Joseph William Dillon (born August 2, 1975) 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 ...

utility player, who 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

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The fran ...

, Milwaukee Brewers, and

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 in

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

Yomiuri Giants The are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. They ...

. He was an assistant hitting coach for 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 ...

from 2018 to 2019, before serving as the hitting coach for the Philadelphia Phillies during the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

College

After graduating from Cardinal Newman High School in

Santa Rosa, California Santa Rosa ( Spanish for " Saint Rose") is a city and the county seat of Sonoma County, in the North Bay region of the Bay Area in California. Its estimated 2019 population was 178,127. It is the largest city in California's Wine Country and ...

in 1993, Dillon entered college at

Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) is a public community college in Santa Rosa, California with an additional campus in Petaluma and centers in surrounding Sonoma County. Santa Rosa Junior College was modeled as a feeder school for the Universi ...

and then

Texas Tech University Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sy ...

. His

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional p ...

career with the

Texas Tech Red Raiders The Texas Tech Red Raiders and Lady Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University, located in Lubbock, Texas. The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders, while the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raider ...

included a 33

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

season in , a record which still stands today.

Professional baseball player

Kansas City Royals organization (1997–2001)

On June 3, 1997, Dillon was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 7th round (211th overall) of the

1997 Major League Baseball Draft The 1997 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 2 and 3, 1997. A total of 1607 players were drafted over the course of 92 rounds. First round selections ...

. He played the season with the Low-A

Spokane Indians The Spokane Indians are a Minor League Baseball team located in Spokane Valley, the city immediately east of Spokane, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest. The Indians are members of the High-A Northwest League (NWL) as an affiliate of the Color ...

, the season with the Single-A

Lansing Lugnuts The Lansing Lugnuts are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. They are located in Lansing, Michigan, and play their home games at Jackson Field. The Midwest League came to Lans ...

, and the season with the High-A

Wilmington Blue Rocks The Wilmington Blue Rocks are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Wilmington, Delaware, and play their home games at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium. ...

. Dillon split the season between the Double-A

Wichita Wranglers The Wichita Wranglers were a minor league baseball team based in Wichita, Kansas. The team, which played in the Texas League, was the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres from 1987 to 1994 and the Kansas City Royals ...

and the Triple-A

Omaha Royals Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest c ...

. During his time with Omaha, he suffered a

herniated disc Spinal disc herniation is an injury to the cushioning and connective tissue between vertebrae, usually caused by excessive strain or trauma to the spine. It may result in back pain, pain or sensation in different parts of the body, and physical ...

in his back.Ang, Kelvin
"Dillon gets the big call."
'' mlb.com'' August 1, 2007. Retrieved September 12, 2007 He returned to Omaha for the season.

Minnesota Twins organization (2001–2003)

On December 31, 2001, Dillon was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 2001 Rule 5 Draft. For the season, he was assigned to the Double-A

New Britain Rock Cats The New Britain Rock Cats were a minor league baseball team that competed in the Eastern League. They were the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox for 12 years, the Minnesota Twins for 20 years and the Colorado Rockies for one. They played ...

, spending nearly the entire season there, before being promoted to the Triple-A

Edmonton Trappers The Edmonton Trappers were a minor league baseball team in Edmonton, Alberta. They were a part of the Triple-A level in the Pacific Coast League, ending with the 2004 season. Their home games were played at Telus Field in downtown Edmonton. T ...

Brief retirement (2003–2004)

Continued problems with his back, including increasing stiffness, prompted Dillon to retire during spring training . On March 24, 2003, he was released from the Twins. During the year, Dillon underwent back surgery to repair the herniated disc. Following that, he returned to his alma mater,

, to coach its 2003 baseball team. His back felt better, and he decided to return to playing professional baseball.

Florida Marlins organization; major league debut (2004–2005)

On March 17, 2004, Dillon was signed as 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 ...

by the

. He began the season with the Double-A

Carolina Mudcats The Carolina Mudcats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Zebulon, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh, and play their home games at Five County Stadium. ...

, before being promoted to the Triple-A

Albuquerque Isotopes The Albuquerque Isotopes are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They play home games at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an e ...

. Dillon began the season with Florida, before returning briefly to Albuquerque. On May 18, 2005, he was recalled to the big leagues, making his MLB debut that same afternoon, when (by an unfortunate coincidence) Marlins starting

third-baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...

