Josh Whitesell
Encyclopedia
Joshua S. Whitesell is a 6' 1", 225-pound left-handed
professional baseball
first baseman
for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows
of Nippon Professional Baseball.
In the minor leagues, Whitesell was a Carolina League mid-season All Star in 2005, and an Eastern League mid-season All-Star team in 2007. In 2008, Whitesell was voted the Diamondbacks' 2008 Minor League Player of the Year, a Baseball America Triple-A All Star, and the Pacific Coast League Rookie of the Year. Baseball America also ranked him the best power hitter in the organization, and as having the best strike zone discipline in the organization. Whitesell played for the Arizona Diamondbacks
in Major League Baseball
for parts of 2008 and 2009.
, Kevin Youkilis
, Ian Kinsler
, Ryan Braun
, Gabe Kapler
, Jason Marquis
, Jason Hirsh
, John Grabow
, Craig Breslow
, Scott Feldman
, and Scott Schoeneweis
.
Whitesell attended Rialto High School
in Rialto, California
, and pitched and played first base for the school's Rialto Knights, with teammate Ricky Nolasco
who now pitches for the Florida Marlins
. As a sophomore he was a 1st-team All-Citrus Belt League and 1st-team All-San Bernardino County selection, with an 8–4 record and a 1.88 ERA
. He earned the same honors as a junior, finishing with a 7–4 record and a 2.95 ERA.
In his senior season he had an 8–2 record, 1.74 ERA, and a .520 batting average
. He was also a 1st-team All-CIF
Division I and 1st-team All-Citrus Belt League selection, voted San Bernardino County Player of the Year by the San Bernardino Sun, played for the San Bernardino County North All-Star team, selected to the CBCA
Southern California All-Star team, and played for US Team in the Goodwill Games
against Japan in Long Beach
. He graduated in 2000 with a 4.2 grade point average, 2nd in his class of 685, and was class salutatorian
.
Lions (after having been recruited by California, UCLA, San Diego, Nevada, and Pepperdine), initially as a pitcher, from 2001–03. The last series of his freshman year he was taking a lead off first when the left-handed pitcher gave him a "quick-pick." He fell back into the bag, tore his labrum, and needed surgery. Before that he had thown 90–91 mph, but after surgery he threw about 84 mph.
Whitesell garnered 2nd team All-West Coast Conference
accolades in 2003, his junior (and final) year, batting .340 with a .471 on-base percentage, .736 slugging percentage, 41 runs scored
, 19 doubles
, a team-high 15 home run
s in 162 at bat
s, and team-best 47 RBIs
. He also earned the league's Player of the Month award for February.
Whitesell, an engineering major, also won the Principal's Award for achievement in scholarship and service, and Superintendent's Award for academic excellence, earning a 4.0 GPA all six consecutive semesters.
by the Montreal Expos
.
Whitesell was voted a Carolina League
mid-season All Star while playing for the Potomac Nationals
in 2005, for whom he batted .293/.416/.524, and was voted the Eastern League player-of-the-week on July 23, 2006.
in the Nationals' system, where he hit .284/.425/.512 with 78 runs, 23 doubles, 21 homers, and 74 RBIs in 119 games. He was named to the Eastern League mid-season All-Star team, and was added to the Nats' 40-man roster over the winter.
.
Whitesell hit safely in 19 straight games from June 27 – July 18, 2008, batting .384 (28-for-73), the longest streak by a Sidewinder for the season, and tied for 4th in the PCL. He also had a 16-game hitting streak from July 23 – August 9, batting .525 (31-for-59) with 10 multi-hit games and 24 RBIs. Whitesell had a season-high 7 RBIs on May 23 vs. Sacramento.
In 2008 his 110 RBIs broke Lyle Overbay
's team record from 2002, and was the fourth-most in the minors. He batted .328, with a .425 on-base percentage and 26 home runs. He also had 86 runs scored, and 36 doubles, in 127 games for Tucson. He finished the PCL season ranked 2nd in RBIs, tied for 4th in hits
, and 7th in batting average. Whitesell led the Arizona Diamondbacks organization in home runs and RBIs, was 2nd in on base percentage and slugging percentage (.568), and was 3rd in batting average, OPS (.993), runs scored, hits (156), and doubles. After the All-Star break, he batted .399 with a .497 on-base percentage and .696 slugging percentage.
