Jay Gibbons
Encyclopedia
Jay Jonathan Gibbons is an American
professional baseball
outfielder
in Major League Baseball
. Gibbons was a graduate of Mayfair High School
in Lakewood, California
. He played college baseball at California State University, Los Angeles
.
in the 14th round, 411th overall, of the 1998 amateur draft
and that season captured the Pioneer League Triple Crown
with the Medicine Hat Blue Jays
, hitting
.397 with 19 home run
s and 98 RBI
. After the 2000 season, he was picked up by the Baltimore Orioles
in the Rule 5 draft
.
In 2004, Gibbons suffered multiple injuries and only played in 97 games. Because of his hobbling injuries, his numbers plummeted: his batting average was a mere .246, and he hit only 10 homers. After the 2004 season, he had LASIK
eye surgery to improve his declining eyesight, which went from 20-10 to 20-35 in only a few months. He bounced back with a solid 2005 season as he hit .277 with 26 home runs and 79 RBI in 139 games.
He wore #25 until Rafael Palmeiro
signed a contract with the Orioles in 2004. Out of respect for the older and more established Palmeiro, Jay switched to #31, which he wore for the rest of his time with the Orioles, even after Palmeiro left the Orioles.
reported that former relief pitcher
Jason Grimsley
, during a June 6, 2006, federal raid, told federal agents investigating steroids in baseball that Gibbons was a user of "anabolic steroids." The Times reported that Gibbons was one of five names blacked out in an affidavit filed in federal court. However, on October 3, 2006, the Washington Post reported that San Francisco United States attorney Kevin Ryan said that the Los Angeles Times report contained "significant inaccuracies." Gibbons, along with the other four players named, denounced the story. However, on September 9, 2007, Sports Illustrated reported that a source close to an Orlando-based compound pharmacy alleged that Gibbons had received multiple shipments of performance-enhancing steroids and human growth hormone (HGH) between October 2003 to July 2005.
On December 13, 2007, he was cited in the Mitchell Report
.
He was suspended for the first 15 games of the 2008 season on December 6, 2007, and performed so poorly in 2008 spring training that the Orioles cut him even though he was owed nearly $12 million for the last two years of his contract. The Orioles management claimed that the release was a "baseball decision" unrelated to the steroid allegations.
of the Atlantic League
, a team unaffiliated with MLB. He played in 27 games for the Ducks, hitting .280 with 5 home runs in 107 at-bats.
On July 22, 2008, Gibbons signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers
and was assigned to the Double-A Huntsville Stars
. Gibbons spent approximately one week at Double-A Huntsville before being promoted to Triple-A Nashville
on July 27. He became a free agent after the season.
. He was released by the Marlins on March 13, 2009; the Marlins stated that they did not have room on the roster for him.
of the Atlantic League.
prior to the 2010 season. He was assigned to the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes
to start the season and was selected to the mid-season Pacific Coast League
all-star team. In 94 games with the Isotopes, he hit .347 with 19 home runs.
Gibbons was called up to the Dodgers on August 8, 2010. In the game that day against the Washington Nationals, he hit a pinch-hit RBI single. Two days later, Gibbons started in left field against the Philadelphia Phillies
, finishing 3-4 with a home run and 3 RBI.
He appeared in 37 games with the Dodgers, getting extensive playing time after the trade of Manny Ramirez
. He finished hitting .280 with 5 home runs and 17 RBI.
