Jon Jay looking to build on solid rookie year

ST. LOUIS – With the Cardinals in need of a left-handed hitting bat for their bench entering spring training this past year, a strong spring by outfielder Jon Jay could have landed him a spot on the Opening Day roster.

But Jay instead hit just .231 with one extra-base hit and just three RBIs for the Cardinals and was optioned to Triple-A Memphis a little more than a week before the regular season started.

While some may have started the year in a tailspin while thinking about their missed opportunity, Jay was determined to show the Cardinals the player he really was. Jay hit .347 with two home runs in 11 RBIs in 17 games before finally getting called up to the big leagues in late April.

“I honestly wasn’t too disappointed,” Jay said of his poor Spring Training performance. “I was at peace with myself knowing and believing in myself that I’m a good player and that if something happened, I wanted to be the first guy that they could call on like they did. That was my goal and it was probably better for me to be down there playing every day so everything worked out. I don’t look back at anything.

“In spring, it’s spring. You don’t have your timing or different things. Spring was what it was and I wasn’t down on myself at all. I knew that I could succeed here and I still had all the confidence in the world and I was just happy that I got to eventually make my debut and show them what I can do.”

Finally given his shot in the Major Leagues, Jay took full advantage of his second opportunity. The left-handed hitting Jay hit .302 in his first 26 games with the Cardinals, getting most of his hits while coming off the bench.

But despite proving his worth to the Cardinals, Jay was dealt another confidence blow when he was optioned back to Memphis in early June to clear a roster spot for Randy Winn. The veteran outfielder was released by the Yankees after hitting just .213 to start the year, but the Cardinals decided he was more worthy of the roster spot than the .302 hitting Jay.

Again given an opportunity to regress, Jay took the demotion in stride.

“I understood the reason I was getting sent down,” Jay said. “We got Randy Winn who was a great clubhouse guy and I got to know him real well and I have the utmost respect for him on and off the field. He taught me a lot and we spent a lot of time talking, but I understood right away that it was a business decision and I just knew I had to go down there and continue to work.  I knew I wasn’t going to go down there and mail it in and who knows maybe not get called back up.”

Jay continued to hit at Memphis, upping his average to .321 with 16 doubles and 32 RBIs before he was recalled by the Cardinals for good on July 3. And back with the Cardinals, the rookie had a month of July that several established big league hitters may never have in their careers.

The lefty hit a staggering .456 from his recall on July 3 to July 30 and had 12 extra-base hits, 14 runs scored and a .525 on-base percentage in 18 games.  His surge allowed the Cardinals to trade outfielder Ryan Ludwick to the San Diego Padres on July 31 in a three-team trade that brought pitcher Jake Westbrook to the Cardinals.

But coincidence or not, Jay began to stumble immediately after the trade. Hitting a season-high .396 at the time of the deal, Jay hit just .239 over the final two months of the season. He finished the year at .300 only because manager Tony La Russa didn’t send him to the plate in the final three games of the season to ensure his average not dip any further.

Despite the slide coinciding with him taking over for Ludwick in right-field, Jay said he never felt any extra pressure to produce.

“Not at all,” Jay said. “I just stuck to my game plan and I knew it was just part of the business here and something that I can’t control. I just went out there and continued to play my game.”

Nobody expected Jay to remain at his near .400 pace but his late-season slide did concern some heading into next season. Jay will likely split time in right-field next year with the right-handed hitting Allen Craig, who had a strong year at Memphis and had a solid finish down the stretch in St. Louis.

But despite the hot start and slow finish, Jay will always be able to say he was a .300 hitter in the big leagues. It remains to be seen if he can do it again, but the number allows Jay to take a lot of confidence with him entering spring training next spring.

“Everyone wants to hit .300 if you can,” Jay said. “But honestly that wasn’t going to define me because it was my first year and like I said, I got a lot of valuable experience this year. But it was nice to finish at .300 because that’s a goal that everyone has. I’m just looking forward to next year, keeping that going.

“I would hope to think of myself as a .300 hitter, a line drive hitter who is going to do whatever it takes to get on base. I’ve always been a high average type of hitter and I think seeing this year, I think that’s something I can do but that’s not something that concerns me. I just want to be productive.”



(foxsportsmidwest.com)