Jason James Kubel (born May 25, 1982) is an American former
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Modern professional ...
player. He played in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB) for the
Minnesota Twins,
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...
, and
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...
.
A
Belle Fourche, South Dakota
Belle Fourche (; ) is a city in and the county seat of Butte County, South Dakota, United States. Its population was 5,617 at the 2020 census. It is near the geographic center of the United States, which moved some 550 miles northwest from the ...
native, Kubel was drafted by the Twins in the 12th round of the
2000 MLB draft after playing at
Highland High School.
Early life
Jason Kubel was born May 25, 1982 in
Belle Fourche, South Dakota
Belle Fourche (; ) is a city in and the county seat of Butte County, South Dakota, United States. Its population was 5,617 at the 2020 census. It is near the geographic center of the United States, which moved some 550 miles northwest from the ...
to Myron and Debbie Kubel. His family moved to Palmdale California, where he played baseball at
Highland High School in
Palmdale, California. Kubel had a .491
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
during his sophomore and junior years at Highland. He was ranked the number 50 high school prospect by ''
Baseball America''. Kubel signed a letter of intent to play
college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional p ...
for the
Long Beach State Dirtbags.
Professional career
Minor leagues
In Kubel played
outfield
The outfield, in cricket, baseball and softball is the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield. In association football, the outfield players are positioned outside the goal area.
In cricket, baseball a ...
in the Twins' minor league system, starting out with the
AA New Britain Rock Cats
The New Britain Rock Cats were a minor league baseball team that competed in the Eastern League. They were the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox for 12 years, the Minnesota Twins for 20 years and the Colorado Rockies for one. They played ...
, where Kubel batted .377 in 37 games before being promoted to the Twins'
AAA
AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer to:
Airports
* Anaa Airport in French Polynesia (IATA airport code AAA)
* Logan County Airport (Illinois) (FAA airport code AAA)
Arts, entertainment, and me ...
affiliate, the
Rochester Red Wings. His impressive play landed him a place in the 2004
All-Star Futures Game. Kubel's play impressed manager
Ron Gardenhire
Ronald Clyde Gardenhire (born October 24, 1957) is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played as a shortstop for the New York Mets from 1981 through 1985. After another year playing in the minor leagues, he se ...
enough to warrant a call-up to the majors for the Twins'
American League Central Division
The American League Central is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was formed in the realignment of 1994 by moving three teams from the American League West and two teams from the American League East. Its teams are all loc ...
championship run in September. Kubel played well over the course of 23 games, batting .300 over 67 plate appearances.
Kubel suffered a serious knee injury in the
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fille ...
later that year, which caused him to miss the entire season.
Minnesota Twins
Kubel returned to action in
spring training , made the Twins' opening day roster, and started in
right field on Opening Day. However, he got off to a slow start at the plate and was optioned to Triple-A
Rochester
Rochester may refer to:
Places Australia
* Rochester, Victoria
Canada
* Rochester, Alberta
United Kingdom
*Rochester, Kent
** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area
** History of Rochester, Kent
** HM Prison ...
on April 16, 2006. Kubel returned to the Twins lineup on May 23, 2006, as a replacement for the injured
Shannon Stewart. He hit well in his return, including a
walk-off grand slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
against the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...
in the 12th inning at the
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome on June 13, 2006. After that, continued soreness in his knees limited his playing time and success for the rest of the 2006 season.
Kubel's statistics showed improvement, playing 128 games with 418
at-bats. On July 6, 2007, Kubel drove in a career high seven runs in a 20-14 victory over the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
.
During the season, Kubel primarily served as the designated hitter slot due to the acquisition of
left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system ...
Delmon Young
Delmon Damarcus Young (born September 14, 1985) is an American professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter for the Melbourne Aces of the Australian Baseball League. He played in Major League Baseball for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Ray ...
from the
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...
. Kubel hit well in the clutch and provided much needed power in the middle of the Twins' lineup.
The 2009 season proved to be Kubel's most productive. On April 17, Kubel
hit for the cycle
In baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter who hits a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are rare in Major League B ...
against the
Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team h ...
in the Metrodome. After a double in the 1st inning, single in the 3rd, triple in the 6th, and strikeout in the 7th, Kubel capped the Twins' 7-run 8th inning with an upper deck grand slam to right-center field, which would prove decisive in the Twins' 11-9 victory. Kubel finished the game 4 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 5 RBI. On June 4, Kubel hit two three-run home runs in an 11-3 win over the Cleveland Indians and hit another pair of three-run home runs to help defeat the
Kansas City Royals on October 4. Kubel finished the season with career highs in batting average (.300), runs batted in (103), total bases (277), and
OPS (.907). For his efforts, Kubel would be honored with a 24th-place finish in AL MVP voting that year.
