Jason Bay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jason Bay |
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Bay with the Boston Red Sox in 2009
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| Left fielder | |||
| Born: September 20, 1978 Trail, British Columbia, Canada |
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| 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 | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 2019 | ||
Jason Raymond Bay (born September 20, 1978) is a Canadian-American former professional baseball player. He played as a left fielder for 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Jason was first chosen by the Montreal Expos. He later played for 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 picked three times for the MLB All-Star team. Plus, he won the Tip O'Neill Award three times. This award goes to the best Canadian baseball player each year.
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Jason Bay's Early Baseball Days
Jason Bay started playing baseball when he was young. His team from Trail, British Columbia, even made it to the 1990 Little League World Series. After that, he played college baseball from 1997 to 2000. He played at North Idaho College and Gonzaga University. In 1999, he also played for the Chatham Athletics in the Cape Cod Baseball League. This league is famous for future pro players.
Jason Bay's Pro Baseball Journey
Starting in the Minor Leagues (2000–2002)
Jason Bay began his professional career in 2000. The Montreal Expos picked him in the 22nd round of the 2000 Major League Baseball draft. He started playing for their minor league team, the Vermont Expos. In 2001, he moved to the Jupiter Hammerheads. Later that year, he joined the Clinton LumberKings. There, he was great, getting on base in his first 26 games. He ended up batting .362 and won the league's batting title. Overall, he hit .315 with 14 home runs and 75 RBIs that year.
Jason was traded to the New York Mets in 2002. This trade happened on March 24. Later that year, on July 31, 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 MLB was a home run! Just two days later, he broke his right wrist. This happened when a pitch hit him.
Pittsburgh Pirates (2003–2008)
On August 26, 2003, Jason Bay was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He finished that season batting .287. He also hit four home runs and had 14 RBIs in 30 games.
Jason started the 2004 season on the injured list. He had surgery during the offseason. Even though he missed the start of the season, he was the best hitter among all National League rookies. He batted .282 in 120 games. He led all major league rookies with 26 home runs and 82 RBIs. He also led in slugging percentage (.550) and extra base hits (54). His 26 home runs broke a Pirates rookie record. He was named the 2004 NL Rookie of the Year. Jason was the first Canadian player to win this award.
In 2005, Jason was chosen for his first All-Star Game. He was a reserve outfielder. He also took part in the 2005 Century 21 Home Run Derby. He represented Canada in this contest. Jason finished the season with a .306 batting average, 32 home runs, and 101 RBIs. He led the Pirates in all major hitting stats. After the 2005 season, he signed a four-year contract.
In May 2006, Jason batted .321 with 12 home runs. This was a Pirates record for home runs in one month. From May 22 to May 28, he hit home runs in six games in a row. This was close to the major league record. The Pirates worked hard to get fans to vote for Jason in 2006. Even Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder asked fans to vote for him. Jason became the first Pirates player voted to start in the All-Star game since Andy Van Slyke.
Jason had a less productive 2007 season due to injuries. He batted .247 with 21 home runs and 84 RBIs. In 2008, he had a much better year. He batted .282 with 22 home runs and 64 RBIs by the All-Star break. He hit special walk-off hits in back-to-back games against the Chicago Cubs. These hits won the games in extra innings.
Boston Red Sox (2008–2009)
On July 31, 2008, Jason Bay was traded to the Boston Red Sox. This was a big three-team trade. In his first game with the Red Sox, Jason scored both runs for his team. He hit his first home run with Boston the next night. He also hit multiple home runs in one game against the Baltimore Orioles. Jason finished the 2008 season with Boston batting .293. He had nine home runs and 37 RBIs.
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The Red Sox's 2008 playoff series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim was Jason's first time in the playoffs. He hit a home run in the first two games. Jason batted .412 in the series. He had two doubles, two home runs, and 5 RBIs. In the next series, the 2008 American League Championship Series, he scored the first run in game one. He also hit a two-run double and a home run in game two. However, the Red Sox lost the series.
In 2009, Jason had a great first half of the season. He was chosen for the All-Star team again. He led the Red Sox with a career-high 36 home runs and 119 RBIs. He was named #41 on Sporting News' list of the 50 greatest current baseball players. After the season, he became a free agent.
New York Mets (2010–2012)
On December 29, 2009, Jason Bay agreed to a four-year contract with the New York Mets. The deal was worth $66 million. He was given uniform number 44 for the Mets.
On April 27, 2010, Jason hit his first home run as a Met. This happened in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In his first season with the Mets, Jason played in only 95 games. He had a concussion in a game against the Dodgers. He finished the season with a .259 batting average and six home runs.
Jason started 2011 on the injured list with a rib injury. He returned to the Mets on April 21. On June 28, 2011, Jason hit a grand slam against the Detroit Tigers. This was the first grand slam for the Mets since 2009. On August 8, Jason hit his 200th career home run. He became the third Canadian MLB player to reach this milestone. He won his fifth career National League Player of the Week Award in September.
Jason had a tough start to the 2012 season. He broke a rib while trying to catch a ball. He also had another concussion in June. This happened when he crashed into the left field wall. 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. This made him a free agent.
Seattle Mariners (2013)
On December 8, 2012, the Seattle Mariners signed Jason Bay to a one-year deal. He played in 68 games with the Mariners. He batted .204 with 11 home runs and 20 RBIs. He was released by the Mariners on August 6, 2013.
On March 31, 2014, Jason Bay officially announced he was retiring from professional baseball. He was eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019. However, he did not receive enough votes to be considered further.
Jason Bay's Life Outside Baseball
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. She pitched for Canada in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.
Jason is good friends with former NHL player Shawn Horcoff. They were both born in Trail, British Columbia. He is also close friends with Grady Sizemore.
Jason's father was a big fan of the Boston Red Sox. Jason even had a Red Sox baby outfit when he was little. He also had posters of Red Sox legends Jim Rice and Carl Yastrzemski in his room. On July 2, 2009, Jason became a US citizen. This happened at a ceremony 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) – given to the top 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 "professionalism, cooperation and availability to and with Major League writers to best assist them in carrying out daily responsibilities."
- American League All-Star (2009)
- American League Outfield Silver Slugger (2009)
Baseball Records and Stats
- 5th all-time in Home Runs hit by a Canadian born player. He is behind Larry Walker (383), Joey Votto (356), Matt Stairs (265), and Justin Morneau (247).
Pittsburgh Pirates Team Records
- 4th all-time with .515 slugging percentage
- 6th all-time with .890 on-base plus slugging
- 9th all-time with 139 Home Runs
- 15th all-time with .375 on-base percentage
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
