Jeff Dedmon – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

Jeff Dedmon spent six seasons in Major League Baseball as a reliable relief pitcher, making appearances for both the Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Indians before he retired in 1988.

He was born Jeffrey Linden Dedmon on March 4, 1960, in Torrance, California. This right-handed pitcher played in 250 games, mainly as a middle reliever and sometimes as a closer.

Dedmon started his MLB journey in 1983 with the Atlanta Braves and stayed with them for five seasons, then wrapped up his career with a short run for the Cleveland Indians in 1988.

He finished with a 3.84 ERA, 210 strikeouts, and 12 saves over 394 innings. Dedmon never became a superstar, but he definitely fit the mold of those steady, hard-working relief pitchers you saw a lot in the 1980s.

But there’s more to Jeff Dedmon than just stats. His story stretches from being a high school standout in California to competing at baseball’s top level.

He worked his way through amateur baseball, the draft, and grew as a pitcher, showing the kind of dedication it takes to reach the majors. After baseball, his life kept evolving, showing how much a pro sports career can shape someone.

Early Life and Amateur Baseball

Dedmon’s baseball journey started in Southern California, where he built up his athletic skills as a teenager.

He was born in Torrance on March 4, 1960, and showed early promise as a pitcher. That talent led to him being picked eighth overall in the 1980 MLB draft.

Childhood and Upbringing

Jeffrey Linden Dedmon entered the world in Torrance, California, in 1960. He grew up in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County, surrounded by a strong baseball culture that definitely influenced his athletic path.

The Torrance area gave young athletes the chance to play baseball all year, thanks to the climate. That meant Dedmon could work on his pitching skills pretty much whenever he wanted.

His family encouraged his baseball dreams as he grew up. Being close to Los Angeles’s pro baseball scene exposed him to high-level competition and good coaching.

Dedmon’s athletic ability showed up early. He had a strong arm and showed promise as a pitcher, which caught the attention of scouts down the road.

High School Baseball at Narbonne

Dedmon went to Nathaniel Narbonne High School in Harbor City, California, where he played varsity baseball. The school was known for producing solid baseball players, which gave Dedmon some real competition.

At Narbonne, Dedmon worked on his pitching mechanics with experienced coaches. Scouts started to notice him during his high school years.

He stood 6’2″ and weighed 200 pounds, which gave him an edge as a right-handed pitcher. That frame helped him throw with good velocity and movement.

His success at Narbonne put him on the map as a top prospect. Those high school years set him up for that first-round MLB draft pick.

College Career at West Los Angeles College

After graduating from Narbonne, Dedmon went to West Los Angeles College to keep developing his game. Playing at a junior college gave him a chance to improve before jumping into pro baseball.

The coaches at West Los Angeles College helped Dedmon work on his control and add new pitches. He made real progress there.

Scouts kept an eye on him, and his size, arm strength, and improved mechanics made him a strong draft candidate.

That college experience paid off. By 1980, Dedmon had done enough to get picked by the San Francisco Giants as the eighth overall pick in the MLB draft.

Journey to Major League Baseball

Dedmon’s road to the majors was a bit winding. He got drafted several times before finally signing with the Atlanta Braves.

He started out as a starter, but eventually shifted to relief pitching, which turned out to be his niche.

Draft Selection and Minor Leagues

Dedmon got drafted four times before he finally signed with a big league team. The San Francisco Giants picked him eighth overall in 1980, after he attended West Los Angeles College.

Even though San Francisco drafted him, Dedmon ended up signing with the Atlanta Braves. That choice really set the course for his MLB career.

He stood 6’2″, weighed 200 pounds, and grew up in Torrance. He played high school ball at Narbonne in Harbor City.

Dedmon worked his way up through the Braves’ minor league system. It took him a few years to reach the majors. He made his MLB debut on September 2, 1983, when he was 23.

Conversion to Relief Pitcher

While moving through the Braves system, Dedmon shifted to a relief pitcher role. He leaned on his sinker as his main pitch and added a knuckle curve. Those helped him out in relief situations.

From 1984 to 1987, Dedmon averaged 56 games per season as a long reliever. That role played to his strengths, and he became a regular contributor. Long relievers usually pitch multiple innings when the team needs it.

But Dedmon had trouble with control and consistency. Those issues kept him from becoming a closer or late-inning stopper for Atlanta.

