Editing Jeremy Affeldt (section)

===Draft and minor leagues===
Affeldt was drafted by the [[Kansas City Royals]] in the third round of the [[1997 Major League Baseball draft|1997 MLB draft]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?query_type=year_round&year_ID=1997&draft_round=3&draft_type=junreg |title=3rd Round of the 1997 MLB June Amateur Draft |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=December 14, 2010}}</ref> Affeldt ultimately decided not to accept a scholarship offer to play [[college baseball]] for his hometown [[Gonzaga Bulldogs baseball|Gonzaga University]].<ref name="fail">{{cite news|last1=Affeldt|first1=Jeremy|title=The Moment I Learned How to Fail|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeremy-affeldt/the-moment-i-learned-how-to-fail_b_7673110.html|access-date=31 December 2017|work=[[Huffington Post]]|date=26 June 2015}}</ref> He spent 1997 pitching for the rookie&ndash;league [[Arizona League Royals|Gulf Coast League Royals]]. While with them, he went 2&ndash;0 with a 4.50 ERA in ten games (nine starts).<ref name="brm">{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=affeld001jer |title=Jeremy Affeldt |publisher=Baseball-Reference (Minors) |access-date=March 3, 2011}}</ref>

Affeldt improved with the GCL Royals the next year, going 4&ndash;3 with a 2.89 ERA in twelve games (nine starts). His performance even earned him a promotion to the [[single-A]] [[Lansing Lugnuts]]. Affeldt did not do well in his time with them, though, as he went 0&ndash;3 with a 9.53 ERA in six games (three starts).<ref name="brm"/>

In 1999, Affeldt spent the entire season with the Royals' single-A affiliate, which had changed to the [[Charleston Alley Cats]] during the offseason. Although he only went 7&ndash;7, he had a 3.83 ERA in twenty&ndash;seven games (twenty&ndash;four starts).<ref name="brm"/>

Affeldt pitched with the [[Wilmington Blue Rocks]] of the single-A advanced [[Carolina League]] in 2000. While with Wilmington, he led the entire Kansas City Royals' organization (and the Carolina League) with fifteen losses (to go with only five wins).<ref name="brm"/> He also threw seventeen wild pitches.<ref name="MLB">{{cite web |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=346793 |title=Jeremy Affeldt |publisher=MLB |access-date=December 14, 2010}}</ref> However, his ERA was 4.09, and the Blue Rocks were only a half&ndash;game ahead of the worst team in the league (the [[Potomac Cannons]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/league.cgi?id=10769 |title=2000 Carolina League |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=December 14, 2010}}</ref>

2001 was a better season for Affeldt, as he went 10&ndash;6 with a 3.90 ERA in twenty&ndash;five starts for the [[Double-A (baseball)|double-A]] [[Wichita Wranglers]].<ref name="brm"/> He was selected to pitch in the [[Texas League]] All-Star Game, and he was named to the postseason All&ndash;Star team.<ref name="MLB"/>