Pirates Sign Big Game Hunter Logan Kensing

The Pittsburgh Pirates

announced the team had signed 29-year old right handed pitcher Logan Kensing to a minor league deal.   Kensing was a second round pick by the Florida Marlins back in the 2003 amateur draft.

In 2011, the New York Yankees signed him from Bridgeport of the Independent League where he appeared in nine games for the Bluefish.  Kensing posted an impressive 1.59 ERA. He struck out 16 batters in 11.1 innings.

He spent most of the rest of the season in the minors with the New York Yankees, but didn’t appear in any

reindeer

big league games.   He did strikeout 32 batters in over 27 innings pitched while allowing 13 walks and five homers.

Kensing has pitched 161 innings in major league baseball making three starts.  His most recent time in the big leagues was with the Washington Nationals in 2009.  Kensing pitched 28 innings over 26 games, all in relief.  He gave up seven homers and had an ERA of 8.68.  Hence, the eventual trip to independent ball.

Kensing pitched with the Marlins beginning in 2004 when he was just 21 years old.  Between 2004 and 2008, he fired 106.1 innings and had a 4.53 FIP to go with his 3.98ERA.  He was able to chalk up a strikeout an inning but walked nearly five.

Tommy John came calling and he hasn’t really been the same since.  The Marlins traded him to the Nats, but he simply didn’t pitch well until his time last season.

We look at him as this years Tyler Yates for the Bucs.  Every spring training needs one.

Kensing was well known for his comments in a Palm Beach Post article while with the Marlins when he said his offseason highlight was “shooting pigs out of a helicopter.  That along with the picture above caused this article to be written.

"On February 21, 2008 a 60-Second Interview with Marlin’s pitcher Logan Kensing was printed in the Palm Beach Post (PBP) newspaper. When asked what was the most interesting thing he did during off-season, Kensing replied “shot pigs out of a helicopter” on his ranch in Texas. He also stated “you can shoot bobcats, wild dogs, coyotes, pigs. Anything that’s native”. He also stated “The pilot’s pretty good. He gets right next to them. We spot them, he flies in sideways, glides and we shoot them”. His tone appeared to take sadistic pleasure in telling of how he killed animals from the helicopter. When asked how the helicopter experience would make him a better pitcher, he responded “It makes me know I want one, so I need to make more money.”Upon reading this, a local environmental group, Palm Beach County Environmental Coalition (PBCEC) considered that this was very troubling and did not present a good role model for children and youth who traditionally look up to sports figures as it appeared to sanction thrill-killing of animals in an unsportsmanlike manner. It did not portray an attitude and sensitivity toward animals that was healthy. One does not have to look far to see voluminous research that shows a direct relationship between animal cruelty/abuse with other forms of violent crime and abuse.A letter was sent to the Florida Marlins General Manager Michael Hill and Owner Jeffrey Loria by a co-chair of PBCEC, expressing these concerns and requesting them not to sanction animal cruelty and to reprimand him. The Marlins officials did not respond in any way that indicated they disagreed with what Kensing was doing. Kensing himself was unapologetic for his actions and stated “It doesn’t bother me. They can come at me if they want to.”"

You can read the rest from the fired up   people that were upset with Kensing here.

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