Jonny Gomes, Retired


Date of Birth: 11/22/1980
Birthplace: Petaluma, California
College: Santa Rosa Junior College
Nickname: Ironsides

Jonny Gomes, retired left fielder, has a brother who played in the minor leagues. In 2001, Gomes was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays and he started in their minor league system that season. On December 24, 2002, he had a heart attack but that did not stop Gomes from pursuing his baseball aspirations. The following season, he played primarily in the minors, joining the Rays for 8 games in 2003 and 5 games in 2004.

In 2005, his first full season in the major leagues, Gomes batted a career high .282 with 98 hits, a career high 21 home runs, and 54 RBIs in 101 games. He had a shoulder injury the next season that limited his playing time in 2006 to 117 games. The 2007 season found Gomes back in the minors for part of the time, playing in 107 games with the Rays that year.

After playing in just 77 games with the Rays in 2008, Gomes became a free agent. In January, 2009, he signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds. He played in just 98 games with the Reds in 2009 but the following season turned out to be his best one. In 2010, he batted .266 with career highs in hits (136), doubles (24), and RBIs (86).

The Reds traded Gomes to the Washington Nationals in July, 2011. That season he batted just .211 in 77 games with the Reds and .204 in 43 games with the Nationals.

In January, 2012, Gomes signed a one-year contract with the Oakland Athletics. He played in just 99 games with the Athletics before again becoming a free agent after the 2012 season. He then signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Boston Red Sox in November, 2012. In 2013, he batted .247 with 77 hits in 116 games with Boston.

On July 31, 2014, Gomes was traded to the Athletics. He finished the 2014 season with 64 hits and a .234 batting average in 78 games with the Red Sox and 34 games with the Athletics.

Gomes signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Atlanta Braves on January 22, 2015. He was traded to the Kansas City Royals on August 31, 2015. He finished the season with 48 hits and a .213 batting average in 83 games with the Braves and 12 games with the Royals. Defensively, as a left fielder in 59 games, he made 62 putout and no errors.

On February 4, 2016, Gomes signed a contract to play in Japan in 2016.

Gomes retired on February 1, 2018.

Career batting statistics for Gomes through 2015 include:

  • 1,203 games played
  • 835 hits
  • 157 doubles
  • 162 home runs
  • 526 RBIs
  • 1,088 strikeouts to 417 walks
  • .242 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Gomes as a left fielder through 2015 include:

  • 568 games played
  • 773 putouts
  • 14 errors
  • .983 fielding percentage

Charitable Work

Gomes has worked with various charities in the Tampa Bay area, including Boys and Girls clubs and local schools. In his home town of Petaluma, California, he sponsored Little League teams and worked with Camp for a Cure, an organization that aids cancer and lupus research.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Jonny Gomes
ESPN - Jonny Gomes