Gibbons Back in the Big Leagues
August 10, 2010 - Atlantic League (AtL)
Newark Bears News Release
(Newark, N.J., Aug. 10. 2010) - On Sunday, former Atlantic League and Newark Bears' outfielder Jay Gibbons was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers from Triple-A Albuquerque. Gibbons recorded a hit and plated a run in his very first at-bat in a win over the Washington Nationals.
"Once I got on deck, I was trying to take it all in and enjoy the moment," he told the Los Angeles Times. "It turned out to be very good."
Gibbons, 33, was hitting .347 with 19 homers, 83 RBIs and a .375 on-base percentage for the Isotopes. The Dodgers signed him last winter to a minor league contract that didn't include an invitation to big league spring training.
"I'd been to independent ball a couple of times and winter ball a couple of times, and I just felt energized when I was playing winter ball this offseason," he added.
The Michigan native batted .233 with 16 runs, 38 hits and 19 RBI in 40 games with the Bears in 2009. He also spent time in the Atlantic League with the Long Island Ducks in 2008 and put up a .280 average in 27 games played. Gibbons holds a career major league average of .260 with 121 homers with 405 RBI in 779 games as he begins his eighth season and thirteenth in professional baseball. The Blue Jays selected Gibbons in the 14th round of the 1998 draft.
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