View source for Jason Bay

{{short description|Canadian-American baseball player (born 1978)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Jason Bay
|image=JasonBayAug09.jpg
|caption=Bay with the Boston Red Sox in 2009
|position=[[Left fielder]]
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1978|9|20}}
|birth_place=[[Trail, British Columbia]], Canada
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=May 23
|debutyear=2003
|debutteam=San Diego Padres
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=July 26
|finalyear=2013
|finalteam=Seattle Mariners
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.266
|stat2label=[[Home run]]s
|stat2value=222
|stat3label=[[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
|stat3value=754
|teams=
*[[San Diego Padres]] ({{mlby|2003}})
*[[Pittsburgh Pirates]] ({{mlby|2003}}–{{mlby|2008}})
*[[Boston Red Sox]] ({{mlby|2008}}–{{mlby|2009}})
*[[New York Mets]] ({{mlby|2010}}–{{mlby|2012}})
*[[Seattle Mariners]] ({{mlby|2013}})
|awards= 
* 3× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[2005 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|2005]], [[2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|2006]], [[2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|2009]])
* [[Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award|NL Rookie of the Year]] (2004)
* [[Silver Slugger Award]] (2009)
| hofcolor= #EC1C40
| hoflink= Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
| hoftype= Canadian 
| hofdate= 2019
}}
'''Jason Raymond Bay''' (born September 20, 1978) is a [[Canadian Americans|Canadian-American]] former professional [[baseball]] [[left fielder]] who played 11 seasons in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB). Initially drafted by the [[Montreal Expos]], he played for the [[San Diego Padres]], [[Pittsburgh Pirates]], [[Boston Red Sox]], [[New York Mets]] and [[Seattle Mariners]].

Bay was the [[Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award|National League Rookie of the Year]] in 2004 and he won the [[Silver Slugger Award]] in 2009. He is a three-time [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|MLB All-Star]] and a three-time [[Tip O'Neill Award]] winner as the best Canadian baseball player.

==Amateur career==
In youth baseball, Bay's Trail little league team reached the [[1990 Little League World Series]]. Bay attended [[North Idaho College]] in [[Coeur d'Alene, Idaho|Coeur d'Alene]] and [[Gonzaga University]] in [[Spokane, Washington|Spokane]], where he played [[college baseball]] from 1997-2000<ref name="gonzaga">{{cite web|title=Gonzaga University Baseball Players Who Made It to the Major Leagues|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/college/gonzaga_university_baseball_players.shtml|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040712225144/http://baseball-almanac.com/college/gonzaga_university_baseball_players.shtml|archive-date=July 12, 2004|access-date=August 10, 2012|work=[[Baseball Almanac]]}}</ref> In 1999, he played for the [[Chatham Anglers|Chatham Athletics]] in the [[Cape Cod Baseball League]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Major League Baseball Players From the Cape Cod League|url=http://capecodbaseball.org.ismmedia.com/ISM3/std-content/repos/Top/2012website/archives/Current%20Year/All_Time_MLB_CCBL_Alumni.pdf|access-date=January 9, 2020|website=Cape Cod Baseball|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebaseballcube.com/college/summer/stats.asp?Y=1999&T=chatham_as |title=1999 Chatham As |publisher=thebaseballcube.com |accessdate=September 23, 2021}}</ref>

==Professional career==

===Minor league career (2000–2002)===
Bay was drafted by the [[Montreal Expos]] in the 22nd round of the [[2000 Major League Baseball draft]] and was assigned to the Expos' [[New York–Penn League|Short-Season A]] team in [[Burlington, Vermont]], the [[Vermont Lake Monsters|Vermont Expos]]. In {{baseball year|2001}}, Bay was assigned to the Expos’ High Single-A team in the [[Florida State League]], the [[Jupiter Hammerheads]]. He began the year slowly, and in May was moved to the [[Clinton LumberKings]] of the [[Midwest League]], where Bay reached base in his first 26 games, then went on to bat .362 and win the league batting title. In all, he batted .315 with 14 home runs and 75 runs batted in on the year.

