Ben Zobrist
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Thomas "Ben" Zobrist (born May 26, 1981) is an American baseball
player currently with Major League Baseball
's Tampa Bay Rays
. A switch-hitter who throws right-handed, he has exhibited a versatility to play most positions with the exception of pitcher
and catcher
. He has been the Rays' starting second baseman
since . Besides Zo, Zobi Wan Kenobi, Zoby and Benny-Zo, he is also known by the nickname
Zorilla
, given to him by Rays manager
Joe Maddon
.
, raised by his parents Tom and Cindi. He loved playing baseball since he was eight, so much so that he and his friends built their own wiffle ball field behind his house. After no pro scouts or college
recruiters looked at him when he graduated, he thought baseball was over for him. "Baseball was not even a thought in my mind," Zobrist said, "When I was done with my last high school game, I was driving around town just thinking I'm done with baseball the rest of my life." Despite this, Zobrist's high school coach encouraged him to go the annual event that showcased seniors in Peoria, Illinois
each summer. He played in the showcase, and was given an offer by Olivet Nazarene University
and turned a great career while at Olivet. In his time at Olivet, he pitched and also played at shortstop and second. He transferred to Dallas Baptist University
for his senior year, where he played shortstop
.
Zobrist was drafted by the Houston Astros
in the 6th round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft
. With right-handed pitcher Mitch Talbot, Zobrist was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for first baseman/designated hitter
Aubrey Huff
and cash on July 12, 2006. Zobrist was the team's starting shortstop through his first two seasons with them.
He struggled through parts of the 2006 and 2007 seasons with the Rays. One day he met a "swing mechanic" (batting coach) looking for students. The swing coach was able to help Zobrist, and it was evident to the Rays during the 2008 season. "He added the power component," Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman
said, "He became a lot more physical."
For the most part, Zobrist was used as a right fielder
and a back-up shortstop during the 2008 season. In certain situations where a fifth infielder was needed, he or BJ Upton (a former infielder himself) would be moved in from the outfield during the season. Zobrist went to his first World Series
as a player with the Rays in 2008. His versatility was showcased during Game 3 of the 2008 World Series
against the National League
champion Philadelphia Phillies
when he came in as part of a double switch to play right field. However, Zobrist initially played unusually shallow, in essence becoming a fifth infielder.
Zobrist was placed in right field for the beginning of the 2009 season, and had since been made the starting second baseman after teammate Akinori Iwamura
was injured. Zobrist hit three grand slams
in 2009, leading the Rays, and was among the league leaders in slugging percentage. He earned himself a trip to his first All Star Game in St. Louis in 2009. The Tampa Bay Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America
named him MVP of the Rays for 2009.
Zobrist led all hitters in the Majors in 2009 for wins above replacement with 8.6, ahead of Albert Pujols
' 8.4 WAR.
On April 23, 2010, Zobrist and the Rays agreed to a three-year contract extension through the 2013 season, with a team option for 2014 and 2015. The deal could be worth up to $30 million.
In 2010, Zobrist batted .238, with a .353 slugging percentage.
record 8 RBI's in a 15-3 rout of the Minnesota Twins
.
Another game was held during the day to makeup for a previously rained out game and Zobrist drove in another 2 runs, making a total 10 RBI's for the day.
with his wife, Christian singer Julianna Zobrist and their son, Zion Benjamin, who was born on February 1, 2009. Zobrist is a former counselor for Camp of Champions USA, a Christian summer day camp in central Illinois. He used Christian
rap artist TobyMac
's song "Ignition" as his entrance song during the 2008 and start of the 2009 season. He currently uses a song by his wife as his entrance music.
Zobrist often talks about his Christian faith, and how God
helped him realize that he was supposed to play baseball. "I just felt like everything fell into place so much, that this is what I was supposed to do," Zobrist said, "This is what I was made to do." He often mentions during interviews how blessed he has been through his baseball career. He and Christian former teammate Gabe Gross
have talked about how they organize Bible studies
with their teammates. St. Pete Times writer Mark Topkin wrote how Zobrist does this with his teammates, saying Zobrist "doesn't judge or proselytize, refraining from forcing his beliefs on anyone, though willing to get involved if asked." Zobrist also chooses not to smoke, drink, or do drugs.
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...
player currently with 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...
's Tampa Bay 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...
. A switch-hitter who throws right-handed, he has exhibited a versatility to play most positions with the exception of 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...
and catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
. He has been the Rays' starting second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
since . Besides Zo, Zobi Wan Kenobi, Zoby and Benny-Zo, he is also known by the nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
Zorilla
Striped Polecat
The Striped Polecat is a member of the Mustelidae family which somewhat resembles a skunk. It is found in savannahs and open country in sub-saharan Africa excluding the Congo basin and west Africa.Like other polecats, this carnivore is nocturnal...
, given to him by Rays manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
Joe Maddon
Joe Maddon
Joseph John Maddon is the Major League Baseball manager for the Tampa Bay Rays.He previously served as interim manager of the Anaheim Angels in both 1996 and 1999. He was also a long-time bench coach for the team.-Early life and career:Maddon attended Lafayette College, where he played baseball...
.
