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Jason Scott Marquis (; born August 21, 1978) 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 baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...
pitcher. 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
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
,
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
,
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
,
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...
,
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
,
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 f ...
,
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...
,
Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
, and
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
. He also is notable for playing for
Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic Team Israel has competed in the World Baseball Classic since the 2013 World Baseball Classic qualifier round. In 2017 Israel competed at a World Baseball Classic qualifier for the second time, and for the first time qualified for the main tourname ...
, serving as the team's ace. As a 12-year-old, Marquis pitched his team to third place in the
Little League World Series The Little League World Series is an annual baseball tournament for children—typically boys—aged 10 to 12 years old, held in the Eastern United States. Originally called the National Little League Tournament, it was later renamed for the Wor ...
with a
no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...
. He is one of only a few ballplayers to have played in both a Little League World Series and a Major League
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
. He also pitched his high school team to consecutive
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
baseball championships. Marquis was drafted in the first round out of high school by the world champion Atlanta Braves, and reached the majors as a 21-year-old in 2000. As a major leaguer, Marquis won 11 or more games for six straight years through 2009, and also started 28 or more games in each of the years 2004–09. His 65 wins from 2004 to 2008 ranked 7th among N.L. pitchers. He pitched on a World Series champion in 2006, and was an All-Star in 2009. Through 2011, in his career in games that were late and close, Marquis held batters to a .228
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 ...
. He also excelled with the bat, winning the
Silver Slugger Award The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball. These voters co ...
in 2005. He pitched for Team
Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic Team Israel has competed in the World Baseball Classic since the 2013 World Baseball Classic qualifier round. In 2017 Israel competed at a World Baseball Classic qualifier for the second time, and for the first time qualified for the main tourname ...
.


Early life

Marquis was born in
Manhasset, New York Manhasset is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, on the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore of Long Island, in New York (state), New York. It is considered the anchor communi ...
, and grew up in
Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...
's Arden Heights neighborhood, where he attended Paulo Intermediate School 75. His mother works for the New York City Board of Education, and has a teaching degree, while his father owns a
check Check or cheque, may refer to: Places * Check, Virginia Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Check'' (film), a 2021 Indian Telugu-language film * ''The Checks'' (episode), a 1996 TV episode of ''Seinfeld'' Games and sports * Check (chess), a thr ...
cashing business in
Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
. He was a
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
fan growing up, and
Don Mattingly Donald Arthur Mattingly (born April 20, 1961) is an American former professional baseball first baseman, coach, and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is the bench coach for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed ...
was his favorite player. Marquis, who is
Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""Th ...
ish, grew up in a
Conservative Jewish Conservative Judaism, known as Masorti Judaism outside North America, is a Jewish religious movement which regards the authority of ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions as coming primarily from its people and community through the generat ...
home, attended
Hebrew school Hebrew school is Jewish education focusing on topics of Jewish history, learning the Hebrew language, and finally learning their Torah Portion, in preparation for the ceremony in Judaism of entering adulthood, known as a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Hebr ...
, and observes the major
Jewish holiday Jewish holidays, also known as Jewish festivals or ''Yamim Tovim'' ( he, ימים טובים, , Good Days, or singular , in transliterated Hebrew []), are holidays observed in Judaism and by JewsThis article focuses on practices of mainstre ...
s. "My mother was a bit more stricter with our Jewish upbringing," said Marquis, "given that her parents were
Holocaust survivor Holocaust survivors are people who survived the Holocaust, defined as the persecution and attempted annihilation of the Jews by Nazi Germany and its allies before and during World War II in Europe and North Africa. There is no universally accep ...
s." Marquis was featured in the 2008 Hank Greenberg 75th Anniversary edition of Jewish Major Leaguers Baseball Cards, published in affiliation with
Fleer The Fleer Corporation, founded by Frank H. Fleer in 1885, was the first company to successfully manufacture bubble gum; it remained a family-owned enterprise until 1989. Fleer originally developed a bubble gum formulation called ''Blibber-Blub ...
Trading Cards and the
American Jewish Historical Society The American Jewish Historical Society (AJHS) was founded in 1892 with the mission to foster awareness and appreciation of American Jewish history and to serve as a national scholarly resource for research through the collection, preservation an ...
, commemorating the Jewish Major Leaguers from 1871 through 2008. He joined, among other Jewish major leaguers,
Brad Ausmus Bradley David Ausmus (; born April 14, 1969) is an American former professional baseball manager and catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). In his 18-year MLB playing career, Ausmus played for the San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, Houston Ast ...
,
Kevin Youkilis Kevin Edmund Youkilis (; born March 15, 1979), nicknamed "Youk" , is an American former professional baseball first baseman and third baseman, who primarily played for the Boston Red Sox. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, he was drafted by the Red S ...
,
Ian Kinsler Ian Michael Kinsler ( he, איאן קינסלר; born June 22, 1982) is an American-Israeli former professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for ...
,
Ryan Braun Ryan Joseph Braun (born November 17, 1983) is an American former professional baseball left fielder who played his entire career for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2007 to 2020. Braun also played right field and f ...
,
Gabe Kapler Gabriel Stefan Kapler (born July 31, 1975), nicknamed "Kap", is an American former professional baseball outfielder, and current manager of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). Kapler was a 57th-round draft pick (1,487th ove ...
, Scott Feldman,
John Grabow John William Grabow, nicknamed "Grabes" (born November 4, 1978) is an American former professional baseball left-handed reliever. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs of the Major League Baseball (MLB). In his MLB career, he he ...
,
Craig Breslow Craig Andrew Breslow (pronounced BREHZ-loh; born August 8, 1980) is an American baseball executive and former professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently the Assistant General Manager/Vice President, Director of Pitch ...
,
Jason Hirsh Jason Michael Hirsh (born February 20, 1982) is an American former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. In his career, he pitched for the Houston Astros and the Colorado Rockies. He stands at 6' 8" and weighs . He batted and threw right-ha ...
, and
Scott Schoeneweis Scott David Schoeneweis (; born October 2, 1973) is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed relief pitcher who played for several teams between 1999 and 2010. In the five seasons from 2003 to 2007, Schoeneweis allowed only one home r ...
. Through 2014, he was third all-time in career wins and strikeouts (behind
Ken Holtzman Kenneth Dale Holtzman (born November 3, 1945) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher from through , most notably as a member of the Chicago Cubs for whom he pitche ...
and
Sandy Koufax Sanford Koufax (; born Sanford Braun; December 30, 1935) is an American former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played his entire career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 1955 to 1966. He has been hailed as one of t ...
in both categories) among Jewish major league baseball players.


