Justin Christian

Infobox MLB player
name=Justin Christian


width=
position= Outfielder
team=New York Yankees
number=17
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1980|4|03
birthplace=city-state|Lincoln|Nebraska
debutdate=June 24
debutyear=2008
debutteam=New York Yankees
statyear=2008 season
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.250
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=0
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=6
stat4label=Runs scored
stat4value=6
stat5label=On-base plus slugging
stat5value=.627
teams=
*New York Yankees (by|2008-present)

Justin Barnett Christian (born April 3, 1980 in Lincoln, Nebraska) is a Major League Baseball left fielder for the New York Yankees.

Baseball career

Christian started out his college career by playing for two years at Skyline College. After earning a scholarship, Christian went to Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, but transferred after missing most of the 2002 season with a torn labrum. [ [http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jspymd=20080624&content_id=2994268&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy Yanks call up speedster Christian] ] He transferred to Southern Missouri University where he became an All-American and was voted "Newcomer of the Year." In college he mostly was an infielder.

After not being drafted in the 2003 Major League Draft, he signed with the River City Rascals of the Frontier League. He won the starting second baseman job and played 30 games during the 2003 season.

In the fall of 2003, he went back to Auburn as a student assistant coach, while trying to set up scout workout; he set up several workouts but was unsuccessful in getting signed.

He returned to the Rascals for the 2004 season where he hit .450 with 26 steals in 30 games. The Yankees signed him sight-unseen. In 2004 he played on the GCL Yankees and the Staten Island Yankees.

He started the 2005 season with the Charleston RiverDogs where he hit .290 and was promoted to the Tampa Yankees where he hit .306. He ended the season with a combined 55 stolen bases.

In by|2006, Christian hit .276, had 6 home runs, 43 RBI, and 68 stolen bases which was 3rd in all of the minor leagues. Christian started the by|2007 season with the Double-A Trenton Thunder. He had a .235 batting average, 3 home runs, 32 runs batted in, 18 stolen bases. On June 22, 2007, Christian was called up to Triple-A Scranton where he hit .325. Overall he hit .271 on the year.

On June 24, by|2008, Christian was promoted to the major league roster by the New York Yankees prior to their series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He started the same day, going two for four with a double and two RBI in his Major League debut.

On July 8, 2008, Christian stole a base for the first time in the major leagues, stealing third base off of Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Grant Balfour and catcher Dioner Navarro. The lone times that Christian was caught stealing, he had fallen down in between first and second base, and recently when he was caught leading far off first, and he has not been brought to steal again after so pick-off.

External links

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References