Jay Porter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids J. W. Porter |
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Porter with Cleveland in 1958
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| Catcher / Outfielder | |||
| Born: January 17, 1933 Shawnee, Oklahoma, US |
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| Died: October 11, 2020 (aged 87) Jupiter, Florida, US |
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| debut | |||
| July 30, 1952, for the St. Louis Browns | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 27, 1959, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .228 | ||
| Home runs | 8 | ||
| Runs batted in | 62 | ||
| Teams | |||
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J. W. "Jay" Porter (born January 17, 1933 – died October 11, 2020) was an American Major League Baseball player. He played for several teams during his career. These included the St. Louis Browns (1952), Detroit Tigers (1955–1957), Cleveland Indians (1958), Washington Senators (1959), and St. Louis Cardinals (1959).
Porter played in 229 major league games. He spent time as a Catcher, Outfielder, and even played first base and third base. He was known as a .228 career hitter. His best season was in 1957 with the Detroit Tigers, where he hit .250 in 58 games. His initials, J. W., don't stand for any specific names. Everyone called him either JW or Jay.
Contents
Starting a Baseball Career
Jay Porter was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma. He began his professional baseball journey at age 18. In 1951, he was signed as a "bonus baby." This meant he received a special bonus for signing with a team.
A scout named Bobby Mattick was watching Porter. During this time, Mattick also noticed another talented player, Frank Robinson. Both Porter and Robinson were signed by the same team. Interestingly, Porter received a much higher signing bonus than Robinson.
Despite this early promise, Porter played only 33 games for the St. Louis Browns in 1952.
Moving to the Detroit Tigers
On December 4, 1952, the Browns traded Porter to the Detroit Tigers. This trade also involved other players, including Owen Friend and Bob Nieman. In return, the Browns received Virgil Trucks, Hal White, and Johnny Groth.
Porter didn't join the Tigers' main team until 1955. He played 92 games for them between 1955 and 1957. Even though he never became a regular starter for Detroit, he was recognized for his unique personality. In 2006, Sports Illustrated magazine named him one of the "10 Greatest Characters in Detroit Tigers History."
Life as a Player
Jay Porter was known for his interesting habits. One of his favorite meals was "two dozen eggs over light." He would eat them all at once! This became a "favorite meal" after his teammates dared him to compete in an egg-eating contest. Porter started training for the contest, but the current world champion never showed up.
A Surprising Trade
On February 18, 1958, the Tigers traded Porter to the Cleveland Indians. This trade also sent Hal Woodeshick to Cleveland. In exchange, the Tigers received Jim Hegan and Hank Aguirre.
Porter found out about the trade in a very unexpected way. He was driving to Spring Training in Florida from his home in Oregon. He had stopped in Tucson, Arizona, to visit friends at the Indians' training camp. About an hour away from Lakeland, Florida, he heard the news on his car radio. He had been traded to the Indians! He immediately made a U-turn and drove all the way back to Arizona.
While playing for Cleveland, Porter had the challenging job of catching for Hoyt Wilhelm. Wilhelm was a famous knuckleball pitcher. His knuckleball was so tricky that Porter reportedly used a first baseman's glove to try and catch it.
After Baseball
After his time as a player, Jay Porter continued to be involved in baseball. He worked as a manager in the minor leagues. He managed teams for the Montreal Expos organization. This included managing the West Palm Beach Expos in 1970. He also managed the Expos' team in the 1969 Florida Instructional League.
Jay Porter passed away on October 11, 2020. He died in Jupiter, Florida, due to breathing problems. At the time of his death, he was the youngest living former player from the original St. Louis Browns team.
Images for kids
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Porter with Cleveland in 1958