Little League World Series

Marquis starred in
Little League Baseball Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizationLittle League World Series The Little League World Series is an annual baseball tournament for children—typically boys—aged 10 to 12 years old, held in the Eastern United States. Originally called the National Little League Tournament, it was later renamed for the Wor ...
in 1991. He led his team to a victory in the first round over
Chad Pennington James Chadwick Pennington (born June 26, 1976) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at Marshall, where he won the Sammy Baugh Trophy, and was select ...
and his Ohio team on his 13th birthday. His team lost to California in the US final on
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
, as Marquis was relegated to shortstop because Little Leaguers weren't allowed to pitch two days in a row. Marquis then led his team to victory over Canada in the third-place game, throwing a
no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...
. "Playing in front of that many people at that time in my life made me realize this is what I wanted to do with my life," said Marquis, "and I was going to work my hardest to get it." As of September 2021, he was one of over 50 Little League World Series players to have reached the major leagues.


High school

"When I was a freshman n high schoolI was , and everyone thought I was too small to play," Marquis said. "But it was always my dream to play major league baseball, and I've always worked very hard at it." As a junior and senior, however, Marquis threw a 93 miles per hour fastball, a
curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...
that was nearly unhittable at the high school level, and a
changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...
. He pitched the
Tottenville High School Tottenville High School is located at 100 Luten Avenue, in Huguenot, Staten Island, New York. Tottenville H.S. is in Administrative District 31, and is operated by the New York City Department of Education. The school's principal is Gina Battista, ...
Pirates to two consecutive New York City
Public Schools Athletic League The Public Schools Athletic League, known by the abbreviation PSAL, is an organization that promotes student athletics in the public schools of New York City. It was founded in 1903 to provide and maintain a sports program for students enrolled in ...
(PSAL) titles. The first was a Pirates (22–1) championship in 1995 over the George Washington Trojans (32–3), 3–2 at
Shea Stadium Shea Stadium (), formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx, New York City. It is the home field of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. Opened in April 2009, the stadium replaced the origi ...
. That capped a season in which he was 14–1 with a 0.40
ERA An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth. Comp ...
, and struck out 150 in 79 innings, while as a batter he tied a school season record with 11 home runs, drove in 45 runs, and batted .468. He received the Iron Horse Award as the top baseball player in the PSAL and ''
The New York Daily News The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in t ...
'' Player of the Year Award. Marquis was named to the All-America Second Team by the
American Baseball Coaches Association The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) is the world's largest amateur baseball coaching organization. It was founded in 1945 as the American Association of College Baseball Coaches. Now, the ABCA is composed of over 13,000 baseball coac ...
and Rawlings. Anthony McCarron of ''The New York Daily News'' touted him as "perhaps the city's best high school player since ...
Manny Ramirez Manuel Arístides Ramírez Onelcida (born May 30, 1972) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for parts of 19 seasons. He played with the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Lo ...
," and ''
Baseball America ''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...
'' ranked him the 39th-highest prospect in the nation. He also played basketball at Tottenville, and on the academic side was a member of the
National Honor Society The National Honor Society (NHS) is a nationwide organization for high school students in the United States and outlying territories, which consists of many chapters in high schools. Selection is based on four criteria: scholarship (academic achi ...
. He was a teammate on the baseball team with
Anaheim 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 ha ...
catcher Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...
Tom Gregorio. One of his classmates at Tottenville was
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
Adewale Ogunleye Adewale Ogunleye (; born August 9, 1977) is a former American football defensive end who played eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2000 and also played for t ...
.


Draft

The right-hander originally signed a
letter of intent A letter of intent (LOI or LoI, or Letter of Intent) is a document outlining the understanding between two or more parties which they intend to formalize in a contract, legally binding agreement. The concept is similar to a Heads of agreement ( ...
to play for the
University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, incl ...
, which offered him a scholarship. She relayed the message that he had been drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the first round, the 35th selection overall. Marquis was excited, and his team won the game and went on to win the city championship. He then opted out of his letter of intent, and signed with the Braves on July 18, 1996, for a reported $600,000 ($ today)
signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
.


