Jack Cust
Encyclopedia
John Joseph "Jack" Cust III (born January 7, 1979, in Flemington, New Jersey
) is an American
professional baseball
designated hitter
and outfielder
who is a free agent. Cust attended Immaculata High School in Somerville, New Jersey
. In 1997, he was first-team High School All-American at first base and did not attend college as he was drafted out of high school.
, and had a .447 on-base percentage in 35 games in the Rookie League. Cust was a Pioneer League All-Star in , where he led the league in walks
(86), on-base percentage (.530), and runs scored
(75). In , he led the California League
in homers
(32), on-base percentage (.450), and slugging percentage (.651), and was Baseball Americas 1st team Minor League All-Star DH, California League All-Star, and the Arizona Diamondbacks Minor League Player of the Year.
In , he had a .440 on base percentage at El Paso
in the Texas League
while leading the league in walks (117) and strikeout
s (150). In , he was a Pacific Coast League
All-Star while leading the league with 102 walks, and in he was the Triple-A All-Star Game
MVP. In , he led the PCL with 143 walks (also leading the minor leagues), walking 24.5% of the time, while sporting a .467 on-base percentage with 30 home runs.
In 11 minor league seasons with five different organizations, he hit exactly 200 home runs, had a .286 batting average, and a .429 on-base percentage. Statistically, he hit a home run once every 19 at-bats, struck out once every 3 at-bats, and earned 1 walk per game.
On January 7, , Cust was traded by the Diamondbacks with catcher
JD Closser to the Colorado Rockies
for pitcher
Mike Myers. Cust spent the majority of the 2002 season with the Rockies Triple-A affiliate, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox
. He played in 35 games with the big league club, going 11-65 (.169 batting average) with 1 home run. On March 11, , he was traded by the Rockies to the Baltimore Orioles
for outfielder Chris Richard and cash.
During an August 16, 2003, game between the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees
, Cust was the tying run in the 12th inning with two outs when he tried to score from first base on a single to the gap by Larry Bigbie
. Cust however, stumbled and fell between third
and home plate
, where the Yankees got him in a rundown. Cust outmaneuvered the defense, and eventually found himself sprinting towards home plate with nobody covering it, however, Cust fell down for the second time in the same play and was tagged out by third baseman Aaron Boone
to end the game.
Cust finished the 2003 season batting .260 (19-73) with 4 home runs in the majors after being with the Ottawa Lynx
(Orioles Triple-A team) for the first 4 months of the season. He would have just 1 one at-bat in the majors with the Orioles in the season and was granted free agency
after the end of the season.
On November 15, 2004, he was signed by the Oakland Athletics. He spent the whole season in Triple-A Sacramento
and was granted free agency after the season. On December 6, 2005, he signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres
. He just had 3 at-bats in the season.
. On May 3, 2007, the Padres traded Cust to the Oakland Athletics, although he was rumored to be joining Japan's Chiba Lotte Marines
. The Athletics needed another designated hitter due to an injury to veteran Mike Piazza
. Cust quickly endeared himself to A's fans by hitting 6 home runs in his first 7 games. Cust would hit .346 with 14 RBI
during the seven game stretch. On May 13, 2007, with two outs and an 0-2 count in the bottom of the ninth, the A's rallied to score 5 runs to beat Joe Borowski and the Cleveland Indians
10-7, with Cust hitting a walk-off
3-run home run.
After hitting .348 with 1 double
and 5 home runs along with 13 RBI, Cust shared Co-American League Player of the Week honors along with teammate Dan Johnson for the week ending May 13, 2007. On August 10, 2007, Cust hit his first major league grand slam
off relief pitcher
Macay McBride
of the Detroit Tigers
. He also hit a 3-run double earlier in the game to give him a career high 7 RBI. He finished the 2007 season leading the Athletics in home runs with 26. In 2007, he walked 21.0% of the time, tops in the major leagues, and struck out 41.5% of the time, also tops in the majors.
On September 19, , he broke the AL
record for most strikeouts in one season with 187. For the season he struck out 41.0% of the time, the highest percentage in major league baseball, once every 2.4 at bats. He also walked 18.8% of the time, the second highest rate in the majors.
On December 12, 2009, Cust was non-tendered by the Athletics making him a free agent. On January 7, 2010, Cust re-signed with the Oakland Athletics
on a 1 year $2.5 million contract. However, he was designated for assignment on April 3, at the end of Spring Training.
On April 7, Cust cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A. During his 33 minor league game tenure, he hit .273 with 4 home runs and 19 RBIs, and matched his 33 Ks w/ 33 walks. On May 15, he was added to the 40-man roster and recalled. In the first game he appeared in, he made a comedic error in left field. He appeared mostly in the outfield until Eric Chavez
ended up on the DL, then assumed the primary DH spot. On September 13, Cust hit his 100th career home run in a 3-1 Athletics victory over the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
. On July 29, 2011, the Mariners released Cust after he hit just .213 with 3 home runs.
Cust signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies
on August 12, 2011. He was released a week later on August 20.
as a user of performance-enhancing drugs. Cust however denied any wrong doing or use of performance-enhancing drugs and there were inaccuracies in his citings in the report.
