Jay Bruce
Encyclopedia
Jay Allen Bruce is a Major League Baseball
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...

 for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati 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....

. He was selected 12th overall in the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft
2005 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2005 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 7 and 8. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams...

.

He bats and throws left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...

. He has been listed as a top prospect in both his league and as an outfielder overall. He is nicknamed Bruce Almighty
Bruce Almighty
Bruce Almighty is a 2003 American comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac and written by Steve Koren, Mark O'Keefe and Steve Oedekerk. It stars Jim Carrey as Bruce Nolan, a down-on-his-luck TV reporter who complains to God that He isn't doing His job correctly, and is then offered the chance to try...

, "The Boss", "The Beaumont Bomber", "Hard Jay," and "The Deal".

High school

Bruce attended Western Albemarle High School
Western Albemarle High School
Western Albemarle High School is a public high school located in Crozet, Virginia and is part of the Albemarle County Public School System, serving the western and central areas of Albemarle County. Its approximate enrollment is over 1000 students...

 in Crozet, Virginia, where he was selected as a third-team High School All-American. He was drafted 12th in the first round of the 2005 MLB Amateur draft. Appeared in the hit television show Parental Control under the name "Bruce".

Minor leagues

Bruce's professional career began in 2005 in the GCL
Gulf Coast League
The Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...

, playing for the Reds' lowest rookie team. He hit .270 in 37 games before moving on to the Reds' rookie affiliate Billings Mustangs
Billings Mustangs
The Billings Mustangs are a minor league baseball team based in Billings, Montana. The Mustangs are the Pioneer League Rookie affiliate of the Major League Cincinnati Reds. The team has been a part of the Pioneer League since 1948 with a five-year gap between 1964 and 1968, and has been affiliated...

. There he hit for a .257 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 :...

 with 4 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 13 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...

.

In , he was bumped to the Reds' Low-A affiliate Dayton Dragons
Dayton Dragons
The Dayton Dragons are a Class A minor league baseball team from Dayton, Ohio affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds. They play in the Midwest League at Fifth Third Field.The Dragons came to Dayton in 2000...

, where he excelled with a .291 average and 16 home runs, placing him in many top prospect lists. For the season, Bruce was placed with the Reds' high-A team, the Sarasota Reds, then quickly promoted to the Reds' Double-A team, the Chattanooga Lookouts
Chattanooga Lookouts
The Chattanooga Lookouts are a minor league baseball team based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. They are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team, which plays in the Southern League, has been a Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club since the 2009 season. The Lookouts...

. He was selected to the 2007 All-Star Futures Game
All-Star Futures Game
The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game between a team of top minor league prospects from the United States and a team of prospects from other parts of the World...

. Bruce was then promoted to the Reds' Triple-A club, the Louisville Bats
Louisville Bats
The Louisville Bats, which play in Louisville, Kentucky, are the AAA minor league baseball affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. The team, formerly known as the Louisville RiverBats, plays in the International League...

, where he ended the season by winning Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Award
Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Award
Listed below in chronological order are the Minor League Baseball players chosen by Baseball America as recipients of the Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Award...

.

Reds General Manager Wayne Krivsky
Wayne Krivsky
Wayne Krivsky , is the Special Assistant to the GM of Major League Baseball's New York Mets franchise.-Biography:Wayne Krivsky attended Duke University, where he played baseball for three years...

 informed Bruce and the media that Bruce would not get a look in the big leagues in 2007; however, during the Reds' final game of the 2007 season, Bruce was recognized for winning the Minor League Player of the Year award.

2008 season

Bruce was invited to the Reds' 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...

. On March 20, Bruce was reassigned to the team's minor league camp, and started the season at Louisville. Bruce hit .262 with an OBP of .279 in his first spring training.

On May 27, 2008, the Reds organization called Bruce up and he made his major league debut against right-handed 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...

