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James Loney (baseball player)
Encyclopedia
James Anthony Loney is a first baseman
in Major League Baseball
who plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers
.
(suburban Houston). He hit .509 his senior season and also accumulated a record of 9-1 with a 1.80 earned run average
as a pitcher, striking out 106 batters in 54 innings. After his senior year in 2002, he was named Player of the Year by Houston 5A Baseball, the Houston Chronicle
and the Texas High School Writers Association, and was the Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year (Texas). Prior to the draft, Baseball America
tabbed him as the best pure hitter in the draft, as having the second-best professional debut by a high school player selected and the second-closest high school player to reaching the major leagues, sliding Daniel Kelly Calhoun (Mascoutah IL, 1994) down to the third-best in MLB history.
Loney was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers
in the first round (#19 overall). He had signed with Baylor University
to play college baseball, but opted to sign a pro contract.
In 2004, Loney was tabbed as the fourth-best prospect in the Arizona Fall League
and made the All-Prospect Team voted on by league managers and coaches. However, he had an injury plagued season at Double-A Jacksonville
. In 2005, Loney led the Southern League
Champion Jacksonville Suns in hits and total bases.
In 2006, Loney led all of baseball, major and minor leagues, with a .380 average while playing for the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s
. He was named the Dodgers Minor League Player of the Year, and was chosen as first-team AAA All-Star First Baseman by Baseball America.
. He received his opportunity when starting Dodgers first baseman Nomar Garciaparra
was placed on the disabled list
, freeing up a roster spot for Loney.
Loney collected a single in his first major league at bat
, against John Smoltz
.
On September 28, in a game against the Colorado Rockies
, Loney went 4 for 5 with 9 runs batted in
, which tied a 56-year Dodgers franchise record for RBIs in a single game, held by Gil Hodges. Loney accomplished this feat in only his 46th game with the team while still under 100 total at bats in his major league career. Because of his success in 2006 with both Los Angeles and AAA Las Vegas, he was named to the Dodgers' playoff roster. Filling in for an injured Garciaparra in game three against the New York Mets
in the National League Division Series, Loney went 3-for-4 with three RBIs.
Loney was named the National League Rookie of the Month for September and finished sixth in the voting for the 2007 NL Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award
.
Loney was a unanimous selection to the 2007 Topps Major League Rookie All-Star Team
. The selection was the result of the 49th annual Topps balloting of major league managers.
On October 1, 2008, in Game 1 of the National League Division Series
, Loney hit a grand slam
off of Chicago Cubs
pitcher Ryan Dempster
as the Dodgers went on to win the game 7-2.
on May 9-10, 2006
. He finished 2011 by hitting .288 with 12 home runs, though his RBI total of 65 was the lowest since his rookie season.
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...
in 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...
who plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
.
Prep career
Loney had a stellar prep career (varsity 2000-02) at Elkins High School in Missouri City, TexasMissouri City, Texas
Missouri City is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area. The city is mostly in Fort Bend County with a small portion within Harris County. As of the 2000 U.S...
(suburban Houston). He hit .509 his senior season and also accumulated a record of 9-1 with a 1.80 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
as a pitcher, striking out 106 batters in 54 innings. After his senior year in 2002, he was named Player of the Year by Houston 5A Baseball, the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
and the Texas High School Writers Association, and was the Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year (Texas). Prior to the draft, 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...
tabbed him as the best pure hitter in the draft, as having the second-best professional debut by a high school player selected and the second-closest high school player to reaching the major leagues, sliding Daniel Kelly Calhoun (Mascoutah IL, 1994) down to the third-best in MLB history.
Loney was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
in the first round (#19 overall). He had signed with Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
to play college baseball, but opted to sign a pro contract.
Minor league career
Loney began his professional career with the Great Falls Dodgers, where he hit .371 and was named the top prospect in the Pioneer League by Baseball America. Loney appeared in 125 games for Single-A Vero Beach in 2003 and hit .276 with 7 homers and 46 RBIs.In 2004, Loney was tabbed as the fourth-best prospect 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...
and made the All-Prospect Team voted on by league managers and coaches. However, he had an injury plagued season at Double-A Jacksonville
Jacksonville Suns
The Jacksonville Suns are a minor league baseball team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The team is currently a member of the Southern League and is the class Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins Major League Baseball team...
. In 2005, Loney led 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...
Champion Jacksonville Suns in hits and total bases.
