| Geoff Jenkins | |
|---|---|
 Jenkins with the Milwaukee Brewers | |
| Outfielder | |
| Born: (1974-07-21)July 21, 1974 (age 50) Olympia, Washington, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 24, 1998, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 28, 2008, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .275 |
| Home runs | 221 |
| Runs batted in | 733 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Geoffrey Scott Jenkins (born July 21, 1974) is an American former professionalbaseballoutfielder, who played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theMilwaukee Brewers (1998–2007) andPhiladelphia Phillies (2008). He is fourth on the Brewers’ all-time careerhome run list, trailing onlyHall-of-FamerRobin Yount, 2011National League (NL)MVPRyan Braun, and formerAll-Starfirst basemanPrince Fielder.[1] Following his playing career, Jenkins was on the coaching staff of the 2013Peoria Explorers of the now-defunctIndependentFreedom Pro Baseball League.[2]
Jenkins attendedCordova High School inRancho Cordova,California, where he playedfootball,basketball, andbaseball. He was selected for the all-state baseball team as a junior and senior before graduating in 1992.[3]
Jenkins enrolled at theUniversity of Southern California (USC) and playedcollege baseball for theUSC Trojans from 1993 to 1995. In his final season, hebatted .399 with 78runs batted in (RBIs) and a .748slugging percentage in 70 games, also scoring 75runs to tie the school record held byRich Dauer andMark McGwire; his 23 home runs and 193total bases ranked second in school history behind McGwire's 1984 totals of 32 and 216. He led the Trojans to theCollege World Series, where they reached the championship game; Jenkins was named to the all-CWS team, and also earned team co-MVP honors and was named a consensus All-American. In 1996, the year of the CWS' 50th tournament, Jenkins was named to the all-decade team for the 1990s. He finished his USC career with a .369 batting average, 45 home runs (second only to McGwire's 54), a .652 slugging percentage, 180 runs, and school records for runs batted in (175) and total bases (444).[citation needed]
Jenkins was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the first round (9th overall) in the1995 Major League Baseball draft. He spent the 1995–1997 seasons within the Milwaukeefarm system, and began the 1998 season in the minor leagues.[4]
Jenkins made his major league debut on April 24, 1998, and he singled offOrel Hershiser in his first career plate appearance and hit a fifth-inning home run off Hershiser in his third career plate appearance.[5] On September 23 of that same year, in the midst of a tense Wild Card race, Jenkins hit the routine fly ball thatBrant Brown of theChicago Cubs dropped allowing three runs to score and the Brewers to win. Jenkins would go on to bat over .300 in his 2nd and 3rd seasons, driving in 90 or more runs three times for one of the perennially weaker teams in the league.
In2000, he was the Brewers' teamMVP. He led the Brewers in batting average (.303) and home runs (34). His2002 season was cut short when on June 17 in a game against theHouston Astros he suffered a horrific-looking dislocated ankle when sliding intothird base feet first during a game. He was safe on the play. He was selected to theNational League'sAll-Star team in2003 via the MLB'sAll-Star Final Vote contest where a player is selected from both leagues by fans to join their respective team after the initial roster is announced.
On June 8,2004, he became the 8th player in Major League history tostrike out six times in a single game. After playing inleft field for virtually his entire career, he moved toright field for the2005 and2006 seasons when Milwaukee acquiredCarlos Lee.
In 2006, Jenkins experienced a prolonged offensive slump, struggling in particular against left-handed pitching. In August 2006, the Brewers benched Jenkins, one of their highest-paid players at the time, in favor of the youngerCorey Hart.
In 2007, Jenkins returned to left field toplatoon withKevin Mench. On October 30, 2007, the Brewers officially declined their $9 million option on Jenkins' contract, making him afree agent for the2008 season.[6]
On December 20, 2007, Jenkins signed a two-year, $13 million deal with a vesting option for 2010 with the Philadelphia Phillies.[7] He returned toMiller Park in a Phillies uniform on April 23, 2008, to a crowd of just over 30,000. Jenkins was welcomed back with a tribute video, highlighting his ten-year career with the Brewers, and the standing ovation that followed. He received a second ovation while leading off the second inning. Philadelphia would go on to lose the game, 5–4. Jenkins went 0 for 3, with awalk and astolen base. In the postseason, his only hit came on a leadoff double in the bottom of the 6th inning of Game 5 of the2008 World Series. Jenkins‘ hit set the tone for the finale of the World Series as the Phillies won the World Series and earned Jenkins the first and onlyWorld Series ring of his 11-year career.
Jenkins was released by the Phillies at the end of spring training on March 31,2009.[8]
On July 9, 2010, Jenkins retired from baseball as a Milwaukee Brewer.[9][10]
Jenkins has been a franchise partner inPhoenix-areaF45 Training Centers since March 2, 2019.[11]
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