Josh Phelps
Encyclopedia
Joshua Lee Phelps is a Major League Baseball
first baseman
who plays for the Telemarket Rimini. He bats and throws right-handed. A .273 career hitter through with a .472 slugging percentage, he has hit .300/.496 with runners in scoring position.
in Rathdrum, Idaho
, where he was the baseball
team's Most Valuable Player as a senior, and graduated 4th in his class in 1996 with a 3.94 GPA.
Phelps was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays
as a catcher in the 10th round of the draft. Phelps planned to pursue engineering in college before he signed with the Blue Jays.
in slugging percentage (.562), and was 2nd in batting
(.328). He was rated as the 5th best prospect in the organization by Baseball America
.
In , with Tennessee
of the Southern League
(Double-A), he hit .292, led the league with 36 doubles
and 31 home runs, and was third in RBI
(97). He was the Southern League MVP, was named to their All-Star team as the catcher and designated hitter, was selected to Baseball America's Minor League Second Team All-Star as catcher, was named as the R. Howard Webster Award winner (team MVP), and was twice selected as the SL Player of the Week.
He then hit .433 in 23 games in the Arizona Fall League
for Scottsdale
. He was rated the top prospect in the Blue Jays organization by Baseball America.
In , he started the season with Syracuse (Triple-A) of the International League
, and was recalled on July 2 by Toronto. At the time of his recall, he was leading all of minor league baseball in home runs (24), and was leading the IL in RBI (64) and slugging percentage (.658).
He was named to the Triple-A All Star team, and was selected to play for Team USA at the Futures game
in Milwaukee
.
He spent with the Toledo Mud Hens
, the Detroit Tigers
Triple-A franchise. He hit .308 (2nd in the league), and ranked second among International League hitters with a .532 slugging percentage, and 3rd in the league with 24 HR and 90 RBI.
Through 2006 in his minor league career, he had hit .288/.360/.524.
s. In , he hit .309 with a .562 slugging percentage, and was 5th in the AL in HBP
(17). In , he hit a career-high 20 home runs. In August , he was traded by the Blue Jays to the Cleveland Indians
for Eric Crozier
.
In December 2004, he signed as a free agent
with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
. In January , he was signed by the Detroit Tigers to a minor league contract. In November 2006, he signed with the Baltimore Orioles
to a one-year minor league contract, but he was acquired by the Yankees
in the Rule 5 Draft
on December 7, 2006. On March 30, , he was placed on the New York Yankee 40-man roster, beating out Andy Phillips
. Initially picked to platoon at first base with Doug Mientkiewicz
, manager Joe Torre
hinted that Phelps might man the position by himself if his impressive spring training
numbers continued into the regular season. On June 19, 2007, Phelps was designated for assignment. He was claimed by the Pittsburgh Pirates
on June 22 and replaced Brad Eldred
on their 25-man roster.
On November 29, 2007, he elected to file for free agency and was signed to a minor league contract by the St. Louis Cardinals on January 10, . Phelps was promoted to the Major League roster on August 27, .
On October 15, , he was designated for assignment
to make room for left-handed relief specialist
, Charlie Manning
.
On November 3, 2008, the San Francisco Giants signed Josh Phelps to a minor league contract with a spring training invite
Phelps is the all-time leader in home runs for a player born in Alaska
.
in the Atlantic League. He was the starting first basemen and wears number 29 as of June 30, 2010.
signed Josh Phelps to one year contract.
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...
first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
who plays for the Telemarket Rimini. He bats and throws right-handed. A .273 career hitter through with a .472 slugging percentage, he has hit .300/.496 with runners in scoring position.
High school years
Phelps attended Lakeland High SchoolLakeland High School (Rathdrum, Idaho)
Lakeland High School is a public high school in Rathdrum, Idaho, opened in 1979.As of January 2008, the school enrolled about 800 students in grades 9-12. It serves students from the Rathdrum, Hauser Lake and Garwood communities as well as other areas within Kootenai County. It is part of Lakeland...
in Rathdrum, Idaho
Rathdrum, Idaho
Rathdrum is a city in Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. The population was 6,826 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Rathdrum is located at ....
, where he was the baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team's Most Valuable Player as a senior, and graduated 4th in his class in 1996 with a 3.94 GPA.
Phelps was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
as a catcher in the 10th round of the draft. Phelps planned to pursue engineering in college before he signed with the Blue Jays.
Minor league career
In , he led the Florida State LeagueFlorida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
in slugging percentage (.562), and was 2nd in batting
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 :...
(.328). He was rated as the 5th best prospect in the organization by 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...
.
In , with Tennessee
Tennessee Smokies
The Tennessee Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in the Knoxville, Tennessee metropolitan area. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball as of the 2011 season...
of the Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
(Double-A), he hit .292, led the league with 36 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....
and 31 home runs, and was third in 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...
(97). He was the Southern League MVP, was named to their All-Star team as the catcher and designated hitter, was selected to Baseball America's Minor League Second Team All-Star as catcher, was named as the R. Howard Webster Award winner (team MVP), and was twice selected as the SL Player of the Week.
He then hit .433 in 23 games in the Arizona Fall League
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League is an off-season league owned and operated by Major League Baseball which operates during the fall in Arizona, United States at five spring training complexes...
for Scottsdale
Scottsdale Scorpions
The Scottsdale Scorpions are a baseball team that plays in the East Division of the Arizona Fall League located in Scottsdale, Arizona. They play their home games at Scottsdale Stadium....
