Jay Payton

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Jay Payton
Baltimore Orioles — No. 16
Left Fielder
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Major League Baseball debut
September 1, 1998 for the New York Mets
Selected MLB statistics
(through 2006)
Batting average     .284
RBI     422
Home runs     105
Former teams

    Jason Lee (Jay) Payton (born November 22, 1972 in Zanesville, Ohio), is an outfielder in Major League Baseball who currently plays for the Baltimore Orioles. He has played for the New York Mets (1998-2002), Colorado Rockies (2002-03), San Diego Padres (2004), Boston Red Sox (2005), and Oakland Athletics (2005-2006). He bats and throws right-handed.

    [edit] High School Years

    Payton attended Zanesville High School in Zanesville, Ohio, and starred in soccer, basketball, and baseball. He was also an excellent student and graduated in the top 4 of his class.

    [edit] Pro career

    Payton is an opposite-field hitter with some power. As a runner, he has decent instincts but he is not a base stealer. Defensively, he is a solid center fielder with an average arm, although his quickness getting rid of the ball helps him hold baserunners on the base paths. He can play both left field and right field.

    Selected by the Mets in the first round (29th pick) of the 1994 amateur draft, Payton hadn't fulfilled the great expectations he projected in Georgia Tech when he rated ahead of his teammates Nomar Garciaparra and Jason Varitek. He debuted in 1998, and after ankle, foot and back injuries in three of his first four seasons, he eventually had to alter his hitting style. With limited duty in 2001, the Mets finally gave up on him and was traded to the Rockies in the 2002 midseason.

    In 2003, Payton enjoyed his most productive season with career highs in home runs (28), RBI (89), runs (93), hits (181), doubles (32), on base percentage (.354), slugging average (.512), at-bats (600), games played (157), and added a respectable .302 batting average. He was signed by San Diego as a free agent at the end of the season. What the Padres liked best was that he hit 15 of his 28 home runs away from Coors Field's thin air. But Payton had a subpar 2004 season batting .260 with eight homers and 55 RBI in 143 games. In December, he was sent to Boston for Dave Roberts and took over Roberts' role as the Red Sox fourth outfielder.

    Payton was designated for assignment by the Red Sox on July 7, 2005, after being publicly disgruntled over his lack of playing time. On July 13, he was traded to the Oakland Athletics for pitcher Chad Bradford.

    Payton hit a Home Run on his first pitch, on his first at bat for his new club and earned a cult status for a brief period after winning many games for the A's with an otherwise struggling offense.

    In 2006, Payton is playing regularly in the outfield for the Athletics and he is having a good season, batting .295 with 10 home runs and 52 RBIs. On July 3, 2006, he hit his 100th career home run.

    On December 8, 2006, Payton agreed to terms on a two-year, $9.75 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles.[1]

    [edit] External links

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