Early life
Zobrist grew up in Eureka, IllinoisEureka, Illinois
Eureka is a city in Woodford County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,295 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Woodford County. The city was founded in the year 1855. Eureka is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, raised by his parents Tom and Cindi. He loved playing baseball since he was eight, so much so that he and his friends built their own wiffle ball field behind his house. After no pro scouts or college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
recruiters looked at him when he graduated, he thought baseball was over for him. "Baseball was not even a thought in my mind," Zobrist said, "When I was done with my last high school game, I was driving around town just thinking I'm done with baseball the rest of my life." Despite this, Zobrist's high school coach encouraged him to go the annual event that showcased seniors in Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
each summer. He played in the showcase, and was given an offer by Olivet Nazarene University
Olivet Nazarene University
Olivet Nazarene University is a Christian institution of higher education located in the Kankakee, Illinois village of Bourbonnais. Named for Olivet, Illinois, ONU was originally established as a grammar school in east-central Illinois in 1907...
and turned a great career while at Olivet. In his time at Olivet, he pitched and also played at shortstop and second. He transferred to Dallas Baptist University
Dallas Baptist University
Dallas Baptist University , formerly known as Dallas Baptist College, is a Christian liberal arts university located in Dallas, Texas. The main campus is located approximately fifteen miles southwest of downtown Dallas overlooking Mountain Creek Lake...
for his senior year, where he played shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
.
Baseball career
Zobrist played in Wausau, WI in the Summer Collegiate Northwoods League in 2003. He was voted team MVP & led his team to the League Championship.Zobrist was drafted by 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...
in the 6th round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft
2004 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2004 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...
. With right-handed pitcher Mitch Talbot, Zobrist was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for first baseman/designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
Aubrey Huff
Aubrey Huff
Aubrey Lewis Huff III is a Major League Baseball first baseman with the San Francisco Giants. He debuted in 2000 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and later played for the Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, and Detroit Tigers. He is the starting first baseman for the San Francisco Giants who won the...
and cash on July 12, 2006. Zobrist was the team's starting shortstop through his first two seasons with them.
He struggled through parts of the 2006 and 2007 seasons with the Rays. One day he met a "swing mechanic" (batting coach) looking for students. The swing coach was able to help Zobrist, and it was evident to the Rays during the 2008 season. "He added the power component," Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman
Andrew Friedman
Andrew Friedman is the Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations for the Tampa Bay Rays franchise in Major League Baseball. In that position, he acts as the team's General Manager.-Early life:...
said, "He became a lot more physical."
For the most part, Zobrist was used as a right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
and a back-up shortstop during the 2008 season. In certain situations where a fifth infielder was needed, he or BJ Upton (a former infielder himself) would be moved in from the outfield during the season. Zobrist went to his first World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
as a player with the Rays in 2008. His versatility was showcased during Game 3 of the 2008 World Series
2008 World Series
The 2008 World Series was the 104th World Series between the American and National Leagues for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies as champions of the National League and the Tampa Bay Rays, as American League champions, competed to win four games out of a possible...
against the 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...
champion Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
when he came in as part of a double switch to play right field. However, Zobrist initially played unusually shallow, in essence becoming a fifth infielder.
Zobrist was placed in right field for the beginning of the 2009 season, and had since been made the starting second baseman after teammate Akinori Iwamura
Akinori Iwamura
Akinori Iwamura is a Japanese Major League Baseball infielder, who is currently with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Japanese Pacific League...
was injured. Zobrist hit three grand slams
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
in 2009, leading the Rays, and was among the league leaders in slugging percentage. He earned himself a trip to his first All Star Game in St. Louis in 2009. The Tampa Bay Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America
Baseball Writers Association of America
The Baseball Writers' Association of America is a professional association for baseball journalists writing for daily newspapers, magazines and qualifying Web sites. The BBWAA was founded on October 14, 1908, to improve working conditions for sportswriters in the early part of the 20th century...
named him MVP of the Rays for 2009.
Zobrist led all hitters in the Majors in 2009 for wins above replacement with 8.6, ahead of Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
' 8.4 WAR.
On April 23, 2010, Zobrist and the Rays agreed to a three-year contract extension through the 2013 season, with a team option for 2014 and 2015. The deal could be worth up to $30 million.
In 2010, Zobrist batted .238, with a .353 slugging percentage.
2011
On April 28, 2011, Zobrist hit a Tampa Bay RaysTampa 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...
record 8 RBI's in a 15-3 rout of the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
.
Another game was held during the day to makeup for a previously rained out game and Zobrist drove in another 2 runs, making a total 10 RBI's for the day.
Personal life
Zobrist lives in Nashville, TennesseeNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
with his wife, Christian singer Julianna Zobrist and their son, Zion Benjamin, who was born on February 1, 2009. Zobrist is a former counselor for Camp of Champions USA, a Christian summer day camp in central Illinois. He used Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
rap artist TobyMac
TobyMac
Toby McKeehan , better known by his stage name TobyMac , is a Christian recording artist, music producer, hip-hop/pop artist, singer-songwriter, and author....
's song "Ignition" as his entrance song during the 2008 and start of the 2009 season. He currently uses a song by his wife as his entrance music.
Zobrist often talks about his Christian faith, and how God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
helped him realize that he was supposed to play baseball. "I just felt like everything fell into place so much, that this is what I was supposed to do," Zobrist said, "This is what I was made to do." He often mentions during interviews how blessed he has been through his baseball career. He and Christian former teammate Gabe Gross
Gabe Gross
Gabriel Jordan "Gabe" Gross is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed.His father, Lee Gross, was center for the Auburn Tigers and in the NFL...
have talked about how they organize Bible studies
Bible study (Christian)
In Christianity, Bible study is the study of the Bible by ordinary people as a personal religious or spiritual practice. Some denominations may call this devotion or devotional acts; however in other denominations devotion has other meanings...
with their teammates. St. Pete Times writer Mark Topkin wrote how Zobrist does this with his teammates, saying Zobrist "doesn't judge or proselytize, refraining from forcing his beliefs on anyone, though willing to get involved if asked." Zobrist also chooses not to smoke, drink, or do drugs.