Minor league career

In 1996 Marquis began his pro career with the
Danville Braves The Danville Braves were a Minor League Baseball team in Danville, Virginia. They were an Advanced Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League and were a farm team of the Atlanta Braves. The Braves have played home games at American Legion Post 3 ...
(Rookie Advanced) in the
Appalachian League The Appalachian League is a collegiate summer baseball league that operates in the Appalachian regions of Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Designed for rising freshmen and sophomores using wood bats, its season runs from ...
, going 1–1 with a 4.63 ERA in 7 games. He had 24 strikeouts and gave up seven walks in 23 innings. The next year he tied for the
South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...
lead with a team-record 14 victories for the
Macon Braves Macon may refer to: Places Belgium *Macon, Belgium France *Mâcon ** Ancient Diocese of Mâcon **Mâcon, another name for the Mâconnais wine from that region United States of America * Macon, Alabama * Macon, Georgia * Macon, Illinois *Macon ...
(which tied for the league lead), as he went 14–10 with a 4.38 ERA, tied for second in the league with 28 starts, and was named the Braves' fifth-rated prospect by ''Baseball America''. "He's like a man on a mission to get to the big leagues," said
Mark Ross Mark Joseph Ross (born August 8, 1954) is a former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched parts of six seasons in Major League Baseball between 1982 until 1990. Career Ross was originally drafted by the Houston Astros in the 7th round of the ...
, the Macon pitching coach. "He's doing great." In 1998, he began the season as youngest pitcher in the
Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...
, but won only two of 22 starts for Class A
Danville 97s The Danville 97s were a minor league baseball team based in Danville, Virginia for the 1998 season only. They were a baseball team that played in the Carolina League and were affiliated with the Atlanta Braves for their lone 1998 season. Prior to ...
, as he went 2–12 and struck out 135 (8th in the league) in 114.2 innings, while walking only 41. Marquis began the 1999 season at Class A
Myrtle Beach Pelicans The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are a Minor League Baseball team in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and the Single-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The Pelicans compete in the Carolina League. Home games are played at TicketReturn.com Field, which open ...
of the Carolina League, where he opened the season by firing 20.0 consecutive scoreless innings. Marquis was named ''Baseball America'' Carolina League Player of the Week for the period April 15–21, as he pitched 10.0 innings, striking out 11. He allowed only one earned run in six starts (3–0, 0.28 ERA) before being promoted on May 10 to the Double-A
Greenville Braves The Greenville Braves were an American minor league baseball franchise, based in Greenville, South Carolina, that served as the Class AA farm team of the Atlanta Braves between 1984 and 2004. The Braves played in Greenville Municipal Stadium for ...
, and was named the Braves' sixth-rated prospect by ''Baseball America''. With Greenville he went 3–4, 4.58 in 12 starts. He spent much of the summer on the
disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...
(DL) with a sore elbow, a tender right shoulder, and a pulled
oblique Oblique may refer to: * an alternative name for the character usually called a slash (punctuation) ( / ) * Oblique angle, in geometry *Oblique triangle, in geometry *Oblique lattice, in geometry * Oblique leaf base, a characteristic shape of the b ...
stomach muscle. In 2000 ''Baseball America'' named him the Braves' fifth-rated prospect, and he split time between Double-A Greenville (going 4–2 with a 3.57 ERA), the Triple-A
Richmond Braves The Richmond Braves were an American minor league baseball club based in Richmond, Virginia, the Triple-A International League affiliate of the Atlanta Braves from 1966 to 2008. Owned by the parent Atlanta club and colloquially referred to as the ...
, and Atlanta (15 games in relief; a 5.01 ERA). Marquis spent much of 2003 back in the minors with Richmond, and had a record of 8–4 with a 3.35 ERA in 15 starts.


Major league career


Atlanta Braves (2000–03)

Marquis was called up to the majors by the Braves in June 2000, at the age of 21 the 10th-youngest player in the NL, after the Braves demoted struggling closer
John Rocker John Loy Rocker (born October 17, 1974) is a former American relief pitcher who played six seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the Atlanta Braves. Making his major league debut in 1998 as a member of the Braves, with whom he p ...
for threatening a reporter. He made his debut on June 6, 2000, in relief of
Tom Glavine Thomas Michael Glavine (born March 25, 1966) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball, for the Atlanta Braves (1987–2002, 2008) and New York Mets (2003–2007). With 164 victories durin ...
against the
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
. "Getting that first call and running out to the mound," said Marquis, "I promise you I didn't feel my legs at all." He was later sent back down to AAA Richmond, but was recalled again in September. During the 2000 season he appeared strictly in relief, finishing seven games in his 15 appearances, and winning one. He became a starting pitcher in 2001, joining a celebrated staff with
Greg Maddux Gregory Alan Maddux (born April 14, 1966) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for four teams. Maddux is best known for his accomplishments while playing for the Atlanta Braves ...
, Tom Glavine, and
Kevin Millwood Kevin Austin Millwood (born December 24, 1974) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Colo ...
. The 9/11 attack that interrupted the season also led to the death of one of his Little League World Series teammates, Michael Cammarata, a firefighter. "It's tough knowing that people died who were part of your life at one point," Marquis said. Marquis was the starting pitcher for the Braves in the first game played in New York City after 9/11. In his first year as a starter, Marquis held batters to a .145
batting average with runners in scoring position In the sport of baseball, a baserunner is said to be in scoring position when they are on second or third base. The distinction between being on first base and second or third base is that a runner on first can usually only score if the batter h ...
, and two out. The club's front office made it clear that he was off-limits in trade talks, saying: "He's going to be a big-time No. 1 pitcher. You don't give up an arm like that." He maintained a spot on the rotation again in 2002 as the fifth starter, behind Maddux, Glavine, Millwood, and
Damian Moss Damian Joseph Moss (born 24 November 1976) is a retired Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. Career After making his Major League debut on 26 April, , with the Atlanta Braves, Moss would also spend the season in Atlanta, where he placed ...
. In 2003, the Braves revamped their starting rotation with the acquisitions of
Mike Hampton Michael William Hampton, Jr. (born September 9, 1972) is an American former professional baseball player. Hampton played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a pitcher from 1993 through 2010. He pitched for the Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, New ...
,
Russ Ortiz Russell Reid Ortiz (born June 5, 1974) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Ortiz during his career played for the San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodger ...
,
Shane Reynolds Richard Shane Reynolds (born March 26, 1968) is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1992 through 2004 for the Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves and Arizona Diamondbacks. Listed at 6' 3", 210 lb., Reynolds batted and th ...
, and the promotion of Horacio Ramírez from AA. Marquis was sent to the bullpen. Ultimately, he split his season, making only 2 starts in 21 appearances for Atlanta, while starting 15 games for Richmond in AAA. On December 13, 2003, Marquis was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals along with
relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue (medical), fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection (sports), ejection, or for other strategic ...
Ray King and rookie prospect
Adam Wainwright Adam Parrish Wainwright (born August 30, 1981), nicknamed "Waino" and "Uncle Charlie", is an American professional baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Atlanta Braves selected him 29th overall in the ...
for
outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...
J. D. Drew David Jonathan "J. D." Drew (born November 20, 1975) is an American former Major League Baseball right fielder. He began his major league career in with the St. Louis Cardinals, and also played for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Bos ...
and
catcher Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...
Eli Marrero Elieser Marrero (born November 17, 1973), is a former Major League Baseball player. Marrero started his career as a catcher, but spent time at first base, third base and in the outfield. Playing career Marrero was selected in the third round of ...
. Looking back years later, Marquis said: "I was pretty young ... and I think it really shook me, to realize that nothing was forever."


