Joey Gathright #2

Joey, Renard Gathright...Played in the Louisiana Sugar Cane League in Sorrento, La., in 2001...Attended Bonnabel High School in Kenner, La...Played baseball as a junior but not as a senior, opting instead for football and track...Participated in the 2009 Chicago Cubs Community Caravan...Was an active participant in the Kansas City Royals Caravan in 2007 and 2008, as well as the 2008 Royals FanFest.

2011

Signed with the Red Sox as a minor league free agent and was selected to the active Major League roster on 9/13 for his 2nd career stint with the Red Sox, including 17 games in 2009...Appeared in 4 regular season contests with Pawtucket, making 1 start each in center and left field, hitting 3-for-8 (.375) with 2 RBI, 3 runs, a walk and a stolen base...Also went 2-for-9 (.222) with a steal in 2 International League semi-final games...Played in 61 games for the independent Yuma Scorpions, batting .347 (77-for-222) with 9 doubles, 3 triples, 21 RBI, 47 runs, 40 walks and 20 stolen bases...Appeared in 6 games (0 starts) for Boston, scoring a run after drawing a walk in his only plate appearance as a defensive replacement on 9/15 vs. TB...Stole a base as a pinch runner for Mike Aviles on 9/17 vs. TB.

2009

Began the season with the Cubs appearing in 20 games, 11 games in center field (one start) while going 3-for-14 (.214), prior to being dealt the the Orioles on May 8 for Ryan Freel... Played 80 games at Norfolk (AAA) in the Orioles organization, however did not make any appearnces with the Orioles... OFF TO THE SOX: Was acquired by the Red Sox in a minor league trade with Baltimore on August 29 in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations and appeared in 3 games at Pawtucket (AAA) before being selected to Boston on September 1... Combined to hit .267 (8-30) with 9 runs scored over 37 Major League games (4 starts) between the Cubs and Red Sox... Went 5-for-16 (.313) with one walk, 7 runs scored and a stolen base in 17 games with Boston...Made eight pinch-running appearances for the Red Sox and came around to score in five of them, each of which either tied the game or put the Red Sox ahead... Went 2-for-10 (.200) with a run scored for the Paw- Sox and played 80 games with Baltimore's Norfolk (AAA) club, hitting .329 (106-for-322) with 20 RBI, 49 runs scored and 24 stolen bases...Ranked 2nd in the International League with 11 sacrifice hits.

2008

Joey took over as Kansas City's starting center fielder after an Opening Day injury sidelined David DeJesus ... appeared in a career-high 105 major league games ... hit .254 (71-for-279) with 41 runs scored ... Stole 21 bases in 25 attempts, topping the 20-steal mark for the third time in his career (2005 and 2006) ... fell one steal shy of matching his career high (22, 2006) ... Recorded 15 bunt hits, tied for fourth in the majors ... his 29 infield hits ranked ninth ... Equaled a career high with 10 sac bunts (also 2007), finishing tied for third in the AL ... Hit .299 (20-for-67) with runners in scoring position ... went 14-for-31 (.452) in that situation from June 10 through the end of the season. © Stole six bases in his first eight games ...tied a career high with three on April 8 vs. New York (A.L.) ... Appeared in 78 games prior to the All-Star break, hitting .251 (59-for-235) with 33 runs scored ... saw action in just 27 games following the break, hitting .273 (12-for-44) with eight runs ... Was shelved July 24-August 21 with a bone bruise in his right shoulder ... appeared in nine games for Omaha during a rehab stint, going 5-for-33 (.152) with three runs scored, August 8-21 ... Recorded a walk-off RBI-single in the 10th inning September 4 vs. Oakland (Game One) ... had entered the game as a defensive replacement in the ninth.

