Bucknell University Athletics
Former Bison Pitcher Eric Junge Signs with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees
5/18/2007 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
Junge's Up-to-Date Statistics
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees' Web Site
May 18, 2007
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Former Bison pitcher Eric Junge, who began the 2007 season with the Bridgeport Bluefish of the Atlantic League, recently signed with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, the triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. Junge, a 1999 Bucknell graduate, made his debut on the mound this past Wednesday and picked up a victory for the Yankees against the Norfolk Tides.
In his outing against his former club, Junge went 5.1 innings and surrendered five runs, four earned, on five hits with two walks and one strikeout. While in the New York Mets' farm system during the 2005 season, Junge went 10-8 for Norfolk with a 3.80 ERA over 26 appearances.
This marks Junge's second stint with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as he originally played for the Northeast Pennsylvania club in 2002 as a member of the Red Barons, the triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies at the time. While with the Red Barons, he posted a 12-6 record and appeared in 29 games, throwing 180.2 innings and striking out 126.
On Sept. 10, 2002, Junge was called up by the 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. Junge was injured for much of the 2004 season but spent time with the Red Barons and the Clearwater Threshers, throwing in 45.1 innings with 33 strikeouts.
Junge began his professional career in 1999 after being drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 11th round of the free agent draft. Junge was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies following a highly successful 2001 season for the Jacksonville (Fla.) Suns, the Dodgers' double-A affiliate, that saw him start 27 games and post a 10-11 record to go with a 3.46 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 164.0 innings pitched.
Most recently, Junge signed with the San Diego Padres in November of 2005 and spent the 2006 season with the squad's triple-A affiliate, the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League. Over 71.2 innings, Junge went 4-5 with the Beavers and recorded 61 strikeouts and a 5.15 ERA.
