| Jason Stokes | |
|---|---|
| First baseman | |
| Born: (1982-01-23)January 23, 1982 (age 43) Irving, Texas, U.S. | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
Jason Stokes (born January 23, 1982) is an American formerprofessional baseball player. Primarily afirst baseman, he played inMinor League Baseball for theOakland Athletics andFlorida Marlins organizations.
As a senior forCoppell High School inCoppell, Texas, Stokes hit 25home runs, which still stands as the state single-season home run record.[1] Stokes won theGatorade High School Baseball Player of the Year Award in 2000.[2]
Stokes was selected in the second round of the2000 Major League Baseball draft by theFlorida Marlins.[1] His best season in the minor leagues was in 2002 with theKane County Cougars, where he compiled a .341batting average with 27home runs and 75runs batted in,[3] earning Stokes bothThe Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year Award[4] and theTopps Minor League Player of the Year Award.[5] Stokes participated in the 2002All-Star Futures Game during All-Star Weekend, playing for the United States team.[6] He was ranked as the Marlins number four prospect and "Best Power Prospect" entering the 2005 season according toBaseball America.[7]
Injuries plagued Stokes' career. His seasons with theTriple-AAlbuquerque Isotopes in 2005 and 2006 were cut short due to hand and groin injuries.[8][9] After being traded to theOakland Athletics organization in early 2007, Stokes played 18 games with the Triple-ASacramento River Cats,[3] but again went on thedisabled list with a back injury. Due to accumulating injuries, Stokes retired from baseball at the end of the 2007 season.
Attempting a comeback, Stokes signed a minor league contract with theDetroit Tigers in January 2010.[10] He participated inspring training with the Tigers but was released on March 31 after suffering a groin injury. Later that season, after playing for theindependentGrand Prairie AirHogs for 22 games,[3] Stokes again retired. He hit a total of 96 home runs in his minor league career.[3]