Jody Gerut facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jody Gerut |
||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gerut with the Milwaukee Brewers
|
||||||||||||||
| Outfielder | ||||||||||||||
| Born: September 18, 1977 Elmhurst, Illinois, U.S. |
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| debut | ||||||||||||||
| April 26, 2003, for the Cleveland Indians | ||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | ||||||||||||||
| May 22, 2010, for the Milwaukee Brewers | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .262 | |||||||||||||
| Home runs | 59 | |||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 226 | |||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
Medals
|
||||||||||||||
Joseph Diego Gerut, known as Jody Gerut, was born on September 18, 1977. He is an American former professional baseball player. Jody played as a center fielder for six seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was first chosen by the Colorado Rockies and later played for several teams between 2003 and 2010.
Contents
Jody's Early Baseball Days
Jody Gerut grew up in Elmhurst, Illinois. He went to Willowbrook High School and then to Stanford University. While in college, he played summer baseball. He was part of the Harwich Mariners team in the Cape Cod Baseball League in 1996 and 1997. In 1996, he was even chosen as an all-star player in the league!
Playing Professional Baseball
Jody was drafted, or chosen, by the Colorado Rockies in the second round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft. Later, on June 2, 2001, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians. This trade included Jody and another player, Josh Bard, in exchange for Jacob Cruz.
In 2003, Jody finished fourth in the voting for the American League Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award. He also won the Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award. This award goes to the best new player in the league.
In 2004, Jody's season ended early. He had a serious injury to his right knee. This injury was a torn anterior cruciate ligament, often called an ACL.
Moving to New Teams
Jody was traded again on July 18, 2005. The Chicago Cubs got him from the Indians. In return, the Indians received Jason Dubois. Just a few days later, on July 31, Jody was traded once more. This time, the Pittsburgh Pirates got him in exchange for another outfielder, Matt Lawton.
He played briefly for the Pirates in 2005. However, he did not play for them at all in 2006. On March 8, 2007, the Pirates released him, meaning he was no longer on their team. Jody did not play baseball during that entire year.
Joining the Padres and Brewers
On January 21, 2008, Jody signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres. This contract also included an invitation to spring training. Spring training is where players practice and get ready for the new season.
Jody played very well for the Padres in 2008. He was a starting player and had a strong season. He finished the year with a .296 batting average, which means he got a hit almost 30% of the time. He also hit 14 Home runs and had 48 Runs batted in (RBI). He mostly played in center field.
On April 13, 2009, Jody made history! He got the very first hit and the first home run ever at Citi Field. This is the home stadium of the New York Mets. He hit the home run at the very start of the game. Jody became the first player in Major League Baseball history to open a new ballpark with a leadoff home run.
On May 21, 2009, Jody was traded again. He went to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr..
Hitting for the Cycle and Retirement
On May 8, 2010, Jody achieved a rare feat in baseball: he hit for the cycle. This means he got a single, a double, a triple, and a home run all in the same game! He went 4 for 6 in the Brewers' big 17–3 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
On August 13, 2010, the Brewers released Jody. A few days later, on August 19, the San Diego Padres signed him to another minor league contract. In 2010, the Sporting News magazine chose him as the 12th-smartest athlete in sports.
On January 20, 2011, Jody signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners. However, on February 27, Jody announced he was retiring from baseball. He explained that his heart was no longer fully in the game. He said he "didn't want to be a player that plays for only his paycheck."
Broadcasting Career
On August 1, 2018, Jody Gerut worked as an analyst for a baseball game. He helped explain the game during a Facebook Live broadcast of an Indians-Twins game.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