2007

Split his season between Omaha (AAA) and Kansas City...hit a career-best .307 (70-for-228) with 28 runs scored in 74 games for the Royals...Tied for seventh in baseball and tied for second in the A.L. with 10 bunt hits...also tied for sixth in the A.L. with 25 infield hits despite only having 228 at-bats...Began the season at the minor league level in Omaha...was hitting .328 (61-for-186) with 8 doubles, 2 triples, 20 RBI and 33 runs scored...was leading the PCL with 21 steals in 26 attempts (including 13-for-13 since May 19) and was tied for second in both walks (37) and on-base pct. (.450) at the time of his call-up...hit .374 (46-for-123) since April 26...Was recalled to the Royals on June 6 and went 2-for-3 with a double, run, sacrifice and a stolen base that night in a Royals 4-3 win...Equaled his previous career high with 3 hits on June 7 at Cleveland and matched that mark on June 26 at Los Angeles...Drew a career-best 3 walks and scored a career-high 3 runs in a 17-8 win over St. Louis on June 14...Drove in the game-winner with a bases-loaded walk in the 11th inning on June 24 at Milwaukee...Hit .315 (23-for-73) with 9 RBI, 5 steals and 13 runs scored in 25 games before being optioned to Omaha on July 16...the Royals were 18-14 during his time in the bigs and 15-10 in games he appeared in...Recalled for the remainder of the season on Aug. 1...hit .303 (47-for-155) the rest of the way...Set a new career high with 4 hits on Aug. 5 at New York...Robbed Toronto's Aaron Hill of a pair of home runs in back-to-back games on Aug. 11-12 at Kauffman Stadium...Had an impressive 4-game stretch from Aug. 17-20 at Oakland (3) and at Chicago (1) where he hit .667 (10-for-15)...included in that span was a single leading off the ninth inning on Aug. 20 snapping Bobby Jenks' streak of retiring 41 consecutive batters, which tied a MLB record...Named Royals Player of the Month for August...hit .341 (29-for-85) with 6 RBI and 9 runs scored...posted 9 multi-hit games in the month.

2006

Acquired from the Devil Rays along with INF Fernando Cortez in exchange for LHP J.P. Howell on June 20...Opened the season with Tampa Bay and was optioned to Durham (AAA) on June 7 after batting .201 (31-for-154) with 12 steals in 15 attempts in 55 games...hit .258 (8-for-31) in 10 games for the Bulls...Hit .262 for Kansas City with 34 runs, 6 doubles, 3 triples, 28 RBI and 1 HR and combined for a .238 average (91-383) with 59 runs, 12 doubles, 3 triples, 1 HR, 41 RBI and 22 stolen bases on 31 attempts...Made all of his defensive appearances in center field, committing 3 errors (1 with TB, 2 with KC)...Finished the season with a career-high 22 stolen bases, surpassing his previous best of 20 set in 2005...Batted .262 (77-294) in night games, while hitting just .157 (14-89) in 30 day games...Recorded a career-high 4 RBI at Detroit on July 16...went 2-for-3 with a triple, hit by pitch and a walk...had a 2-run single in the 3rd and added a 2-run triple in the 5th to spark a 9-6 win...Hit in a season-best 5 straight games from Sept. 4-10 (7-for-17, .412)...Hit his 1st Major League home run vs. Seattle on Sept. 16 (592 at bats), sending a 1st pitch, 2-run shot over the left field wall off Joel Pineiro in a 7-4 victory... was the only active center fielder (100 or more games) without a home run...Equaled a season-high with 3 hits in a 10-9 win at Boston on Sept. 8...went 3-for-5 with a double and 2 RBI...During his stint with the Royals, batted .415 (17-41) with 16 RBI with runners in scoring position and less than 2 outs...was 20-for-63 (.317) with runners in scoring position...Hit .301 (40-133) from Aug. 3 through the remainder of the season, raising his average from .212 to .238 over his final 48 games.