St. Louis Cardinals (2004–06)

Marquis became a full-time starter in 2004 with the Cardinals, and came under the wing of pitching coach Dave Duncan who observed that Marquis "always had a devastating skinner (sinker), and ... needs to get back to it more." "It's just the pitch I had growing up, and I got away from it," Marquis said. Marquis strung together a Cardinals' season-high 11-game winning streak from May 31–September 4, the longest by a Cards pitcher since 1985 when John Tudor also won 11 straight games. He had a shutout streak of innings from August 24–September 10. On the business side, the Cardinals players elected him their #2 representative to the
Major League Baseball Players Association The Major League Baseball Players Association (or MLBPA) is the union representing all current Major League Baseball players. All players, managers, coaches, and athletic trainers who hold or have held a signed contract with a Major League club ...
. For the season, Marquis posted a career-best 15–9 record, with a 3.71 ERA and a career-high 138
strikeout 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 ...
s, for the
National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
champions A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the Victory, victor in a challenge, Competition, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and w ...
. He was 2nd in the NL in
ground ball In the sports of baseball and softball, a batted ball is a pitch that has been contacted by the batter's bat. Batted balls are either fair or foul, and can be characterized as a fly ball, pop-up, line drive, or ground ball. In baseball, a fou ...
/ fly ball ratio (2.17), tied for 5th in percentage of strikes that were "looking" (31%), 6th in pitches per start (104), 8th in won-lost percentage (.682), 9th in wins (15), and tied for 10th in
double play In baseball and softball, a double play (denoted as DP in baseball statistics) is the act of making two outs during the same continuous play. Double plays can occur any time there is at least one baserunner and fewer than two outs. In Major Leag ...
s induced (21). He held batters to a .198 batting average with runners in scoring position, and a .163 batting average with 2 outs and runners in scoring position. Marquis tossed a scoreless inning of relief in Game 2 of the
2004 World Series The 2004 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2004 season. The 100th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Boston Red Sox and the National Leag ...
at Boston, and Manager
Tony La Russa Anthony La Russa Jr. (; born October 4, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. His MLB career has spanned from 1963 to 2022, in several roles. He is the former manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland At ...
tabbed Marquis to start Game 4. He turned in the best performance of any Cardinals starter in the series, pitching six innings and giving up three runs. He was bested, however, by Boston pitcher Derek Lowe, who threw shutout ball for seven innings to win the series for the Red Sox. "Whether you lose 100 games or win 100 games and go to the World Series, the last day of the season you're still looking around and saying, 'The season is over? What do I do now?' " said Marquis as he stuffed jerseys into a duffel bag. "It's hard to handle." Marquis had an up-and-down season in 2005. Although he started the season strong, he slid into a personal seven-game losing streak. It ended on August 27, 2005, when Marquis pitched a two-hitter against the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
, for his first career
shutout In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usuall ...
. Overall Marquis posted a 13–14 record, with a 4.13 ERA in 207
innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one innin ...
. He appeared in 33 games, starting 32, and completing 3 (6th in the NL). He gave up the second-lowest percentage of line drives in the NL (17.3%), induced 29 double plays (T-4th in the league), and was 4th with 1.26 GIDP/9 IP. In the postseason he worked out of the bullpen in the NLCS, after not being used in the Division Series, and pitched in three games, finished with a 3.38 ERA. In January 2006, Marquis and the Cardinals agreed to a one-year contract for $5.15 million, avoiding salary
arbitration Arbitration is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) that resolves disputes outside the judiciary courts. The dispute will be decided by one or more persons (the 'arbitrators', 'arbiters' or 'arbitral tribunal'), which renders the ' ...
. The season started off well for Marquis, as on July 23 he became the first NL pitcher to win 12 games, raising his record to 12–7. But Marquis followed with a losing second half of the season. Pitching in the starting rotation all year, Marquis finished 14–16, but with a 6.02 ERA, the 2nd-worst in baseball among players who qualified for the ERA title (
Joel Piñeiro Joel Alberto Piñeiro (, ; born September 25, 1978) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim ...
, of the
Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
, finished last with a 6.36 ERA). He led the majors in runs allowed (136), and led the NL in losses (16) and home runs allowed (35). "Obviously, those were tough pills to swallow," Marquis said. "I took one for the team." On the other hand, in games that were late and close, he held batters to a .188 batting average. Marquis did not pitch in the postseason, but despite that, his teammates still voted him a full playoff/World Series share. He was also given a
World Series ring A World Series ring is an award given to Major League Baseball players who win the World Series. Since only one Commissioner's Trophy is awarded to the team, a World Series ring is an individual award that players and staff of each World Series ...
.


