Furmaniak was born in
Bolingbrook, Illinois After graduating from
Bolingbrook High School, Furmaniak attended college at
Lewis University in
Romeoville, Illinois. He was drafted by the
San Diego Padres in the 22nd round of the
2000 Major League Baseball draft. Furmaniak made his major league debut with the
Pittsburgh Pirates on September 13, 2005, and played with the Pirates for the
2005 season. He played for the
Oakland Athletics during the
2007 Season. Furmaniak became a
free agent on October 7, , after refusing an outright assignment to the
minors. He signed with the
Yokohama BayStars of
Nippon Professional Baseball during the offseason, and played with the team for the 2008 season. On December 17, , Furmaniak signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. He appeared in 118 games with the Phillies' AAA affiliate in 2009, hitting .230 with five home runs while driving in 48 runs. He later signed with the
Tampa Bay Rays on February 4, 2010, as a free agent. Furmaniak played in the minors in 2010 and 2011.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/players/playerpage/489845/jj-furmaniak|title=J.J. FURMANIAK ==Personal life==