Jon Lewis Ford (born August 12, 1976) is an American
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 ...
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 ...
and
hitting coach
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decisio ...
for the
Long Island Ducks
The Long Island Ducks are an American professional minor-league baseball team based on Long Island in Central Islip, New York. The Ducks compete in the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), an independent "partne ...
of the
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league based in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic League's ...
. 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
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
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
,
Nippon Professional Baseball
or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''.
Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...
(NPB) for the
Hanshin Tigers
The Hanshin Tigers (Japanese: 阪神タイガース ''Hanshin Taigāsu'') are a Nippon Professional Baseball team playing in the Central League. The team is based in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and is owned by Hanshin Electric Railway ...
, the
Mexican League
The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country.
The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...
for the
Guerreros de Oaxaca
The Guerreros de Oaxaca (English: Oaxaca Warriors) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, Mexico. Their home field is Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos.
History
In October 1995, a group of businessmen, l ...
, and the
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league based in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic League's ...
for the
Long Island Ducks
The Long Island Ducks are an American professional minor-league baseball team based on Long Island in Central Islip, New York. The Ducks compete in the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), an independent "partne ...
.
Career
Ford is a 1994 graduate of
Port Neches–Groves High School
Port Neches–Groves High School (PNG) is located in Port Neches, Texas. It is the only high school in the Port Neches-Groves Independent School District and serves portions of Port Neches, Groves, and Port Arthur. It was built in 1925.
Histor ...
where he played football and baseball and is also a 1999 graduate of
Dallas Baptist University
Dallas Baptist University (DBU) is a Christian liberal arts university in Dallas, Texas. Founded in 1898 as Decatur Baptist College, Dallas Baptist University currently operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Hurst.
History
Dallas Baptist Uni ...
. He also played college baseball at
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...
,
Seminole State Junior College, and
Lee College
Lee College is a public community college in Baytown, Texas. Lee College's main campus occupies near downtown Baytown and extension campuses throughout its service area. The school has an enrollment of over 7,773 total students as of Fall 2018. ...
.
Boston Red Sox
In 1998, Ford was a first team All-American at Dallas Baptist. He set their single school batting record, batting .507 over the course of more than 50 games. In spite of this, Ford was not chosen in the MLB draft. He came back the following year and had another season at Dallas Baptist, after which he was drafted by 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 eight ...
in the 12th round of the
1999 amateur draft.
In 2000, he played his first full year of Single-A ball for the
Augusta Greenjackets
The Augusta GreenJackets are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at SRP Park in North Augusta, South Carolina, which opened in April 2018. They previous ...
of 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 ...
. He had a good season, stealing 52 of 56 bases and established the team single-season batting record by hitting .315, adding 74 RBI from the leadoff spot.
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 ...
named him as the best defensive outfielder in Class-A and
The Sporting News
The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
identified him as the Best 5-Tool Prospect in the Red Sox organization. He led all of minor league baseball in runs scored with 122.
Minnesota Twins
On September 9, 2000, Ford was traded to 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 ...
for
Héctor Carrasco
Héctor Pacheco Carrasco (born October 22, 1969) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He bats and throws right handed.
In a twelve-season career, Carrasco has posted a 44–50 record with 19 saves and a 3.99 ERA in 637 relief app ...
. He also led all of Minor League Baseball in runs scored in 2002.
He is known for an episode of accidentally burning himself with an hotel iron, which is often erroneously told as a result of the attempted ironing of a shirt while wearing it.
In 2004, he finished tied for 24th in the American League's Most Valuable Player balloting, garnering a total 2 points out of an possible 392.
Ford was named
AL Player of the Week for the week ending August 21, 2005. He helped the Twins take three out of four games from 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 ...
after hitting 12-for-33, including 3 home runs, and leading the league in RBI's and runs for that week.
Ford was out-righted to the minor leagues on October 5, 2007, but refused the assignment and became a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
.
Hanshin Tigers
![HT-Lewis-Ford](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/HT-Lewis-Ford.jpg)
Ford Signed with the
Hanshin Tigers
The Hanshin Tigers (Japanese: 阪神タイガース ''Hanshin Taigāsu'') are a Nippon Professional Baseball team playing in the Central League. The team is based in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and is owned by Hanshin Electric Railway ...
in Japan's
Nippon Professional Baseball
or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''.
Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...
on November 29, 2007.
Colorado Rockies
In March of 2009, Ford signed a minor league contract with the
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 ...
, but did not play the season there.
Long Island Ducks/Cincinnati Reds
On August 24, 2009, Ford 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 ...
. Ford was a member of the
Long Island Ducks
The Long Island Ducks are an American professional minor-league baseball team based on Long Island in Central Islip, New York. The Ducks compete in the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), an independent "partne ...
when he posted 10 home runs, 2 triples, and 55 RBI's in 93 games. The Texas native finished second in the league in batting average (.330) and fourth in on-base percentage (.407). His efforts earned him a contract with the Cincinnati Reds organization.
Guerreros de Oaxaca
Played in (2010) with the
Guerreros de Oaxaca
The Guerreros de Oaxaca (English: Oaxaca Warriors) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, Mexico. Their home field is Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos.
