Jason Szuminski
Encyclopedia
Jason Ernest Szuminski is a former right-handed Major League Baseball
pitcher
who has the distinction of being the first person from Massachusetts Institute of Technology
and the only United States Air Force
reservist (as a First Lieutenant
) to play in Major League Baseball.
of the NECBL
, Szuminski was a 27th round draft pick in the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft
by the Chicago Cubs
, and was signed by Cubs' scout Tom Shafer. He obtained his degree at MIT in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, thus making him literally a "rocket scientist."
Szuminski spent his rookie season in 2000 spliting time between the Cubs rookie league affiliate in Arizona
and the short-season Single A Lansing Lugnuts
. He finished the season with an impressive combined record of 5-2 with the 2 squads and a combined ERA of 2.76 in 62 innings pitched. In 2001, Szuminski would spend the entire season with Lansing going 4-3 with a 6.44 ERA in 36.1 innings mainly out of the bullpen. Jason was promoted to the Cubs high Single A team, The Daytona Cubs
for the 2002 season. He responded with a solid 5-2 record and a 5.12 ERA in 39 appearances, most of which, were again out of the bullpen. In 2003 Szuminski would play at all 3 levels of minor league baseball, splitting time again with the Daytona Cubs of Single A, as well as the Double A West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx and the Triple A Iowa Cubs
. He put forth a great season combining for a 9-5 record with a 2.78 ERA in a total of 97 innings pitched. He would make a total of 45 appearances, 40 of which were in relief and also recorded 2 saves.
At the end of the 2003 season he was a Rule 5 Draft
pick by the San Diego Padres
in and earned a spot on the 25-man major league roster for the 2004 season through a strong showing in spring training
. Szuminski made his Major League debut on April 11, 2004. In his first major league appearance, a nationally televised Sunday night game against the San Francisco Giants
, Szuminski pitched a scoreless inning, in the process recording the third out against home run
champion Barry Bonds
on a long fly ball to the warning track. During his brief stint in the majors, Szuminski, on account of his military background, was selected to toss out the ceremonial first pitch for the Padres on their first ever "Military Appreciation Night" (April 15, 2004) to honor the large armed forces community in the San Diego area.
Due the Padres' early-season successes, Szuminski, a long reliever out of the bullpen
, saw limited game action. In May 2004, he was dropped from the Padres' 25-man roster and returned to the Cubs (per terms of the Rule 5 Draft) after incurring just 37 days of major league service.
While he was finishing the year with the Cubs' Triple-A affiliate in Iowa
, Szuminski injured his throwing shoulder and was released by the organization. He was 3-2 with Iowa with a 4.94 ERA prior to his release. He has since been out of baseball.
and is currently employed by NanoTune Technologies in San Francisco.
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...
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...
who has the distinction of being the first person from Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
and the only United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
reservist (as a First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
) to play in Major League Baseball.
Career
After a standout career at MIT and the Newport GullsNewport Gulls
The Newport Gulls are a wooden-bat, summer collegiate baseball team based in Newport, Rhode Island. The Newport Gulls Baseball Club is a member of both the New England Collegiate Baseball League and the NECBL's East Division. From 2001 to the present, the Gulls have played at Cardines...
of the NECBL
New England Collegiate Baseball League
The New England Collegiate Baseball League is a 12-team collegiate summer baseball league founded in 1993 and sanctioned by the NCAA and Major League Baseball. Each NECBL team plays an eight-week, 42-game schedule during June and July, with a playoff in early August...
, Szuminski was a 27th round draft pick in the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft
2000 Major League Baseball Draft
-First Round Selections:-Compensation picks:- Background :The Florida Marlins made Adrian Gonzalez of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, CA the first overall selection in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft...
by 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...
, and was signed by Cubs' scout Tom Shafer. He obtained his degree at MIT in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, thus making him literally a "rocket scientist."
Szuminski spent his rookie season in 2000 spliting time between the Cubs rookie league affiliate in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and the short-season Single A Lansing Lugnuts
Lansing Lugnuts
The Lansing Lugnuts are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays, that plays in the Midwest League.The Midwest League came to Lansing, Michigan in 1996. The franchise began in Lafayette, Indiana, in 1955; after two seasons it moved to Waterloo, Iowa, where it...
. He finished the season with an impressive combined record of 5-2 with the 2 squads and a combined ERA of 2.76 in 62 innings pitched. In 2001, Szuminski would spend the entire season with Lansing going 4-3 with a 6.44 ERA in 36.1 innings mainly out of the bullpen. Jason was promoted to the Cubs high Single A team, The Daytona Cubs
Daytona Cubs
The Daytona Cubs are a minor league baseball team based in Daytona Beach, Florida. The team plays in the Florida State League , and is the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs major league club. The Cubs play at Jackie Robinson Ballpark; opened in 1914, the park seats 5,100 fans.The...
for the 2002 season. He responded with a solid 5-2 record and a 5.12 ERA in 39 appearances, most of which, were again out of the bullpen. In 2003 Szuminski would play at all 3 levels of minor league baseball, splitting time again with the Daytona Cubs of Single A, as well as the Double A West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx and the Triple A Iowa Cubs
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs are a Triple-A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, that plays in the Pacific Coast League. Their home games are played in Des Moines, Iowa, at Principal Park.-Franchise history:...
. He put forth a great season combining for a 9-5 record with a 2.78 ERA in a total of 97 innings pitched. He would make a total of 45 appearances, 40 of which were in relief and also recorded 2 saves.
At the end of the 2003 season he was a 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...
pick by 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...
in and earned a spot on the 25-man major league roster for the 2004 season through a strong showing in 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...
. Szuminski made his Major League debut on April 11, 2004. In his first major league appearance, a nationally televised Sunday night game against the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, Szuminski pitched a scoreless inning, in the process recording the third out against 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...
champion Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
on a long fly ball to the warning track. During his brief stint in the majors, Szuminski, on account of his military background, was selected to toss out the ceremonial first pitch for the Padres on their first ever "Military Appreciation Night" (April 15, 2004) to honor the large armed forces community in the San Diego area.
Due the Padres' early-season successes, Szuminski, a long reliever out of the bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
, saw limited game action. In May 2004, he was dropped from the Padres' 25-man roster and returned to the Cubs (per terms of the Rule 5 Draft) after incurring just 37 days of major league service.
While he was finishing the year with the Cubs' Triple-A affiliate in Iowa
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs are a Triple-A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, that plays in the Pacific Coast League. Their home games are played in Des Moines, Iowa, at Principal Park.-Franchise history:...
, Szuminski injured his throwing shoulder and was released by the organization. He was 3-2 with Iowa with a 4.94 ERA prior to his release. He has since been out of baseball.
Post career
Szuminski is still an active Air Force reservist having obtained the rank of Captain. He obtained his MBA from Stanford UniversityStanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
and is currently employed by NanoTune Technologies in San Francisco.