Jay Payton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jay Payton |
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Payton with the Baltimore Orioles
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: November 22, 1972 Zanesville, Ohio, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 1, 1998, for the New York Mets | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 3, 2010, for the Colorado Rockies | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .279 | ||
| Home runs | 119 | ||
| Runs batted in | 522 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Jason Lee "Jay" Payton (born November 22, 1972) is an American former professional baseball player. He was an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 12 seasons. Jay played for several teams, including the New York Mets, Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics, and Baltimore Orioles.
Payton was known for hitting the ball to the opposite field and had some power. He was also a very fast runner. In the outfield, he was a strong defender with a good arm. He could quickly throw the ball, which helped stop runners from advancing on the bases. Today, he works as a TV analyst for college baseball games on ESPNU.
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Early Life and College Baseball
Jay Payton grew up in Zanesville, Ohio. He went to Zanesville High School where he was a star athlete. He played soccer, basketball, and baseball. Jay was also a great student and graduated near the top of his class.
After high school, Payton earned a scholarship to Georgia Tech. There, he played baseball with future MLB All-Stars Nomar Garciaparra and Jason Varitek. Together, they helped Georgia Tech reach the College World Series for the first time ever in 1994. They made it to the championship game but lost to Oklahoma.
Jay also played summer baseball for the Orleans Cardinals in the Cape Cod Baseball League. In 1993, he and Nomar Garciaparra helped their team win the league championship.
Jay Payton's MLB Career
New York Mets (1994–2002)
The New York Mets picked Jay Payton in the first round of the 1994 Major League Baseball draft. He was the 29th player chosen overall. While in the minor leagues, Jay had to deal with many injuries. He had four surgeries, including two on his elbow. These injuries kept him from playing much in his first five years.
He finally made his MLB debut in 1998. In 2000, which was considered his official rookie year, Jay helped the Mets reach the World Series. He was the team's starting center fielder. In Game 2 of the World Series, Jay hit a big three-run home run against famous pitcher Mariano Rivera. This was only the second and last home run Rivera ever gave up in the postseason!
Colorado Rockies (2002–2003)
After a hamstring injury limited his playing time in 2001, the Mets traded Jay Payton. In 2002, he joined the Colorado Rockies. The next year, 2003, was his best season ever. He hit a career-high 28 home runs and had 89 RBI. He also had 181 hits and a strong .302 batting average.
San Diego Padres (2004)
In 2004, Jay Payton signed a two-year contract with the San Diego Padres. He became their starting center fielder. He played in 143 games for the Padres that season.
Boston Red Sox (2005)
The Padres traded Jay to the Boston Red Sox in December 2004. He became the team's fourth outfielder. Jay played in 55 games for the Red Sox before being traded again in July 2005.
Oakland Athletics (2005–2006)
In July 2005, Jay Payton was traded to the Oakland Athletics. He quickly became a fan favorite. In his very first at-bat with the A's, he hit a home run! He helped the team win many games. In 2006, Jay played regularly in the outfield. He batted .296 with 10 home runs and 59 RBI. On July 3, 2006, he hit his 100th career home run against the Detroit Tigers.
Baltimore Orioles (2007–2008)
In December 2006, Jay Payton signed a two-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles. He played for them during the 2007 and 2008 seasons. After becoming a free agent, he suffered a shoulder injury in 2009 and did not play that season.
Return to Colorado Rockies (2010)
In 2010, Jay Payton signed a minor league contract to return to his former team, the Colorado Rockies. He spent most of the season in the minor leagues. In September, he was called up to the Rockies' main team. He played in 20 games and had a great .343 batting average. Jay Payton officially retired from baseball in February 2011.
Career Highlights
Over his 12 seasons in Major League Baseball, Jay Payton played in 1,259 games. He had a career batting average of .279. He hit 119 home runs and had 522 RBI. Jay was also a strong fielder, with a .987 fielding percentage playing all three outfield positions. In 21 postseason games, he batted .253 with three home runs.