Whitesell was voted the Diamondbacks' 2008 Minor League Player of the Year, the MLB.com pick as the Diamondbacks' player of the year, a Baseball America Triple-A All Star, and the Pacific Coast League
Rookie of the Year (created in 1998 when the PCL expanded to 16 teams; previous PCL Rookies of the Year include Bobby Crosby
, Felix Hernandez
, Jeremy Giambi
, Chris Burke, and Howie Kendrick
). Baseball America also ranked him the best power hitter in the organization, and as having the best strike zone
discipline in the organization.
in 2009, through May 5 (when he was brought up to the Diamondbacks), Whitesell was 2nd in the Pacific Coast League in on base percentage (.477) and walks (20), 5th in batting average (.356) and hits (31), 6th in OPS
(1.028), 8th in RBIs (20), and hitting for a .552 slugging percentage.
Through 2009, Whitesell had hit 113 home runs with a .394 on base percentage and a .492 slugging percentage in seven minor-league seasons.
Whitesell made his major league debut on September 2, . He collected his first major league hit, a single
, against the San Francisco Giants
on September 15, during his first start. Whitesell hit his first home run on September 21, against Colorado Rockies
pitcher Steven Register
.
2009
In December 2008, Whitesell appeared to be one of the top two candidates for the spot of top left-handed pinch hitter
off the bench and reserve first baseman for the 2009 season.
In January 2009 FanGraphs
writer Marc Hulet took the Diamondbacks to task for bringing back "aging pinch hitter Tony Clark
," despite his 2008 line of .225/.359/.318, saying "it’s quite possible that Clark will continue to struggle in 2009. His line against right-handed pitchers was just .198/.354/.248, which makes him almost useless against them if this was not simply a one-year fluke." He added, referring to Whitesell, "What makes matters worse is that the organization has some in-house talent that could possibly provide the same production – if not more – for half the salary.... Whitesell ... has more upside and creamed right-handed pitchers in 2008 at Triple-A to the tune of .342/.442/.602 in 342 at-bats. Whitesell ... did well in 2008 with runners in scoring position by hitting .331/.438/.586. Truth be told, there are not many – if any – unimpressive numbers in Whitesell's statistics from 2008. He deserves a shot, and Arizona could certainly benefit from replacing Clark with the youngster and allowing Whitesell to get his feet wet as a pinch hitter
while also playing regularly at first base against right-handed pitching."
In February 2009, Diamondback President and CEO Derrick Hall
, when asked whether Whitesell would be given a shot to make the major league team out of spring training, responded: "He sure will. He has so much raw power, it is fun watching him hit. He is a talented kid who catches a lot of coaches' and scouts' eyes." In late March, Manager Bob Melvin
's assessment of him was: "The offense is legitimate."
In spring training, Whitesell led the team in on base percentage (.429; best of all hitters with 30 or more at bats), tied for the team lead in home runs (3) and walks (11; despite receiving only the 11th-most at bats on the team), was second in runs (12), and tied for second in RBIs (12), while batting .308 with a .519 slugging percentage. During the last weekend before the season began, however, he was told that he had not made the team's opening day
roster. "He had a great camp" said Melvin. "He's certainly a guy we wouldn't hesitate to (call up) if we did have an injury or something along those lines."
On May 6, Whitesell was called back up to the Diamondbacks, after hitting .356 for the Reno Aces with a .477 on base percentage (2nd in the PCL) and a .552 slugging percentage. He took the place of Tony Clark, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list
. Melvin said Whitesell would get a chance to play every day. On May 19, however, not even two weeks later, Melvin had been fired as manager and the team optioned Whitesell back to Reno.
On May 30, Whitesell was back with the team, and new Manager A.J. Hinch said Whitesell would start the following day and will get a "good, long look" the next couple of weeks at first base. Hinch said: "Really the only thing [Whitesell] hasn't conquered is the major-league side of it, because every time he goes down to Triple-A he performs very well". Despite batting .300 with a .447 on base percentage in his second stint with the team, Whitesell was optioned back to Reno on June 19 when Tony Clark came off the disabled list and returned to Arizona (after a rehab assignment at Reno in which he batted .160, and during which he turned 37).
