12 outs on fly balls, allowed six hits, walked two and struck out a pair against the Mariners.

The rookie split time between Double-A Trenton, where he was 6-0 with a 2.31 earned run average in 11 starts; and Columbus, where he went 5-5 with a 4.28 in 14 appearances. Demoted to Trenton from May to July after going 0-5 at Columbus at the beginning of the season, the rising Karstens is slated to start Sunday (Aug. 27) at Anaheim against the Angels.

East County Sports.com
BOSTON (8-20-06) -- JEFF KARSTENS was an excellent hitter (.341) and talented catcher his senior season at Mount Miguel High in 2000. He doubled as a pitcher with a 7-3 record that included a save and a 2.91 ERA in 57 2/3 innings for the Matadors.

Now, after less than three seasons in the minor leagues, the 23-year-old right-hander has donned New York Yankees pinstripes and finds himself in the middle of a crucial five-game series against the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park.

"He's been doing real well; we were very close to bringing him to start Friday night," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "I just decided that I'd rather go with the experience rather than someone who had never been to Fenway."

However, Karstens could get a start here on the West Coast this week, as the Bronx Bombers continue an 11-game roadtrip in Seattle (Aug. 22-24) and Anaheim (Aug. 25-27). Karstens earned his shot in the Majors after splitting his time between Double-A Trenton and Triple A Columbus this season, posting an 11-5 record with a 3.29 ERA in 147 innings prior to his call up.

Karstens received word around 1:30 a.m. EDT Saturday (Aug. 19) that he was being called up, and flew to Boston first thing Saturday morning, arriving at Fenway Park around 9:30 a.m. Within hours Karstenswas added to the 40-man roster after his contract was purchased from the Clippers.

"I was kind of shocked," Karstens said. "I didn't know what to think. I tried to call my family, but the only person who believed me was my best friend."

Karstens' role with the Yankees is unknown but he could start Monday's (Aug. 21) final game of a five-game series at Boston.

Few professional scouts paid attention to Karstens' numbers out of high school, although the Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals) did spend an economical 45th round draft pick on Mount Miguel's double-threat, who led the county in complete games while posting a 7-3 record with a save and a 2.91 earned-run average during his senior year in 2000, earning a first-team berth on the All-East County team.

Nothing came of that overture as Karstens elected to attend Grossmont College.

The 6-foot-3 right-hander came into his own at Grossmont College (2001-02) where then head coach ED OLSEN insisted that Karstens give up his bat to focus his full attention on pitching. where he was 16-4 with a 2.45 ERA in 2001-02. He later posted an 8-4 record in his one season (2003) at Texas Tech, the same school which produced current San Diego Padres catcher JOSH BARD.

Olsen has made similar requests to former big leaguers JOE KENNEDY, TOM FORDHAM and MATT HENSLEY to name a few. All three have reached the major leagues.

The Yankees selected Karstens in the 19th round of the 2003 draft and seem to believe they got a bargain the for the $45,000 signing bonus.