Jason Michaels

Born in Tampa, Florida, Michaels graduated in 1994 from Jesuit High School in Tampa, a school which also produced major leaguers Lou Piniella, Dave Magadan and Brad Radke. He batted over .400 in each of three years for Jesuit, and was selected in the 49th round (1,323rd overall) of the 1994 Major League Baseball draft by the San Diego Padres. He chose not to sign and instead attended Okaloosa-Walton College, a community college in Niceville, Florida. At Okaloosa-Walton, Michaels hit .421 with nine home runs and 45 runs batted in, and was named Panhandle Conference Player of the Year in 1996. He graduated from Okaloosa-Walton in 1996, and that year played collegiate summer baseball for the Orleans Cardinals of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Michaels was selected in the 44th round (1,314th overall) of the 1996 MLB draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, but he again opted not to sign and instead entered the University of Miami. He lettered in baseball for the Hurricanes in both 1997 and 1998, and was a teammate of future major-leaguers Pat Burrell and Aubrey Huff. In two seasons at Miami, he batted .396 with 34 home runs and 154 runs batted in. In 1997, he set Hurricane single-season records for hits (106), doubles (32) and total bases (189). The St. Louis Cardinals selected Michaels in the 15th round (464th overall) of the 1997 MLB draft, but once again he opted not to sign, returning to Miami for his final year of eligibility. Upon completing the season, Michaels was drafted for the fourth time when the Philadelphia Phillies selected him in the fourth round (104th overall) of the 1998 MLB draft. He signed his first professional contract on June 19, 1998. In 2010, Michaels was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame. ==Professional career==

Philadelphia Phillies In the Phillies farm system from 1998 through , Michaels played for the Batavia Muckdogs of the short-season, Single-A New York–Penn League (1998), the Clearwater Phillies (now Clearwater Threshers) of the advanced Single-A Florida State League (), the Reading Phillies of the Double-A Eastern League () and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons of the Triple-A International League (2001). In 424 minor league games with the Phillies, he hit .282 with 52 home runs and 264 RBI. Although he spent most of the season with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Michaels made his major league debut with Philadelphia as a pinch hitter on April 6, 2001. He was on the Phillies' 25-man roster from through as a reserve outfielder and pinch hitter, compiling a .291 batting average with 21 home runs and 100 RBI in 383 games and 808 at bats. This trade precipitated a second deal in which the Indians sent outfielder Coco Crisp, relief pitcher David Riske and catcher Josh Bard to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for reliever Guillermo Mota, third baseman Andy Marte, catcher Kelly Shoppach, Randy Newsom and cash. Michaels replaced Crisp in left field for the Indians in 2006, hitting primarily in the second spot in the batting order behind Grady Sizemore. For the season, he hit .267 with nine home runs and a career-best 55 RBI in 123 games. On September 6, 2006, the Indians announced that Michaels was their nominee for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award, given annually to the major league player who best exemplifies a commitment to community service. Michaels donated the $2,500 award to the Cleveland chapter of Gang Resistance Education and Training. Michaels's struggles against right-handed pitching in 2006 (.253, four home runs, 28 RBI in 338 plate appearances compared to .291, five home runs, 27 RBI in 210 plate appearances against left-handers) prompted the Indians to sign left-handed hitting, free agent outfielder David Dellucci after the 2006 season. Michaels played in 105 games in 2007, batting .270 with seven home runs and 39 RBI. On May 5, 2008, Michaels was designated for assignment. At the time, he was hitting only .207 with 9 RBI in 21 games with Cleveland. He batted .228 with eight home runs and 44 RBI in 102 games as a Pirate. He spent most of the first half appearing as a pinch hitter, but began to earn more playing time after the All-Star break, hitting .274 in games he started. Michaels ended the season batting .237 with four home runs and 16 RBI in 102 games. He hit just .199 with two home runs and 10 RBI in 89 games. During spring training, he served as a mentor to Nationals top prospect Bryce Harper. He was released on March 29, and re-signed to another minor league contract on April 2. ==Personal life==

Michaels's grandfather, John Michaels, pitched for the Boston Red Sox and also played in the Cincinnati Reds organization. His father, Earl Michaels, played quarterback for the West Virginia Tech football team. As of 2024, Michaels runs The Big League Approach, a baseball clinic in Tampa, Florida. ==References==