Chicago Cubs (2007–08)

In December 2006 Marquis signed a three-year contract with the Chicago Cubs worth $21 million. With the Cubs, he wore his favorite # 21, the number formerly worn by ex-Cubs slugger
Sammy Sosa Samuel Peralta Sosa (born November 12, 1968) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Cubs. After playing for the Texas Rangers and C ...
, who coincidentally hit his 600th home run against Marquis. This caused some concern, due to Sosa's accomplishments with the Cubs, including his status as the Cubs' all-time home run leader. On May 9, Marquis completed a three-hit shutout against the Pittsburgh Pirates, defeating them 1–0. He had a
perfect game Perfect game may refer to: Sports * Perfect game (baseball), a complete-game win by a pitcher allowing no baserunners * Perfect game (bowling), a 300 game, 12 consecutive strikes in the same game * Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, New York ...
going into the 6th inning, retiring the first 16 batters he faced, but Pirates shortstop Don Kelly broke it up with a single. The game took only two hours and six minutes. Marquis struck out five, and needed only 109 pitches to complete the game. "His ball was diving and darting. He was awesome," said teammate Jacque Jones. The win improved Marquis' record to 5–1, and dropped his
ERA An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth. Comp ...
to 1.70, 3rd-best in the NL. After the game, Marquis highlighted his consistency as being the key to his turnaround. "My delivery is as consistent as it's ever been. I feel like I'm repeating the same delivery over and over again and that's the reason, I really believe, for the success." In 2007 Marquis was 12–9, with a 4.60 ERA. He was tied for 2nd in the league in shutouts (1), was 5th in the league in hit batsmen (13), had the 5th-lowest batting average in the NL of balls hit into play against him (.280), and had the 8th-highest ground ball percentage (49.5%). He kept batters to a .229 batting average in games that were late and close. On March 24, 2008, it was announced he would be the Cubs' fifth starter for the 2008 season. Historically, Marquis' numbers during the second half of the season were not as good as his numbers during the first half, but thanks to smart managing by
Lou Piniella Louis Victor Piniella ( usually ; born August 28, 1943) is a former professional baseball player and manager. An outfielder, he played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals and ...
, Marquis and
Rich Harden James Richard Harden (born November 30, 1981) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched for the Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, and Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball. Early years Harden attended Claremont Secondary S ...
, newly acquired from the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
on July 8, rotated their starts for a time, and Marquis posted a winning month of August, going 3–1 with a 3.90 ERA. It was his second-lowest ERA after a 3.81 ERA in July. He finished the season 11–9, with a 4.53 ERA, and held batters to a .192 batting average with two outs and runners in scoring position. On September 26, 2008, the Cubs postseason roster was announced, and Marquis was granted a roster spot as a reliever. Marquis thereby reached the playoffs in all nine of his major league seasons through 2008. He made one appearance against the
Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
in Game 1 of the
National League Division Series In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...
, when he pitched the top of the ninth inning. In it he gave up a solo home run to Russell Martin for the Dodgers' seventh and final run of the game — one they'd win by a final score of 7–2.


Colorado Rockies (2009)

On January 6, 2009, Marquis was traded to the Colorado Rockies for pitcher
Luis Vizcaíno Luis Vizcaíno Árias (born August 6, 1974) is a Dominican Republic former professional baseball pitcher. He played for the Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees, Colorado Rockies, Chicago ...
.
General Manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
Dan O'Dowd Dan O'Dowd was the General Manager (baseball), General Manager of the Colorado Rockies from September 20, 1999 to October 8, 2014. Before being hired by the Rockies, he spent 15 years working for the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Indians, workin ...
said: "We like (Marquis') athleticism, age and durability." During the off-season, Marquis tweaked his delivery to improve his release point by staying over the rubber longer in his balance point, allowing his arm to catch up, resulting in a 2 to 3 inches longer stride, and leaving him on top of the ball and throwing downhill. Reporters attributed his first-half success to his new delivery and his high ground ball ratio. On June 30 Marquis pitched a two-hit, no walk, 17-ground-ball-outs, 86-pitch shutout to become the first 10-game winner in the NL. A reporter for ''MLB.com'' called it "one of the best pitching performances in Rockies history," and
Rob Neyer Rob Neyer (born June 22, 1966) is an American baseball writer known for his use of statistical analysis or sabermetrics. He started his career working for Bill James and STATS and then joined ESPN.com as a columnist and blogger from 1996 to 2011 ...
of ''
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
'' described Marquis that night as "
Bob Gibson Robert Gibson (born Pack Robert Gibson; November 9, 1935October 2, 2020) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals (1959–1975). Nicknamed "Gibby" and "Hoot" ( ...
,
Orel Hershiser Orel Leonard Hershiser IV (born September 16, 1958) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1983 to 2000. He later became a pitching coach for the Texas Rangers from 2002 to 2005 and a bro ...
, and Greg Maddux all rolled into one". He beat the LA Dodgers, which had the best record in the major leagues, and outpitched their ace
Chad Billingsley Chad Ryan Billingsley (born July 29, 1984) is an Americans, American former professional baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers from through and Philadelphia Phillies in . He ...
3–0 in a matchup of pitchers leading the league in wins. It was his third career shutout, and his second complete game of the season. He also drove in two of his team's three runs. "That was something special, as good as I have seen in my years behind this desk," said Rockies manager Jim Tracy. On July 5, Phillies manager
Charlie Manuel Charles Fuqua Manuel Jr. (born January 4, 1944), is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. During his playing career, he appeared over parts of six Major League Baseball seasons for the Minnesota Twins and Los Angel ...
, who managed the NL squad, chose Marquis to be on the NL All Star team, the fifth Rockies pitcher to be an All Star. "This is something ... I'll cherish the rest of my life," said Marquis. The next day Marquis followed up his shutout of the Dodgers with 8 shutout innings in a 1–0 victory over the Nationals, for a major-league-leading 11th win. He became the third pitcher in club history to win 11 games before the All Star break, the team record, joining
Shawn Chacón Shawn Anthony Chacón (born December 23, 1977) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He last played in Major League Baseball with the Houston Astros in 2008. During his career, he threw an 88–92 mph sinker, a big curveball, ...
(2003) and
Aaron Cook Aaron Cook may refer to: *Aaron Cook (baseball) (born 1979), Major League Baseball pitcher * Aaron Cook (footballer) (born 1979), Welsh footballer * Aaron Cook (politician), Nauruan politician *Aaron Cook (taekwondo) Aaron Arthur Cook (born 2 ...
(2008). At the 2009 All Star Game, Marquis (a former Cardinal) received one of the biggest ovations during pregame introductions of any non-Cardinal player, and then warmed up in the ninth inning but never did enter the game. On August 19, Marquis joined
Adam Wainwright Adam Parrish Wainwright (born August 30, 1981), nicknamed "Waino" and "Uncle Charlie", is an American professional baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Atlanta Braves selected him 29th overall in the ...
as the only 14-game winners in the NL, and tied for the major league lead. In 2009, Marquis was 2nd in the NL in ground ball outs induced (353) and ground balls induced (408), tied for second in double plays induced (28), 3rd in ground ball percentage (55.6%), 3rd-lowest in pitches per plate appearance (3.53), tied for 4th in wins (15), 8th in innings pitched (216.0) and home runs per 9 innings pitched (.625), 4th-lowest in pitches per inning (15.0; of NL pitchers with 160 or more innings), and tied for 6th in shutouts (1). At the plate, Marquis tied for 3rd in the major leagues among pitchers in runs scored (7), and tied for 6th in doubles (3) and RBIs (8). Marquis is one of only six major league pitchers who won at least 11 games in each year from 2004 to 2009, the others being
CC Sabathia Carsten Charles Sabathia Jr. (born July 21, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the New York Yankees. He also played for the Cleveland Indians and Milwauke ...
, Derek Lowe,
Johan Santana Johan Alexander Santana Araque (; born March 13, 1979) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball starting pitcher. Santana pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins from 2000 to 2007 and for the New York Mets from 200 ...
, Javier Vázquez, and
John Lackey John Derran Lackey (born October 23, 1978) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 2002 through 2017 for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and Ch ...
. He never started fewer than 29 games during that span. When the Rockies qualified for the postseason in 2009, it marked the 10th time in 10 years (every year of his major league career) that the team for which he pitched made the playoffs. He became the first player in baseball history to have been on a playoff team in each of the first 10 years of his career while playing for at least three different teams. After the 2009 season Marquis became a free agent. The Rockies offered him arbitration, but he rejected their offer of a one-year, non-guaranteed deal for the possibility that he will receive a multi-year deal.