On November 4, 2010, Gibbons signed a 1 year deal to remain with the Dodgers. He began to experience some vision problems while playing winter ball in Venezuela
and saw some eye specialists when the problem persisted through spring training, causing him to lose his chance to be the team's regular left fielder. The problems continued into April and he began the season on the disabled list while trying out different contact lenses. He was even concerned that his career might be over. After an extended rehab assignment at AAA Albuquerque that lasted for most of April, he was activated on May 3. He appeared in 24 games, hitting .255 before he was designated for assignment on June 6. He returned to the Isotopes, where he played in 76 games the rest of the season, hitting .300 with 9 home runs and 46 RBI. He became a free agent after the season.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. Gibbons was a graduate of Mayfair High School
Mayfair High School
Mayfair High School is a high school in the Bellflower Unified School District 9 in the city of Lakewood, California. The school first opened in 1959. The student population is approximately 3616 in grades 7 through 12...
in Lakewood, California
Lakewood, California
Lakewood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 80,048 at the 2010 census. It is bordered by Long Beach on the west and south, Bellflower on the north, Cerritos on the northeast, Cypress on the east, and Hawaiian Gardens on the southeast. Major thoroughfares...
. He played college baseball at California State University, Los Angeles
California State University, Los Angeles
California State University, Los Angeles is a public comprehensive university, part of the California State University system...
.
Minor leagues
Gibbons was selected by the Toronto Blue JaysToronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
in the 14th round, 411th overall, of the 1998 amateur draft
1998 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1998 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 2 and 3, 1998...
and that season captured the Pioneer League Triple Crown
Triple crown (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, a player earns the Triple Crown when he leads a league in three specific statistical categories. For batters, a player must lead the league in home runs, run batted in , and batting average; pitchers must lead the league in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average...
with the Medicine Hat Blue Jays
Medicine Hat Blue Jays
The Medicine Hat Blue Jays were the Toronto Blue Jays rookie-level affiliate in the Pioneer League beginning in 1978 and remained with their parent club for 25 seasons. They played their home games at Athletic Park. Over the years, the club generally struggled on the field and with attendance, but...
, hitting
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.397 with 19 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 98 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
. After the 2000 season, he was picked up by the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
in the Rule 5 draft
Rule 5 draft
The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to...
.
Baltimore Orioles
As a rookie for the Orioles in 2001, he hit 15 home runs before a hand injury cut short his season. The next year, he hit a career-best 29 homers. In 2004, Gibbons had another excellent season. Playing in a career-high 160 games, he established personal bests in batting average and RBI (100) and was voted Team MVP.In 2004, Gibbons suffered multiple injuries and only played in 97 games. Because of his hobbling injuries, his numbers plummeted: his batting average was a mere .246, and he hit only 10 homers. After the 2004 season, he had LASIK
LASIK
LASIK or Lasik , commonly referred to simply as laser eye surgery, is a type of refractive surgery for correcting myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism...
eye surgery to improve his declining eyesight, which went from 20-10 to 20-35 in only a few months. He bounced back with a solid 2005 season as he hit .277 with 26 home runs and 79 RBI in 139 games.
He wore #25 until Rafael Palmeiro
Rafael Palmeiro
Rafael Palmeiro Corrales is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and left fielder. Palmeiro was an All-American at Mississippi State University before being drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1985...
signed a contract with the Orioles in 2004. Out of respect for the older and more established Palmeiro, Jay switched to #31, which he wore for the rest of his time with the Orioles, even after Palmeiro left the Orioles.
Steroid allegations
On September 30, 2006, the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
reported that former relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
Jason Grimsley
Jason Grimsley
Jason Alan Grimsley is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He made his debut on September 8, , and pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, Anaheim Angels, New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals, Baltimore Orioles, and most recently, the Arizona Diamondbacks.-Major league...
, during a June 6, 2006, federal raid, told federal agents investigating steroids in baseball that Gibbons was a user of "anabolic steroids." The Times reported that Gibbons was one of five names blacked out in an affidavit filed in federal court. However, on October 3, 2006, the Washington Post reported that San Francisco United States attorney Kevin Ryan said that the Los Angeles Times report contained "significant inaccuracies." Gibbons, along with the other four players named, denounced the story. However, on September 9, 2007, Sports Illustrated reported that a source close to an Orlando-based compound pharmacy alleged that Gibbons had received multiple shipments of performance-enhancing steroids and human growth hormone (HGH) between October 2003 to July 2005.