Clark was finally released in mid-July, and Whitesell was called back up for the third time in the season to replace him on July 16. Asked what he had been told by Diamondbacks management, Whitesell responded: "I just know that ... the first base job for 2010 is up for the taking, so I'm going to get a fair opportunity." He added that his game plan was to try to "relax and let the game come to me, as opposed to trying to do too much, and let your mind take you six different ways at once — where you just relax, and know it's the same game you've been playing the whole time, the game will come to you, and success will come."
Hinch said he expected Whitesell to be more comfortable at the plate now that he had had some experience at the Major League level, recalling that the first time Whitesell was up: "I'd joke with him about squeezing the sawdust out of the bat every time he got up to bat, he was so intense on making a difference. The second time [he was called up] he was a lot more relaxed." Hinch added, "We're excited to have Whitesell, obviously. He's done everything that he's needed to do in Triple-A. He's contributed a little bit when he got the opportunity here in the big leagues." Hinch spoke with Whitesell and Chad Tracy
on July 17 and told them that Whitesell would get the bulk of the action at first base, starting four or five times a week "for the time being". He did not get the bulk of the playing time at first base, however, and was sent back to Reno in late August.
The Diamondbacks declined to tender Whitesell a contract on December 13, 2009, making him a free agent
.
. He also received an invitation to spring training. The signing represented a return to his original organization: Whitesell was drafted in the sixth round of the 2003 draft by the Montreal Expos, who would later become the Nationals. He played part of the 2010 season with the Nationals' "AAA" squad, the Syracuse Chiefs.
, and signed for 30 million yen (roughly $327,000) for the remainder of the season. His early results were impressive. Through Aug. 22, 2010, he was batting .324 with 10 HRs and 34 RBIs in just 136 at-bats. In addition, Whitesell was leading the Swallows in on-base percentage (.436), slugging percentage (.647), and on-base plus slugging (1.083). His rate of one HR per 13.6 at bats was the club’s best. And despite having no experience with the smaller Japanese strike zone, few teammates were walking more often than Whitesell. He batted .309 for the season, with a .399 on base percentage and a .591 slugging percentage.
He played for the Swallows in 2011 as well, under a contract paying him 90 million yen plus incentives.
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
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...
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...
for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows
Tokyo Yakult Swallows
is a professional baseball team in Japan's Central League.The Swallows are named after their corporate owners, the Yakult Corporation. From 1950 to 1965, the team was owned by the former Japanese National Railways and called the Kokutetsu Swallows; the team was then owned by the newspaper Sankei...
of Nippon Professional Baseball.
In the minor leagues, Whitesell was a Carolina League mid-season All Star in 2005, and an Eastern League mid-season All-Star team in 2007. In 2008, Whitesell was voted the Diamondbacks' 2008 Minor League Player of the Year, a Baseball America Triple-A All Star, and the Pacific Coast League Rookie of the Year. Baseball America also ranked him the best power hitter in the organization, and as having the best strike zone discipline in the organization. Whitesell played for the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona 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...
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...
for parts of 2008 and 2009.
Heritage and early life
Whitesell is Jewish. When he made the majors, he joined, among other Jewish major leaguers, Brad AusmusBrad Ausmus
Bradley David "Brad" Ausmus is a former All Star catcher in Major League Baseball, and currently a special assistant for the San Diego Padres....
, Kevin Youkilis
Kevin Youkilis
Kevin Edmund Youkilis , also known as "Youk" , is an American professional baseball player with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball...
, Ian Kinsler
Ian Kinsler
Ian Michael Kinsler is a Major League Baseball All-Star second baseman for the Texas Rangers.Despite having been drafted in only the 17th round out of college, Kinsler has risen to become a two-time All Star, and a member of the Sporting News 2009 list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball...
, Ryan Braun
Ryan Braun
Ryan Joseph Braun is an American right-handed Major League Baseball left fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers. A perennial standout, he was ranked No...
