David DeJesus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

**David DeJesus**

Kansas City Royals — No. 9
Center Fielder
Born: December 20, 1979 (1979-12-20) (age 28)
Bats: Left	Throws: Left
Major League Baseball debut
September 2, 2003 for the Kansas City Royals
Selected MLB statistics (through May 11, 2008)
Batting average	.283
Home runs	34
RBIs	225
Teams
Kansas City Royals (2003–present)

David Christopher DeJesus (pronounced /dəˈheɪsus/, born December 20, 1979, in Brooklyn, New York) is a center fielder currently with the Kansas City Royals.

DeJesus was raised in Manalapan Township, New Jersey^[1], and played high school baseball at Manalapan High School.^[2] He was drafted out of high school by the New York Mets in the 43rd round of the 1997 amateur draft. DeJesus did not sign with the Mets, opting instead to attend Rutgers University. Three years later, he was drafted in the fourth round of the 2000 amateur draft by the Kansas City Royals.

DeJesus made his Major League debut on September 2, 2003. After Carlos Beltrán was traded to the Houston Astros in 2004, DeJesus became the starting center fielder for the Royals. He finished sixth in the 2004 Rookie of the Year voting. On March 9, 2006, DeJesus signed a five-year, $13.8 million dollar contract extension with the Royals through 2010, with a club option for the 2011 season.

[edit] References

^ DeJesus: Baseball beginnings, Major League Baseball, October 28, 2003. Accessed February 20, 2008. "My name is David DeJesus. I was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Manalapan, New Jersey."
^ David DeJesus player profile, Kansas City Royals. Accessed July 19, 2007. "Full name is David Christopher DeJesus...graduated from Manalapan (N.J.) High in 1997"