B.J. Upton
From BR Bullpen
Melvin Emanuel Upton
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 3", Weight 180 lb.
- High School Greenbrier Christian Academy High School
- Debut August 2, 2004
- Born August 21, 1984 in Norfolk, VA USA
[edit] Biographical Information
B.J. Upton was considered throughout his minor league career as being one of the top few, even the top, prospect in the minors. He was drafted second overall in the 2002 amateur draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
B.J. stands for Bossman Junior, his nickname. His father's nickname is, of course, Bossman. His younger brother Justin was the #1 overall pick in the 2005 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Both brothers were drafted as shortstops, but were moved to the outfield. B.J. was first tried at third base and second base, where he made too many errors to stick, and wound up in center field in 2007, a position where he could put his outstanding speed on display on defense.
Upton has shown a lack of hustle at times, something which he has received some criticism for. Despite being in the middle of an intense pennant race, in August of 2008 he was benched three times by manager Joe Maddon within a span of two weeks for 1) failing to run out a grounder back to the pitcher, 2) failing to run out double play grounder, and 3) getting tagged out after lackadaisically jogging into second base on a drive off the left field wall. After missing a month of the season with an injury, he was at his best during the postseason however, hitting seven home runs between the ALDS and ALCS. He failed to hit a long ball in the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, but showed some outstanding speed, stealing four bases in key situations, including one with two outs in the 6th inning of Game 5, in a driving rain; he came to score on Carlos Pena's single, tying the game before it was suspended for 48 hours.
It was thought that this sort of "coming out" in the 2008 postseason would launch Upton's career as a true superstar. but his play continued to be up-and-down over the next few seasons, frustrating Rays' fans and management. In 2009, he hit .241 with 11 homers; he did score 79 runs and steal 42 bases, but the season was considered a disappointment. In 2010, the Rays returned to the postseason, but B.J.'s batting average was even lower, at .237. However, he did a lot of other things very well that year to compensate, such as hitting 38 doubles and 18 homers, scoring 89 runs and stealing 42 bases while being caught only 9 times. In the ALDS, he was only 4 for 21 and did not score a run as the Rays bowed out to the Texas Rangers in 5 games.
The frustration continued in 2011, as the Rays were outdistanced by the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in the season's early going. Upton's batting average remained in the .220s for most of they year, the fourth consecutive year of decline after hitting .300 in 2007. There was widespread speculation that the Rays were planning to cut ties with him. However, the Rays began to play much better in August, and by the time they were in a dogfight with the Red Sox for the AL Wild Card in early September, he was a key contributor. He reached totals of 20 homers and stolen bases for the second time of his career, joining his brother Justin who had done so with the Diamondbacks earlier in the season. They became the first set of brothers to post 20-20 seasons the same year; they were already only the 6th set of brothers to have each had such as season. He also reached base in a team-record 9 consecutive plate appearances on September 11-12; the streak came during a five-game winning streak that brought the Rays to within 3 games of the BoSox. He finished the year batting .243/.331/.429 in 153 games, with 36 steals and 23 homers, then went 4 for 14 with 3 doubles as the Rays bowed out to the Texas Rangers in 4 games in the ALDS after clinching the wild card spot on the season's last day.
On March 14, 2012, B.J. collided with Desmond Jennings in the outfield during a spring training game. He hurt his back and did not play again during the exhibition season, then began the year on the disabled list.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 20-Home Run Seasons: 2 (2007 & 2011)