, he as well as his two brothers and father operate one of the largest youth baseball facilities on the east coast. Cust's father bought a small warehouse property in the mid-1990s and eventually turned it into the Jack Cust Baseball Academy, which was completed in 1997. Three astro-turf fields were built along with an indoor batting and video review center as was a health and fitness center. In the winter, a dome is put over all three fields, where various youth indoor baseball leagues and high school and college showcase tournaments run throughout the winter. All of this would total out to be 250000 square feet (23,225.8 m²).
In 2009, of another portion of the Jack Cust Baseball Academy was completed when ten more turf fields were built on property across the street from the original three turf fields. This property is referred to as Diamond Nation. The entire academy and complex is over 700000 square feet (65,032.1 m²) and attracts some of the most talented teams and players in youth, high school, and college on the east coast.
Flemington, New Jersey
Flemington is a borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 4,581. It is the county seat of Hunterdon County....
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional 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...
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...
and 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 a free agent. Cust attended Immaculata High School in Somerville, New Jersey
Somerville, New Jersey
Somerville is a borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 12,098. It is the county seat of Somerset County....
. In 1997, he was first-team High School All-American at first base and did not attend college as he was drafted out of high school.
Minor league career
In , Cust, coming out of high school, was the first round draft pick (30th overall) of the Arizona DiamondbacksArizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
, and had a .447 on-base percentage in 35 games in the Rookie League. Cust was a Pioneer League All-Star in , where he led the league in walks
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...
(86), on-base percentage (.530), and runs scored
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...
(75). In , he led the California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
in homers
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...
(32), on-base percentage (.450), and slugging percentage (.651), and was Baseball Americas 1st team Minor League All-Star DH, California League All-Star, and the Arizona Diamondbacks Minor League Player of the Year.
In , he had a .440 on base percentage at El Paso
El Paso Diablos
The El Paso Diablos are a professional baseball team based in El Paso, Texas, in the United States. The Diablos are a member of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since the 2005 season to the...
in the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
while leading the league in walks (117) and strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s (150). In , he was a 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...
All-Star while leading the league with 102 walks, and in he was the Triple-A All-Star Game
Triple-A All-Star Game
The Triple-A All-Star Game is a single baseball game held between the two Triple-A leagues in minor league baseball—the International League and the Pacific Coast League...
MVP. In , he led the PCL with 143 walks (also leading the minor leagues), walking 24.5% of the time, while sporting a .467 on-base percentage with 30 home runs.
In 11 minor league seasons with five different organizations, he hit exactly 200 home runs, had a .286 batting average, and a .429 on-base percentage. Statistically, he hit a home run once every 19 at-bats, struck out once every 3 at-bats, and earned 1 walk per game.
Early career (2001-06)
Cust made his Major League debut with the Diamondbacks on September 26, .On January 7, , Cust was traded by the Diamondbacks with 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...
JD Closser to the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
for 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...
Mike Myers. Cust spent the majority of the 2002 season with the Rockies Triple-A affiliate, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox
Colorado Springs Sky Sox
The Colorado Springs Sky Sox are a minor league baseball team in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team's colors are red and blue. The team plays in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the major league Colorado Rockies...
. He played in 35 games with the big league club, going 11-65 (.169 batting average) with 1 home run. On March 11, , he was traded by the Rockies to 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...
for outfielder Chris Richard and cash.
During an August 16, 2003, game between the Baltimore Orioles and the New York 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...
, Cust was the tying run in the 12th inning with two outs when he tried to score from first base on a single to the gap by Larry Bigbie
Larry Bigbie
Larry Robert Bigbie is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder. Bigbie last played for a MLB-affiliated team in 2007 for the Richmond Braves, the Triple-A affiliate for the Atlanta Braves organization...
. Cust however, stumbled and fell between third
Third Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...
and home plate
Home Plate
Home Plate is the fifth album by Bonnie Raitt, released in 1975 .-Track listing:#"What Do You Want the Boy to Do?" – 3:19#"Good Enough" – 2:56#"Run Like a Thief" – 3:02...
, where the Yankees got him in a rundown. Cust outmaneuvered the defense, and eventually found himself sprinting towards home plate with nobody covering it, however, Cust fell down for the second time in the same play and was tagged out by third baseman Aaron Boone
Aaron Boone
Aaron John Boone is a former Major League Baseball infielder whose famous home run off Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield won the 2003 American League Championship Series for the New York Yankees. He played for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Florida Marlins, Washington...
to end the game.
Cust finished the 2003 season batting .260 (19-73) with 4 home runs in the majors after being with the Ottawa Lynx
Ottawa Lynx
The Ottawa Lynx were a minor league baseball team that formerly competed in the Triple-A International League from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field was Lynx Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. Over the team's 15 seasons, it was the Triple-A Minor League affiliate of the Montreal Expos , Baltimore...
(Orioles Triple-A team) for the first 4 months of the season. He would have just 1 one at-bat in the majors with the Orioles in the season and was granted 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....
after the end of the season.