2005

Made the Tampa Bay Opening Day roster for the 1st time in his career...hit .276 (56-203) with 7 doubles, 3 triples, 13 RBI, 29 runs and 20 stolen bases in 76 games...Was recalled April 3 just prior to Opening Day after Alex Sanchez was suspended for violating MLB's joint drug prevention and treatment program...optioned back on April 13 when Sanchez was reinstated...batted .350 (7-20) in 6 starts...was recalled again on July 3 for the remainder of the season when Chris Singleton was released...played in 70 of the Rays' 83 games the rest of the way, including 50 starts, all in CF...Led all A.L. rookies with 20 stolen bases...only the Astros' Willy Taveras had more among M.L. rookies with 34...had 10 in September alone...His 80% stolen bases success pct. (20-for-25) was best among M.L. rookies and 7th in the A.L....was 2nd on the club behind Carl Crawford's 85.2%...Stole 3 bases Sept. 30 vs. Baltimore, tying a club record...became the 3rd Ray to accomplish the feat...His .276 batting average finished 5th among A.L. rookies with at least 200 at-bats...Recorded a career high 3 hits 4 times: April 12 vs. BAL, July 30 vs. KC, Aug. 13 at CLE and Aug. 26 vs. LAA...Hit .305 (69-226) with 46 runs in 58 games for Durham with a .388 on-base pct...was leading the league with 31 steals at the time of his promotion...Hit the 1st home run of his pro career on May 3 vs. Norfolk (Mets)...it came in his 1,121st atbat...connected off RHP Jason Scobie.

2004

Had three tours with the Rays in 2004: July 17-31, June 25-July 1 and then Aug 14-20 when Rocco Baldelli went on the DL...Appeared in 19 games making 14 starts: 11-CF, 2-LF, 1-RF...Combined to hit .250 during his three stops, his first action at the major league level...Made his Major League debut June 25 against Florida (0-3, HB, R)...started in CF... Got his 1st big league hit two days later vs. the Marlins, a single off Darren Oliver to lead off the 8th...followed that up with a 3-hit performance June 28 versus Toronto...recorded his first RBI June 18 vs. Baltimore...Reached base in 11 of his 14 starts...In fact, of the 18 times he was on base, he scored 11 times...Scored 6 runs in his first 4 starts, including at least one each game...Stole 6 bases in his 19 games with the Rays, 6th most among AL rookies...Leading the organization in average and stolen bases at the time of each call-up...Batted .389 (33-89) in 25 games with the Bulls in between his stints with the Rays...Hit a combined .331 (120-362) between AA Montgomery and AAA Durham, the 2nd-highest average in the organization...his 43 stolen bases tied for most steals among Rays minor leaguers (Elliot Johnson)...Has 134 stolen bases in 262 career minor league games...Had a career-high 4 steals July 11 vs. Buffalo (Cleveland)...Collected 16 extra-base hits in 2004 (14-2B and 2-3B)...had just 11 total in his career entering the season...Began the year at Montgomery...was leading the team with a .341 avg (43-126) when promoted to Durham on May 28...Has yet to hit a home run in 1,047 professional at-bats...Following the season he played for Mesa in the Arizona Fall League and hit .365 (19-52) with a league-best 15 stolen bases...Named by Baseball America as the 3rd-best prospect in the organization behind OF Delmon Young and LHP Scott Kazmir...Also rated the fastest base runner in the organization by the publication.

2003

Named to Baseball America's 2nd team All-Minor League Team in 2003...His 69 steals were fifth most in minor leagues, 2nd most ever by a Rays farmhand behind Alex Sanchez's 92 in 1997...Stole 3 bases in a game eight times...Stole 11 bases in a 5-game span, July 1-5 and stole 28 bases in a 20-game span, June 10-July 5...Was named the California League's most exciting player, best base runner, fastest base runner and as having the best strike zone judgment by league managers...Batted a combined .334 (142-425) in 111 games at Class A Bakersfield and Class AA Orlando... That included .392 (38-97) with runners in scoring position and .442 (23-52) with 2 outs and runners in scoring position...Reached base via hit or walk in 100 of his 109 games with both Bakersfield and Orlando...His .324 average at Bakersfield was 3rd in the California League...Promoted to Orlando on July 24 and after starting slowly (4-for-19), he batted .424 (28-66) in his last 17 games and ended the season with a 12-game hitting streak...His season ended prematurely when he separated his left shoulder on Aug. 24 in Orlando's game at Tennessee (Cardinals)...Was scheduled to go to the Arizona Fall League before injury...Had dislocated the shoulder in 2002 as well...In his last 59 games before the injury starting June 10, he batted .360 (85-236) with 47 stolen bases and 43 runs scored.

2002

Missed two months of his inaugural season due to a separated left shoulder, May 24-July 21 ... Appeared in just 59 games for Frederick (A) as a result of the injury... His first 53 professional hits went for singles, before doubling Aug. 21 at Kannapolis.