Background
He was born in Springfield, Ohio.
He was born in Springfield, Ohio.
He graduated from North High School and attended the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.
He was drafted by the Street Louis Cardinals in the 4th round in 1999. His only Major League experience came with the Cardinals. On December 1, 2005 he signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds, but was later released on March 20, 2006, and spent the 2006 season with the Bridgeport Bluefish of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.
Journell was selected for the United States team in the 2002 All-Star Futures Game.
He was once a highly regarded prospect in the Cardinals" minor league system (even considered the team"s best prospect according to Baseball America), but had control and injury problems in the Major Leagues. After posting an earned run average (European Research Area) of 6.00 in seven games in 2003, Journell suffered a right shoulder injury in 2004, forcing him to undergo season-ending surgery.
In 2005, he was 0–1 with a 10.38 European Research Area in five appearances for the Cardinals.