Joey Jay
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Joey Jay | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pitcher | ||
| Born: August 15, 1935 | ||
| Batted: Switch | Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | ||
| July 21, 1953 for the Milwaukee Braves |
||
| Final game | ||
| October 2, 1966 for the Atlanta Braves |
||
| Career statistics | ||
| Record | 99-91 | |
| ERA | 3.77 | |
| Strikeouts | 999 | |
| Teams | ||
|
||
| Career highlights and awards | ||
|
||
Joseph Richard (Joey) Jay (born August 15, 1935 in Middletown, Connecticut ) is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1953 through 1966, Jay played for the Milwaukee Braves (1953-55, 1957-60), Cincinnati Reds (1961-66) and Atlanta Braves (1966). He was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed.
In a 13-season career, Jay posted a 99-91 record with 999 strikeouts and a 3.77 ERA in 1546.1 innings.
Contents |
[edit] Bonus Baby
In addition to being the first Little League player to advance to the major leagues, Jay was one of the first 'bonus baby' players in the major leagues. This resulted when he signed a significant contract ($20,000) with the Braves, which forced the Braves to keep Jay on their major league roster for two seasons because of the contract's amount. Following the end of his two years, he was sent to the minors to gain experience, but this failed to get him past the likes of Warren Spahn, Bob Buhl and Lew Burdette on the Braves' rotation. He went 7-5 for the Braves in his best season (1958), but a broken finger kept him out of the World Series. He currently lives in Tampa, FL.
[edit] Second Chance with Cincinnati
The Braves, feeling that Jay would never reach his "bonus baby" potential, traded him to the Cincinnati Reds after the 1960 season for infielder Roy McMillan.
Jay took full advantage of the trade, as he became a key figure in the Reds' stunning revival in 1961. Jay won twenty-one games (the first Red to win twenty since Ewell Blackwell in 1947), tied for the league lead in wins and shutouts, and pitched a one-hitter as the Reds surged to their first National League pennant since 1940. However, the Reds faced the legendary New York Yankees, with Roger Maris having just hit sixty-one home runs, and fell in five games (the only Red win was in Series game #2 with Jay on the mound in Yankee Stadium, a feat which Jay would claim was his greatest achievement in his career).
Jay would also win twenty-one games in 1962, but his productivity slipped after that, finishing 7-18 in 1963. His sub-par 1964 season (11-11) proved disastrous as the Reds just missed claiming the National League title. He would finish his career by returning to the Braves for their initial season in Atlanta in 1966.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Baseball Library - profile and chronology
- Baseball Reference - career statistics and analysis
| Preceded by Frank Thomas |
Major League Player of the Month July 1958 |
Succeeded by Lew Burdette |
| Preceded by Ken Boyer |
Major League Player of the Month May 1961 |
Succeeded by George Altman |
| Preceded by Ernie Broglio & Warren Spahn |
National League Wins Champion 1961 (with Warren Spahn) |
Succeeded by Don Drysdale |
