Jason Ellison
Encyclopedia
Jason Jerome Ellison is a Major League Baseball
outfielder
who is currently a free agent
. He attended Lewis-Clark State
in Lewiston, Idaho
, and made his major league debut on May 9, .
Ellison has become one of the more recognizable bench players in the major leagues because of how frequently he was brought in to pinch run for Barry Bonds
. In , Ellison played center field
for all games until the trading deadline, when the Giants acquired Randy Winn
and Ellison lost his starting job.
. He began his professional career with rookie-league Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
where he led the Northwest League
in runs
with 67, while ranking third in hits
with 90 and tying for seventh with .300 batting average
. He led Volcanoes in games with 74 played, at-bats with 300, runs, hits, doubles
with 15 and stolen base
s with 13. He earned Salem-Keizer's Player of Month honors in his first month in pro ball, snagging the June award.
He spent his second professional campaign with the Class-A Hagerstown Suns
in , where he established career highs in runs with 95 and RBIs with 55. Ellison finished among South Atlantic League
leaders in doubles, second with 38, runs, second and on-base percentage, third with a .388 clip. His .291 batting average ranked second on Suns, while he paced club with 19 stolen bases. He went 3-for-8 with two home run
s and two RBIs in two South Atlantic League post-season games.
In Ellison split the season between the Class-A San Jose Giants
and the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies
, skipping the Double-A level altogether. He combined to hit .286 with 71 runs, 21 doubles, one triple
, eight home runs, 48 RBIs and 25 stolen bases in 130 games. His steals total led the Giants minor-league system. Ellison opened the year at San Jose, where he hit .270 with 40 runs, 13 doubles, five home runs, 40 RBIs and nine stolen bases in 81 contests. He earned promotion to Fresno in July and proceeded to hit Pacific Coast League
pitching at .311 clip with 31 runs, eight doubles, a triple, and three home runs, eight RBI and 16 stolen bases over 49 contests to close out the 2002 campaign. He was selected Grizzlies' Player of Month for August. Ellison was added to 40-man roster November 21.
Ellison spent the majority of the season at Fresno, but also made his Major League debut with Giants. He was recalled from Fresno May 9, taking roster spot of disabled outfielder Marvin Benard
. He made his big league debut that evening against the Atlanta Braves
, entering in the ninth inning as a defensive replacement in left field. He made his first career start on May 11 at Turner Field
, going 1-for-5 with his first hit coming in the sixth inning off Trey Hodges
. He appeared in seven games for San Francisco, two starts, going 1-for-10 with a run scored. Ellison was optioned to Fresno on May 18, where he remained rest of campaign. Ellison led Grizzlies with 21 stolen bases, while ranking second in games with 119 played and runs with 74. He hit .295 with 22 doubles, four triples, six home runs and 39 RBIs. He earned Fresno Player of Month award for April and was honored by teammates as "Harry Jordan" award winner during spring training, an honor bestowed uponthe best first year player in big league camp.
Ellison played in 125 contests for Fresno, boasting a .315 avg. He led Grizzlies in hits with 159, triples with 7 and stolen bases with 27, while ranking second in games with 125 and runs scored with 90 in . He was named Fresno's organizational Player of Month for both June and July. He was tabbed Fresno's Most Inspirational Player. Ellison was called up to San Francisco when rosters were expanded on September 1, marking the second time with big league club. He hit his first Major League home run off the Los Angeles Angels Edwin Jackson
, a two-run shot on October 3 at Dodger Stadium
. Ellison went 2-for-4 with four runs scored, a home run, three RBIs and two stolen bases in 13 contests for the Giants.
In Ellison emerged as a pleasant surprise for the Giants, earning the majority of club's starts in center field prior to trade-deadline acquisition of Randy Winn
and a late-season injury. Despite his limited play in the second half, still ranking among National League
rookie leaders in runs with 49, hits with 93, doubles with 18, triples with 2, steals with 14, and outfield assists with 5. He made 82 starts overall, 64 in center field and 18 in right field, hitting .269 with 40 runs, 18 doubles, a triple, three home runs, 23 RBIs, 23 walks and 11 steals. He stole 14 bases, eighth-most ever by a Giants rookie and highest since Marvin Benard
swiped 25 in . He was the most productive during early season action, as his average stood above .300 for 66-game stretch from April 8 to June 25. He logged a career-high 8-game hitting streak from May 7 to 14 going 10-for-27, part of stretch in which he hit safely in 15 of 19 games going 23-for-58. Ellison suffered an oblique
strain on left side, and appeared in just 17 games after September 1. He logged a brief 10-day stay with Triple-A Fresno, being optioned August 19 when Moises Alou
was activated from disabled list. He returned to the Giants on August 29 following the August 27 trade of Michael Tucker.