. He was rated the top prospect in the Blue Jays organization by Baseball America.
In , he started the season with Syracuse (Triple-A) of the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
, and was recalled on July 2 by Toronto. At the time of his recall, he was leading all of minor league baseball in home runs (24), and was leading the IL in RBI (64) and slugging percentage (.658).
He was named to the Triple-A All Star team, and was selected to play for Team USA at the 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...
in Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
.
He spent with the Toledo Mud Hens
Toledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a minor league baseball team located in Toledo, Ohio. The Mud Hens play in the International League, and are affiliated with the major league baseball team the Detroit Tigers, based approximately 50 miles to the north of Toledo. The current team is one of several...
, the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
Triple-A franchise. He hit .308 (2nd in the league), and ranked second among International League hitters with a .532 slugging percentage, and 3rd in the league with 24 HR and 90 RBI.
Through 2006 in his minor league career, he had hit .288/.360/.524.
Major league career
In he appeared in one game for Toronto at the age of 22. The following year, he caught in 7 games, and went hitless in 12 at batAt bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s. In , he hit .309 with a .562 slugging percentage, and was 5th in the AL in HBP
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
(17). In , he hit a career-high 20 home runs. In August , he was traded by the Blue Jays to the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
for Eric Crozier
Eric Crozier (baseball)
Eric Le Roi Crozier is an American Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder who played for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the independent Atlantic League. Crozier played for the Toronto Blue Jays in . He was purchased by the Baltimore Orioles on Friday, June 19, 2009...
.
In December 2004, he signed as 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....
with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
. In January , he was signed by the Detroit Tigers to a minor league contract. In November 2006, he signed with the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
to a one-year minor league contract, but he was acquired by the Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in the Rule 5 Draft
Rule 5 draft
The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to...
on December 7, 2006. On March 30, , he was placed on the New York Yankee 40-man roster, beating out Andy Phillips
Andy Phillips
George Andrew "Andy" Phillips is the current assistant coach for The University of Alabama's baseball team. He has played for the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox. Phillips was raised in Demopolis, Alabama, where he played baseball for the Demopolis Academy...
. Initially picked to platoon at first base with Doug Mientkiewicz
Doug Mientkiewicz
Douglas Andrew Mientkiewicz is a first baseman who last appeared in the majors in with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed...
, manager Joe Torre
Joe Torre
Joseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...
hinted that Phelps might man the position by himself if his impressive 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...
numbers continued into the regular season. On June 19, 2007, Phelps was designated for assignment. He was claimed by 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 June 22 and replaced Brad Eldred
Brad Eldred
Bradley Ross Eldred is a Major League Baseball first baseman in the San Francisco Giants organization...
on their 25-man roster.
On November 29, 2007, he elected to file for free agency and was signed to a minor league contract by the St. Louis Cardinals on January 10, . Phelps was promoted to the Major League roster on August 27, .
On October 15, , he was designated for assignment
Designated for assignment
Designated for assignment is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball. When a player is designated for assignment, he is immediately removed from the club's 40-man roster. This gives the club 10 days to decide what to do with the player while freeing up a roster spot for another...
to make room for left-handed relief specialist
Left-handed specialist
In baseball, a left-handed specialist is a left-handed relief pitcher who specializes in pitching to left-handed batters, or to switch-hitters who bat poorly right-handed...
, Charlie Manning
Charlie Manning
Charles Nelson Manning is a professional baseball relief pitcher who is currently a free agent. He played part of the 2008 season in Major League Baseball for the Washington Nationals. He went to the University of Tampa and is listed with a height of 6'2 and weight of 180 pounds...
.
On November 3, 2008, the San Francisco Giants signed Josh Phelps to a minor league contract with a spring training invite
Phelps is the all-time leader in home runs for a player born in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
.
Independent League Career
2010 was his first season with the Bridgeport BluefishBridgeport Bluefish
The Bridgeport Bluefish is an American professional baseball team based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. They are a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
in the Atlantic League. He was the starting first basemen and wears number 29 as of June 30, 2010.
Italian Baseball League Career
On February 21, 2011, the Telemarket RiminiRimini Baseball Club
Rimini Baseball Club is a baseball team based in Rimini. It plays in IBL, Italy's professional baseball league. It has won 11 national championships during its entire history....
signed Josh Phelps to one year contract.
Awards
- 1999 - Florida State LeagueFlorida State LeagueThe Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
All-Star DH - 2001 - Baseball AmericaBaseball AmericaBaseball 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...
2nd team Minor League All-Star C - 2001 - Southern League All-Star C
- 2001 - Southern LeagueSouthern League (baseball)The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
Most Valuable Player - 2001 - Double A All-Star C
- 2001 - Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Player of the Year
- 2002 - Baseball America 2nd team Minor League All-Star C
- 2002 - Triple AAAA (baseball)Triple-A refers to the highest level of play in minor league baseball in the United States and Mexico.-Purpose:Triple-A teams' main purpose is to prepare players for the Major Leagues:...
All-Star DH - 2002 - Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Player of the Year
- 2002 - AL Rookie of the Year (Voting Rank: # 6)
External links
- Yankees bio
- ESPN
- Baseball Reference
- http://www.bridgeportbluefish.com/team/roster/index.html?player_id=95
- Fangraphs stats
- Baseball Cube
- ESPN interview
- Rimini baseball