Jason Bartlett (baseball)
| Jason Bartlett | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minnesota Twins | |
| Shortstop | |
|
Born: October 30, 1979 Mountain View, California | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| August 3, 2004 for the Minnesota Twins | |
| Career statistics (through 2012 season) | |
| Batting average | .271 |
| Home runs | 31 |
| Runs batted in | 286 |
| Stolen Bases | 123 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Jason Alan Bartlett (born October 30, 1979) is a professional baseball shortstop for the Minnesota Twins. He has played in Major League Baseball for the Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays, and San Diego Padres.
Early life
Bartlett grew up in Lodi, California and attended St. Mary's High School in Stockton, California. Bartlett went to San Joaquin Delta College and the University of Oklahoma, where he played for the Oklahoma Sooners baseball team.
Professional career
Bartlett was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 13th round (390th overall) of the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft. In July 2002, he was traded to the Minnesota Twins for Brian Buchanan after the Padres had drafted shortstop Khalil Greene in the first round.[1]
Bartlett made his MLB debut on August 3, 2004. Bartlett recorded his first five-hit game in the Twins' 11-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals on August 6, 2006.[2] When on the Twins, Bartlett was one of four players known for speed and small ball, nicknamed "The Piranhas" by Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillén. The Twins embraced the term during the 2006 season. The other Piranhas were Jason Tyner, Luis Castillo, and Nick Punto.
In 2007 he led all major league shortstops in errors, with 26. On November 28, 2007, the Twins traded Bartlett along with Matt Garza and Eduardo Morlan to the Tampa Bay Rays for Delmon Young, Jason Pridie, and Brendan Harris.
On October 22, 2008, Bartlett stole a base in the 5th inning of Game 1 of the World Series, earning America a free taco from Taco Bell.[3] Bartlett finished the season batting .286 with one home run, and was voted by local Tampa sportswriters as the Rays' MVP for the year.[4]
On July 5, 2009, Bartlett was selected to represent Tampa Bay in the 2009 All Star Game. He finished the year batting .320, which was, at the time, the highest batting average in the relatively short history of the Rays.[1]
Bartlett played in 135 games for the Rays in 2010 and posted a batting line of .254/.324/.350. On December 17, 2010, Bartlett was traded to the San Diego Padres for Adam Russell, Cesar Ramos, Brandon Gomes, and Cole Figueroa.[1]
Bartlett was the Padres regular shortstop in 2011 and finished the season batting .245 with 2 home runs and 23 stolen bases. He had the lowest slugging percentage of all major league ballplayers with 512 or more plate appearances, at .307.[5]
The Padres opened 2012 with Bartlett again as their every-day shortstop but he played his last game for the team on May 14, batting .133 with 4 RBI over 29 games. Three days later he was moved to the disabled list with a right knee strain. On the same day, his fellow middle infielder Orlando Hudson was released and the Padres brought up Everth Cabrera and Alexi Amarista in corresponding moves.[6] On August 20, 2012, the Padres requested unconditional release waivers on Bartlett.
After sitting out the 2013 season, he signed a non roster contract with the Minnesota Twins on November 11, 2013.[7]
Personal life
Bartlett is Filipino-American on his mother's side according to an interview leading up to the 2008 World Series. He married Kelly Chevez on November 15, 2008. They have two sons, Jayden Bartlett, born June 25, 2008, and Jagger Bartlett, born July 17, 2011. They reside in Fort Myers, Florida and San Diego, California.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Center, Bill (March 18, 2011). "Bartlett's glove speaks for Padres' new shortstop". San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on March 21, 2011.
- ↑ Yahoo! Sports Recap
- ↑ Dead Spin World Series Game One Live Blog: Phillies At Rays
- ↑ Chuck, Bill. 100 random things about the Red Sox, Rays, and Yankees, The Boston Globe. Published April 2, 2009. Retrieved May 2, 2009.
- ↑
- ↑ Center, Bill (August 20, 2012). "On-base average more important to Headley". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
- ↑ Twins Sign Jason Bartlett
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jason Bartlett (baseball). |
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
- Jason Bartlett: The Missing Ingredient (Minnesota Public Radio)
- Simply-Baseball-Notebook.com: Bartlett seizes the moment.