Jason Michaels

Infobox MLB player
name = Jason Michaels

---

width = 220
caption =
team = Pittsburgh Pirates
number = 18
position = Left fielder
birthdate = birth date and age|1976|5|4
birthplace = city-state|Tampa|Florida
bats = Right
throws = Right
debutdate = April 6
debutyear = 2001
debutteam = Philadelphia Phillies
statyear = 2008
stat1label = Batting average
stat1value = .271
stat2label = Home runs
stat2value = 45
stat3label = Runs batted in
stat3value = 247
teams =
*Philadelphia Phillies (by|2001-by|2005)
*Cleveland Indians (by|2006-by|2008)
*Pittsburgh Pirates (by|2008-present)

Jason Drew "J-Mike" [cite web |url = http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/michaja01.shtml |title = Jason Michaels Statistics |accessdate = 2007-07-22 |publisher = Sports Reference, Inc.] Michaels (born May 4, 1976 in Tampa, Florida) is an outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball. He is a 1994 graduate of Jesuit High School of Tampa and received an Associate of Arts (AA) degree from Okaloosa-Walton Community College in 1996. He went on to star in baseball at the University of Miami in by|1997 and by|1998 and signed with the Philadelphia Phillies after they selected him in the fourth round of the June 1998 amateur draft.cite book
title = Cleveland Indians: Media Guide 2007
url = http://pressbox.mlb.com/pressbox/downloads/y2007/cle/player_bios.pdf
format = PDF
accessdate = 2007-06-20
publisher = MLB Advanced Media, L.P.
pages = [http://pressbox.mlb.com/pressbox/downloads/y2007/cle/player_bios.pdf#page=76 pgs. 190-193] ] After eight years in the Phillies organization, including five seasons in Philadelphia, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians in January by|2006.cite web
url=http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060127&content_id=1302146&vkey=news_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle
title=Tribe completes trade with Phillies
accessdate=2007-06-20
last=Castrovince
first=Anthony
date=January 27, 2006
publisher=MLB Advanced Media, L.P./MLB.com] His tenure with the Phillies was marred by his July 2005 arrest for assaulting a Philadelphia police officer for which he was ordered to perform 100 hours of community service and was placed on six months probation.cite web
url=http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=phillies&id=3217493
title=Phillies' Michaels Arrested
accessdate=2007-06-20
date=July 4, 2005
publisher=ABC Inc./Associated Press]

Michaels' grandfather, John Michaels, pitched for the by|1932 Boston Red Sox [cite web
url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/michajo02.shtml
title=John Michaels Statistics
accessdate=2007-06-20
publisher=Sports Reference, Inc./Baseball-Reference.com] and also played in the Cincinnati Reds organization. His father, Earl Michaels, played quarterback for the West Virginia Tech football team.

High school and college

Michaels attended Jesuit High School of Tampa which also produced major leaguers Lou Piniella, Dave Magadan and Brad Radke. He hit over .400 in each of three years for Jesuit. After high school graduation, Michaels was selected in the 49th round of the June by|1994 amateur draft by San Diego. He chose not to sign with the Padres and instead attended Okaloosa-Walton Community College in Niceville, Florida where he hit .421 with 9 home runs and 45 RBI and was named Panhandle Conference Player of the Year in 1996. [cite web
url=http://raider.owc.edu/baseball/Awards.cfm
title=Raiders Athletics Baseball Awards
accessdate=2007-06-20
publisher=Okaloosa-Walton College]

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays selected him in the 44th round of the by|1996 amateur draft, but he again opted not to sign and attended the University of Miami. He lettered in baseball for the Hurricanes in both 1997 and 1998 and was a teammate of Phillies' left fielder Pat Burrell. In two seasons at Miami, he hit .396 (3rd highest in school history) with 34 home runs (10th) and 154 RBI. In 1997, he set Hurricane single-season records for hits (106), doubles (32) and total bases (189). The St. Louis Cardinals selected him in the 15th round of the 1997 amateur draft, but once again, Michaels did not sign a contract, returning to Miami for his final year of eligibility.

In June 1998, Michaels was selected for the fourth time in the baseball amateur draft, this time by the Phillies in the 4th round. He signed his first professional contract June 19, 1998.

