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 played as a right fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Dye played for four different teams during his career: the Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, and Chicago White Sox.
Jermaine Dye was a very talented player. He was chosen for the MLB All-Star team twice. He also won the World Series Most Valuable Player Award in 2005 with the Chicago White Sox. Besides these honors, he earned a Gold Glove Award in 2000 for his excellent fielding and a Silver Slugger Award in 2006 for his great hitting. He was known for hitting powerful home runs and having a strong throwing arm.
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Early Baseball Days
Dye was a great athlete at Will C. Wood High School in Vacaville, California. He played several sports there. The Texas Rangers first picked him in the 1992 MLB draft, but he decided not to sign with them. Instead, Dye went to Cosumnes River College in Sacramento. He played right field there and helped his team reach the playoffs.
Playing in the Major Leagues
Atlanta Braves Debut
The Atlanta Braves chose Jermaine Dye in the 1993 MLB draft. He made his first Major League appearance on May 17, 1996. In his very first time at bat in the big leagues, he hit a home run! During 1996, he played in 98 games for the Braves. He hit .281 (meaning he got a hit almost 28% of the time he batted) with 12 home runs.
Time with the Kansas City Royals
In 1997, Dye was traded to the Kansas City Royals. He had a fantastic season in 1999, hitting .294 with 27 home runs. He also brought in 119 runs for his team. Fans really liked him in Kansas City. They would often chant "Dye-no-mite" when he came up to bat. In 2000, Dye had his best hitting average yet, at .321. He also hit 33 home runs and had 118 RBIs. This great performance earned him his first spot on the American League All-Star team.
Moving to the Oakland Athletics
In 2001, Dye was traded to the Oakland Athletics. He continued to play well for them, hitting 13 home runs in 61 games. However, in October 2001, during a playoff game, he broke his leg. This injury was a tough moment in his career.
After his injury, Dye signed a new contract with the Athletics in 2002. He played 131 games that year, hitting 24 home runs. He faced more injuries in 2003, which limited his playing time. But he bounced back in 2004, playing in 137 games and hitting 23 home runs. After that season, he became a free agent, meaning he could sign with any team.
Becoming a World Series Champion with the Chicago White Sox
On December 9, 2004, Jermaine Dye joined the Chicago White Sox. The 2005 season was a huge year for him and the White Sox. He played in 145 games, hitting 31 home runs. Most importantly, he helped the White Sox win the 2005 World Series. He was named the World Series MVP for his amazing performance. In the final game, his hit brought in the winning run, securing the championship for Chicago.
The year 2006 was one of Dye's best for hitting. He hit 44 home runs, which was the second-highest in his league. He also had 120 RBIs and a batting average of .315. He was chosen for the American League All-Star Team for the second time. For his great hitting, he also received a Silver Slugger Award that year.
Dye continued to play for the White Sox. In 2007, he signed a new contract to stay with the team. He had another strong season in 2008, hitting 34 home runs and helping the White Sox win their division. In 2009, his last season, he hit 27 home runs. Jermaine Dye announced his retirement from baseball on March 31, 2011.
Career Highlights
Jermaine Dye played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball. Over his career, he played in 1,763 games. He hit a total of 325 home runs and had 1,072 runs batted in. His career batting average was .274.
See also
- 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
