Bucknell University Athletics
ERIC JUNGE '99
6/23/2006 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
In 1999, Eric Junge was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 11th round of the free agent draft.
After a highly successful 2001 season for the Jacksonville (Fla.) Suns, the Dodgers' AA affiliate, Junge was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Starting 27 games for Jacksonville, Junge finished the year with a 10-11 record to go with a 3.46 ERA with 116 strikeouts in 164.0 innings pitched.
Once in the Phillies organization in 2002, Junge began playing for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Pa.) Red Barons, a Phillies AAA affiliate. He recorded a 12-6 record and appeared in 29 games, throwing 180.2 innings and 126 strikeouts, allowing 170 hits.
On Sept. 10, 2002, Junge was called up by the Philadelphia Phillies and made his debut against the Florida Marlins a day later, becoming the first Bucknellian to appear in a major league baseball game since Bob Keegan's six-year pitching career ended with the Chicago White Sox in 1958.
In four appearances, covering 12 2/3 innings, Junge had an impressive 1.42 earned run average, allowing two earned runs on 14 hits and five walks, striking out 11. He finished the 2002 season with a 2-0 record.
In 2003, Junge threw 7 2/3 innings for the big club with a 3.52 ERA over six games, with five strikeouts, five hits, three runs and a walk. For the Red Barons, Junge had a 1-0 record in 10 games over 47 innings. He had 42 strikeouts and surrendered 38 hits with 16 walks and 20 runs, 16 earned.
During the 2004 season, Junge spent time with the Red Barons and the Clearwater Threshers. Junge threw in 45.1 innings on the season with 33 strikeouts.
In 2005, Junge was signed by the New York Mets and enjoyed a successful season with the triple-A Norfolk Tides. As a starting pitcher, he won 10 games and had 114 strikeouts in 125 innings of work. He started 22 games and recorded a 3.80 ERA. In November, Junge signed with the San Diego Padres and reported to Major League spring training before being assigned to the Triple-A Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League.
Junge spent time with both the Bridgeport Bluefish of the Atlantic League, and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, the triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, in 2007. Junge made eight appearances while with the Yankees, starting four contests. He compiled a record of 3-1 with a 5.16 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 29.2 innings of work.
In 2009, Junge was a member of the Lancaster Barnstormers of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He was named the league's Pitcher of the Month after going 4-1 with a 1.73 ERA in June. Shortly after earning the award he signed with the Hanwah Eagles of the Korean League.