On November 15, 2004, he was signed by the Oakland Athletics. He spent the whole season in Triple-A Sacramento
Sacramento River Cats
The Sacramento River Cats is a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. The team plays in the Pacific Coast League and is the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics....
and was granted free agency after the season. On December 6, 2005, he signed a minor league contract with 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...
. He just had 3 at-bats in the season.
Oakland Athletics (2007-10)
Cust began the with the San Diego Padres Triple-A team, the Portland BeaversPortland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
. On May 3, 2007, the Padres traded Cust to the Oakland Athletics, although he was rumored to be joining Japan's Chiba Lotte Marines
Chiba Lotte Marines
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by the Lotte conglomerate.-History:...
. The Athletics needed another designated hitter due to an injury to veteran Mike Piazza
Mike Piazza
Michael Joseph "Mike" Piazza ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. He played in his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, San Diego Padres and the Oakland Athletics....
. Cust quickly endeared himself to A's fans by hitting 6 home runs in his first 7 games. Cust would hit .346 with 14 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...
during the seven game stretch. On May 13, 2007, with two outs and an 0-2 count in the bottom of the ninth, the A's rallied to score 5 runs to beat Joe Borowski and 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...
10-7, with Cust hitting a walk-off
Walk-off home run
In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. It must be a home run that gives the home team the lead in the bottom of the final inning of the game—either the ninth inning, or any extra inning, or any other regularly scheduled final inning...
3-run home run.
After hitting .348 with 1 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....
and 5 home runs along with 13 RBI, Cust shared Co-American League Player of the Week honors along with teammate Dan Johnson for the week ending May 13, 2007. On August 10, 2007, Cust hit his first major league grand slam
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...
off relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
Macay McBride
Macay McBride
Joseph Macay McBride is a former Major League baseball relief pitcher.- High school :McBride attended Screven County High School in Sylvania, Georgia, and made his mark as a power pitcher with a fastball in the low 90s...
of 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...
. He also hit a 3-run double earlier in the game to give him a career high 7 RBI. He finished the 2007 season leading the Athletics in home runs with 26. In 2007, he walked 21.0% of the time, tops in the major leagues, and struck out 41.5% of the time, also tops in the majors.
On September 19, , he broke the AL
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
record for most strikeouts in one season with 187. For the season he struck out 41.0% of the time, the highest percentage in major league baseball, once every 2.4 at bats. He also walked 18.8% of the time, the second highest rate in the majors.
On December 12, 2009, Cust was non-tendered by the Athletics making him a free agent. On January 7, 2010, Cust re-signed with 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....
on a 1 year $2.5 million contract. However, he was designated for assignment on April 3, at the end of Spring Training.
On April 7, Cust cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A. During his 33 minor league game tenure, he hit .273 with 4 home runs and 19 RBIs, and matched his 33 Ks w/ 33 walks. On May 15, he was added to the 40-man roster and recalled. In the first game he appeared in, he made a comedic error in left field. He appeared mostly in the outfield until Eric Chavez
Eric Chavez
Eric Cesar Chavez is an American Major League Baseball infielder. Chavez has played for the Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees...
ended up on the DL, then assumed the primary DH spot. On September 13, Cust hit his 100th career home run in a 3-1 Athletics victory over the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
Seattle Mariners & Philadelphia Phillies (2011)
Following the 2010 season, Cust was non-tendered for the second year in a row, and became a free agent. On December 8, 2010, Cust signed a one-year deal with 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...
. On July 29, 2011, the Mariners released Cust after he hit just .213 with 3 home runs.
Cust signed a minor league contract with the 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...
on August 12, 2011. He was released a week later on August 20.
Mitchell Report
On December 13, 2007, he was named in the Mitchell ReportMitchell Report (baseball)
The Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an Independent Investigation into the Illegal Use of Steroids and Other Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball, informally known as the "Mitchell Report", is the result of former Democratic United States Senator from Maine...
as a user of performance-enhancing drugs. Cust however denied any wrong doing or use of performance-enhancing drugs and there were inaccuracies in his citings in the report.
Jack Cust Baseball Academy/Diamond Nation
In Cust's hometown in Flemington, New JerseyFlemington, New Jersey
Flemington is a borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 4,581. It is the county seat of Hunterdon County....
, he as well as his two brothers and father operate one of the largest youth baseball facilities on the east coast. Cust's father bought a small warehouse property in the mid-1990s and eventually turned it into the Jack Cust Baseball Academy, which was completed in 1997. Three astro-turf fields were built along with an indoor batting and video review center as was a health and fitness center. In the winter, a dome is put over all three fields, where various youth indoor baseball leagues and high school and college showcase tournaments run throughout the winter. All of this would total out to be 250000 square feet (23,225.8 m²).
In 2009, of another portion of the Jack Cust Baseball Academy was completed when ten more turf fields were built on property across the street from the original three turf fields. This property is referred to as Diamond Nation. The entire academy and complex is over 700000 square feet (65,032.1 m²) and attracts some of the most talented teams and players in youth, high school, and college on the east coast.