After five seasons with the Braves, they traded Dedmon to the Cleveland Indians in 1988. He had proven himself as a reliable middle reliever, even if he had his limitations.

MLB Career Overview

Dedmon pitched in the major leagues for six seasons, from 1983 to 1988. He appeared in 250 games, mostly as a reliever.

He finished with a 20-16 record, a 3.84 ERA, and 210 strikeouts, playing for both the Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Indians.

Debut with Atlanta Braves

Dedmon made his MLB debut on September 2, 1983, for the Atlanta Braves at age 23. The Braves had picked him in the first round of the secondary phase of the 1980 June draft, after his time at West Los Angeles College.

He started out as a pitcher in his first two minor league seasons, but switched to relief in his third pro year. That’s the role he stuck with when he reached the majors.

At 6’2″ and 200 pounds, Dedmon only started three games in his big-league career. He quickly became a reliable bullpen arm for Atlanta.

Key Years and Team Contributions

Dedmon pitched in over 50 games for the Braves every year from 1984 to 1987. His best season came in 1986, when he set personal records in several categories.

1986 Season Highlights:

• 6 wins (matched his career high)
• 99⅔ innings pitched (career best)
• 2.98 ERA (career best)
• 1.29 WHIP (career best)

During those years, he also spent some time with the Triple-A Richmond Braves. Dedmon picked up 12 saves in the majors and struck out 210 batters over 394 innings.

He gave up 387 hits and 186 walks in his MLB career. The Braves counted on him as a steady middle reliever in the mid-1980s.

Transition to Cleveland Indians

Right before the 1988 season, the Braves traded Dedmon to the Cleveland Indians. That move marked the last chapter of his MLB career.

Dedmon split 1988 between Cleveland and the Triple-A Colorado Springs Sky Sox. His time with the Indians was short, and 1988 ended up being his final season in the majors.

He made his last MLB appearance on September 29, 1988, for Cleveland. After the 1989 season, Dedmon retired, closing out ten years in organized baseball.

The switch to Cleveland brought new challenges. After so many years with Atlanta, he had to adjust to a new team and different expectations.

Pitching Style and Performance Metrics

Dedmon built his six-year career as a right-handed reliever who focused on middle relief and setup work. His 3.84 ERA over 250 games shows he did a solid job keeping runs off the board, though his walk rate sometimes got in the way.

Relief Pitcher Role and Responsibilities

Dedmon mainly worked as a middle reliever for both the Braves and Indians. He played in 250 games over six seasons, with just a few starts here and there.

His job was to come in during the middle innings and get the team from the starters to the closers. In his last season with Cleveland, he pitched in 21 games.

His 1988 home and road splits show he could handle different situations. At home, he put up a 3.71 ERA in 17 innings over 11 games. On the road, his ERA was 5.56 in 16.2 innings across 10 games.

Control was always a challenge. He walked 10 batters at home and 11 on the road in 1988, with one intentional walk thrown in.

Statistical Analysis: ERA, WHIP, WAR

Dedmon’s career ERA of 3.84 put him in the middle of the pack for 1980s relievers. That means he allowed just under four earned runs per nine innings.

In 1988, he gave up 35 hits in 33.2 innings and walked 21 batters, which led to a high WHIP. Opponents often got on base against him.

He allowed three home runs that year, with two coming on the road. He also hit three batters on the road but didn’t hit anyone at home.

Dedmon struck out 210 batters in his career, averaging about 35 per season. Even with control issues, he could still get swings and misses when it mattered.

Best MLB Seasons

Dedmon’s best years came with the Braves from 1983 to 1987. His 20-16 career record showed he could help the team in big spots.

He made his MLB debut in 1983, pitching one inning against Pittsburgh and allowing two hits but no runs.

His last season, 1988 with Cleveland, closed out his career. In his final game on September 29 against Boston, he pitched a scoreless inning with no hits or walks.

Teams used Dedmon for multiple innings when they needed it. His 250 appearances over six seasons show he was durable and dependable coming out of the bullpen.

Life After MLB and Retirement in 1988

Dedmon’s baseball career wrapped up after the 1988 season with the Cleveland Indians, ending a six-year run in the majors.

After he retired, Dedmon switched gears and became an X-ray technician. He also spent a lot of time coaching his kids and building a stable family life in Yorba Linda, California.

