Jason Bay, Retired


Date of Birth: 9/20/1978
Birthplace: British Columbia, Canada
College: Gonzaga University

Jason Bay was initially with the New York Mets but they traded him almost immediately to the San Diego Padres in 2002. A year later, on May 23, 2003, Bay made his first major league appearance with the Padres. His first season with the Padres was cut short quickly after his debut when his wrist was broken by a pitch. At the end of August, 2003, the Padres traded Bay to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

After being traded to the Pirates, Bay played in 27 games and batted .291. The following year, 2004, Bay played in 120 games, batted .282 and had 116 hits, 24 doubles, and 26 home runs. Bay was named American League Rookie of the Year in 2004.

Bay continued to play well for the Pirates in 2005 and 2006, earning his career high batting average of .306 in 2005 with 32 home runs and a .286 average in 2006 with 35 home runs. The 2007 season was a rough one for Bay, with injuries affecting his offense. He ended that season with a batting average of only .247 and 21 home runs.

At the end of July, 2008, Bay was traded to the Boston Red Sox. In his combined 577 at bats in the 2008 season for the Pirates and the Red Sox, Bay had a .286 batting average with 31 home runs and 101 RBIs. He played very well for Boston in 2009 and he won a Silver Slugger award for that season.

Bay became a free agent after the 2009 season and in December, 2009, he signed a four-year, $66 million contract with the New York Mets. He suffered a concussion in his first season with the Mets and a broken rib and another concussion in 2012. After his first three seasons with the Mets, Bay and the team agreed to end the contract and Bay once again became a free agent. In December, 2012, he signed a one-year contract with the Seattle Mariners.

Bay announced his retirement on March 31, 2014.

Statistics for Bay in 10 seasons (2003-2012) in the major leagues include:

  • 3 seasons with over 150 hits, with a high of 183 in 2005
  • 2 seasons with over 30 doubles, with a high of 44 in 2005
  • 7 seasons with over 20 home runs, with a high of 36 in 2009
  • 4 seasons with over 100 RBIs, with a high of 119 in 2009

Career statistics for Bay through 2012 include:

  • 1,210 games played
  • 1,158 hits
  • 234 doubles
  • 211 home runs
  • 734 RBIs

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Jason Bay
ESPN Sports - Jason Bay