In 2006, Loney led all of baseball, major and minor leagues, with a .380 average while playing for the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s
Las Vegas 51s
The Las Vegas 51s, formerly known as the Las Vegas Stars, are a minor league baseball team. They are the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. They play at Cashman Field in Las Vegas, Nevada. The team competes in the Pacific Coast League...
. He was named the Dodgers Minor League Player of the Year, and was chosen as first-team AAA All-Star First Baseman by Baseball America.
2006 season
Loney made his major league debut with the Dodgers on April 4, , against the Atlanta BravesAtlanta 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....
. He received his opportunity when starting Dodgers first baseman Nomar Garciaparra
Nomar Garciaparra
Anthony Nomar Garciaparra is a former Major League Baseball player. After playing parts of 9 seasons as an All-Star shortstop for the Boston Red Sox, he played third base, first base, and designated hitter for the Oakland Athletics, first base and third base for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and...
was placed on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
, freeing up a roster spot for Loney.
At 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...
, against John Smoltz
John Smoltz
John Andrew Smoltz is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and active sportscaster. He is best known for his prolific career of more than two decades with the Atlanta Braves, in which he garnered eight All-Star selections and received the Cy Young Award in 1996...
.
On September 28, in a game against 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...
, Loney went 4 for 5 with 9 runs batted in
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...
, which tied a 56-year Dodgers franchise record for RBIs in a single game, held by Gil Hodges. Loney accomplished this feat in only his 46th game with the team while still under 100 total at bats in his major league career. Because of his success in 2006 with both Los Angeles and AAA Las Vegas, he was named to the Dodgers' playoff roster. Filling in for an injured Garciaparra in game three against the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
in the National League Division Series, Loney went 3-for-4 with three RBIs.
2007 season
Despite Loney's stellar 2006 season, the Dodgers chose to re-sign Garciaparra for 2007-08, meaning Loney had to start the season back at AAA Las Vegas. On June 10, , Loney was recalled to Los Dodgers. His hot hitting forced the Dodgers to insert him into the starting line up and move Garciaparra from first base to third base.Loney was named the National League Rookie of the Month for September and finished sixth in the voting for the 2007 NL Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award
The Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award
The Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award was established in 1946 by The Sporting News .*In 1947-48, and again in 1950, a single award was given for all of Major League Baseball....
.
Topps All-Star Rookie Rosters
This is a year-by-year list of the Topps All-Star Rookie teams. Note that players selected for a particular team appear in the following year's set release...
. The selection was the result of the 49th annual Topps balloting of major league managers.
2008 season
Loney began the season as the starting first baseman and had a 15-game hitting streak. He finished the season batting .289 with 13 HR and 90 RBIs. Loney led the team in runs batted in consistently for the entire year.On October 1, 2008, in Game 1 of the National League Division Series
National League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series determine which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series...
, Loney hit a 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 of 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...
pitcher Ryan Dempster
Ryan Dempster
Ryan Scott Dempster is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs. Dempster bats and throws right-handed. He has been both a starter and a reliever in his career.-Professional career:...
as the Dodgers went on to win the game 7-2.
2009 season
Loney turned in numbers in 2009 similar to his 2008 numbers, hitting .281 with 13 home runs in 158 games as the teams starting first baseman.2010 season
On January 19, 2010, Loney agreed to a new 1-year contract that substantially increased his salary from $465,000 to $3,100,000. In 160 games in 2010, he hit 10 home runs and 88 RBI, while batting .268, his poorest stats since he joined the team.2011 season
On September 17, Loney hit a three-run pinch hit home run in his only plate appearance and the following day hit another three-run homer in his first at-bat, becoming the first Dodger to hit three-run homers in consecutive plate appearances since Jeff KentJeff Kent
Jeffrey Franklin Kent is a retired Major League Baseball second baseman. Kent won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 2000 with the San Francisco Giants, and is the all-time leader in home runs among second basemen...
on May 9-10, 2006
2006 Los Angeles Dodgers season
In 2006, the Los Angeles Dodgers looked to improve their record from 2005. The team switched General Managers from Paul DePodesta to Ned Colletti, and hired Grady Little as the new manager. The Dodgers were able to win 88 games...
. He finished 2011 by hitting .288 with 12 home runs, though his RBI total of 65 was the lowest since his rookie season.
External links
- No 15. - MLN FAB50 Baseball 2006 - Minor League News