Justin Bour facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Justin Bour |
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Bour with the Miami Marlins in 2018
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| First baseman | |||
| Born: May 28, 1988 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: June 5, 2014, for the Miami Marlins | |||
| NPB: June 19, 2020, for the Hanshin Tigers | |||
| KBO: August 10, 2021, for the LG Twins | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| MLB: September 29, 2019, for the Los Angeles Angels | |||
| NPB: October 21, 2020, for the Hanshin Tigers | |||
| KBO: September 21, 2021, for the LG Twins | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .253 | ||
| Home runs | 92 | ||
| Runs batted in | 303 | ||
| NPB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .243 | ||
| Home runs | 17 | ||
| Runs batted in | 45 | ||
| KBO statistics | |||
| Batting average | .170 | ||
| Home runs | 3 | ||
| Runs batted in | 17 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Justin James Bour (born May 28, 1988) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a first baseman. Justin played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Miami Marlins, Philadelphia Phillies, and Los Angeles Angels. He also played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan. Later, he played in the KBO League for the LG Twins in South Korea.
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Early Life and High School Baseball
Justin Bour was born in Washington, D.C.. His parents are Jim and Tracey Bour. His father worked for the Secret Service, often protecting presidents. Justin has two siblings, Jason and Jenna.
While growing up in Chantilly, Virginia, Justin went to Westfield High School. He helped his team win a division title. In high school, Justin played both pitcher and first base. He was named first-team All-Met in 2006. This award recognized him as one of the best high school players in the Washington D.C. area. In his senior year, Justin had a great batting average of .523. He also had 23 runs batted in (RBIs).
College Baseball Career
After high school, Justin Bour went to George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. His father, mother, and older brother, Jason, also went to George Mason. His brother Jason played baseball there too. Jason was even drafted by a professional team in 2007.
Justin made his own mark at George Mason University. He set a school record for the most putouts (1,273) as a first baseman. He also tied for second in career home runs with 46. He was third in RBIs with 187. In his three years at George Mason, Justin hit about 15 home runs and had 62 RBIs each season. On March 6, 2007, he set another school record. He hit two grand slams and had nine RBIs in one game!
Because of his strong college performance, Justin was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 25th round of the 2009 Major League Amateur Draft. Many people thought he would be picked earlier. Since 1978, 52 baseball players from George Mason have been drafted or signed by pro teams. Justin still practices at the university during the off-season.
Professional Baseball Journey
Starting with the Chicago Cubs
Justin Bour began his professional career in the Cubs' minor league system. By 2012, he reached the Double-A Tennessee Smokies. That year, he batted .283 and drove in 110 runs. He was named to the Southern League Postseason All-Star team. However, the Cubs already had a strong first baseman, Anthony Rizzo, on their main team. This made it hard for Justin to move up. In December 2013, the Miami Marlins picked him in the Rule 5 draft. This draft allows teams to pick players from other teams' minor league rosters.
Playing for the Miami Marlins
Justin was first called up to play in the major leagues with the Marlins on June 1, 2014. He played most of the 2015 season with the Marlins. On May 17, 2015, Justin became famous for breaking up a "no-hitter" game. A no-hitter is when a pitcher doesn't let any opposing player get a hit. Justin got a hit with two outs in the ninth inning, stopping Shelby Miller from completing his no-hitter.
Justin also hit home runs in four straight games from June 30 to July 3, 2015. He was only the eighth Marlin player to do this. In October, he was named the National League Rookie of the Month for September. After the All-Star break, he hit 13 home runs and had 46 RBIs. This helped the Marlins after their star player, Giancarlo Stanton, got a hand injury. Justin led the Marlins with 73 RBIs that season. He also hit 23 home runs, which was second on the team. He finished 5th in the National League Rookie of the Year voting.
In 2016, Justin became a regular player for the Marlins. He started the season strong, hitting 15 home runs and 46 RBIs by the end of June. In June alone, he hit six home runs and 20 RBIs. This great streak ended when he hurt his ankle on July 2. He was placed on the disabled list. After some time recovering, he returned to the team in September.
Justin had a very good season in 2017. He even stole a base for the first time in his Major League career against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He had the pitcher and catcher sign the base for him! Justin was also invited to the 2017 Home Run Derby. He hit 22 home runs in the first round, which was a lot! But he was knocked out by Aaron Judge, who hit 23. Justin finished the season with 25 home runs and 83 RBIs.
In 2018, Justin played for the Marlins again. He batted .227 with 19 home runs and 54 RBIs.
Moving to the Philadelphia Phillies
On August 10, 2018, the Philadelphia Phillies got Justin Bour from the Miami Marlins. He mostly played as a bench player for the Phillies. He hit one home run and had five RBIs in 54 times at bat. After the 2018 season, the Phillies decided not to offer him a new contract, making him a free agent.
Time with the Los Angeles Angels
On December 15, 2018, the Los Angeles Angels signed Justin Bour to a one-year contract. He became a free agent again after the 2019 season.
Playing Overseas
Justin then played baseball in other countries. On December 14, 2019, he signed with the Hanshin Tigers in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league. He became a free agent from that team in November 2020.
On March 2, 2021, Justin signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants in the U.S. He played for their Triple-A team, the Sacramento River Cats. On June 25, 2021, the Giants released him, meaning he was free to sign with another team.
Soon after, on June 27, 2021, Justin signed with the LG Twins in the KBO League in South Korea. He played 32 games there, hitting three home runs and having 17 RBIs. He was not re-signed for the 2022 season.
His last stop was with the Diablos Rojos del México in the Mexican League. He played 16 games there in 2022, hitting two home runs. He was released on May 18, 2022.
Retirement and New Career Path
On February 10, 2023, Justin Bour announced that he was retiring from professional baseball. He shared that he would be going back to George Mason University to finish his college degree.
On February 22, 2024, Justin joined the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team. He now works as an assistant in their player development department. This means he helps younger players improve their skills.
