James Loney (baseball)
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James Anthony Loney (born May 7, 1984) is an American former
professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professional ...
first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
. 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
Los Angeles 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 ...
,
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...
,
Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...
, and
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 ...
, and in Korea Baseball Organization's (KBO)
KBO League The KBO League (), officially the Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League, is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers ar ...
for the
LG Twins LG Corporation (or LG Group) (), formerly Lucky-Goldstar from 1983 to 1995 (Korean: ''Leokki Geumseong''; ), is a South Korean multinational conglomerate founded by Koo In-hwoi and managed by successive generations of his family. It is t ...
.


Early career

James Anthony Loney was born on May 7, 1984 in
Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
, Texas, to Marion, known as Tony, and Annie Loney. His father was a computer programmer and software consultant and his mother worked as a teacher. Loney has a younger brother named Anthony. Loney played baseball on a team sponsored by the
Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) is a youth baseball program operated by Major League Baseball. This youth initiative is designed to provide young people from underserved and diverse communities the opportunity to play baseball and softba ...
program and was coached at Elkins High School by Matt Carpenter's father Rick. In Loney's senior year, his high school team was ranked first in the nation by '' Baseball America'' and won the 5A state championship. Loney contributed a 12–1 record with a 1.52 ERA and 120 strikeouts as a pitcher that season, as well as a .500 batting average, eight home runs, 38 runs scored and 58 runs batted in. He was named to the Texas Sports Writers Association 5A all-state team at the end of the 2002 baseball season, as well as Powerade and Gatorade Player of the Year. Much of the professional interest in Loney centered on his pitching ability, but he was drafted by the
Los Angeles 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 the first round, #19 overall, of the
2002 Major League Baseball draft The 2002 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 4 and 5. It is featured in Michael Lewis' 2003 book ''Moneyball''. First round selections Supplemental first round compensation selections * * ...
as a position player. He had signed with
Baylor University Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the ...
to play college baseball, but opted to sign a pro contract.


Professional career


Los Angeles Dodgers

Loney began his professional career in 2002 with the
Great Falls Dodgers Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...
, where he hit .371 and was named the top prospect in the Pioneer League by Baseball America. Loney also appeared in 17 games that year for Single-A
Vero Beach Vero Beach is a city in and the seat of Indian River County, Florida, United States. Vero Beach is the second most populous city in Indian River County. Abundant in beaches and wildlife, Vero Beach is located on Florida's Treasure Coast. It is thi ...
, batting .299. He returned to Vero Beach for 2003, and in 125 games he hit .276 with 7 homers and 46 RBIs. He was listed #34 on the 2003 edition of Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects list. In 2004, Loney was highly ranked for his defensive ability in the
Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fille ...
and made the All-Prospect Team voted on by league managers and coaches. However, he had an injury plagued season at Double-A
Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
and fell to #42 on Baseball America's prospect list. In 2005, Loney led the Southern League Champion Jacksonville Suns in hits and total bases. That season, he was ranked #62 on Baseball America's list of top prospects. In 2006, Loney led all of baseball, major and minor leagues, with a .380 average while playing for the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s. He was named the Dodgers Minor League Player of the Year and was chosen as first-team Triple-A All-Star First Baseman by Baseball America.


