Justin Upton
From BR Bullpen
Justin Irvin Upton
- Bats Right , Throws Right
- Height 6' 3" , Weight 205 lb.
- High School Great Bridge High School
- Debut August 2, 2007
- Born August 25, 1987 in Norfolk, VA USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Justin Upton, born in 1987, was the youngest player in the National League in 2007.
Upton was one of the USA's top players in the 2004 World Junior Championship, hitting .417 (second to Brandon Snyder on the team) with 4 triples and a home run in 24 AB. He led the team with 8 runs and 2 steals. He faield to make the tourney All-Star team as Ji-soo Kim of South Korea was chosen at shortstop.
He was selected as the top pick in the 2005 amateur draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He signed with the club in early 2006 for a record 6.5 million dollars. That summer, he made his pro debut with the South Bend Silver Hawks of the Midwest League, hitting .263 with 12 homers and 66 RBIs for the team.
Upton played shortstop in high school, but became an outfielder in the professional ranks. He was timed in the 60 yard dash at 6.2 seconds, the fastest ever recorded time at Perfect Inning Games. Upton is compared to a young Ken Griffey Jr. with more speed. Upton batted second and played center field for the USA in the 2007 Futures Game, going 1 for 2 with a homer in the US's 7-2 loss.
Upton made his Major League debut as a defensive substitute on August 2, 2007 and started the Diamondbacks' next game in right field, but went hitless both days. He was hitting .309 with 13 home runs in 71 games for the AA Mobile Bay Bears of the Southern League when he was called up. In his second major league game, Upton fell a single shy of the cycle. He ended the year with .221 batting average in 43 games in the majors.
Upton was the center of controversy in the 2007 NLCS when he stared down Jeff Francis then rolled his shoulder into Kazuo Matsui while trying to break up a double play. Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki criticized the actions. Upton said "I was just playing the game. I did what I was supposed to do. That's what you're taught to do when you slide is pop up." Some fans at Chase Field threw bottles onto the field to protest Upton's actions.
He is the brother of Tampa Bay Devil Rays player B.J. Upton.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- NL All-Star (2009)