On December 13, 2007, he was cited in the Mitchell Report
Mitchell Report (baseball)
The Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an Independent Investigation into the Illegal Use of Steroids and Other Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball, informally known as the "Mitchell Report", is the result of former Democratic United States Senator from Maine...
.
He was suspended for the first 15 games of the 2008 season on December 6, 2007, and performed so poorly in 2008 spring training that the Orioles cut him even though he was owed nearly $12 million for the last two years of his contract. The Orioles management claimed that the release was a "baseball decision" unrelated to the steroid allegations.
2008 season
On June 12, 2008, Gibbons wrote an emotional letter to all 30 MLB clubs, asking to return to baseball, promising to donate his salary to charity. The only team that gave him a chance was the independent Long Island DucksLong Island Ducks
The Long Island Ducks is an American professional baseball team based in Central Islip, New York. They are a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
of the Atlantic League
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball is a professional, independent baseball organization located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, especially the greater metropolitan areas of the Northeast megalopolis. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League...
, a team unaffiliated with MLB. He played in 27 games for the Ducks, hitting .280 with 5 home runs in 107 at-bats.
On July 22, 2008, Gibbons signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
and was assigned to the Double-A Huntsville Stars
Huntsville Stars
The Huntsville Stars are a minor league baseball team of the Southern League and are the Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Huntsville, Alabama and are named for the space industry with which Huntsville is economically tied .The Stars play their home games at Joe W...
. Gibbons spent approximately one week at Double-A Huntsville before being promoted to Triple-A Nashville
Nashville Sounds
The Nashville Sounds are a minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League , and the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the city's association with the music industry...
on July 27. He became a free agent after the season.
Florida Marlins
On January 12, 2009, Gibbons signed a minor league contract with an invite to spring training with the Florida MarlinsFlorida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
. He was released by the Marlins on March 13, 2009; the Marlins stated that they did not have room on the roster for him.
Newark Bears
On May 11, 2009, Gibbons agreed to play for the Newark BearsNewark Bears
The Newark Bears are an American professional baseball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are a member of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since the 1999 season, the Bears have played their home games at Bears &...
of the Atlantic League.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Gibbons signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
prior to the 2010 season. He was assigned to the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes
Albuquerque Isotopes
The Albuquerque Isotopes are a minor league baseball team based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers...
to start the season and was selected to the mid-season Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
all-star team. In 94 games with the Isotopes, he hit .347 with 19 home runs.
Gibbons was called up to the Dodgers on August 8, 2010. In the game that day against the Washington Nationals, he hit a pinch-hit RBI single. Two days later, Gibbons started in left field against the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, finishing 3-4 with a home run and 3 RBI.
He appeared in 37 games with the Dodgers, getting extensive playing time after the trade of Manny Ramirez
Manny Ramírez
Manuel "Manny" Arístides Ramírez Onelcida is a retired Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder. He was recognized for great batting skill and power, a nine-time Silver Slugger and one of 25 players to hit 500 career home runs. Ramirez's 21 grand slams are third all-time, and his 28...
. He finished hitting .280 with 5 home runs and 17 RBI.
On November 4, 2010, Gibbons signed a 1 year deal to remain with the Dodgers. He began to experience some vision problems while playing winter ball in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
and saw some eye specialists when the problem persisted through spring training, causing him to lose his chance to be the team's regular left fielder. The problems continued into April and he began the season on the disabled list while trying out different contact lenses. He was even concerned that his career might be over. After an extended rehab assignment at AAA Albuquerque that lasted for most of April, he was activated on May 3. He appeared in 24 games, hitting .255 before he was designated for assignment on June 6. He returned to the Isotopes, where he played in 76 games the rest of the season, hitting .300 with 9 home runs and 46 RBI. He became a free agent after the season.