Jason Ellison

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**Jason Ellison**

Texas Rangers — No. 37
Outfielder
Born: April 4, 1978 (1978-04-04) (age 30)
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
Major League Baseball debut
May 9, 2003 for the San Francisco Giants
Selected MLB statistics (through 2007)
Hits	136
Batting average	.251
Runs batted in	33
Teams
San Francisco Giants (2003-2006) Seattle Mariners (2007) Cincinnati Reds (2007)

Jason Jerome Ellison (born April 4, 1978 in Quincy, California) is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Texas Rangers. He attended Lewis-Clark State in Lewiston, Idaho, and made his major league debut on May 9, 2003.

Ellison has become one of the more recognizable bench players in the major leagues because of how frequently he was brought in to pinch run for Barry Bonds. In 2005, Ellison played center field for all games until the trading deadline, when the Giants acquired Randy Winn and Ellison lost his starting job. On April 1, 2007, Ellison was traded to the Seattle Mariners for Travis Blackley, where he served much of the 2007 season as a fourth outfielder.

Jason Ellison was a key part of an altercation between the Oakland Athletics and his Seattle Mariners that started after A's pitcher Joe Blanton collided with Mariners outfielder Ichiro while retrieving a ball that had gotten away from the A's catcher. Ellison responded by charging Blanton, and a bench clearing scuffle ensued. In spite of this, Ellison was not ejected from the game, and went on to record the first 4 hit game of his major league career.

On August 3, 2007, the Seattle Mariners designated Ellison for assignment, making room on their 25-man roster for rookie outfielder Adam Jones to be called up from their AAA affiliate, the Tacoma Rainiers.^[1] On August 7, the Cincinnati Reds claimed Ellison off waivers from the Mariners. He finished the season for the Reds and was outrighted to the minor leagues on October 11. He refused the assignment and elected free agency.

On January 24, 2008, the Texas Rangers signed Ellison to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.