Ep 131: Veteran reliever Dan Jennings
From sophomore C-teamer to Big Leaguer
This week’s Moonlighter knows how to find a way to win. After two state titles in high school, Dan Jennings walked on and played three years for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. That knack for finding a way to get it done has kept him in professional baseball since being drafted in 2009. Jennings is back in West Des Moines while preparing for his next opportunity and took some time to sit down with a fellow former Waterloo Buck.
If I got to play in college, I would be really happy
Tim and Dan Jennings first crossed in 2007 in the Northwoods League when they both played for the Waterloo Bucks. Jennings came to the Bucks from the University of Nebraska where he walked on to the program. In spite of being on two state title teams at Valley High School, Jennings didn’t get a lot of exposure and wasn’t really recruited. With some help from his dad and a few VHS tapes, Nebraska wanted him to walk on.
It was never about the big leagues
Jennings goal was to improve his game each year to keep up with the competition. Originally, Dan was being recruited by Central College, but once he committed to Nebraska, he knew he was taking a big step up by joining a national championship-caliber program. His time at Nebraska wasn’t specifically about getting drafted but it was about being the best that he could be. That approach has severed him well at each step of his career. Once he was drafted by the Marlins in 2009, Jennings has remained focused on taking advantage of each opportunity. After making his debut in the majors in 2012, Jennings spent 2 more years with the Marlins before spending 3 quality seasons with the White Sox.
Jennings has pitched almost 350 innings and has 17 wins on his record in stints with Miami, Chicago, Milwaukee, Tampa Bay, and starting the 2019 season with the Washington Nationals. Dan Jennings is currently preparing for his next big-league opportunity since being released by the Yankees in August. And based on his track record, we know this Moonlighter will make the most out of that shot when it comes.
Every listener to this podcast knows that a game of catch is rarely just a game of catch. Playing catch is an opportunity to connect with someone, whether you spend that time in conversation or just listening to the pop of the ball hitting the leather. Few understand this more than this week’s guest, Kevin Negaard. Negaard’s journey is nearing his goal of 365 consecutive days of catch. This endeavor has connected him with hundreds of partners, has spanned two continents, and led to two injections in his shoulder.