Jason Bay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jason Bay |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Bay with the Boston Red Sox in 2009
|
|||
| Left fielder | |||
| Born: September 20, 1978 Trail, British Columbia, Canada |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| May 23, 2003, for the San Diego Padres | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 26, 2013, for the Seattle Mariners | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .266 | ||
| Home runs | 222 | ||
| Runs batted in | 754 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
|
|||
 Baseball Hall of Fame |
|||
| Induction | 2019 | ||
Jason Raymond Bay (born September 20, 1978) is a former professional baseball player from Canada and the United States. He played for 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Jason was a left fielder, which is a player who catches balls hit into the outfield.
He played for several teams, including the San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, and Seattle Mariners. Jason Bay was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 2004. He also won the Silver Slugger Award in 2009. He was chosen for the MLB All-Star Game three times. He also won the Tip O'Neill Award three times, which is given to the best Canadian baseball player.
Contents
Jason Bay's Early Baseball Days
Jason Bay started playing baseball when he was young. His Little League team from Trail, British Columbia, even made it to the 1990 Little League World Series. After high school, Jason played college baseball at North Idaho College and Gonzaga University. He played college baseball from 1997 to 2000. In 1999, he also played for the Chatham Athletics in the Cape Cod Baseball League.
Jason Bay's Professional Career
Starting in the Minor Leagues (2000–2002)
Jason Bay was first chosen by the Montreal Expos in the 2000 MLB draft. He started playing for their minor league team, the Vermont Expos. In 2001, he moved to the Jupiter Hammerheads. Later that year, he played for the Clinton LumberKings. There, he was great at getting on base and won the league's batting title. Overall, he hit .315 with 14 home runs and 75 RBIs that year.
In 2002, the Expos traded Jason to the New York Mets. Later that same year, the Mets traded him to the San Diego Padres.
Playing in Major League Baseball
San Diego Padres (2003)
Jason Bay made his big league debut with the Padres on May 23, 2003. His very first hit in the major leagues was a home run! Just two days later, he broke his right wrist after being hit by a pitch.
Pittsburgh Pirates (2003–2008)
On August 26, 2003, Jason was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He finished that season with a .287 batting average. He also hit four home runs and had 14 RBIs in 30 games.
Jason started the 2004 season on the disabled list because of surgery. But when he returned in May, he played incredibly well. He had the best hitting numbers of any rookie in the National League. He hit .282 in 120 games. He led all major league rookies with 26 home runs and 82 RBIs. His 26 home runs broke a Pirates rookie record that had stood since 1936. Jason Bay was named the 2004 NL Rookie of the Year. He was also the first Canadian player to win this award.
In 2005, Jason was chosen for his first All-Star Game. He finished the season with a .306 batting average, 32 home runs, and 101 RBIs. He led the Pirates in all the main hitting categories. After this great season, he signed a four-year contract extension.
In May 2006, Jason hit .321 with 12 home runs and 35 RBIs. He even hit home runs in six games in a row! This was close to the major league record. Fans voted him into the All-Star game as a starter, which was a big deal. He was the first Pirates player to be voted in as a starter since 1992.
In 2007, Jason had some injuries, so his season was not as strong. He hit .247 with 21 home runs and 84 RBIs. But in 2008, he had a much better year with the Pirates. He hit .282 with 22 home runs and 64 RBIs before the All-Star break. He even had three "walk-off" hits that season, which are hits that win the game in the final inning.
Boston Red Sox (2008–2009)
.jpg)
On July 31, 2008, Jason Bay was traded to the Boston Red Sox. This was part of a big trade involving three teams. In his first game with the Red Sox, Jason scored both runs for his team. He hit his first home run with Boston the very next night. He finished the 2008 season with Boston hitting .293 with nine home runs and 37 RBIs.
The Red Sox's 2008 playoff series was Jason's first time playing in the postseason. He hit a home run in each of the first two games! He played very well in the playoffs, but the Red Sox lost in seven games.
In 2009, Jason had a fantastic season. He led the Red Sox with a career-high 36 home runs and 119 RBIs. He was also chosen for the All-Star team again. After the season, he became a free agent, meaning he could sign with any team.
New York Mets (2010–2012)
On December 29, 2009, Jason Bay signed a four-year contract with the New York Mets. He was given uniform number 44. On April 27, 2010, he hit his first home run as a Met.
In his first season with the Mets, Jason played in only 95 games. He suffered a concussion when he ran into a fence. He finished the season with a .259 batting average and six home runs.
Jason started 2011 with a rib injury. He returned to the Mets on April 21. On June 28, 2011, Jason hit a grand slam! This means he hit a home run with the bases loaded, scoring four runs. On August 8, he hit his 200th career home run. He was only the third Canadian MLB player to reach this milestone.
In 2012, Jason had a tough start to the season. He broke a rib while making a diving catch. He also suffered another concussion after crashing into the outfield wall. Despite injuries, he hit another grand slam on September 2. He finished the 2012 season with a .165 batting average, eight home runs, and 20 RBIs. On November 7, 2012, the Mets and Jason agreed to end his contract early.
Seattle Mariners (2013)
On December 8, 2012, the Seattle Mariners signed Jason Bay for one year. He played in 68 games with the Mariners. He hit .204 with 11 home runs and 20 RBIs. He was released from the team on August 6, 2013.
On March 31, 2014, Jason Bay officially announced that he was retiring from professional baseball. He was eligible to be voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019. However, he did not receive enough votes.
Jason Bay's Personal Life
Jason Bay is married to Kristen, and they have three children.
Jason's sister, Lauren Bay-Regula, is also a professional athlete. She is a softball player who pitched for Canada in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. Jason is also good friends with former NHL player Shawn Horcoff.
Jason became a US citizen on July 2, 2009, in Boston.
Awards and Special Recognitions
- Three-time NL Rookie of the Month (June, July, and September 2004)
- National League Rookie of the Year (2004)
- The Sporting News NL Rookie of the Year (2004)
- Tip O'Neill Award winner (2004, 2005, and 2009) – this award goes to the best Canadian baseball player each season.
- National League All-Star (2005, 2006)
- Represented Canada at the World Baseball Classic
- Represented Canada in the 1990 Little League World Series
- May 2006 Player of the Month
- Represented Canada at the 2005 Home Run Derby
- The 2008 Chuck Tanner Award for being professional and helpful to baseball writers.
- American League All-Star (2009)
- American League Outfield Silver Slugger (2009)
Jason Bay's Baseball Records
- 5th all-time in Home Runs hit by a Canadian-born player. The players ahead of him are Larry Walker (383), Joey Votto (356), Matt Stairs (265), and Justin Morneau (247).
Pittsburgh Pirates Records
- 4th all-time with a .515 slugging percentage
- 6th all-time with an .890 on-base plus slugging
- 9th all-time with 139 Home Runs
- 15th all-time with a .375 on-base percentage
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