The
2010 Minnesota Twins
The 2010 Minnesota Twins season was the 50th season for the franchise in Minnesota, and the 110th overall in the American League.
It was their first season in their new stadium, Target Field, which made its regular-season debut on April 12 as th ...
increasingly called on Kubel to play in the field, due to a number of roster changes and injuries. Following the trade that sent
center fielder Carlos Gómez
Carlos Argelis Gómez Peña, nicknamed Go-Go, (born December 4, 1985) is a Dominican former professional baseball outfielder. He played for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay R ...
to the Brewers for all-star shortstop
J. J. Hardy, and the off-season acquisition of veteran slugger
Jim Thome
James Howard Thome (; born August 27, 1970) is an American former professional baseball corner infielder and designated hitter, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 22 seasons (1991–2012). He played for six different teams during the ...
to fill the
designated hitter
The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by th ...
position, Kubel found himself being used as a utility player and pinch hitter. However, due to the defensive shifting resulting from
Justin Morneau
Justin Ernest George Morneau (born May 15, 1981) is a Canadian former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies, and Chicago White Sox. At and , ...
's ongoing health issues, Kubel settled in as the Twins'
right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the ...
, platooning with
Michael Cuddyer
Michael Brent Cuddyer (; born March 27, 1979) is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Colorado Rockies, and New York Mets. He batted and threw right-han ...
. On April 12, Kubel hit the first
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
in a regular-season game at
Target Field
Target Field is a baseball stadium in the North Loop, Minneapolis, historic warehouse district of downtown Minneapolis. Since its opening in 2010, the stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins. The stadium hos ...
, helping the Twins christen their new stadium in a 5-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox. On May 16, Kubel hit a grand slam off legendary closer
Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera (born November 29, 1969) is a Panamanian-American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, from 1995 to 2013. Nicknamed "Mo" and "Sandman", he spent most ...
to help the Twins beat the Yankees. It was only the fourth grand slam that Rivera had surrendered in his career.
Kubel started out the 2011 season hitting extremely well by peaking his batting average at .354 in May. This brought on speculation the Twins may try to trade Kubel to make room in an otherwise crowded team outfield. Due to injuries by fellow outfielders Delmon Young, Denard Span, and call-up Jason Repko, Kubel's position was critical to the Twins before finally getting hurt himself and missing all of the month of June.
Arizona Diamondbacks
On December 19, 2011, Kubel signed a two-year, $15 million deal with an option for a third year with the
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...
. For the 2012 season, Kubel served as the designated hitter during interleague play at American League ballparks.
The Diamondbacks designated Kubel for assignment on August 27, 2013.
Cleveland Indians
The Diamondbacks traded Kubel to the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...
for a
player to be named later
In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...
on August 30, 2013.
The Indians declined their club option on Kubel's contract for the 2014 season on November 1, 2013, making Kubel a free agent.
Second stint with Twins
Kubel signed a minor league deal to return to the Twins on December 13, 2013.
Kubel was designated for assignment on June 8, 2014, and released on June 16. Kubel ended his 2014 season with a .224
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
, one
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
, 13
RBI, and 59
strikeouts
In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...
in 176
plate appearances
In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting. Under Rule 5.04(c) of the Official Baseball Rules, a player completes a turn batting when he is put out or becomes a runner ...
.
Personal life
Kubel is the brother-in-law of
Michael Tonkin. They briefly played together for the Twins in 2014.
At the conclusion of his career as a professional baseball player, Kubel became a
Little League
Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization[List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
In baseball, completing the cycle is the accomplishment of hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. In terms of frequency, the cycle is roughly as common as a no-hitter; '' Baseball Digest'' calls it "one of th ...]
References
External links
:
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kubel, Jason
1982 births
Living people
Major League Baseball designated hitters
Major League Baseball left fielders
Baseball players from South Dakota
Minnesota Twins players
Arizona Diamondbacks players
Cleveland Indians players
Gulf Coast Twins players
Quad Cities River Bandits players
Fort Myers Miracle players
New Britain Rock Cats players
Rochester Red Wings players
People from Belle Fourche, South Dakota
People from Palmdale, California