Major Leagues

Loney made his major league debut with the Dodgers on April 4, 2006, against 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) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...
. He received his opportunity when starting Dodgers first baseman
Nomar Garciaparra Anthony Nomar Garciaparra (; born July 23, 1973) is an American retired Major League Baseball player and current SportsNet LA analyst. After playing parts of nine seasons as an All-Star shortstop for the Boston Red Sox, he played shortstop, third ...
was placed on the disabled list, freeing up a roster spot for Loney. Loney collected a single in his first major league at bat, against
John Smoltz John Andrew Smoltz (born May 15, 1967), nicknamed "Smoltzie" and "Marmaduke", is an American former baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1988 to 2009, all but the last year with the Atlanta Braves. An eight-time A ...
. On September 28, in a game against the Colorado Rockies, Loney went 4 for 5 with 9
runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the ba ...
, which tied a 56-year Dodgers franchise record for RBI in a single game, held by
Gil Hodges Gilbert Ray Hodges (''né'' Hodge; April 4, 1924 – April 2, 1972) was an American first baseman and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played most of his 18-year career for the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers. He was widely regarded as t ...
. Loney accomplished this feat in only his 46th game with the team while still under 100 total at bats in his major league career. Because of his success in 2006 with both Los Angeles and Triple-A Las Vegas, he was named to the Dodgers' playoff roster. Filling in for an injured Garciaparra in game three against the
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 ...
in the National League Division Series, Loney went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Despite Loney's stellar 2006 season, the Dodgers chose to re-sign Garciaparra for 2007–08, meaning Loney had to start the season back at Triple-A Las Vegas. On June 10, 2007, Loney was recalled to the Dodgers. His hot hitting forced the Dodgers to insert him into the starting lineup and move Garciaparra from first base to third base. Loney hit nine home runs in September 2007, setting a Dodgers record for home runs by a rookie in a calendar month that he shares with
Joc Pederson Joc Russell Pederson ( ; born April 21, 1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, and Atlanta Br ...
(May 2015). Loney was named the National League Rookie of the Month for September and finished sixth in the voting for the 2007 NL
Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award The ''Sporting News'' Rookie of the Year Award is an annual Major League Baseball (MLB) award established in 1946 by ''Sporting News''. For the first three years (1946–1948) and again in 1950, there was a single award. In 1949 and since 1951, ...
. Loney was a unanimous selection to the 2007 Topps Major League Rookie All-Star Team. The selection was the result of the 49th annual Topps balloting of major league managers. Loney began the season as the starting first baseman and had a 15-game hitting streak. He finished the season batting .289 with 13 HR and 90 RBIs. Loney led the team in runs batted in consistently for the entire year. On October 1, 2008, 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 ...
, Loney hit a
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 Chicago Cubs pitcher
Ryan Dempster Ryan Scott Dempster (born May 3, 1977), is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, and Boston Red Sox. Dempster batted and t ...
as the Dodgers went on to win the game 7–2. Loney turned in numbers in 2009 similar to his 2008 numbers, hitting .281 with 13 home runs in 158 games as the team's starting first baseman. On January 19, 2010, Loney agreed to a new 1-year contract that substantially increased his salary from $465,000 to $3.1 million. In 160 games in 2010, he hit 10 home runs and 88 RBI, while batting .268, his poorest stats since he joined the team. On September 16, 2011 Loney hit a three-run pinch hit home run in his only plate appearance and the following day hit another three-run homer. He set a career high with five hits on September 18, helping the Dodgers win three straight games against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Loney finished the season by hitting .288 with 12 home runs, though his RBI total of 65 was the lowest since his rookie season. In 2012, Loney continued his downward career slide, hitting .254 with only 4 homers and 33 RBI in 114 games with the Dodgers. Around mid-season he started platooning at first base with Juan Rivera.


Boston Red Sox

On August 25, 2012, he was traded to the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...
(along with Iván DeJesús, Jr., Allen Webster,
Jerry Sands Gerald Robert Sands (born September 28, 1987) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 25th round of the 2008 MLB Draft out of Catawba College and made his Major L ...
and Rubby De La Rosa) for Adrián González,
Josh Beckett Joshua Patrick Beckett (born May 15, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). A three-time MLB All-Star, he played for the Florida Marlins, the Boston Red Sox, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. After ...
,
Carl Crawford Carl Demonte Crawford (born August 5, 1981), nicknamed "The Perfect Storm", is an American former professional baseball left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. He ba ...
and
Nick Punto Nicholas Paul Punto (born November 8, 1977) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers ...
and $11 million in cash. He played in 30 games with the Red Sox and hit .240.