Washington Nationals (2010–11)

On December 22, 2009, Marquis signed a two-year, $15 million contract with the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Marquis had 3 starts early in the 2010 season for the Nationals, posting an 0–3 record with a 20.52 ERA before being placed on the 15-day DL on April 22, 2010, with
bone chip Osteochondritis is a painful type of osteochondrosis where the cartilage or bone in a joint is inflamed. It often refers to osteochondritis dissecans (OCD). The term ''dissecans'' refers to the "creation of a flap of cartilage that further dissec ...
s in his right elbow. He returned to action on August 8, 2010. He was much improved upon returning from his injury, but still finished the season a disappointing 2–9 with a 6.60 ERA. Marquis started 20 games for the Nationals in 2011, going 8–5 with a 3.95 ERA.


Arizona Diamondbacks (2011)

On July 30, 2011, Marquis was traded to 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 f ...
for minor league infielder Zach Walters. On August 14, during his third start for Arizona, Marquis had his
fibula The fibula or calf bone is a leg bone on the lateral side of the tibia, to which it is connected above and below. It is the smaller of the two bones and, in proportion to its length, the most slender of all the long bones. Its upper extremity is ...
broken by a comebacker and was out for the remainder of the season.


Minnesota Twins (2012)

Marquis signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the
Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
on December 22, 2011. He was
designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...
in May, after posting an 8.47 ERA in his seven starts. On May 26, 2012, Marquis was released, allowing him to sign with any team.


San Diego Padres (2012–13)

Marquis signed a minor league contract with the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...
on May 29, 2012, and was assigned to their Double-A affiliate in San Antonio. After one minor league start, he was promoted to the major league club and made his first start as a Padre on June 7 at home against the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
. Marquis recorded his 1,000th career major league strikeout on June 18 against
Ian Kinsler Ian Michael Kinsler ( he, איאן קינסלר; born June 22, 1982) is an American-Israeli former professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for ...
of the Texas Rangers in the second inning of an interleague game at
Petco Park Petco Park is a baseball stadium in Downtown San Diego, California. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres, and has also been used as a venue for concerts, soccer, golf, and rugby. The ballpark is located between Se ...
. The highlight game of Marquis' season was a two-hit
shutout In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usuall ...
pitched against the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
on August 11. Marquis took a
no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...
into the 7th inning before it was broken up by a
Travis Snider Travis James Snider (born February 2, 1988) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. Nicknamed Lunchbox, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Baltimore Orioles. Amateur caree ...
infield single. On August 21, Marquis took a comebacker off the heel of his glove hand, breaking his wrist. Although Marquis continued to pitch in the game, the broken wrist ended his 2012 season. Marquis finished with a 6–7 record and 4.04 ERA in 15 starts for the Padres, with 79 strikeouts and 29 walks. Marquis also upheld his reputation as a good hitter in 2012, collecting nine hits, including three doubles, in 32 at-bats. The Padres re-signed Marquis in the off-season to a one-year, $3 million contract. He opened the season as the fourth starter in the rotation. Marquis started the 2013 season with a 9–5 record, including winning eight straight decisions from April 28 to June 15. In July he suffered a complete tear of his ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and had
Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's bo ...
, which ended his season. He finished with a 4.05 ERA and 72 strikeouts in his 20 starts, but was leading the league with 68 walks at the time of his injury.


Philadelphia Phillies

On June 3, 2014, Marquis signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. He was released from his contract after coming off the
disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...
in late August.


