Jermaine Dye facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jermaine Dye |
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Dye with the White Sox in 2007
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| Right fielder | |||
| Born: January 28, 1974 Oakland, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| May 17, 1996, for the Atlanta Braves | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 4, 2009, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .274 | ||
| Home runs | 325 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,072 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Jermaine Terrell Dye (born January 28, 1974) is a former American professional baseball player. He was a talented right fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Jermaine Dye played for several teams during his career. These included the Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, and Chicago White Sox.
Dye was chosen for the MLB All-Star Game twice. He also won the World Series Most Valuable Player Award in 2005. This was a huge achievement with the White Sox. He was known for hitting many home runs. His strong throwing arm was also a big part of his game. He won a Gold Glove Award for his great defense in 2000. In 2006, he earned a Silver Slugger Award for his excellent hitting.
Contents
Becoming a Baseball Star
High School and College Years
Jermaine Dye was a great athlete in high school. He played many sports at Will C. Wood High School. This school is in Vacaville, California. In 1992, the Texas Rangers picked him in the MLB draft. But he decided not to sign with them.
Instead, Dye went to Cosumnes River College. He played as a right fielder there. His college team even made it to the playoffs.
Starting in Major League Baseball
The Atlanta Braves chose Dye in the 1993 MLB draft. He made his first MLB appearance on May 17, 1996. It was a game against the Cincinnati Reds. In his very first time at bat, he hit a home run! He played 98 games for the Braves in 1996. He hit .281 with 12 home runs. He also had 37 RBI.
Playing for Different Teams
Kansas City Royals Days
In 1997, Dye was traded to the Kansas City Royals. He had a fantastic year in 1999. He hit .294 with 27 home runs and 119 RBI. Fans loved him and would chant "Dye-no-mite!" when he came to bat.
In 2000, Dye had his best hitting average. He hit .321 with 33 home runs and 118 RBI. This amazing performance earned him his first All-Star selection. He played 97 games for the Royals in 2001. He had a .272 average with 13 home runs.
Time with the Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics got Dye in a trade in 2001. He played 61 games for them. He hit .297 with 13 home runs. Sadly, in October 2001, he broke his leg. This happened when he fouled a ball off his knee during a playoff game.
In 2002, Dye signed a big contract with the Athletics. He hit 24 home runs that year. He also had 86 RBI. In 2003, he had some injuries. But he came back strong in 2004. He hit 23 home runs and had 80 RBI. After the 2004 season, he became a free agent.
Becoming a Chicago White Sox Hero
On December 9, 2004, Jermaine Dye joined the Chicago White Sox. The 2005 season was a big one for him. He played 145 games, the most since his injury. He hit .274 with 31 home runs.
The White Sox won the 2005 World Series that year! Dye was named the World Series MVP. He hit .438 during the series. In Game 4, his hit brought in the winning run. This helped the White Sox win the series.
2006 was Dye's best year for hitting. He hit 44 home runs, which was second-best in the league. He also had 120 RBI. He hit for a .315 average. He was chosen for the American League All-Star Team again. He also won a Silver Slugger Award for his great hitting.
In 2007, Dye signed a new contract with the White Sox. He hit 28 home runs and had 78 RBI. In 2008, he continued to play well. He hit 34 home runs and had 96 RBI. He helped the White Sox win their division.
In 2009, Dye had a strong first half of the season. He hit 20 home runs before the All-Star break. But his hitting slowed down in the second half. Overall, he finished the season with 27 home runs and 81 RBI. On November 6, 2009, he became a free agent. Jermaine Dye announced his retirement from baseball on March 31, 2011.
Career Highlights and Numbers
Jermaine Dye played in MLB for 14 seasons. Here are some of his career statistics:
| Years | Games | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | FLD% |
| 14 | 1763 | 7214 | 6487 | 984 | 1779 | 363 | 25 | 325 | 1072 | 597 | 1308 | .274 | .338 | .488 | .981 |
Dye also played well in playoff games. In 44 postseason games, he hit .270. He had 16 runs, 9 doubles, 5 home runs, and 17 RBI.
More About Baseball
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball players with a home run in their first major league at bat