Tampa Bay Rays

On December 6, 2012, Loney finalized a one-year $2 million deal with the
Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...
. On July 23, 2013, Loney collected his 1,000th career hit in a game versus his former team, the Boston Red Sox. The contract wound up being a good deal for Loney and the Rays, as he hit .299 with 13 home runs and 75 RBIs, his best numbers since his rookie season in 2007. On December 13, 2013, Loney and the Rays agreed to a three-year contract worth $21 million. His numbers dipped a bit in 2014, as he hit .290 with 9 home runs and 69 RBIs, but he had 600 at-bats in a season for the first time in his career. Loney was limited to 104 games in 2015 because of injuries. He only slashed .280/.322/.357 for his lowest OPS since 2012, in addition to a drop in defensive value to a −5.4 UZR/150 at first base. On March 30, 2016, Loney was informed that he would not be listed on the Rays Opening Day roster. On April 3, the Rays released Loney, eating the entirety of the $8 million owed to him for the 2016 season.


San Diego Padres

On April 7, 2016, Loney signed a minor league deal 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 ...
. He played in 43 games for the AAA
El Paso Chihuahuas The El Paso Chihuahuas are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. They are located in El Paso, Texas, and play their home games at Southwest University Park, which opened ...
, including one appearance as a
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, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as inclement weat ...
.


New York Mets

On May 28, 2016, Loney was traded to the New York Mets for cash considerations. Loney played in 100 games with the Mets, making 88 starts. He became a free agent at the end of the season.


Texas Rangers

On January 24, 2017, Loney signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers that included an invitation to spring training. The Rangers released Loney on March 27, 2017.


Detroit Tigers

On April 12, 2017, Loney signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers. He was released by Detroit on May 7, 2017, after batting .229 in 16 games with the
Toledo Mud Hens The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A Mud Hens team has played in ...
, Detroit's AAA affiliate.


Atlanta Braves

The Braves signed Loney to a minor league deal on May 18, 2017. Loney was released on May 22, 2017 following the Braves acquisition of first-baseman
Matt Adams Matthew James Adams (born August 31, 1988) is an American professional baseball first baseman in the Washington Nationals organization. Nicknamed "Big City" for his imposing size and ability to regularly hit long home runs, the St. Louis Cardina ...
from the
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 ...


LG Twins

Loney signed with the
LG Twins LG Corporation (or LG Group) (), formerly Lucky-Goldstar from 1983 to 1995 (Korean: ''Leokki Geumseong''; ), is a South Korean multinational conglomerate founded by Koo In-hwoi and managed by successive generations of his family. It is t ...
of the
KBO League The KBO League (), officially the Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League, is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers ar ...
for a $350,000 contract on July 18, 2017. After playing in 23 games, the Twins demoted Loney to the minor league. He opted to leave South Korea and return to the United States rather than report.


Sugar Land Skeeters

On February 5, 2019, Loney signed with the
Sugar Land Skeeters The Sugar Land Space Cowboys are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball club. They are located in Sugar Land, Texas, part of the Greater Houston metr ...
of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He was announced as an infielder, pitcher, and player-coach for the team. However, just 11 games into the season on May 7, Loney announced his retirement from professional baseball.


Personal life

He married his wife, Nadia, an Iranian American, in 2013 and they have two sons. They live in San Diego, California in the off season.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Loney, James 1984 births Living people African-American baseball players American expatriate baseball players in South Korea Baseball players from Houston Boston Red Sox players Charlotte Stone Crabs players El Paso Chihuahuas players Great Falls Dodgers players Gwinnett Braves players Jacksonville Suns players KBO League first basemen Las Vegas 51s players LG Twins players Los Angeles Dodgers players Major League Baseball first basemen New York Mets players Phoenix Desert Dogs players Scottsdale Scorpions players Sugar Land Skeeters players Tampa Bay Rays players Toledo Mud Hens players Tigres del Licey players American expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Vero Beach Dodgers players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people