Cincinnati Reds (2015)

On January 21, 2015, he signed a minor league contract with the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
. In March 2015, Reds manager
Bryan Price Bryan Roberts Price (born June 22, 1962) is an American former professional baseball coach and manager. Price was the manager of the Cincinnati Reds of MLB, from 2014 through 2018. After pitching in the minor leagues, Price has served as the ...
announced Marquis would be in the Reds' pitching rotation. In May 2015, Marquis batted eighth in the lineup, the first Reds pitcher to bat higher than ninth since pitcher
Red Lucas Charles Fred "Red" Lucas (April 28, 1902 – July 9, 1986) was an American professional baseball pitcher and pinch hitter. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1923 to 1938 for the New York Giants, Boston Braves, Cincinnati Reds, and P ...
batted seventh for the Reds on September 7, 1933. He was 3–4 with a 6.46 ERA in nine starts. He was designated for assignment on June 5, 2015.


Team Israel

When there was talk in the off-season about an Israeli team being fielded in the
World Baseball Classic The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is an international baseball tournament sanctioned from 2006 to 2013 by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and after 2013 by World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) in partnership with Major Leagu ...
, Marquis said if it came about he would definitely be interested in playing to represent his heritage. In September 2012, Marquis was unable to pitch for Israel at the 2013 World Baseball Classic qualifier due to being active on a major league team. Israel was unable to qualify for the tournament, making it so Marquis was unable to pitch for Israel. Marquis pitched in the qualifying round for
Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic Team Israel has competed in the World Baseball Classic since the 2013 World Baseball Classic qualifier round. In 2017 Israel competed at a World Baseball Classic qualifier for the second time, and for the first time qualified for the main tourname ...
qualifier. During the opening game of the qualifiers Marquis started and threw 41 pitches over three innings, while giving up two hits and one earned run, while recording a strikeout and a walk. Under World Baseball Classic rules any pitcher who throws over 50 pitches cannot pitch again for four days, therefore by pulling Marquis before reaching this limit, enabled Israel to utilize Marquis again in the tournament. Marquis again started for the final game of the qualifier and threw 43 pitches over four perfect innings, while recording 5 strikeouts. Following his four perfect innings, Marquis said: "I try to approach every opportunity I get with as much passion as I can, it was definitely our goal to win this qualifier and get to the main event." Marquis once again pitched for
Israel at the World Baseball Classic Team Israel has competed in the World Baseball Classic since the 2013 World Baseball Classic qualifier round. In 2017 Israel competed at a World Baseball Classic qualifier for the second time, and for the first time qualified for the main tourname ...
, during the main tournament in March 2017. He started three of the team's first four games in the WBC, all of which the team won.">"Jason Marquis on dominant run in WBC '17,"
mlb.com.
He went 1–0 with an 0.93 ERA and gave up only one run in innings to world #3 South Korea, world #5 Cuba, and world #9 the Netherlands.


Playing style


Pitching

Marquis relied mostly on his sinker. He threw it harder than most pitchers, got plenty of movement on the pitch, and threw it down in the
strike zone In baseball, the strike zone is the volume of space through which a pitch must pass in order to be called a strike even if the batter does not swing. The strike zone is defined as the volume of space above home plate and between the batter's kn ...
as he tried to induce hitters to hit ground balls. He also relied heavily on a sharp
slider Slider or Sliders may refer to: Arts * K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise * '' The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex * ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series * ...
. In his career with Atlanta, the Braves system steered Marquis to also throw a
four-seam fastball A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family of pitches and is usually the hardest (i.e., fastest) ball thrown by a pitcher. It is ca ...
in the mid- to high-90s, but in St. Louis he began to gravitate toward instead using a sinking
two-seam fastball A two-seam fastball is a pitch in baseball and softball. It is a variant of the straight fastball. The pitch has the speed of a fastball and can also include late-breaking action caused by varying the pressure of the index and middle fingers on t ...
that he had thrown as a teenager, which he still threw in the mid-90s. In addition, he throws an excellent occasional overhand tight
curve ball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 cur ...
, and a
changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...
which has good action. Marquis, the 144th Jewish player in major league history, is sixth all-time in strikeouts among Jewish major league pitchers and seventh in wins, trailing among others
Sandy Koufax Sanford Koufax (; born Sanford Braun; December 30, 1935) is an American former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played his entire career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 1955 to 1966. He has been hailed as one of t ...
,
Ken Holtzman Kenneth Dale Holtzman (born November 3, 1945) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher from through , most notably as a member of the Chicago Cubs for whom he pitche ...
, and Steve Stone in both categories. In 2009, he became the second Jewish pitcher to notch at least ten victories in six consecutive seasons, joining Koufax.


