Jonny Gomes

Infobox MLB player
name=Jonny Gomes


width=200
position=Designated hitter
team=Tampa Bay Rays
organisation=Tampa Bay Rays
number=31
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1980|11|22
birthplace=city-state|San Francisco|California
debutdate=September 12
debutyear=2003
debutteam=Tampa Bay Devil Rays
statyear=September 19, 2008
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.234
stat2label=Home runs| stat2value=66
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=182
teams=
*Tampa Bay Rays (by|2003-present)

Jonathan Johnson Gomes (born November 22, 1980 in San Francisco, California) is a current designated hitter and right fielder in Major League Baseball for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Early years

Gomes was born in San Francisco, California and was raised in nearby Petaluma, California. He was an all-league at Casa Grande High School in his hometown of Petaluma. In May 1997, while in high school, he was a backseat passenger in a car accident that killed his best friend, also in the backseat. After graduating in 1999, he went to Santa Rosa Junior College before being selected in the 18th round of the 2001 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. While he was in the rookie leagues, he was certified to become a personal trainer. His older brother, Joey Gomes, currently plays for the Joliet Jackhammers [ [http://www.jackhammerbaseball.com/team/roster/index.html?player_id=227 jackhammerbaseball.com: Roster ] ] . The family name "Gomes" is Portuguese in ancestry.cite web| title = Distinguished Americans & Canadians of Portuguese Descent| url= http://www.portuguesefoundation.org/famous.htm|accessdate = 2008-01-09]

Gomes suffered a heart attack on Christmas Eve, 2002, the result of a clogged artery, despite being in playing condition (he reported having 8% body fat at the time). He ignored the symptoms for 27 hours, even sleeping through it one night, before going to the hospital after he briefly blacked out and stopped breathing. His doctors said he would not have survived sleeping through it a second night. As a result of the heart attack, the team doctor of the Rays has to keep nitroglycerin pills on-hand in case he has another one.cite web| title = It gives Gomes scare, but heart not an issue| url=http://www.sptimes.com/2003/03/02/Rays/It_gives_Gomes_scare_.shtml|accessdate = 2008-03-14]

MLB career

Gomes made his major league debut on September 12, mlby|2003. He spent mlby|2004 back and forth between the Triple-A Durham Bulls and Tampa Bay. He told an MLB.com interviewer that, when he was relegated back to Durham after a brief early stint in Tampa Bay in May mlby|2005, he resolved that he would put up such an offensive onslaught that the Major League team would "get sick of looking at his face on the Tropicana Field scoreboard when the top Minor League performers were shown." He would have a .321 batting average with 14 home runs and 46 RBI in 45 games with the Bulls before returning to the Rays for good in July [ [http://tampabay.devilrays.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060503&content_id=1430969&vkey=news_tb&fext=.jsp&c_id=tb Gomes large and in charge: Slugger lives life to the fullest after overcoming adversity] , MLB.com, May 3, 2006] .

After his return to Tampa Bay, Gomes became a starter for the club and became one of the club's most important players. On July 30, he became the first Rays player to hit three home runs in a single game, against the Kansas City Royals. For the year, Gomes hit 21 home runs in only 101 games and 348 at-bats. Projected over a full season, Gomes could have hit over 35 home runs. He became a fan favorite, and was known for his all out hustle and long home runs; one went 474 feet and went over the Batter's Eye Restaurant behind the center field wall at Tropicana Field. He finished 3rd in voting for the 2005 American League Rookie of the Year award.

Gomes was figured to play a prominent role in the continued rebuilding and long range plans of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He started mlby|2006 off with a bang by hitting a Rays-record 11 home runs in April. He hit the catwalk rings of Tropicana Field twice during a series with the Toronto Blue Jays in May; one landed in the B ring and rolled off to be caught, while the other hit the C ring and was ruled a home run (see the link to Tropicana Field for its ground rules). He struggled after his hot start, hitting nine home runs during the rest of the season and finishing with a .216 batting average. He attributed most of his problems to an injured shoulder, which hindered his hitting and his usually aggressive baserunning; he played through the injury until electing to have surgery on it in September. In addition to rehabilitating his shoulder, Gomes said in an MLB.com article that he wanted to lose weight over the offseason; he was listed at 205 pounds, but played the 2006 season weighing 250. He also mentioned possibly playing first base in mlby|2007 for the Devil Rays, who then had Carl Crawford, Rocco Baldelli, and Delmon Young in their outfield. [http://tampabay.devilrays.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061018&content_id=1716524&vkey=news_tb&fext=.jsp&c_id=tb]