, Gabe Kapler
Gabe Kapler
Gabriel "Gabe" Stefan Kapler is an American Major League Baseball outfielder.He has played portions of 13 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, and the Tampa Bay Rays...
, Jason Marquis
Jason Marquis
Jason Scott Marquis is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He previously pitched for the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals and Arizona Diamondbacks....
, Jason Hirsh
Jason Hirsh
Jason Michael Hirsh is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who is a free agent.Hirsh was a dominant minor league pitcher in 2005–06, winning the Double-A Texas League Pitcher of the Year Award and the Triple-A Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year Award in successive seasons, as he went...
, John Grabow
John Grabow
John William Grabow, nicknamed "Grabes" , is a Major League Baseball left-handed reliever....
, Craig Breslow
Craig Breslow
Craig Andrew Breslow is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Oakland Athletics. He throws left-handed, and is considered a lefty specialist....
, Scott Feldman
Scott Feldman
Scott Feldman was a news anchor for News 12 Long Island for 22 years.-Early life:Feldman was born in St. Louis, Missouri, graduated from the University of Denver in 1971. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves and National Guard....
, and Scott Schoeneweis
Scott Schoeneweis
Scott David Schoeneweis is an American Major League Baseball left-handed relief pitcher who is currently a free agent.In the five seasons from 2003–07, Schoeneweis allowed only one home run to left-handed batters...
.
Whitesell attended Rialto High School
Rialto High School
Rialto High School is a public high school located in Rialto, California that opened in September 1992. It is operated by the Rialto Unified School District, and is a member of the San Andreas League....
in Rialto, California
Rialto, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Rialto had a population of 99,171. The population density was 4,434.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Rialto was 43,592 White, 16,236 African American, 1,062 Native American, 2,258 Asian, 361 Pacific Islander, 30,993 from other...
, and pitched and played first base for the school's Rialto Knights, with teammate Ricky Nolasco
Ricky Nolasco
Carlos Enrique "Ricky" Nolasco is an American Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher for the Miami Marlins. He is listed as 6'2" and 220, and made his major league debut on April 5,...
who now pitches for the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
. As a sophomore he was a 1st-team All-Citrus Belt League and 1st-team All-San Bernardino County selection, with an 8–4 record and a 1.88 ERA
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...
. He earned the same honors as a junior, finishing with a 7–4 record and a 2.95 ERA.
In his senior season he had an 8–2 record, 1.74 ERA, and a .520 batting average
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 :...
. He was also a 1st-team All-CIF
California Interscholastic Federation
The California Interscholastic Federation is the governing body for high school sports in the state of California. It mirrors similar governing bodies in other states; however, it differs from some of the others in that it covers most high schools in the state of California, both public and...
Division I and 1st-team All-Citrus Belt League selection, voted San Bernardino County Player of the Year by the San Bernardino Sun, played for the San Bernardino County North All-Star team, selected to the CBCA
Cbca
CBCA can refer to:*Commercial Bank Centrafrique*Children's Book Council of Australia...
Southern California All-Star team, and played for US Team in the Goodwill Games
Goodwill Games
The Goodwill Games was an international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s...
against Japan in Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
. He graduated in 2000 with a 4.2 grade point average, 2nd in his class of 685, and was class salutatorian
Salutatorian
Salutatorian is an academic title given, in the United States and Canada, to the second highest graduate of the entire graduating class of a specific discipline. Only the valedictorian is ranked higher. This honor is traditionally based on grade point average and number of credits taken, but...
.
College (2001–03)
Whitesell played baseball for the Loyola Marymount UniversityLoyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University is a comprehensive co-educational private Roman Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in Los Angeles, California, United States...
Lions (after having been recruited by California, UCLA, San Diego, Nevada, and Pepperdine), initially as a pitcher, from 2001–03. The last series of his freshman year he was taking a lead off first when the left-handed pitcher gave him a "quick-pick." He fell back into the bag, tore his labrum, and needed surgery. Before that he had thown 90–91 mph, but after surgery he threw about 84 mph.