Hitting and baserunning

Marquis was an excellent hitter for his position. Though not unheard of for pitchers, Marquis was sometimes called upon to
pinch hit In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, America ...
, something that is extraordinarily rare for a modern-day pitcher. He constantly hit off the
tee A tee is a stand used in sport to support and elevate a stationary ball prior to striking with a foot, club or bat. Tees are used extensively in golf, tee-ball, baseball, American football, and rugby. Etymology The word tee is derived from the ...
in
batting cage A batting cage (or tunnel) is an enclosed area for baseball or softball players to practice the skill of batting. The optimal material for batting cages is netting, and they are typically rectangular in shape. Chain-link fence is not required but ...
s. His baserunning speed has also led to him being used as a
pinch-runner In baseball, a pinch runner is a player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing another player on base. The pinch runner may be faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been sub ...
. "Watch Marquis take batting practice," wrote John Schlegel for ''
MLB.com MLB.com is the official site of Major League Baseball and is overseen by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P. (a subsidiary of MLB). MLB.com is a source of baseball-related information, including baseball news, statistics, and sports column ...
'', "and you think you're watching a left-handed slugger. He can ping baseballs off the bleachers with the best of them. Watch him run up the first-base line with the speed of an outfielder and the intensity of a linebacker, and you can't believe he's a pitcher." In 2005, he achieved two career-highs: a .310 batting average, and a .460 slugging percentage. In 87
at-bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a bat ...
s he had 27
hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...
, including nine doubles, a triple, and a home run as he both scored 10 runs and drove in 10 runs. He was the first pitcher to bat over .300 since
Mike Hampton Michael William Hampton, Jr. (born September 9, 1972) is an American former professional baseball player. Hampton played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a pitcher from 1993 through 2010. He pitched for the Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, New ...
batted .344 in 2002 (minimum of 50 at-bats). His 27 hits were the most by a big-league pitcher since
Rick Rhoden Richard Alan Rhoden (born May 16, 1953) is a professional golfer and former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. During his 16-year baseball career, he played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1974–1978), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1979–1986), the Ne ...
had 28 in 1984, and 24 came as a pitcher and three as pinch-hitter. For his hitting, Marquis won the 2005 NL Pitcher Silver Slugger Award. His first three home runs were hit off of
Wandy Rodríguez Wandy Fulton Rodríguez (born January 18, 1979) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros from 2005 to 2012, the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2012 to 2014 and the Texas Ran ...
,
Brian Lawrence Brian Michael Lawrence (born May 14, 1976) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres and New York Mets. He is currently the pitching coach of the South Bend Cu ...
, and Javier Vázquez. In 2008, he hit a career-high two homers as he again drove in 10 runs, this time in 59 at-bats. He belted his fourth home run on September 6, against Cincinnati's
Gary Majewski Gary Wayne Majewski (; born February 26, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played for the Montreal Expos, Washington Nationals, Cincinnati Reds, and Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). Career Majewski gradua ...
at the
Great American Ballpark Great American Ball Park is a baseball stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. It served as the home stadium of the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB), and opened on March 31, 2003, replacing Cinergy Field (formerly Riverfront Stadium), the Red ...
. On September 22, he hit his first career
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 ...
, off of
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
rookie
Jon Niese Jonathon Joseph Niese (born October 27, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates. Early life Niese was born to Jeffery and Annette Niese in L ...
at
Shea Stadium Shea Stadium (), formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.Saul Rogovin Saul Walter Rogovin (March 24, 1922 – January 23, 1995) was an American professional baseball player. Rogovin was a pitcher over parts of 8 seasons (1949–57), with the Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, and Philadelphia Ph ...
of the
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
hit one in 1950 off
Eddie Lopat Edmund Walter Lopat (originally Lopatynski) (June 21, 1918 – June 15, 1992) was a Major League Baseball pitcher, coach (baseball), coach, manager (baseball), manager, front office executive, and scout (sport), scout. He was sometimes known a ...
of the Yankees. In 441
at-bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a bat ...
s through 2008, Marquis had a .206 career batting average, with 25 doubles, two triples, five home runs, 50 runs scored, 40 RBIs, 23 sacrifice hits, and a .306 slugging percentage — 9th-best of all pitchers with at least 100 at-bats. He had a .276 career batting average in 59
plate appearance 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 ...
s with two outs and runners in
scoring position In the sport of baseball, a baserunner is said to be in scoring position when they are on second or third base. The distinction between being on first base and second or third base is that a runner on first can usually only score if the batter h ...
. With the bases loaded, through August 2008 he was a career .364 batter, with a .500 on-base percentage and an .818 slugging percentage. In 26 at-bats as a
pinch hitter In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute Batting (baseball), batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the dead ball (baseball), ball is dead (not in active play); the manager (baseball), manager may use any player who has not yet ...
, he had a .231 batting average. Summarizing his approach to hitting, Marquis said: "I'm not going up as a pitcher with a bat. I'm going up as a hitter.""Jason Marquis pregame quotes: Game 4 pitcher talks about his approach to starting," ''MLB.com'', 10/26/04, accessed 7/20/09
Marquis, after retiring after the 2015 season, posted a .196
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 ...
(130-for-663) with 66 runs, 35 doubles, two
triples TripleS (stylized as tripleS; Help:IPA/English, /ˈtɹɪpəl:ɛs/; ) is a South Korean girl group formed by MODHAUS. They aim to be the world's first decentralized K-pop idol group. The members will rotate between the group, sub-unit, and solo ac ...
, five
home runs 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 ...
, 57 RBI and 13
bases on balls A base on balls (BB), also known as a walk, occurs in baseball when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls '' balls'', and is in turn awarded first base without the possibility of being called out. The base on balls is defined in Se ...
.


Fielding

Marquis exhibited a better range factor at pitcher than the league average every year of his career, through 2009. He recorded a career .955
fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, div ...
.


Family

Marquis and his wife, Debbie (née Masseria), have three children.


See also

*
List of Colorado Rockies team records These are lists of Colorado Rockies records from their inception all the way through the 2018 season. Single season records Batting *Games: Vinny Castilla, 162 (1998), Neifi Pérez, 162 (1998), Neifi Pérez, 162 (2000) *Batting Average: Larry W ...
* List of select Jewish Major League Baseball players


References


External links


Jews in Sports bio"Jason Marquis pregame quotes: Game 4 pitcher talks about his approach to starting," ''MLB.com'', 10/26/04
* ttp://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cs-070924outloudmarquis,0,6714694.story "Out loud with Jason Marquis; Cubs pitcher tells Our Guy about his role models, growing up in New York and his bar mitzvah,"''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'', September 24, 2007
"Warming up for the Jewish Boys of Summer," 3/5/08
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marquis, Jason 1978 births Living people American Conservative Jews Arizona Diamondbacks players Atlanta Braves players Chicago Cubs players Cincinnati Reds players Colorado Rockies players Danville Braves players Danville 97s players Greenville Braves players Gulf Coast Nationals players Florida Complex League Phillies players Harrisburg Senators players Jewish American baseball players Jewish Major League Baseball players Lehigh Valley IronPigs players Macon Braves players Major League Baseball pitchers Minnesota Twins players Myrtle Beach Pelicans players National League All-Stars New Britain Rock Cats players People from Manhasset, New York Potomac Nationals players Richmond Braves players San Antonio Missions players San Diego Padres players Silver Slugger Award winners Sportspeople from Staten Island Baseball players from New York City St. Louis Cardinals players Syracuse Chiefs players Tucson Padres players Washington Nationals players 2017 World Baseball Classic players 21st-century American Jews