 Ian Snell
Ian Snell
Ian Dante Snell is an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. From -, he went by the name Ian Oquendo, adopting the last name of his wife, and during the 2009 World Baseball Classic he went by Ian Davila-Snell, adopting his stepfather's surname...

 of the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...

. Bruce made his debut in 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...

, batting 3-for-3 with two singles
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...

 and one double
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....

. He drove in two runs, scored twice, walked
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...

 twice, and stole a 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...

. In his second game, May 28, 2008, also against Pittsburgh, he added a double, another stolen base, and two more walks. Bruce became the first Major League player since 1977 to reach base in his first six plate appearances. Some began to wonder whether he would be "the next Ryan Braun
Ryan Braun
Ryan Joseph Braun is an American right-handed Major League Baseball left fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers. A perennial standout, he was ranked No...

". On May 30 Bruce went 4-for-5 in a 3–2, 11-inning win over 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....

. Bruce doubled in the tying run and scored the winning run in the 11th inning after leading off the inning with a single. Bruce launched his first Major League home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Reds a walk-off win. One day later, on June 1, he went 2 for 3 with a home run, a single, 2 runs batted in, and 1 base on balls. Bruce had a 1.000 slugging percentage after his first six games – the only major league player since to achieve a higher slugging percentage after his first six games was Mike Jacobs in 2005. On June 2, Bruce hit the third home run of his career while going 2-for-4 in Philadelphia against the Phillies' Kyle Kendrick
Kyle Kendrick
Kyle Rodney Kendrick is a relief pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball.-High school:...

. In his first full week in the majors, he batted .577 (15-for-26), with three home runs, three doubles, and nine singles in addition to six bases on balls. He also scored 12 runs, and batted in 7 more runs. The Reds had a winning percentage of .714 (5–2) during his first week. Before Bruce was called up to the majors, they had a winning percentage of .451 (23–28), and had lost 5 of the last 7 games.

Bruce had a 12-game hitting streak during the month of July.

To open August, after nearly half of a month without a home run, Bruce hit a home run in back-to-back games against the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...

. Two games later, Bruce hit his 10th home run of the season and his third of the month against the Milwaukee Brewers. In the final game of the Brewers' series, Bruce hit his 11th home run of the season. Following the trades of veteran outfielders Ken Griffey, Jr.
Ken Griffey, Jr.
George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey, Jr. , nicknamed "Junior" and "The Kid", is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and during his final years, designated hitter...

 and Adam Dunn
Adam Dunn
Adam Troy Dunn , nicknamed "Big Donkey", is an American Major League Baseball first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter for the Chicago White Sox. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed....

, Bruce hit his 12th home run of the season in a loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...

.

On defense, in 2008 he tied for the lead among all major league outfielders in errors, with 11.

2009 Season

On Monday April 6, Bruce started his first ever Opening Day game, going 1–4 at the plate with a double off the wall in left-center field to give the Reds their first hit off Johan Santana
Johan Santana
Johan Alexander Santana Araque is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher who is currently playing for the New York Mets. He is a native of Venezuela....

 in the game. Bruce also threw a runner out at home plate in the Reds 2–1 loss to the New York Mets. On April 11 against the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...

, Bruce threw out his second runner of the season at home plate and drove in 2 runs in a 1–4 day at the plate. Bruce hit his first home run of the season April 13 in the win over Milwaukee
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...

, finished 1–3 batting with 2 runs and 2 RBI. After missing time due to injury, Bruce bounced back with back-to-back homers on April 21 to April 22 against the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...

. On April 26, in the 8–2 win over 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....

, Bruce went 3 for 3 with two home runs and 4 RBI. A week later on May 4 Bruce hit his 6th home run of the season off Pittsburgh Pirates starter Jeff Karstens in a victory. Bruce homered in back to back home games on May 6 and May 7 against the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...

.

On July 11 Bruce fractured his right wrist while making a diving play in right field in the first inning of a game against the New York Mets.