Whitesell garnered 2nd team All-West Coast Conference
West Coast Conference
The West Coast Conference is an NCAA collegiate athletics conference consisting of nine member schools across the states of California, Oregon, Utah and Washington....
accolades in 2003, his junior (and final) year, batting .340 with a .471 on-base percentage, .736 slugging percentage, 41 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...
, 19 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....
, a team-high 15 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...
s in 162 at bat
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...
s, and team-best 47 RBIs
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...
. He also earned the league's Player of the Month award for February.
Whitesell, an engineering major, also won the Principal's Award for achievement in scholarship and service, and Superintendent's Award for academic excellence, earning a 4.0 GPA all six consecutive semesters.
Minor leagues
Whitesell was drafted out of college in the 6th round of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft2003 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2003 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 3 and 4. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams.Source: -First round selections:...
by the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
.
Whitesell was voted a Carolina League
Carolina League
The Carolina League is a minor league baseball affiliation which operates in the South Atlantic Coast of the United States. 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...
mid-season All Star while playing for the Potomac Nationals
Potomac Nationals
The Potomac Nationals are a Minor League Baseball team located in Woodbridge, Virginia. The Nationals play in the Class A Advanced Carolina League, and are an affiliate of the Washington Nationals.-History:...
in 2005, for whom he batted .293/.416/.524, and was voted the Eastern League player-of-the-week on July 23, 2006.
2007
In , Whitesell played for the Double-A Harrisburg SenatorsHarrisburg Senators
The Harrisburg Senators are a minor league baseball team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals....
in the Nationals' system, where he hit .284/.425/.512 with 78 runs, 23 doubles, 21 homers, and 74 RBIs in 119 games. He was named to the Eastern League mid-season All-Star team, and was added to the Nats' 40-man roster over the winter.
2008
On March 15, , Whitesell was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Diamondbacks, and assigned to Triple-A TucsonTucson Sidewinders
The Tucson Sidewinders were a minor league baseball team based in Tucson, Arizona. The team, which played in the Pacific Coast League, was the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks major-league club....
.
Whitesell hit safely in 19 straight games from June 27 – July 18, 2008, batting .384 (28-for-73), the longest streak by a Sidewinder for the season, and tied for 4th in the PCL. He also had a 16-game hitting streak from July 23 – August 9, batting .525 (31-for-59) with 10 multi-hit games and 24 RBIs. Whitesell had a season-high 7 RBIs on May 23 vs. Sacramento.
In 2008 his 110 RBIs broke Lyle Overbay
Lyle Overbay
Lyle Stefan Overbay is an American professional baseball first baseman who is a free agent.-Amateur career:...
's team record from 2002, and was the fourth-most in the minors. He batted .328, with a .425 on-base percentage and 26 home runs. He also had 86 runs scored, and 36 doubles, in 127 games for Tucson. He finished the PCL season ranked 2nd in RBIs, tied for 4th in hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, and 7th in batting average. Whitesell led the Arizona Diamondbacks organization in home runs and RBIs, was 2nd in on base percentage and slugging percentage (.568), and was 3rd in batting average, OPS (.993), runs scored, hits (156), and doubles. After the All-Star break, he batted .399 with a .497 on-base percentage and .696 slugging percentage.
Whitesell was voted the Diamondbacks' 2008 Minor League Player of the Year, the MLB.com pick as the Diamondbacks' player of the year, a Baseball America Triple-A All Star, and the 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...
Rookie of the Year (created in 1998 when the PCL expanded to 16 teams; previous PCL Rookies of the Year include Bobby Crosby
Bobby Crosby
Robert Edward Crosby is an infielder in Major League Baseball who is currently a free agent. The son of former major league infielder Ed Crosby, he bats and throws right-handed...
, Felix Hernandez
Félix Hernández
Félix Abraham Hernández , nicknamed "King Félix", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Seattle Mariners....
, Jeremy Giambi
Jeremy Giambi
Jeremy Dean Giambi is a left-handed, former Major League Baseball player for the Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, and Boston Red Sox. He also played in the minors for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox. He is the younger brother of Colorado Rockies first...
, Chris Burke, and Howie Kendrick
Howie Kendrick
Howard "Howie" Joseph Kendrick III is a Major League Baseball second baseman for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.-Early life:...