Final MLB Season and Minor League Stints

Dedmon’s last season in the big leagues came in 1988 with the Cleveland Indians. The Braves had traded him after five seasons in Atlanta from 1983 to 1987.

While with the Braves, Dedmon worked as a long reliever, averaging 56 games per year from 1984 to 1987. He threw a sinker and mixed in a knuckle curve.

Control and consistency always seemed to be issues for him. Those struggles kept him from becoming a late-inning stopper and eventually led to the trade to Cleveland.

His final season brought his career total to 250 Major League games over six years. Dedmon struck out 210 batters in the majors before stepping away from professional baseball.

Retirement from Professional Baseball

After the 1988 season, Dedmon decided to retire from professional baseball at just 28. He’d spent years bouncing around in the minors, making stops in Durham, North Carolina, before finally reaching the majors.

Adjusting to life after baseball wasn’t easy. Dedmon had actually lived out his childhood dream by playing in the big leagues, pitching for the Atlanta Braves at 23.

Retiring gave him the chance to focus more on his family and bring some stability to life with his wife Wilma and their kids. Life in pro baseball had dragged the family from place to place, always dealing with the unpredictability of the sport.

Transition to New Career and Personal Life

When he left baseball, Dedmon switched gears completely and started working as an X-ray technician. That new career brought the kind of regular hours and stability that baseball just never offered.

He and Wilma moved to Yorba Linda, California, and made it their home for 16 years. Wilma ran a law office out in Van Nuys, while Jeff juggled his medical job with being a dad and a coach.

Dedmon jumped right into coaching his kids, Kristen and Corey, who both seemed to have inherited the athletic gene. Kristen made a name for herself in softball, and Corey started pitching too.

Watching his kids play actually made him more nervous than when he was on the mound himself. “For me, it’s always nerve-racking watching them play,” Dedmon admitted. “You’re still a parent, no matter if you played or not. It’s payback for the years my dad did it for me.”

He used his own baseball experiences to guide his kids, sharing stories and advice from his time in the majors. He wanted them to understand just how much commitment success in sports really takes.

Legacy, Family, and Impact

Jeff Dedmon’s influence goes far beyond the six seasons he spent in the majors. As a father and coach, he’s left a real mark on his family. His daughter Kristen kept the athletic tradition alive, standing out in both pitching and hitting on the softball field.

Family and Personal Achievements

After stepping away from baseball in 1988, Dedmon focused on his family and his new job as an X-ray tech. He married Wilma, a USC grad who, funny enough, didn’t even like baseball when they first met at a party. Their marriage, now over 20 years, has centered around supporting their kids’ sports dreams.

The Dedmons put down roots in Yorba Linda, raising two children there. Kristen Dedmon became a softball star at Anaheim Esperanza High School. As a sophomore, she threw eight shutouts in a row and ended up with a 20-5 record, 17 shutouts, and an almost unbelievable 0.07 ERA.

Kristen’s hitting power turned heads among college recruiters. She smashed five home runs in a single season, including a 400-foot shot that left her coach stunned. She’s got a patient approach at the plate, which probably comes from her dad’s own discipline as an athlete.

Their son Corey, still in eighth grade, started showing promise as a pitcher too and even talked about wanting to become a lawyer. Sports are a big deal in the Dedmon family, and all three of them pitch competitively, pushing each other along the way.

Influence on Future Generations

Dedmon’s hands-on coaching and mentoring with his kids really shows how former professional athletes can shape the next generation in a positive way.

He coaches both Kristen and Corey, using what he learned in the MLB to help them grow.

Switching from pro athlete to supportive parent hasn’t exactly been easy for Dedmon. He admits that watching his kids compete makes him more nervous than pitching in the big leagues.

“For me, it’s always nerve-racking watching them play,” he said. He points out just how much emotion parents pour into their kids’ success.

Travel and Commitment: The Dedmon family packs up and travels all over the country for Kristen’s club softball games. Every weekend from spring through August, they’re at tournaments, showing just how dedicated they are to her sport.

Kristen says she looks up to her dad’s professional journey. She was too young to really remember his playing days, but she gets what it takes to reach the top.

“He’ll tell me about his experience, and I’ll try to relate it to my game,” she said. She’s clearly willing to put in the work to succeed.