The year was a season of ups and downs for Ellison as he was on the opening-day roster and logged 72 games prior to All-Star Break
, but was optioned to Triple-A Fresno before the July 14 second-half opener. He blistered Pacific Coast League pitching to the tune of a .406 average going 78-for-192 with 18 doubles and 18 RBIs in 46 games before being recalled September 1. Ellison appeared in 84 Major League games overall, seeing action at all three outfield positions and as both a pinch-runner and pinch-hitter. He struggled offensively in big leagues, hitting just .222, however he batted .250 as pinch-hitter. He hammered his second career leadoff home run on June 18.
for Travis Blackley
, where he served much of the 2007 season as a fourth outfielder.
Ellison was a key part of an altercation between the Oakland Athletics
and his Seattle Mariners that started after A's pitcher
Joe Blanton
collided with Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki
while retrieving a ball that had gotten away from the A's catcher. Ellison responded by charging Blanton, and a bench clearing scuffle ensued. In spite of this, Ellison was not ejected from the game, and went on to record the first 4-hit
game of his major league career. In , Ellison and Blanton became teammates on the Philadelphia Phillies.
On August 3, , the Seattle Mariners
designated Ellison for assignment, making room on their 25-man roster for rookie outfielder Adam Jones
to be called up from their Triple-A affiliate, the Tacoma Rainiers
.
claimed Ellison off waivers from the Mariners. He finished the season for the Reds and was outrighted to the minor leagues on October 11. He refused the assignment and elected free agency
.
signed Ellison to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training
. After spending most of the season in the minors, Ellison was called up on August 7. He was designated for assignment on August 25, and sent outright to the minors two days later.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He attended Lewis-Clark State
Lewis-Clark State College
Lewis–Clark State College is a public undergraduate college located in Lewiston, Idaho. It was founded in 1893, and has an annual enrollment of approximately 3,500 students. The college offers over 83 degrees and is well-known for its Criminal Justice, Education, Nursing, and Technical programs.-...
in Lewiston, Idaho
Lewiston, Idaho
Lewiston is a city in and also the county seat of Nez Perce County in the Pacific Northwest state of Idaho. It is the second-largest city in the northern Idaho region, behind Coeur d'Alene and ninth-largest in the state. Lewiston is the principal city of the Lewiston, ID - Clarkston, WA...
, and made his major league debut on May 9, .
Ellison has become one of the more recognizable bench players in the major leagues because of how frequently he was brought in to pinch run for Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
. In , Ellison played center field
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
for all games until the trading deadline, when the Giants acquired Randy Winn
Randy Winn
Dwight Randolph Winn is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder. Winn was a switch hitter, and threw right-handed. He played college baseball at Santa Clara University and made his Major League debut in 1998 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays...
and Ellison lost his starting job.
San Francisco Giants
Ellison was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 22nd round of the First 2000 Major League Baseball Draft2000 Major League Baseball Draft
-First Round Selections:-Compensation picks:- Background :The Florida Marlins made Adrian Gonzalez of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, CA the first overall selection in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft...
. He began his professional career with rookie-league Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
The Salem-Keizer Volcanoes are a minor league baseball team in Keizer, Oregon, United States. They are a Short-Season Class A team in the Northwest League, and have been an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants since the Volcanoes' inception in 1997...
where he led the Northwest League
Northwest League
The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Class A-Short Season minor baseball league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954...
in runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
with 67, while ranking third in hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
with 90 and tying for seventh with .300 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
. He led Volcanoes in games with 74 played, at-bats with 300, runs, hits, doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
with 15 and stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s with 13. He earned Salem-Keizer's Player of Month honors in his first month in pro ball, snagging the June award.
