Kenley Jansen, a star relief pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Redondo Beach resident received the Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year Award on Oct. 29, capping off a stellar season with one of baseball’s top pitching honors.
At the last week’s meeting of the Redondo Beach City Council, he took home another honor, when he received a commendation from Mayor Steve Aspel, celebrating Jansen’s achievement.
“Hopefully he’ll sign a contract with the Dodgers and stay with us,” Aspel said, his own Dodgers cap resting on his head.
“To me, I’m honored and I’m grateful for me and Gianni to be here and receive this achievement,” he said, looking to his wife. “It’s awesome being in Redondo — it’s a fun neighborhood, it’s quiet and relaxing, and it’s lovely here.
“No matter what happens, we’ve decided we’re going to raise our family here,” Jansen continued. “No matter what happens in this business of baseball, I may go somewhere else, but I’ll be here in Redondo, raising my kids.”
Jansen, 29, will soon be entering free agency, and will be free to sign with any team in Major League Baseball. A native of Curaçao, Jansen has been a member of the Dodgers organization since 2005, when he was signed as a catcher. In 2009, the organization, recognizing his strong arm, converted him to a pitcher; within a year, he was promoted to the Major Leagues.
In 2016, Jansen broke a Dodgers franchise record by picking up his 162nd career saved game. By season’s end, he totaled a 3-2 record, with a 1.83 earned run average, 47 saves and 104 strikeouts.
But Councilwoman Martha Barbee, a one-time neighbor of Jansen, wouldn’t let him leave the dais without showing off how he sets up his top pitch, a cut fastball that runs in on batters and tops out at 98 MPH.
“It’s a god-given pitch,” Jansen said. “I just hold it like a regular four-seam fastball, I let it go, and it happens to move — that’s it. I don’t know how I do it, I just hope it cuts.”