Mike Lowell Michael Averett Lowell (born February 24, 1974) is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 13-year career, Lowell played for the New York Yankees (1998), Florida Marlins (1999–2005), and the Boston Red Sox (2006&nda ...

lost a foul pop-up by

Milton Bradley Milton Bradley (November 8, 1836 – May 30, 1911) was an American business magnate, game pioneer and publisher, credited by many with launching the board game industry, with his eponymous enterprise, which was purchased by Hasbro in 1984, and ...

of 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 sun, causing Lowell to be struck by the ball in his face, subsequently forcing him to leave the game. Dillon’s stat line for his first major league game included four at bats, one hit, and one strikeout. For the season, in 36 at bats, he posted a

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 ...

of .167 with one home run. After the season, Dillon was granted

free agency 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 ...

Venados de Mazatlán (2005)

Dillon joined the Mazatlán Deer of the Pacific Mexican Winter League late in the 2004–2005 season, helping the team win the Caribbean Series championship.

Yomiuri Giants (2006)

Dillon was signed by the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball, for the season. He played the entire season in Japan.

Florida Marlins organization (2006–2007)

Upon returning to American professional baseball, Dillon re-joined the Florida Marlins, who signed him to a minor league contract, on December 20, 2006. The following spring, he asked for, and received, his release from the contract.

Milwaukee Brewers organization (2007–2008)

On April 1, 2007, Dillon signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, who assigned him to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds of the Pacific Coast League. On August 1, 2007, he was called up to the Brewers along with

Elmer Dessens Elmer Dessens Jusaino eh-SENZ(born January 13, 1971) is a Mexican former professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). Personal life Elmer Dessens was born on January 13, 1971, in Hermosillo, Mexico. At age 10, he worked as a ne ...

when pitcher

Scott Linebrink Scott Cameron Linebrink (born August 4, 1976) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He attended Texas State University before getting drafted, but finished his degree after his retirement at Concordia University (Texas) in Austin. ...

left on

bereavement Grief is the response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or some living thing that has died, to which a bond or affection was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, grief also has physical, cogniti ...

leave and second baseman Rickie Weeks was sent down to Nashville. Although expectations were high for Dillon in the off-season prior to the campaign, he failed to make the big league roster out of spring training, instead finding himself back in Triple-A Nashville. Dillon was recalled by the Brewers, on May 1, 2008; in a corresponding move, the Brewers designated relief pitcher

Derrick Turnbow Thomas Derrick Turnbow (born January 25, 1978) is an American former professional baseball right-handed relief pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Anaheim Angels and Milwaukee Brewers. Early career Turnbow was born in Uni ...

for assignment.

Oakland Athletics organization (2008–2009)

Following the season, Dillon was claimed off waivers by the Oakland Athletics. On January 7, 2009, Dillon 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 ...

to clear a roster spot for Jason Giambi and was sent outright to the minor leagues.

Tampa Bay Rays organization (2009-2010)

On May 10, 2009, Dillon traded by Oakland to the Tampa Bay Rays, in return for

Adam Kennedy Adam Thomas Kennedy (born January 10, 1976) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Washington National ...

. He played in 15 MLB games in , mostly as a

designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by th ...

(DH) and pinch hitter. Dillon compiled a .300 BA, with one home run, and two RBI. On December 18, 2009, Dillon re-signed a minor league contract with the Rays. Dillon attempted to add

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the ca ...

to his list of fielding positions in spring training of the season. He retired following his release, November 6, 2010.

Statistics

Coaching career

On December 20, 2013, Dillon was announced as the hitting coach for the Washington Nationals’ AAA affiliate

Syracuse Chiefs Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York * Syracuse, Indiana *Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...

. He spent 2016–17 as minor league hitting coordinator for the Miami Marlins. Dillon was named as the assistant hitting coach for the Nationals for the 2018 season. On November 21, 2019, the Phillies announced Dillon as their new hitting coach for the 2020 season. He was dismissed from the position on October 3, 2021, before the Phillies played final game of the 2021 season.

References

External links

Joe Dillon
at Pura Pelota (Venezuelan Professional Baseball League) :
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dillon, Joe 1975 births Living people Albuquerque Isotopes players American expatriate baseball players in Canada American expatriate baseball players in Japan Baseball coaches from California Baseball players from California Carolina Mudcats players Durham Bulls players Edmonton Trappers players Florida Marlins players Lansing Lugnuts players Major League Baseball catchers Major League Baseball hitting coaches Major League Baseball infielders Milwaukee Brewers players Minor league baseball coaches Nashville Sounds players Navegantes del Magallanes players American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela New Britain Rock Cats players Nippon Professional Baseball first basemen Nippon Professional Baseball outfielders Nippon Professional Baseball third basemen Oakland Athletics players Omaha Golden Spikes players Santa Rosa Bear Cubs baseball players Spokane Indians players Sportspeople from Modesto, California Syracuse Chiefs coaches Tampa Bay Rays players Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball players Washington Nationals coaches Wilmington Blue Rocks players Yomiuri Giants players Mat-Su Miners players