The Expos traded Bay to the [[New York Mets]] on March 24, 2002, with [[Jimmy Serrano]] for [[Lou Collier]]. At the trading deadline on July 31, 2002, the Mets traded Bay to the [[San Diego Padres]] with Josh Reynolds and [[Bobby Jones (left-handed pitcher)|Bobby Jones]] for [[Jason Middlebrook (baseball)|Jason Middlebrook]] and [[Steve Reed (baseball)|Steve Reed]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 31, 2002 |title=Mets pick up Reed from Padres |url=http://a.espncdn.com/mlb/news/2002/0731/1412376.html |access-date=November 14, 2021 |website=ESPN|agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

===Major league career===

====San Diego Padres (2003)====
Bay debuted with the Padres on May 23, 2003, getting his first major league hit, a home run, in the ninth inning.<ref>{{Cite web|date=May 23, 2003|title=Padres vs. Diamondbacks - Box Score - May 23, 2003 - ESPN|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/230523129|access-date=May 28, 2021|website=[[ESPN]]|language=en}}</ref> Two days later, he suffered a broken right wrist after being [[hit by pitch|hit by a pitch]].

====Pittsburgh Pirates (2003–2008)====
[[File:Jason Bay.jpg|upright|thumb|right|Bay with the Pirates in {{Mlby|2007}} [[spring training]]]]
On August 26, 2003, Bay was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates, along with [[Óliver Pérez]] and Cory Stewart in exchange for [[Brian Giles]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 26, 2003 |title=Padres acquire Giles, ship White to Royals |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=1603146 |access-date=May 28, 2021 |website=[[ESPN]] |language=en |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> He finished the season with a .287 batting average, four home runs, and 14 RBI in 30 games.

Bay began the {{baseball year|2004}} season on the disabled list due to surgery during the offseason, and did not rejoin the team until May. Despite missing the beginning of the season, he still produced the best offensive numbers of any [[National League (baseball)|National League]] rookie. He batted .282 in 120 games, leading all major league rookies in home runs (26) and RBIs (82). He also led all NL rookies in [[slugging percentage]] (.550), [[extra base hit]]s (54) and [[total bases]] (226). With his 26 home runs, Bay broke a Pirates rookies record of 23 set by [[Johnny Rizzo]] in {{baseball year|1936}} and matched by [[Ralph Kiner]] in {{baseball year|1946}}. Selected as the 2004 [[Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award|NL Rookie of the Year]] by ''The Sporting News'', Bay was the second Pittsburgh Pirates player honoured with the award, after [[second baseman]] [[Johnny Ray (second baseman)|Johnny Ray]] in 1982. Bay was also the first Canadian player to win the award.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=November 8, 2004|title=Crosby, Bay take home top rookie awards|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/baseball/mlb/11/08/rookies.year.ap/|url-status=dead|access-date=December 15, 2012|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304090107/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/baseball/mlb/11/08/rookies.year.ap/}}</ref>

In 2005, Bay was selected to his first [[2005 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]] as a reserve outfielder. He was the only player on either roster not to appear in the game. Bay also appeared in the 2005 Century 21 [[Home Run Derby]], representing Canada in the nationality-themed contest; he was eliminated in the first round after hitting no home runs. Bay finished the season with a .306 average, 32 home runs, and 101 RBI, leading the Pirates in every major hitting category.

After the 2005 season, Bay signed a four-year contract extension worth a guaranteed $18.25 million.<ref>{{cite web|date=November 17, 2005|title=Pirates agree to multiyear deal with Bay|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=2227115|access-date=October 22, 2009|work=[[ESPN]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

Bay batted .321 with 12 home runs (a Pirate record for home runs in a month) and 35 RBIs in May 2006. From May 22 to May 28, he hit home runs in six consecutive games, two short of the major league record held by [[Dale Long]], [[Don Mattingly]], and [[Ken Griffey Jr.]] He had actually hit 10 home runs in ten games, but he had failed to hit a home run in one of the games, and hit two the next day.

Following an aggressive public relations campaign by the Pirates in 2006, Bay led all National League outfielders in All-Star voting. [[Pearl Jam]] lead singer [[Eddie Vedder]] even urged fans to vote for Bay during a summer concert at Pittsburgh's [[Mellon Arena]].<ref name="pearljam">{{Cite web|last=Rutter|first=Joe|date=June 28, 2006|title=Bay flattered by All-Star push|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015000059/http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/pirates/s_459791.html|url=http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/pirates/s_459791.html|archive-date=October 15, 2007|access-date=October 15, 2007|website=[[Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]]}}</ref> Bay became the first member of the Pittsburgh Pirates voted into the All-Star game as a starter since [[Andy Van Slyke]]. In the game, Bay went 1-for-3 with a [[Single (baseball)|single]].

After battling injuries, Bay's {{baseball year|2007}} season was less productive. Despite having a strong first couple of months, he batted .247 with 21 home runs and 84 RBI.<ref name="y-robinson">{{Cite web|title=Jason Bay Stats|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bayja01.shtml|access-date=May 28, 2021|website=[[Baseball-Reference]]|language=en}}</ref>

Bay had a much more productive 2008 with Pittsburgh, batting .282 with 22 home runs and 64 RBI through the All-Star break. In a May series against the [[Chicago Cubs]], Bay had extra-inning [[Glossary of baseball (W)#walk-off win|walk-off hits]] in back-to-back games; the first two walk-off hits of his career.<ref name="back2back">{{cite web|last=Adamski|first=Chris|date=May 25, 2008|title=Bay makes it a walk-off weekend|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080528091901/http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20080525&content_id=2767419&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=pit|url=http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20080525&content_id=2767419&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=pit|archive-date=May 28, 2008|access-date=June 30, 2008|work=[[Pittsburgh Pirates]]}}</ref> A month later, he got his third walk-off hit of the season and his career with a 13th-inning solo home run against the [[Tampa Bay Rays]].<ref name="walkoffhr">{{cite web|last=Von Benko|first=George|date=June 29, 2008|title=Bucs walk off on Bay's 13th-inning homer|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080702081729/http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20080628&content_id=3023472&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=pit|url=http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20080628&content_id=3023472&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=pit|archive-date=July 2, 2008|access-date=June 30, 2008|work=[[Pittsburgh Pirates]]}}</ref>

====Boston Red Sox (2008–2009)====
On July 31, 2008, Bay and a player to be named later ([[Josh Wilson (baseball)|Josh Wilson]])<ref>{{cite news|author=Lee|first=Robert|date=August 3, 2008|title=Shortstop Wilson goes to PawSox as part of Manny-for-Bay deal|work=[[Providence Journal]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090903081215/http://www.projo.com/pawsox/content/sp_bb_pawsox03_08-03-08_V2B3689_v5.3da8828.html?npc|access-date=August 4, 2008|url=http://www.projo.com/pawsox/content/sp_bb_pawsox03_08-03-08_V2B3689_v5.3da8828.html?npc|archive-date=September 3, 2009}}</ref> were traded to the Boston Red Sox in a three team deal that sent [[Manny Ramirez]] to the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] and [[Andy LaRoche]] with [[Bryan Morris]] to the Pittsburgh Pirates from the Dodgers and [[Brandon Moss]] with [[Craig Hansen]] to the Pirates from the Red Sox.<ref name="trade">{{cite magazine|last=Heyman|first=Jon|date=July 31, 2008|title=Manny traded to Dodgers, Bay headed to Boston|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|publisher=[[CNN]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080805013934/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/07/31/manny.sweepstakes/index.html?eref=T1|access-date=July 31, 2008|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/07/31/manny.sweepstakes/index.html?eref=T1|archive-date=August 5, 2008}}</ref> In his Red Sox debut, Bay scored both runs, the second coming after he tripled in the bottom of the 12th inning and scored the game-winning run on a [[Jed Lowrie]] RBI infield single. Bay hit his first home run with Boston the next night, against the [[Oakland Athletics]]. In one game, he hit multiple home runs against the [[Baltimore Orioles]] at [[Oriole Park at Camden Yards|Oriole Park]]. Bay would end the 2008 season with Boston batting .293 with nine home runs and 37 RBI.

[[File:Jason Bay on August 18, 2008 (cropped).jpg|upright|left|thumb|Bay batting for the Red Sox on August 18, 2008]]
The Red Sox' [[2008 American League Division Series]] against the [[Los Angeles Angels|Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim]] was the first playoff series of Bay's career. Bay hit a home run in each of the first two games of the series. Bay finished the series batting 7-for-17 (.412), with two doubles, two home runs, and 5 RBI. In the [[2008 American League Championship Series]], he scored the first run in game one. In game two, he opened the door for the Red Sox with a two-run double and a home run in the fifth inning. However, the Red Sox lost in seven games.

In 2009, after a strong first half that included an All-Star selection, Bay went on to lead the Red Sox with a career-high 36 home runs and 119 RBI during the regular season. Early in the season, he also had a streak of 11 home runs with men on base, tying the team record and falling one shy of the major league record.

In 2009, he was named #41 on the ''[[Sporting News]]''' list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Johns|first=Greg|date=May 20, 2009|title=Ichiro 30th on Sporting News list of baseball's best|url=https://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlesports/2009/05/20/ichiro-30th-on-sporting-news-list-of-baseballs-best/|access-date=May 20, 2009|website=[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]|language=en-US}}</ref>

He filed for free agency after the season, turning down the Red Sox's offer of salary arbitration.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Silverman|first=Mike|date=December 7, 2009|title=Bay's agent: Bay will not accept Red Sox' arbitration offer|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091212184755/http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/sports/red_sox/index.php/2009/12/07/bays-agent-bay-will-not-accept-red-sox-arbitration-offer/|url=http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/sports/red_sox/index.php/2009/12/07/bays-agent-bay-will-not-accept-red-sox-arbitration-offer/|archive-date=December 12, 2009|access-date=December 8, 2009|website=[[Boston Herald]]}}</ref>

====New York Mets (2010–2012)====
[[File:Jason Bay with Mets Sept 2011.jpg|thumb|upright|Jason Bay in 2011 as a Met]]
On December 29, 2009, Bay agreed to a four-year, $66 million contract with the New York Mets, which also included a vesting option for a fifth year.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=December 29, 2009|title=Mets reach deal with Bay|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105072543/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/baseball/mlb/12/29/heyman.mets.bay/index.html|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/baseball/mlb/12/29/heyman.mets.bay/index.html|archive-date=January 5, 2010|access-date=January 5, 2010|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Hoch|first=Bryan|date=January 6, 2010|title=Bay glad to be part of 'perfect fit'|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100119035138/http://www.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100105&content_id=7874442&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym|url=http://www.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100105&content_id=7874442&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym|archive-date=January 19, 2010|access-date=January 19, 2010|website=[[New York Mets]]}}</ref> General manager [[Omar Minaya]], who engineered the deal, originally traded Bay to the Mets in 2002 when he was GM for the Montreal Expos. On January 5, 2010, Minaya and [[Jeff Wilpon]] held a press conference at [[Citi Field]] in which Bay was presented with his uniform, number 44 for the Mets. The Red Sox received the 39th ([[Anthony Ranaudo]]) and 57th ([[Brandon Workman]]) selections in the [[2010 Major League Baseball draft]] as compensation.<ref>{{Cite web|title=1st Round of the 2010 MLB June Amateur Draft|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/|access-date=May 28, 2021|website=[[Baseball-Reference]]|language=en}}</ref>

On April 27, in the first game of a double header against the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]], Bay hit his first home run as a member of the New York Mets in the bottom of the fourth inning to give the Mets a 2–0 lead. The Mets went on to win the first game, 4–0, and win the second game, 10–5.

In his first season with the Mets, Bay played in only 95 games. He suffered a concussion in a game against the Dodgers, when he ran into a fenced wall and his head jerked back. He finished his season with a .259 batting average, only six home runs (he hit 36 the year before), 47 RBI, and scored 48 runs.

Bay began 2011 on the disabled list with a rib injury<ref>{{cite web|last=DiComo|first=Anthony|date=March 31, 2011|title=Rib injury lands Bay on disabled list|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110403040346/http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110330&content_id=17204450&vkey=news_nym&c_id=nym|url=http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110330&content_id=17204450&vkey=news_nym&c_id=nym|archive-date=April 3, 2011|access-date=April 2, 2011|work=MLB.com}}</ref> and returned to the Mets on April 21 in a game against the [[Houston Astros]]. On that day (a 9–1 Mets win), Bay batted and scored in the eighth on a rare four-base error when [[Hunter Pence]] failed to catch Bay's fly ball; [[David Wright]], on first base from a walk, scored ahead of him. Bay also had a ground-rule double and scored a run in the fourth inning.<ref>{{cite web|date=April 22, 2011|title=Four-base error; NL recap|url=http://www.wavy.com/dpps/sports/mlb/other_mlb/national-league-roundup-for-april-21-2011_3784667|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130711040326/http://www.wavy.com/dpps/sports/mlb/other_mlb/national-league-roundup-for-april-21-2011_3784667|archive-date=July 11, 2013|access-date=July 11, 2013|work=[[WAVY-TV]]|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=April 21, 2011|title=April 21, 2011 Houston Astros at New York Mets Box Score and Play by Play|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN201104210.shtml|access-date=July 11, 2013|work=[[Baseball-Reference]]}}</ref> On June 28, 2011, Bay hit a [[Grand slam (baseball)|grand slam]] off of [[Detroit Tigers]] pitcher [[Daniel Schlereth]]. It was the first grand slam by the Mets since [[Ángel Pagán]] hit one on August 1, 2009.<ref>{{cite news|last=Waldstein|first=David|date=June 28, 2011|title=Mets Break Long Streak Without a Grand Slam|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/29/sports/baseball/mets-break-long-streak-without-a-grand-slam.html|access-date=June 29, 2011}}</ref> On August 8, Bay hit his 200th career home run against the San Diego Padres, becoming the third Canadian MLB player after [[Larry Walker]] and [[Matt Stairs]] to reach this milestone.<ref>{{cite web|last=DiComo|first=Anthony|date=August 8, 2011|title=Bay crushes 200th home run on Monday|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107035859/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110808&content_id=22940556&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110808&content_id=22940556&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb|archive-date=November 7, 2012|access-date=August 9, 2011|work=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref> Bay hit another grand slam in September en route to winning his fifth career National League [[Major League Baseball Player of the Week Award|Player of the Week Award]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Kruth|first1=Cash|date=September 12, 2011|title=Hot-hitting Bay named NL Player of the Week|url=http://m.mets.mlb.com/news/article/24587484/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150521013609/http://m.mets.mlb.com/news/article/24587484/|archive-date=May 21, 2015|access-date=May 1, 2015|website=[[New York Mets]]|publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref>

Bay got off to a slow start to the 2012 season, finishing spring training with no home runs or RBI, and his regular season, which was derailed further by a broken rib<ref>{{cite web|date=April 24, 2012|title=Mets put LF Jason Bay on DL with broken rib|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120427002827/https://sports.yahoo.com/news/mets-put-lf-jason-bay-180127589--mlb.html|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/mets-put-lf-jason-bay-180127589--mlb.html|archive-date=April 27, 2012|access-date=June 13, 2012|website=[[Yahoo! Sports]]|publisher=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> suffered while making a diving catch in the April 23 game against the [[San Francisco Giants]]. When Bay returned from the DL on June 8, 2012 against the [[New York Yankees]], he went 0-for-3 with one [[strikeout]]. He continued to go 0-for-16 in his return from the DL through June 12, before hitting a [[Single (baseball)|single]] on June 13 against the [[Tampa Bay Rays]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jason Bay 2012 Batting Game Logs|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=bayja01&t=b&year=2012|access-date=June 13, 2012|website=[[Baseball-Reference]]|language=en}}</ref> In a home game against the [[Cincinnati Reds]] on June 15, Bay left the game in the second inning after crashing into the left field wall and suffering a [[concussion]] while attempting to catch a fly ball by [[Jay Bruce]] that became an [[inside-the-park home run]]. He was subsequently placed on the DL again, and returned again on July 17 against the [[Washington Nationals]]. On September 2, Bay hit a grand slam off of [[Miami Marlins]] pitcher [[Mark Buehrle]] in the first inning of a 5–2 Mets win. Bay also hit a home run off of Buehrle on September 22 in a 4–3 Mets win. Bay finished the 2012 season with a .165 batting average, eight home runs and 20 RBI.

On November 7, 2012, the Mets and Bay agreed to terminate their contract a year early and make the outfielder an unrestricted free agent.<ref>{{cite web|date=November 7, 2012|title=Mets, Jason Bay Agree To 'Part Ways'; Outfielder Becomes Free Agent|url=http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/11/07/mets-jason-bay-agree-to-part-ways-outfielder-becomes-free-agent/|access-date=November 7, 2012|website=[[WCBS-TV]]|publisher=}}</ref>

====Seattle Mariners (2013)====
[[File:Jason Bay Seattle Mariners.JPG|thumb|right|upright|Bay with the Mariners]]
On December 8, 2012, the [[Seattle Mariners]] signed Bay to a one-year, $1 million deal.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dierkes|first=Tim|date=December 5, 2012|title=Mariners To Sign Jason Bay|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/12/mariners-to-sign-jason-bay.html|access-date=May 28, 2021|website=MLB Trade Rumors|language=en-US}}</ref> Bay appeared in 68 games with the Mariners and batted .204 with 11 home runs and 20 RBI before being designated for assignment on July 29, 2013.<ref>{{cite web|last=Berry|first=Adam|date=July 29, 2013|title=Morse comes off DL; Bay designated for assignment|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130729&content_id=55163156&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb|access-date=July 29, 2013|work=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref> Bay was released on August 6.<ref>{{cite web|last=Links|first=Zachary|date=August 6, 2013|title=Mariners Release Jason Bay|url=http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/08/mariners-designate-jason-bay-for-assignment.html|access-date=August 6, 2013|website=MLB Trade Rumors|publisher=}}</ref>

On March 31, 2014, Bay officially announced his retirement from professional baseball.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cotillo|first=Chris|date=March 31, 2014|title=Jason Bay retires from baseball|url=http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2014/3/31/5567940/jason-bay-retires-from-baseball-pirates-red-sox-mets-mariners|access-date=April 23, 2014|work=MLB Daily Dish}}</ref>

Bay was eligible to be elected into the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|National Baseball Hall of Fame]] in 2019, but received less than 5% of the vote and became ineligible for the 2020 ballot.<ref>{{Cite web|title=2019 Hall of Fame Voting|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/hof_2019.shtml|access-date=February 10, 2019|website=[[Baseball-Reference]]|language=en}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Bay and his wife, Kristen, have three children.<ref>{{cite news|last=Waldstein|first=David|date=May 5, 2011|title=Jason Bay Returns to Mets After Birth of Third Child|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/05/jason-bay-returns-to-mets-after-birth-of-third-child/?partner=rss&emc=rss=|access-date=May 5, 2011}}</ref>

Bay's sister, [[Lauren Bay-Regula]], is a professional [[softball]] player who pitched for Canada in the [[Softball at the 2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Olympics]], and was on the [[Softball at the 2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Olympic]] team as well.

Bay remains friends with former NHL centre [[Shawn Horcoff]], who was also born in Trail. He is close friends with [[Grady Sizemore]], who was a groomsman at Bay's wedding.