). Baseball America also ranked him the best power hitter in the organization, and as having the best strike zone
Strike zone
In baseball, the strike zone is a conceptual right pentagonal prism over home plate which defines the boundaries through which a pitch must pass in order to count as a strike when the batter does not swing.-Definition:...
discipline in the organization.
2009
Playing for the Reno AcesReno Aces
The Reno Aces are a minor league baseball franchise based in Reno, Nevada, in the United States. The team is a member of the Pacific Coast League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks....
in 2009, through May 5 (when he was brought up to the Diamondbacks), Whitesell was 2nd in the Pacific Coast League in on base percentage (.477) and walks (20), 5th in batting average (.356) and hits (31), 6th in OPS
On-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player to both get on base and to hit for power, two important hitting skills, are represented. An OPS of .900 or higher in Major League...
(1.028), 8th in RBIs (20), and hitting for a .552 slugging percentage.
Through 2009, Whitesell had hit 113 home runs with a .394 on base percentage and a .492 slugging percentage in seven minor-league seasons.
2010
Whitesell played part of the 2010 season with the Nationals' AAA team, the Syracuse Chiefs, batting .304/.406/.446 in 184 at bats, before signing with Tokyo Yakult Swallows.Arizona Diamondbacks (2008–09)
2008Whitesell made his major league debut on September 2, . He collected his first major league hit, a single
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
, 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....
on September 15, during his first start. Whitesell hit his first home run on September 21, against 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...
pitcher Steven Register
Steven Register
Steven Craig Register is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays organization.-Baseball career:Register earned 37 saves in the Texas League in , which was a league high...
.
2009
In December 2008, Whitesell appeared to be one of the top two candidates for the spot of top left-handed pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
off the bench and reserve first baseman for the 2009 season.
In January 2009 FanGraphs
Fangraphs
FanGraphs.com is a website run by Fangraphs Inc., located in Arlington, Virginia, and created and owned by David Appelman that provides statistics for every player in Major League Baseball history....
writer Marc Hulet took the Diamondbacks to task for bringing back "aging pinch hitter Tony Clark
Tony Clark
Anthony Christopher Clark, known as Tony , is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current MLB Network studio analyst....
," despite his 2008 line of .225/.359/.318, saying "it’s quite possible that Clark will continue to struggle in 2009. His line against right-handed pitchers was just .198/.354/.248, which makes him almost useless against them if this was not simply a one-year fluke." He added, referring to Whitesell, "What makes matters worse is that the organization has some in-house talent that could possibly provide the same production – if not more – for half the salary.... Whitesell ... has more upside and creamed right-handed pitchers in 2008 at Triple-A to the tune of .342/.442/.602 in 342 at-bats. Whitesell ... did well in 2008 with runners in scoring position by hitting .331/.438/.586. Truth be told, there are not many – if any – unimpressive numbers in Whitesell's statistics from 2008. He deserves a shot, and Arizona could certainly benefit from replacing Clark with the youngster and allowing Whitesell to get his feet wet as a pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
while also playing regularly at first base against right-handed pitching."
In February 2009, Diamondback President and CEO Derrick Hall
Derrick Hall
Derrick Hall was named President of the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sept. 6, 2006, officially taking the day-to-day lead of the organization after having served as Executive Vice President; Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications; and Senior Vice President, Communications since joining the...
, when asked whether Whitesell would be given a shot to make the major league team out of spring training, responded: "He sure will. He has so much raw power, it is fun watching him hit. He is a talented kid who catches a lot of coaches' and scouts' eyes." In late March, Manager Bob Melvin
Bob Melvin
Robert Paul Melvin is the manager of the Oakland Athletics, and a former Major League Baseball catcher.During a 10-year playing career, he played from 1985–94 for seven different teams...
's assessment of him was: "The offense is legitimate."
In spring training, Whitesell led the team in on base percentage (.429; best of all hitters with 30 or more at bats), tied for the team lead in home runs (3) and walks (11; despite receiving only the 11th-most at bats on the team), was second in runs (12), and tied for second in RBIs (12), while batting .308 with a .519 slugging percentage. During the last weekend before the season began, however, he was told that he had not made the team's opening day
Opening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball and most of the minor leagues, this day falls during the first week of April. For baseball fans, Opening Day serves as a symbol of rebirth; writer Thomas Boswell once penned a book...
roster. "He had a great camp" said Melvin. "He's certainly a guy we wouldn't hesitate to (call up) if we did have an injury or something along those lines."