Philadelphia Phillies

In the Phillies farm system from 1998 through by|2001, Michaels played for the Batavia Muckdogs of the short-season, single-A New York - Penn League (1998), the Clearwater Phillies (now Clearwater Threshers) of the advanced single-A Florida State League (by|1999), the Reading Phillies of the double-A Eastern League (by|2000) and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons of the triple-A International League (2001). In 424 minor league games with the Phillies, he hit .282 with 52 home runs and 264 RBI.

Although he spent most of the season with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Michaels made his major league debut with Philadelphia on April 6, 2001. He was on the Phillies' 25-man roster from by|2002 through by|2005 as a reserve outfielder and pinch hitter, compiling a .291 batting average with 21 home runs and 100 RBI in 383 games and 808 at bats. He was used primarily as a pinch hitter and defensive replacement in 2002 and by|2003. In by|2004, he was the team's fourth outfielder behind fellow University of Miami alumnus Pat Burrell, Marlon Byrd, and Bobby Abreu. In 2005, he platooned in center field with left-handed hitting Kenny Lofton.

2005 arrest in Philadelphia

Michaels was arrested on July 3, 2005, after allegedly punching a police officer as he left a nightclub in Old City, Philadelphia. Michaels was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, simple assault and reckless endangerment. After being detained for the morning, he was released in time for that night's nationally televised "Sunday Night Baseball". After the season, Michaels attended a program for first-time offenders of non-violent crimes, completed 100 hours of community service, and was placed on six months probation. [cite web
url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2260532
title=Michaels placed in program after assault arrest
accessdate=2007-06-20
date=December 15, 2005
publisher=ESPN Internet Ventures/Associated Press] [cite web
url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2299795
title=Michaels gets probation, community service for fight
accessdate=2007-06-20
date=January 20, 2006
publisher=ESPN Internet Ventures/ESPN.com News Services] A civil suit brought against Michaels by the officer was reportedly settled in April 2006. Terms of the settlement were not released. [cite web
url=http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?Category=17&ID=282001&r=6
title=Michaels lawsuit wrapping up
accessdate=2007-06-20
last=Call
first=Andy
date=April 23, 2006
publisher=CantonRep.com]

Cleveland Indians

On January 27, 2006, the Phillies traded Michaels to the Cleveland Indians for left-handed relief pitcher Arthur Rhodes. This trade precipitated a second deal in which the Indians sent outfielder Coco Crisp, relief pitcher David Riske and catcher Josh Bard to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for reliever Guillermo Mota, third baseman Andy Marte, catcher Kelly Shoppach, Randy Newsom and cash. Michaels replaced Crisp in left field for the Indians in 2006, hitting primarily in the second spot in the batting order behind Grady Sizemore. For the season, he hit .267 with nine home runs and a career-best 55 RBI. He missed 16 games after crashing into the outfield wall at Yankee Stadium on June 15. [cite web
url=http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060619&content_id=1513646&vkey=news_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle
title=Notes: Michaels awaiting MRI results
accessdate=2007-06-20
last=Castrovince
first=Anthony
date=June 19, 2006
publisher=MLB Advanced Media, L.P./MLB.com]

Michaels' struggles against right-handed pitching in 2006 (.252, 4 HR, 28 RBI in 338 plate appearances compared to .291, 5 HR, 27 RBI in 210 plate appearances against left-handers) prompted the Indians to sign left-handed hitting, free agent outfielder David Dellucci after the 2006 season. [cite web
url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061127&content_id=1746722&vkey=news_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle
title=Tribe tabs Dellucci for left field
accessdate=2007-06-20
last=Castrovince
first=Anthony
date=November 26, 2006
publisher=MLB Advanced Media, L.P./MLB.com] Dellucci and Michaels were expected to platoon in left field in by|2007, with Michaels seeing most of his playing time against left-handed pitching.

Roberto Clemente Award Nominee

On September 6, 2006, the Indians announced that Michaels was their nominee for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award, given annually to the major league player who best exemplifies a commitment to community service. [cite web
url=http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060906&content_id=1648727&vkey=news_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle&partnered=rss_cle
title=Michaels donates time to community
accessdate=2007-06-20
last=Castrovince
first=Anthony
date=September 6, 2006
publisher=MLB Advanced Media, L.P./MLB.com] Michaels donated the $2,500 award to the Cleveland chapter of Gang Resistance Education and Training. [cite news
first = Paul
last = Hoynes
title = Tribe's chastened Jason now hastens to serve
publisher = The Plain Dealer
date = September 12, 2006]

Pittsburgh Pirates

On May 8, by|2008, Michaels was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates after being designated for assignment.

References

External links