On September 14, Bruce made his return against the Houston Astros, pinch hitting with the bases loaded in the 7th inning. Bruce's 2-run single gave the Reds a 2–1 lead that would hold up as the game winning hit. Two nights later on September 16 Bruce had a 2-run single in the first inning that would allow Cincinnati to defeat the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...

 3–2.

2010 Season

On April 18, Bruce homered twice in a 5–3 road loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...

. On April 25, Bruce went 3 for 4 with two doubles and an RBI, scoring the game-winning run in 5–4 win against the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...

. This win ended the Padres 8-game winning streak.

On June 30, Bruce hit the game winning home run off Phillies ace Roy Halladay
Roy Halladay
Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...

.

On August 27, Bruce hit three home runs – two off Tom Gorzelanny
Tom Gorzelanny
Thomas Stephen Gorzelanny is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals.-Personal life:Tom grew up in Chicago, IL, graduating from Marist High School in 2000...

 and another off Scott Maine
Scott Maine
Scott Maine is a baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs.Maine was born and raised in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, where he attended William T. Dwyer High School. He was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 23rd round of the 2006 MLB Draft, but did not sign. He was drafted by the Arizona...

 in Maine's MLB debut- against the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...

.

On September 28, Bruce hit a bottom-of-the-ninth inning, first-pitch, walk-off home run off Astros
Astros
Astros in sports may refer to:*The Houston Astros, a Major League Baseball team*Astros , an American football team in Australia*Astros Field, now renamed Minute Maid ParkAstros may also refer to:...

 pitcher Tim Byrdak
Tim Byrdak
Timothy Christopher Byrdak is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the New York Mets. His previous major league experience came from to , when Byrdak played for the Kansas City Royals, an injury-plagued stint with the Baltimore Orioles, and one year with the Detroit Tigers.After playing for...

 to clinch the NL Central title for the Reds. It is the team's first trip to the postseason since 1995.

Bruce's September 28 home run was the Capital One Premier Play of the Year.

Bruce was the only baserunner allowed during Roy Halladay
Roy Halladay
Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...

's no-hitter in game 1 of the 2010 NLDS.

On December 9, 2010 the Reds agreed to extend Bruce to a 6 year $51MM deal and it includes a $12MM option for a seventh year.

2011 Season

After finishing March/April hitting .237, with 4 home runs, 11 RBI, and striking out 27 times, Bruce came back strong in May, batting .342, with 12 home runs, 33 RBI, and only striking out 21 times, which was good enough for him to win NL Player of the Month for May.

Was selected to play in the 2011 All Star Game

At age 24 years, 5 months, and 191 days, Bruce hit his 100th career home run on September 27, becoming the 3rd youngest Red to reach 100 home runs behind Johnny Bench
Johnny Bench
Johnny Lee Bench is a former professional baseball catcher who played in the Major Leagues for the Cincinnati Reds from 1967 to 1983 and is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame...

 and Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson , is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He played from 1956–1976, most notably for the Cincinnati Reds and the Baltimore Orioles. He is the only player to win league MVP honors in both the National and American Leagues...

 who both accomplished that feat at age 23.

Awards

  • 2010 – Tommy Edwards Sportsman of the Year
  • 2007 – Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Award
    Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Award
    Listed below in chronological order are the Minor League Baseball players chosen by Baseball America as recipients of the Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Award...

  • 2007 – Baseball America
    Baseball America
    Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...

     Minor League All-Star
  • 2007 – FSL
    FSL
    The abbreviation FSL may refer to:* Florida State League* FMRIB Software Library* Freescale Semiconductor stock symbol* Free-space path loss or free-space loss in telecommunications* Finnish Sign Language* French Sign Language...

     Mid-Season All-Star
  • 2006 – Baseball American Minor League All-Star
  • 2006 – MID
    MID
    -Computers and electronics:* MapInfo Interchange Format; .mid is also sometimes used as the filename extension for some MapInfo files* Media Identification Code , a code indicating the manufacturer of a DVD...

     Post-Season All-Star
  • 2006 – MID Mid-Season All-Star
  • 2006 – MID All-Star Game Top Star

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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