On Mother's Day, May 14, 2006, Gomes was one of more than 50 hitters who brandished a pink bat to benefit the [http://www.komen.org Breast Cancer Foundation] . Other Devil Rays hitters who used pink bats in 2006 included Greg Norton, Carl Crawford, Toby Hall, Damon Hollins, and Tomas Perez. [http://www.sptimes.com/2006/05/14/Rays/Rays_sluggers_not_afr.shtml]

During the first two months of 2007, Gomes was not given much playing time, and his batting average was down to .184 when he was sent down to Durham again on May 25. He was recalled on June 14, and had an immediate impact as he saw increased playing time, though by the end of the season he again had tapered off. He went on to finish the season with a .244 batting average with 17 home runs and 49 RBI while drawing 39 walks in 348 at-bats. He also compiled 126 strikeouts, a career high and his third straight season in which he had 100 or more strikeouts while playing in less than 120 games.

Gomes currently holds the Tampa Bay Rays club record for most hit by pitches, a total of 28. He achieved the team record when he was hit in the leg by Josh Beckett of the Boston Red Sox for his 26th on July 5, 2007.

During spring training in mlby|2008, on March 12, Gomes rushed to the defense of Akinori Iwamura when the latter was spiked by Shelley Duncan of the New York Yankees. Gomes immediately rushed in from right field, flinging himself into Duncan as he was beginning to stand up. This emptied both teams' benches, as players and coaches ran onto the field. He was ejected, as well as Duncan and two Yankees coaches. Due to his actions, he was suspended by the MLB for two games, effective at the start of the season. [http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080314&content_id=2426217&vkey=spt2008news&fext=.jsp&c_id=tb] Gomes commented that his actions were simply coming to the defense of his teammate, saying "I was taught in T-ball all the way up, to always protect a teammate's back. I just acted how I act. I wasn't really trying to get a shot in on him. I probably could have done a lot of things worse. But it is a baseball field and there's fans and kids watching. I just had to let him know that's not going to fly." [http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080312&content_id=2421390&vkey=spt2008news&fext=.jsp&c_id=tb]

In the third game of a series against the Boston Red Sox on June 5, 2008, Gomes was involved in a bench clearing brawl after Coco Crisp charged the mound as a result of, among other events, being hit by a pitch. Replays of the incident show Gomes throwing punches at Crisp as he was already being shoved to the ground by several other Rays players. [ [http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/sports/comments/we-have-a-rivalry/ Rays Report - Marc Lancaster Sports - from TBO.com Blogs ] ] . He was suspended for five games due to his role in the brawl.

On August 6, 2008, Gomes was optioned to the Durham Bulls of the International League to create roster space for Ben Zobrist, and he was recalled after rosters expanded in September.

Charity Work

Gomes has been known for his charity work in the Tampa Bay area, working with the Boys and Girls Clubs and many local schools. He participated in the Tampa Bay Rays "Shop with a Jock" where children from the Boys and Girls Clubs are invited to have lunch with the players and were each treated to a $100 shopping spree, and was involved in the "Take Jonny to School" program. The student who won was 13 year old Shamika Smith, who brought him to A.J. Ferell Middle Magnet School. He has also sponsored a total of nine Little League Teams in his home town of Petaluma, California during his years in professional baseball. These teams range from tee-ball to 12 year olds. He is involved with Camp For A Cure, an annual charity baseball camp in Petaluma that has raised over $25,000 to date for cancer and Lupus research. Fact|date=June 2008

Trivia

*Gomes has an AW tattoo that stands for Adam Westscott, his childhood friend who died in a car crash that also involved Jonny.
*He has a 707 on his glove and cleats that is the area code for his hometown, Petaluma, California.
*Since he was left off the playoff roster, Gomes was appointed official Rays cheerleader by Rays' manager Joe Maddon.

References

ee also

* Major League Baseball hitters with three home runs in one game

External links

*baseball-reference|id=g/gomesjo01