On May 6, Whitesell was called back up to the Diamondbacks, after hitting .356 for the Reno Aces with a .477 on base percentage (2nd in the PCL) and a .552 slugging percentage. He took the place of Tony Clark, who was placed on the 15-day 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:...
. Melvin said Whitesell would get a chance to play every day. On May 19, however, not even two weeks later, Melvin had been fired as manager and the team optioned Whitesell back to Reno.
On May 30, Whitesell was back with the team, and new Manager A.J. Hinch said Whitesell would start the following day and will get a "good, long look" the next couple of weeks at first base. Hinch said: "Really the only thing [Whitesell] hasn't conquered is the major-league side of it, because every time he goes down to Triple-A he performs very well". Despite batting .300 with a .447 on base percentage in his second stint with the team, Whitesell was optioned back to Reno on June 19 when Tony Clark came off the disabled list and returned to Arizona (after a rehab assignment at Reno in which he batted .160, and during which he turned 37).
Clark was finally released in mid-July, and Whitesell was called back up for the third time in the season to replace him on July 16. Asked what he had been told by Diamondbacks management, Whitesell responded: "I just know that ... the first base job for 2010 is up for the taking, so I'm going to get a fair opportunity." He added that his game plan was to try to "relax and let the game come to me, as opposed to trying to do too much, and let your mind take you six different ways at once — where you just relax, and know it's the same game you've been playing the whole time, the game will come to you, and success will come."
Hinch said he expected Whitesell to be more comfortable at the plate now that he had had some experience at the Major League level, recalling that the first time Whitesell was up: "I'd joke with him about squeezing the sawdust out of the bat every time he got up to bat, he was so intense on making a difference. The second time [he was called up] he was a lot more relaxed." Hinch added, "We're excited to have Whitesell, obviously. He's done everything that he's needed to do in Triple-A. He's contributed a little bit when he got the opportunity here in the big leagues." Hinch spoke with Whitesell and Chad Tracy
Chad Tracy
Chad Austin Tracy is a Major League Baseball third baseman, who is currently with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.-College & draft:...
on July 17 and told them that Whitesell would get the bulk of the action at first base, starting four or five times a week "for the time being". He did not get the bulk of the playing time at first base, however, and was sent back to Reno in late August.
The Diamondbacks declined to tender Whitesell a contract on December 13, 2009, making him 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....
.
Washington Nationals (2010)
On December 28, 2009, Whitesell signed a minor league deal with the Washington NationalsWashington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
. He also received an invitation to spring training. The signing represented a return to his original organization: Whitesell was drafted in the sixth round of the 2003 draft by the Montreal Expos, who would later become the Nationals. He played part of the 2010 season with the Nationals' "AAA" squad, the Syracuse Chiefs.
Japanese League (2010-present)
On June 7, 2010, Whitesell was acquired from Washington by the Tokyo Yakult SwallowsTokyo Yakult Swallows
is a professional baseball team in Japan's Central League.The Swallows are named after their corporate owners, the Yakult Corporation. From 1950 to 1965, the team was owned by the former Japanese National Railways and called the Kokutetsu Swallows; the team was then owned by the newspaper Sankei...
, and signed for 30 million yen (roughly $327,000) for the remainder of the season. His early results were impressive. Through Aug. 22, 2010, he was batting .324 with 10 HRs and 34 RBIs in just 136 at-bats. In addition, Whitesell was leading the Swallows in on-base percentage (.436), slugging percentage (.647), and on-base plus slugging (1.083). His rate of one HR per 13.6 at bats was the club’s best. And despite having no experience with the smaller Japanese strike zone, few teammates were walking more often than Whitesell. He batted .309 for the season, with a .399 on base percentage and a .591 slugging percentage.
He played for the Swallows in 2011 as well, under a contract paying him 90 million yen plus incentives.