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| John Jaha | |
|---|---|
 Jaha with theStockton Ports in 1988 | |
| First baseman /Designated hitter | |
| Born: (1966-05-27)May 27, 1966 (age 59) Portland, Oregon, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 9, 1992, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 27, 2001, for the Oakland Athletics | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .263 |
| Home runs | 141 |
| Runs batted in | 490 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
John Emil Jaha (born May 27, 1966) is an American formerfirst baseman inMajor League Baseball who had a 10-year career from 1992 to 2001. He played for theMilwaukee Brewers andOakland Athletics, playing in both theAmerican League andNational League. He was elected to the American LeagueAll-Star team in 1999.
Jaha graduated fromDavid Douglas High School inPortland, Oregon, in 1984. He still holds most offensive baseball records for the school.[citation needed]
TheMilwaukee Brewers selected Jaha in the1984 Major League Baseball draft and he made his Major League debut with the Brewers on July 9, 1992. He also had success playing with theDaikyo Dolphins in theAustralian Baseball League in 1991 and 1992 alongside Brewers and 1999 All-Star teammate,Dave Nilsson.[1] Earlier in 1992, while playing for Brewers Triple-A affiliateDenver, Jaha became only the second player (afterJoey Meyer) to hit a ball into the upper deck atMile High Stadium.
In 1996, Jaha enjoyed his finest season with the Brewers, batting .300 with 34 home runs and 118 RBI.[2] Despite the strong season, he was not selected to theAll-Star team, having to contend withFrank Thomas,Mark McGwire, andMo Vaughn for the first base position.[3]
After an injury-plagued Major League career with the Brewers, Jaha signed a minor-league contract with the Oakland Athletics in 1999. Although Jaha wasn't expected to make the team - in fact, he was left out of the team's media guide that spring - he turned in a remarkable comeback season. Earning his first All-Star berth along the way, he finished the season with 35home runs (tyingDave Kingman for most by an Oaklanddesignated hitter) and 111RBIs and was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year. He would finish 18th in AL MVP voting.
It was his last season of significant productivity. Jaha played in just 33 games in 2000, fewer the following year. A popular figure in the Oakland Athletics clubhouse, he drew a standing ovation from his A's teammates when he announced his retirement on June 30, 2001. Jaha is ofSyrian andLebanese descent.
In 826 games over 10 seasons, Jaha posted a .263batting average (730-for-2775) with 470runs, 126doubles, 5triples, 141home runs, 490RBI, 36stolen bases, 430bases on balls, .369on-base percentage and .465slugging percentage. He finished his career with a .993fielding percentage as a first baseman.