In Bay's opening interview with the Boston media, he stated that his father was a die-hard Red Sox fan who had bought him a Red Sox [[Infant bodysuit|onesie]] to wear when he was young. Bay believed it was still in his parents' basement along with his two childhood TV room posters of Red Sox greats [[Jim Rice]] and [[Carl Yastrzemski]].<ref>{{cite news|date=August 2, 2008|title=Bay plays hero at Fenway|newspaper=[[Vancouver Sun]]|publisher=[[Canada.com]]|url=http://www.canada.com/story_print.html?id=e7f91cbd-2cdd-4a87-85ad-fc4941a136dd&sponsor=|url-status=dead|access-date=November 9, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109111114/http://www.canada.com/story_print.html?id=e7f91cbd-2cdd-4a87-85ad-fc4941a136dd&sponsor=|archive-date=November 9, 2012}}</ref>

On July 2, 2009, Bay became a US citizen after a ceremony at [[Faneuil Hall]] in Boston.<ref>{{cite web|date=July 2, 2009|title=Red Sox OF Bay to be sworn in as American citizen|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629082409/https://www.tsn.ca/story/print/?id=283529|url=https://www.tsn.ca/story/print/?id=283529|archive-date=June 29, 2011|access-date=June 29, 2011|work=[[The Sports Network]]|agency=[[Canadian Press]]}}</ref>

==Awards and honours==
* Three-time NL Rookie of the Month (June, July and September, 2004)
* [[MLB Rookie of the Year|National League Rookie of the Year]] (2004)
* ''[[The Sporting News]]'' NL Rookie of the Year (2004)
* [[Tip O'Neill Award]] winner (2004, 2005 and 2009) – given to the top Canadian baseball player each season.
* National League All-Star (2005, 2006)
* Represented Canada at the [[World Baseball Classic]]
* Represented Canada in the 1990 [[Little League World Series]]
* May 2006 [[MLB Player of the Month|Player of the Month]]
* Represented Canada at the 2005 [[Home Run Derby]]
* The 2008 Chuck Tanner Award for "professionalism, cooperation and availability to and with Major League writers to best assist them in carrying out daily responsibilities."<ref>{{cite news|last=Langosch|first=Jenifer|date=October 7, 2008|title=Two tabbed by Pittsburgh writers|work=[[Pittsburgh Pirates]]|publisher=[[MLB.com]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090608182320/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081007&content_id=3601579&vkey=news_pit&fext=.jsp&c_id=pit&partnerId=rss_pit|access-date=October 7, 2008|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081007&content_id=3601579&vkey=news_pit&fext=.jsp&c_id=pit&partnerId=rss_pit|archive-date=June 8, 2009}}</ref>
* American League All-Star (2009)
* American League Outfield [[Silver Slugger]] (2009)

==Records==
* 5th all-time in Home Runs hit by a Canadian born player behind [[Larry Walker]] (383), [[Joey Votto]] (356), [[Matt Stairs]] (265), and [[Justin Morneau]] (247).

===Pittsburgh Pirates===
* 4th all-time with .515 slugging percentage
* 6th all-time with .890 on-base plus slugging
* 9th all-time with 139 Home Runs
* 13th all-time with 682 Strikeouts
* 15th all-time with .375 on-base percentage
* 17th all-time with 34 sacrifice flies
* 20th all-time with 35 hit by pitches

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|Baseball|Canada}}
* [[List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders]]
{{Clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{baseballstats |mlb=424726 |espn=5496 |br=b/bayja01 |fangraphs=1717|brm=bay---001jas}}

{{s-start-collapsible|header={{s-ach|aw}}}}
{{Succession box|before = [[Scott Podsednik]] |title = [[Players Choice Award|Players Choice NL Most Outstanding Rookie]]|years = 2004|after = [[Willy Taveras]]}}
{{Succession box| before = Scott Podsednik|title = [[Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award|Sporting News NL Rookie of the Year]]|years = 2004|after = Willy Taveras}}
{{Succession box| before = [[Albert Pujols]] | title = [[MLB Player of the Month|National League Player of the Month]]| years = April, 2006 | after = [[David Wright]]}}
{{S-end}}

{{AL OF Silver Slugger Award}}
{{NL Rookie of the Year}}
{{Sporting News MLB Rookie of the year}}
{{Tip O'Neill Award}}
{{Canada roster 2006 World Baseball Classic}}
{{Canada roster 2009 World Baseball Classic}}
{{Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bay, Jason}}
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