He spent his second professional campaign with the Class-A Hagerstown Suns
Hagerstown Suns
The Hagerstown Suns are a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. They play in Municipal Stadium, which was opened in 1930 and seats 4,600 fans....
in , where he established career highs in runs with 95 and RBIs with 55. Ellison finished among South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
leaders in doubles, second with 38, runs, second and on-base percentage, third with a .388 clip. His .291 batting average ranked second on Suns, while he paced club with 19 stolen bases. He went 3-for-8 with two home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and two RBIs in two South Atlantic League post-season games.
In Ellison split the season between the Class-A San Jose Giants
San Jose Giants
The San Jose Giants are a minor league baseball team in San Jose, California, USA. They are a Class A - Advanced team in the Northern Division of the California League, and have been a farm team of the San Francisco Giants since 1988. Home games are played at San Jose Municipal Stadium...
and the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies
Fresno Grizzlies
The Fresno Grizzlies are a minor league baseball team based in Fresno, California. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League , is the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major league club. The Grizzlies play in Chukchansi Park , located in downtown Fresno and built in 2002...
, skipping the Double-A level altogether. He combined to hit .286 with 71 runs, 21 doubles, one triple
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, eight home runs, 48 RBIs and 25 stolen bases in 130 games. His steals total led the Giants minor-league system. Ellison opened the year at San Jose, where he hit .270 with 40 runs, 13 doubles, five home runs, 40 RBIs and nine stolen bases in 81 contests. He earned promotion to Fresno in July and proceeded to hit Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
pitching at .311 clip with 31 runs, eight doubles, a triple, and three home runs, eight RBI and 16 stolen bases over 49 contests to close out the 2002 campaign. He was selected Grizzlies' Player of Month for August. Ellison was added to 40-man roster November 21.
Ellison spent the majority of the season at Fresno, but also made his Major League debut with Giants. He was recalled from Fresno May 9, taking roster spot of disabled outfielder Marvin Benard
Marvin Benard
Marvin Larry Benard [buh-NARD] is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who batted and threw left-handed....
. He made his big league debut that evening against the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
, entering in the ninth inning as a defensive replacement in left field. He made his first career start on May 11 at Turner Field
Turner Field
Turner Field is a stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, home to Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves since 1997. Turner Field was originally built as Centennial Olympic Stadium, it was completed in 1996 to serve as the centerpiece of the 1996 Summer Olympics...
, going 1-for-5 with his first hit coming in the sixth inning off Trey Hodges
Trey Hodges
Trey Alan Hodges is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Atlanta Braves in and , and for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan in ....
. He appeared in seven games for San Francisco, two starts, going 1-for-10 with a run scored. Ellison was optioned to Fresno on May 18, where he remained rest of campaign. Ellison led Grizzlies with 21 stolen bases, while ranking second in games with 119 played and runs with 74. He hit .295 with 22 doubles, four triples, six home runs and 39 RBIs. He earned Fresno Player of Month award for April and was honored by teammates as "Harry Jordan" award winner during spring training, an honor bestowed uponthe best first year player in big league camp.
Ellison played in 125 contests for Fresno, boasting a .315 avg. He led Grizzlies in hits with 159, triples with 7 and stolen bases with 27, while ranking second in games with 125 and runs scored with 90 in . He was named Fresno's organizational Player of Month for both June and July. He was tabbed Fresno's Most Inspirational Player. Ellison was called up to San Francisco when rosters were expanded on September 1, marking the second time with big league club. He hit his first Major League home run off the Los Angeles Angels Edwin Jackson
Edwin Jackson
Edwin Jackson is an American professional baseball pitcher.-Early life:Jackson's father, Edwin Jackson, Sr., a military cook, was stationed in Germany at the time of his birth. Jackson is one of 27 major league players who were born in Germany...
, a two-run shot on October 3 at Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
. Ellison went 2-for-4 with four runs scored, a home run, three RBIs and two stolen bases in 13 contests for the Giants.