History
In October 1995, a group of businessmen, l ...
of the
Mexican League
The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country.
The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...
.
Second stint with Long Island Ducks
On March 7, 2011, Ford signed with the
Long Island Ducks
The Long Island Ducks are an American professional minor-league baseball team based on Long Island in Central Islip, New York. The Ducks compete in the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), an independent "partne ...
of the
independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independ ...
Atlantic League.
Baltimore Orioles
On May 19, 2012, Ford signed with the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
who later that same day sent him down to the
Norfolk Tides
The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's location on the Chesapea ...
of Triple-A.
On July 29, 2012 Ford appeared in an MLB lineup for the first time since 2007. He batted fifth and played left field for the Orioles. Ford hit home runs for the Orioles in consecutive games against 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 p ...
on August 27–28, 2012. He finished the year hitting .183/.256/.352 with 3 HR's and 4 RBI's in 25 games. On November 2, Ford was out-righted off the 40-man roster and elected free agency four days later. On November 9, Ford signed a minor league contract with the Orioles and was invited to the Oriole's spring training.
Third stint with Long Island Ducks
In August of 2013, Ford was released from the
Bowie Baysox
The Bowie Baysox are a Minor League Baseball team located in Bowie, Maryland. They are the Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, and play in the Eastern League. Their home ballpark is Prince George's Stadium.
History
From 1989 to 1992, ...
, the Orioles Double-A affiliate. He finished the 2013 season playing for the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League. Ford stated the 2014 season playing for the Ducks as a starting outfielder.
On October 29, 2014, Ford was named the 2014 Atlantic League Player of the Year. Ford's 2014 season was highlighted by breaking two Atlantic League records. He finished the year with 189 hits, surpassing the previous high of 170 set by
Victor Rodriguez (
Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
, locator_map =
, coordinates =
, region = South West England
, established_date = Ancient
, established_by =
, preceded_by =
, origin =
, lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
, lord_ ...
) in 2004. In addition, Ford became the first player in league history to play in all 140 games during the regular season. Navarrete and Wayne Lydon (Camden) had previously held the record of 139, which was set in 2009. The 38-year old led the Atlantic League in doubles (40) during the 2014 campaign and finished second in batting average (.347), runs batted in (95), runs scored (100), total bases (278), and on-base percentage (.415). Ford earned Atlantic League Player of the Month honors in May after compiling a .402 batting average with 47 hits and a .470 on-base percentage. Two months later, he was selected to play in the Atlantic League All-Star Game at
Constellation Field
Constellation Field is a baseball park located in Sugar Land, Texas. It is the home of the Sugar Land Space Cowboys of the Pacific Coast League, who began play in 2012 as the Sugar Land Skeeters. The park also has the ability to host rugby uni ...
in
Sugar Land, Texas
Sugar Land is the largest city in Fort Bend County, Texas, United States, located in the southwestern part of the metropolitan area. Located about southwest of downtown Houston, Sugar Land is a populous suburban municipality centered around th ...
. The former big leaguer's defense was also outstanding, as he did not commit a single error in 97 games played in the outfield. He became a free agent after the 2016 season.
On May 28, 2017, Ford re-signed with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League for the 2017 season.
On February 6, 2018, Ford re-signed with the Long Island Ducks for the 2018 season.
On January 15, 2019, Ford re-signed with the Ducks for his 10th season with the club, and his sixth as a
player-coach
A player-coach (also playing coach, captain-coach, or player-manager) is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. A player-coach may be a head coach or an assistant coach. They may make changes to the sq ...
.
On January 30, 2020, Ford re-signed with the Ducks for what would've been his 11th season, and seventh as a player-coach. However, Ford did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the 2020 ALPB season because of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. He became a free agent after the season.
On March 4, 2021, Ford re-signed with the Ducks for his 11th season with the club and seventh as a player-coach. On October 2, Ford collected his 964 career hit for the Ducks, becoming the Ducks' all-time hit leader.
On January 12, 2022, Ford re-signed with the Ducks for his 12th season with the team, and eighth as a player-coach.
References
External links
NPB
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Lew
1976 births
Living people
American expatriate baseball players in Canada
American expatriate baseball players in Japan
American expatriate baseball players in Mexico
Augusta GreenJackets players
Baseball coaches from Texas
Baseball players from Texas
Baltimore Orioles players
Bowie Baysox players
Caribes de Anzoátegui players
Dallas Baptist Patriots baseball players
Edmonton Trappers players
Fort Myers Miracle players
Gulf Coast Orioles players
Hanshin Tigers players
Long Island Ducks players
Louisville Bats players
Lowell Spinners players
Major League Baseball designated hitters
Major League Baseball outfielders
Mexican League baseball center fielders
Mexican League baseball left fielders
Minnesota Twins players
Navegantes del Magallanes players
American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
New Britain Rock Cats players
Nippon Professional Baseball outfielders
Norfolk Tides players
Rochester Red Wings players
Sportspeople from Beaumont, Texas
Texas A&M Aggies baseball players
Toros de Tijuana players
Toros del Este players
American expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic