| Jerry Sands | |
|---|---|
 Sands with the Hanshin Tigers in 2021 | |
| Outfielder /First baseman | |
| Born: (1987-09-28)September 28, 1987 (age 37) Middletown, New York, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| Professional debut | |
| MLB: April 18, 2011, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |
| KBO: August 16, 2018, for the Nexen Heroes | |
| NPB: June 27, 2020, for the Hanshin Tigers | |
| Last appearance | |
| MLB: June 4, 2016, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| KBO: September 29, 2019, for the Kiwoom Heroes | |
| NPB: September 30, 2021, for the Hanshin Tigers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .238 |
| Home runs | 10 |
| Runs batted in | 57 |
| KBO statistics | |
| Batting average | .306 |
| Home runs | 40 |
| Runs batted in | 150 |
| NPB statistics | |
| Batting average | .252 |
| Home runs | 39 |
| Runs batted in | 129 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
KBO
| |
Gerald Robert Sands (born September 28, 1987) is an American former professionalbaseballoutfielder andfirst baseman. He was drafted by theLos Angeles Dodgers in the 25th round of the2008 MLB Draft out ofCatawba College and made hisMajor League Baseball (MLB) debut with them in 2011. He also played in MLB for theTampa Bay Rays,Cleveland Indians,Chicago White Sox, in theKBO League for theKiwoom Heroes, and inNippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for theHanshin Tigers. Sands grew up inSmithfield, North Carolina and is a graduate ofSmithfield-Selma High School.[1]
Sands struggled in his first professional season with theGulf Coast Dodgers in 2008, hitting only .205 in 46 games. However, he turned it around in 2009, hitting .350 with 14 home runs in 41 games for theOgden Raptors and earning a berth on thePioneer League all-star team and a late-season promotion to the Class-AGreat Lakes Loons.
In 2010 with Great Lakes, Sands hit .333 in 69 games, along with 18 home runs and 46 RBI. He was namedMidwest League player of the week three times and selected to appear in the mid-season all-star game. He hit a home run in the All-Star game and was named the Player of the Game. Right after the all-star game he was promoted to the AAChattanooga Lookouts in theSouthern League, where he homered in his first game with the Lookouts. He played in 68 games in AA and hit .270 with 17 home runs and 47 RBI. He was selected as the Dodgers "Minor League Player of the Year" and given an invite to Major League spring training. He was assigned to the AAAAlbuquerque Isotopes in thePacific Coast League to begin the 2011 season. In 10 games, he hit .400 with five home runs.
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Sands had his contract purchased by the Dodgers on April 18, 2011, and made his major league debut as the starting left fielder against theAtlanta Braves.[2] In his first at-bat, he hit a double to right field offTim Hudson. Sands hit his first Major League home run on May 21 offMark Buehrle of theChicago White Sox.[3] On May 24, he hit his second home run, a grand slam, offJ. A. Happ of theHouston Astros. He played in 41 games for the Dodgers, hitting only .200 and was sent back to AAA on June 8. He finished the Isotopes season with a .278 batting average, 29 home runs and 88 RBI. He returned to the Dodgers after the minor league season ended and was much more productive, finishing his season with 24 hits in his last 59 at-bats to raise his batting average to .253 for the season in 61 games and he also hit 4 home runs.
In 2012, he only appeared in 9 games with the Dodgers, where he hit only .208 in 23 at-bats. Sands spent most of the season with AAA Albuquerque, where he was selected as the designated hitter on the post-season All-PCL All-Star team.[4] In 119 games with the Isotopes, he hit .296 with 26 homers and 107 RBI.
On October 4, the Dodgers traded Sands andRubby De La Rosa to theBoston Red Sox, completing the blockbuster deal that broughtAdrián González,Josh Beckett,Carl Crawford andNick Punto to the Dodgers in August. On December 26, the Red Sox traded him (along withStolmy Pimentel,Mark Melancon andIván DeJesús, Jr.) to thePittsburgh Pirates forBrock Holt andJoel Hanrahan.[5] He spent the entire 2013 season in AAA with theIndianapolis Indians and hit just .207 in 106 games with only 7 home runs. He was designated for assignment by the Pirates on December 13, 2013.
On December 23, 2013, he was claimed off waivers by theTampa Bay Rays. He was designated for assignment on January 7, 2014, and outrighted to the AAADurham Bulls. He was called up to the majors on June 1, 2014.
He elected free agency on November 9, after being designated for assignment a week earlier.
On December 15, 2014, he signed a minor league contract with theCleveland Indians. The Indians purchased his contract on April 10, 2015, and added him to the active roster.[6] He was designated for assignment on April 29.[7] He was called back up by the Indians on May 28. On May 30, in Sands' first at-bat since being called up, he hit a two-run shot for his sixth career home run. He was designated for assignment again the next day. He was called back up by the Indians on July 31. The Indians designated him for assignment on December 18.[8]
On December 23, 2015, theChicago White Sox claimed Sands off waivers.[9]
On February 13, 2017, Sands signed with theSomerset Patriots of theAtlantic League of Professional Baseball.[10]
On June 3, 2017, Sands signed a minor league deal with theSan Francisco Giants.[9] On July 9, 2018, while playing for theRichmond Flying Squirrels of the Double–AEastern League, Sands was named the league's player of the week.[11]
On August 7, 2018, Sands signed with theNexen Heroes of theKBO League.[12] In 2018, he hit .314 with 12 HR and 37 RBI in 25 games with the team. On November 23, he re-signed with the team, now named theKiwoom Heroes, for the 2019 season.[13]
On December 20, 2019, Sands signed with theHanshin Tigers ofNippon Professional Baseball (NPB).[14] In 2020, he played in 110 games for the Tigers, hitting .257/.363/.451 with 19 home runs and 64 RBI. In 2021, Sands made 120 appearances for Hanshin, batting .248/.328/.451 with 20 home runs and 65 RBI.[15]
On December 5, 2022, theHanshin Tigers ofNippon Professional Baseball announced that Sands had been hired as an international scout.[16]