In Ellison emerged as a pleasant surprise for the Giants, earning the majority of club's starts in center field prior to trade-deadline acquisition of Randy Winn
Randy Winn
Dwight Randolph Winn is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder. Winn was a switch hitter, and threw right-handed. He played college baseball at Santa Clara University and made his Major League debut in 1998 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays...
and a late-season injury. Despite his limited play in the second half, still ranking among National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
rookie leaders in runs with 49, hits with 93, doubles with 18, triples with 2, steals with 14, and outfield assists with 5. He made 82 starts overall, 64 in center field and 18 in right field, hitting .269 with 40 runs, 18 doubles, a triple, three home runs, 23 RBIs, 23 walks and 11 steals. He stole 14 bases, eighth-most ever by a Giants rookie and highest since Marvin Benard
Marvin Benard
Marvin Larry Benard [buh-NARD] is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who batted and threw left-handed....
swiped 25 in . He was the most productive during early season action, as his average stood above .300 for 66-game stretch from April 8 to June 25. He logged a career-high 8-game hitting streak from May 7 to 14 going 10-for-27, part of stretch in which he hit safely in 15 of 19 games going 23-for-58. Ellison suffered an oblique
Oblique
Oblique may refer to:*Oblique angle, in geometry, an angle that is not a multiple of 90 degrees*Oblique angle, synonym for Dutch angle, a cinematographic technique*Oblique , by jazz vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson...
strain on left side, and appeared in just 17 games after September 1. He logged a brief 10-day stay with Triple-A Fresno, being optioned August 19 when Moises Alou
Moisés Alou
Moisés Rojas Alou |Spanish:]] ; born July 3, 1966 in Atlanta, Georgia) is a former American outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for 17 seasons in the National League. In 1,942 career games, Alou had a batting average of .303 with 2,134 hits, 421 doubles, 332 home runs, and 1,287 runs...
was activated from disabled list. He returned to the Giants on August 29 following the August 27 trade of Michael Tucker.
The year was a season of ups and downs for Ellison as he was on the opening-day roster and logged 72 games prior to All-Star Break
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
, but was optioned to Triple-A Fresno before the July 14 second-half opener. He blistered Pacific Coast League pitching to the tune of a .406 average going 78-for-192 with 18 doubles and 18 RBIs in 46 games before being recalled September 1. Ellison appeared in 84 Major League games overall, seeing action at all three outfield positions and as both a pinch-runner and pinch-hitter. He struggled offensively in big leagues, hitting just .222, however he batted .250 as pinch-hitter. He hammered his second career leadoff home run on June 18.
Seattle Mariners
On April 1, , Ellison was traded to the Seattle MarinersSeattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
for Travis Blackley
Travis Blackley
Travis Jarrod Blackley is a former starting pitcher for the Kia Tigers of the Korean Baseball Organization. He bats and throws left-handed.-Seattle Mariners:...
, where he served much of the 2007 season as a fourth outfielder.
Ellison was a key part of an altercation between the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
and his Seattle Mariners that started after A's pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Joe Blanton
Joe Blanton
Joseph Matthew Blanton is a starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball.-College career:...
collided with Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki
Ichiro Suzuki
, usually known simply as is a Major League Baseball right fielder for the Seattle Mariners. Ichiro has established a number of batting records, including the sport's single-season record for hits with 262...
while retrieving a ball that had gotten away from the A's catcher. Ellison responded by charging Blanton, and a bench clearing scuffle ensued. In spite of this, Ellison was not ejected from the game, and went on to record the first 4-hit
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
game of his major league career. In , Ellison and Blanton became teammates on the Philadelphia Phillies.
On August 3, , the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
designated Ellison for assignment, making room on their 25-man roster for rookie outfielder Adam Jones
Adam Jones (baseball)
Adam La Marque Jones is a Major League Baseball center fielder for the Baltimore Orioles. Jones was born and raised in San Diego, California where he starred at Samuel F. B. Morse High School. He was drafted in the first round of the 2003 draft by the Seattle Mariners...
to be called up from their Triple-A affiliate, the Tacoma Rainiers
Tacoma Rainiers
The Tacoma Rainiers are a minor league baseball team that plays in the Pacific Coast League , and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners...
.
Cincinnati Reds
On August 7, the Cincinnati RedsCincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
claimed Ellison off waivers from the Mariners. He finished the season for the Reds and was outrighted to the minor leagues on October 11. He refused the assignment and elected free agency
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
.
Texas Rangers
On January 24, , the Texas RangersTexas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
signed Ellison to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
. After spending most of the season in the minors, Ellison was called up on August 7. He was designated for assignment on August 25, and sent outright to the minors two days later.